why do they use the term kool aid drinkers?

theblackbox

Golden Member
Oct 1, 2004
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guyana punch was flavor aid, not kool aid.
is there another reason that i am missing, because every time i hear that term, i can only think how ridiculous it sounds.
 

theblackbox

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Oct 1, 2004
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does that mean it is used in ignorance? like changing facts to make it have more broad appeal?
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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does that mean it is used in ignorance? like changing facts to make it have more broad appeal?

This. I don't recall, but they probably reported the actual beverage at some point and over time it was possibly replaced with "Kool-Aid" so people could recognize it better.

It's fairly minor and not really P&N worthy, IMO.
 

theblackbox

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Oct 1, 2004
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i mean, i've heard the termin reference to hippies from the 60's that used kool aid with their lsd, and was wondering if it came from there.
it seems, it is always used to reference people that follow something blindly, a reference to jim jones, and then if it was, the term would be fairly inaccurate, and they should be flavor aid drinkers flavor aid is a recognized product name as well, and the correct name.
 

theblackbox

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Oct 1, 2004
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i thought about off topic, but then i thought that the term indicated a word play and a dishonest one at that, and always in reference to politics, hence the post here.

but thanks for the thoughts.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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i mean, i've heard the termin reference to hippies from the 60's that used kool aid with their lsd, and was wondering if it came from there.
it seems, it is always used to reference people that follow something blindly, a reference to jim jones, and then if it was, the term would be fairly inaccurate, and they should be flavor aid drinkers flavor aid is a recognized product name as well, and the correct name.

Hmm, never heard it used that way, but that could be part of it.
 

Colt45

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
19,721
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^^ they drank "flavor aid" not kool-aid.

For the OP... The same reason people call tissues "kleenex", and extruded polystyrene foam "styrofoam".
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
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LSD.

Way back the counter revolution of the 60s was by drinking LSD cool-aid. Open your mind kind of stuff. While I love me some LSD the resultant obliviousness to reality of taking it has become synonymous with "drinking the cool-aid". There's many a book written about this movement. Again, not that I would discourage anybody from taking LSD as it's something everybody should do, but the disconnect from reality is what the phrase comes from and it's been around since the 60s.

-edit-
Somebody google check my response but that's my understanding of it. It came from a time when LSD was not regulated and the hippy buses went across the country to merge in san fran gathering followers with the cool-aid. cool-aid that had yummy LSD-25 in it.
 
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Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
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I've always thought it was a politically correct way of saying "following the Pied Piper."
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
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Just think of it as a term of endearment- like wingnut, fund-a-mental, tea-bagger, ditto-head and the rest...

When you call the wife "Honey" it's not literal...

Jim Jones had his own little echo chamber...

How tall are the weeds out there, Spidey07?
 

Zorkorist

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2007
6,861
3
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LSD.

Way back the counter revolution of the 60s was by drinking LSD cool-aid. Open your mind kind of stuff. While I love me some LSD the resultant obliviousness to reality of taking it has become synonymous with "drinking the cool-aid". There's many a book written about this movement. Again, not that I would discourage anybody from taking LSD as it's something everybody should do, but the disconnect from reality is what the phrase comes from and it's been around since the 60s.

-edit-
Somebody google check my response but that's my understanding of it. It came from a time when LSD was not regulated and the hippy buses went across the country to merge in san fran gathering followers with the cool-aid. cool-aid that had yummy LSD-25 in it.
Props for recommending LSD as a must do. :)
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
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Jones town is the source. That someone would so blindly follow someone as to drink something that would kill them and give that to their own children.

As mentioned it was flavor-aid not kool-aid , but kool-aid is a more well known brand .
 

Athena

Golden Member
Apr 9, 2001
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guyana punch was flavor aid//.
Photographs of the supply lockers at Jonestown show both FlavorAid and Kool Aid. The latter was more familiar to most people and so...

killing2+copy.jpg
 
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Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
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Is it considered racist to call Obama supporters "kool aid drinkers"?

"Drinking the Kool-aid" is an act of faith and obedience to authority, much more common on the other side of the political spectrum.

Not racist- not really apropos, either...
 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
54,894
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www.alienbabeltech.com
I knew it had something to so with the Kool-Aid being poisoned but did not know it was in direct reference to Jonestown. Makes sense though.

Republicans especially the one in here certainly are drinking a lot of that Kool-Aid since Obama won.
 

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
13
81
I love that term. Doesn't have to be applied to politics solely. Another great phrase is "shut up and color." Basically means don't question authority, just do what you're told.