Close Menu
NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Subscribe
    NERDBOT
    • News
      • Reviews
    • Movies & TV
    • Comics
    • Gaming
    • Collectibles
    • Science & Tech
    • Culture
    • Nerd Voices
    • About Us
      • Join the Team at Nerdbot
    NERDBOT
    Home»News»Urban Legend: Fact or Fiction- Spider Eggs in Bubble Yum
    Bubble Yum gum
    Bubble Yum gum (Hershey)
    News

    Urban Legend: Fact or Fiction- Spider Eggs in Bubble Yum

    Amy DavisBy Amy DavisJanuary 22, 20254 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

    We’re back with another edition of Urban Legend: Fact or Fiction. In this chapter, we will figure out if spider eggs were ever found in Bubble Yum. So kick back and maybe lay off the chewing gum for a bit.

    The Story

    Did you know that Bubble Yum was the first soft gum to ever hit the market in 1974, (with a nationwide release in 1976)? But what gives it that soft texture you ask? Well, spider eggs! That’s right this gum gets its soft chewy texture from none other than arachnid offspring.

    Bubble Yum gum
    Bubble Yum gum (Hershey)

    Variants 

    The song pretty much remains the same on this one. The only thing that really swaps is sometimes it’s legs or webs that make the gum so chewy. There are also extended versions of the tale where a kid falls asleep chewing some Bubble Yum and wakes up with a mouth full of creepy crawlies or webs, giving a sweet twist on the Spider in The Hairdo/Zit urban legend.

    History & Themes

    This legend took off like a rocket when it first started in New York in 1977. Much like our previous tainted foods entry on Pop Rocks and Coke, this candy was a massive success. And its popularity caused frequent shortages and schoolyard black markets. But this legend became so pervasive that Bubble Yum’s parent company at the time, Life Savers Co., saw a decline in sales. (The product has since sold and is now under the Hershey’s banner.)

    Now who do you think would start such a damaging widespread rumor? Some jealous competitors no doubt! A tall tale becoming so pervasive so fast would have to be the work of some well-funded corporate overlords right? 

    Nope, it was schoolchildren in New York, because you know what they say; “Nothing spreads like playground gossip.” To be fair this tale contains several pieces of well-worn urban legend fodder. Mixing the much beloved “gross things found in food,” with “new innovative products are dangerous,” topped off with a healthy dose of “bugs are icky.”

    Can you really blame the kids for taking such tasty, tasty bait? Because Gen X bought this hook, line, and sinker. One telephone survey gathered that roughly 40 to 50% of the respondents had heard the rumor. Lynn Lehew, a sixth grader in New Jersey, conducted her own poll and found that about 30 of the 90 kids in her class believed the spider egg story.

    Unlike Pop Rock, Bubble Yum acted immediately to dispel the rumors, spending $100,000 and taking out full-page ads in fifty newspapers. This campaign was a success with most looking back on this as a funny footnote about their own youthful gullibility. 

    Bubble Yum ad dispelling the spider eggs rumor
    Bubble Yum ad dispelling the spider eggs rumor

    Pop Culture

    Oddly enough this one seemed to stay in the real world with very few direct pop culture references that we could find. The first is a quick reference made in the 1998 film “Urban Legend.” 

    Then, a year later, in 1999, on “The Simpsons” episode “Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder, ” the kids are watching the Krusty The Clown show when he says, “Kids, today we have to talk about Krusty Brand Chew Goo Gum-Like Substance. We knew it contained spider eggs, but the Hantavirus? That came out of left field!”

    Around the same time the spider eggs in Bubble Yum rumor started to crop up, so did another saying it gave you cancer. 

    Is it Real?

    We think you’ve figured it out by now but for the sake of continuity, no, this was never real. Bubble Yum also won’t give you cancer. Take it away Johnny F:

    Jonathan Frakes in "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction"
    Jonathan Frakes in “Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction” (Fox)

    Print Sources Used:

    Brunvand, J. H. “Spider Eggs in Bubble Yum.” Too Good to be True: The colossal book of urban legends, W. W. Norton and Company, 2014, pp. 193-194.

    Brunvand, J. H. “Spider Eggs in Bubble Yum.” Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, W. W. Norton and Company, 2001, pp. 408-409.

    Brunvand, Jan Harold. “Dreadful Contaminations.” The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings, W. W. Norton and Company, 2003, pp. 89-90.

    Genge, N.E. “So Much For Comfort Food.” Urban Legends: The As-Complete-As-One-Could-Be Guide to Modern Myths , Three Rivers Press, 2000, pp. 324–325.

    Do You Want to Know More?

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleThe Importance of Research in Writing Age-Appropriate Children’s Content
    Next Article 97th Annual Academy Awards Oscar Nominations Are Here
    Amy Davis

    Hi, I’m Amy. I like long walks in the graveyard, horror movies, comic books, and bringing you the latest in nerd-centric news.

    Related Posts

    GWAR’s Blothar Attacks Bill Cutting Funding to PBS, NPR

    July 19, 2025

    WGA Condemns CBS Cancelling “The Late Show,” Colbert

    July 18, 2025

    Coldplay Kiss Cam Moment Becomes Etsy Treasure Trove

    July 18, 2025

    “I Know What You Did Last Summer” Pretty Cast, Same Bland Story [Review]

    July 17, 2025

    Dinosaur Fossil Sells for Over $30 Million at Auction

    July 17, 2025

    “Cloud” Internet Anonymity is the Gateway to Hell [Review]

    July 16, 2025
    • Latest
    • News
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Reviews

    GWAR’s Blothar Attacks Bill Cutting Funding to PBS, NPR

    July 19, 2025
    How to Choose the Perfect Glass Door Fridge for Your Commercial Kitchen

    How to Choose the Perfect Glass Door Fridge for Your Commercial Kitchen

    July 19, 2025

    The Best Maptitude Alternative for Teams That Need to Move Faster

    July 19, 2025

    How Seasonal Changes Affect Your Roof’s Lifespan

    July 19, 2025

    GWAR’s Blothar Attacks Bill Cutting Funding to PBS, NPR

    July 19, 2025

    WGA Condemns CBS Cancelling “The Late Show,” Colbert

    July 18, 2025

    Coldplay Kiss Cam Moment Becomes Etsy Treasure Trove

    July 18, 2025

    “I Know What You Did Last Summer” Pretty Cast, Same Bland Story [Review]

    July 17, 2025

    Cameras are Rolling on “Practical Magic 2!”

    July 18, 2025

    “I Know What You Did Last Summer” Pretty Cast, Same Bland Story [Review]

    July 17, 2025

    Taika Waititi, Drew Pearce to Tackle “Judge Dredd”

    July 17, 2025

    NEW Official Trailer for “Tron: Ares” Hits

    July 17, 2025
    "Alien: Earth"

    Noah Hawley’s “Alien: Earth” Gets a Brand New Trailer

    July 18, 2025

    CBS Announces the End of “The Late Show” in 2026

    July 17, 2025

    Berlanti Developing Live-Action “Captain Planet’ Series for Netflix

    July 17, 2025

    Netflix Officially Greenlights “Assassin’s Creed” TV Show

    July 17, 2025

    “I Know What You Did Last Summer” Pretty Cast, Same Bland Story [Review]

    July 17, 2025

    “Cloud” Internet Anonymity is the Gateway to Hell [Review]

    July 16, 2025

    “Life After” Impartial Exposé on Complex, Important Issues [Review]

    July 15, 2025

    “Superman” Big, Beautiful Mess Bursting With Color, Hope [Review]

    July 11, 2025
    Check Out Our Latest
      • Product Reviews
      • Reviews
      • SDCC 2021
      • SDCC 2022
    Related Posts

    None found

    NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Nerdbot is owned and operated by Nerds! If you have an idea for a story or a cool project send us a holler on [email protected]

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.