Mentos--The Freshmaker!

If you've ever been baffled by those peculiar TV commercials for Mentos candies, in which smart-ass adolescents simultaneously torment and charm their elders with the aid of moxie-inducing mint lozenges, this site will soothe your addled brain. In case you've missed the ads, Mentos kids are akin to a sinister cross between the punk thugs of A Clockwork Orange and the pastel choirboys of Up With People. The Mentos FAQ (Internet-speak for "Frequently Asked Questions"), now on the Web, dissects the Mentos agitprop campaign--analyzing the alarmingly uptempo plotlines of each commercial (including "Those Crazy Kids" parts I and II), the goofily subversive jingle ("Doo doo doo, doo-doo, do-Wah! . . . Fresh goes better, Mentos freshness. . ."), the dimensions and ingredients of the candy (little, with lots of hydrogenated coconut oil). Most importantly, FAQ author Heath Doerr ponders the apparent psychopharmacological effects (deMentos praecox?) of this strange foreign-made sweet. He writes that he is seeking an academic grant "for the purposes of studying what I have termed 'the freshness effect' caused by consuming Mentos brand candies. Although there seem to be no mind-altering substances contained in Mentos, individuals suddenly become aroused, inventive, and lose all regard for the norms of society a short time after using them. I've asked for $23,729." Godspeed. (JW)

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