Now we can find out the answer to one of the greatest mysteries in the candy business.
A project has been launched on Kickstarter to create a documentary that would answer the age-old question of how many licks it would take to get the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop.
(Actually, the question was first used in advertising for the lollipop in 1931, and was made especially popular by the 1970 animated commercial with a boy asking the question to an old turtle and then an owl. The owl bit the lollipop after only three licks.)
"The question that has haunted mankind since 1931 will finally be answered in this hard hitting documentary. The world WILL know," creator Tony Abate states at the top of the project's page.
It took about 10 days for the project to reach its goal of $25, from 12 backers that donated a few dollars each, without any reward promised except a thank you note that may never get written. The higher reward levels, such as $5, $10, $25, $100 and others up to $1,000, remain empty of pledges. The total is currently at $30.01.
Deadspin's Ross Benes actually took a look at scientific studies done to address the great Tootsie Roll Pop question. All of the research points to the fact that the number of licks depends on who is doing the licking: Are they licking fast or slow? Are they hungry or full? Is it a living, breathing person or a testing machine?
Benes aggregated the various scientific results and found it takes 394.7 licks to get to the center, with a range of lick totals from 142 to 882.
Abate addressed these past studies on the page, stating, "Studies have been performed but we can't always trust others for answers we must find ourselves. Who knows what special interest groups have influenced them, what their hidden agenda is, or why they refuse to share their data maybe? With a conspiracy like this, it is up to YOU to find the answer and not rely on the testimony of anyone else. Never trust anyone who claims they have the answer. Except in this case because you can totally trust me guys, cross my heart."
We will have to wait until after the Kickstarter project ends on August 5 to find out if Abate's documentary upholds the figures from the scientific findings.
As for the Kickstarter project, we may not get a satisfactory conclusion to the mystery haunting the world since 1931. As the creator put it on the Risks and Challenges section of the page: "I'll be honest, I might end up biting the Tootsie Roll Pop."
This isn't the first ridiculous Kickstarter project and it won't be the last. Does anybody remember the potato salad fiasco? Let's hope the Tootsie Roll Pop answer will actually benefit society as a whole.
