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Aug 5 2014

How Play-Doh Works

42 min 14 movies discussed
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Do you love Play-Doh? Chuck and Josh certainly love to talk about it, from its interesting history as a wall cleaner, to its more scientific chemical properties. It's everything you ever wanted to know about the pliable children's toy.

AI Summary

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck dive into the surprisingly complex world of Play-Doh, exploring how this beloved children's toy actually started as wallpaper cleaner back in the 1950s. They uncover the fascinating origin story involving Joe McVickers, Captain Kangaroo, and a struggling soap company, then get deep into the surprisingly intricate chemistry behind what makes Play-Doh so perfectly pliable. From starch molecules and surfactants to retrogradation inhibitors, the hosts reveal just how much science goes into creating that iconic salty-smelling compound that's been delighting kids (and adults) for decades.


Movies Discussed

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
2004 1h 35m
★ 6.7
"There are some real classics, including Ron Burgundy's and Anchorman — The movie was mentioned in a listener email discussing PG-13 movies and their single allowed F-bomb usage."
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
1955
★ 6.8
"Captain Kangaroo had a show, and Joe McVicker somehow got in contact with Captain Kangaroo — The show was mentioned as the key to Play-Doh's national success when Joe McVicker got Captain Kangaroo to feature the product on his TV show." — Josh
Edge of Tomorrow
Edge of Tomorrow
2014 1h 54m
★ 7.6
"I heard the other one was pretty good, though. Edge of Tomorrow? — Chuck mentioned this Tom Cruise movie as being good, in contrast to Oblivion which he didn't like." — Chuck
Hey Dude
Hey Dude
1989
★ 6.8
"On the podcast, HeyDude the 90s called David Lasher and Christine Taylor, stars of the cult classic show — This was mentioned in an advertisement break during the podcast."
Independence Day
Independence Day
1996 2h 25m
★ 6.9
"was the one that got me out of my seat cheering like the President's Speech and Independence Day — The movie was referenced in a listener email as an example of memorable F-bomb usage in PG-13 films."
Lincoln
Lincoln
2012 2h 30m
★ 6.8
"because recent examples of Lincoln and Filomena, hey, how about that, had two of those naughty words — The movie was mentioned as an exception to the PG-13 single F-bomb rule in a listener email."
Oblivion
Oblivion
2013 2h 4m
★ 6.7
"my absolute favorite P.G. 13 golden goal naughty word, not mentioned anywhere else that I've researched, was the one from Oblivion — The Tom Cruise movie was cited as the listener's favorite example of strategic F-bomb usage in a PG-13 film."
Philomena
Philomena
2013 1h 38m
★ 7.3
"Oh, I just saw Filomena, by the way, finally. — Chuck mentioned recently watching the movie and discussing how it was different from Judi Dench's usual roles." — Chuck
Pinwheel
Pinwheel
1977
★ 5.0
"But I like Pinwheel most. — Chuck mentioned Pinwheel as his favorite children's show when discussing TV shows from their childhood." — Chuck
Poltergeist
Poltergeist
1982 1h 54m
★ 7.2
"Do you remember AOL instant messenger and the dial-up sound like poltergeist? — The movie was referenced in an advertisement comparing the dial-up internet sound to the movie."
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
1975
★ 7.0
"Mr. Bill, remember him from Silent Life? — Josh mentioned Mr. Bill, a character from Saturday Night Live, noting that it was made of Play-Doh." — Josh
Sesame Street
Sesame Street
1969
★ 7.1
"And now it's an electric company over Sesame Street, amen. — Chuck mentioned it in comparison to The Electric Company when discussing children's TV shows they preferred." — Chuck
Skyfall
Skyfall
2012 2h 23m
★ 7.3
"most recently in Skyfall when Judy Dench uses that naughty word — The James Bond film was cited as an example of a PG-13 movie using its allotted F-bomb."
The Electric Company
The Electric Company
1971
★ 7.1
"And now it's an electric company over Sesame Street, amen. — Chuck mentioned preferring The Electric Company over Sesame Street when discussing children's TV shows they watched." — Chuck

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