Drinking the Kool-Aid

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"Drinking the Kool-Aid" is most strongly believing and accepting in a deadly, deranged, or foolish ideology or concept based only upon the overpowering coaxing of another; the expression is also used to refer to a person who wrongly has faith in a possibly doomed or dangerous idea because of perceived potential high rewards. The phrase typically carries a negative connotation. It can also be used ironically or humorously to refer to accepting an idea or changing a preference due to popularity, peer pressure, or persuasion. In recent years, it has evolved further to mean extreme dedication to a cause or purpose, so extreme that one would "drink the Kool-Aid" and die for the cause.

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While use of the phrase dates back to 1968 with the nonfiction book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test ,[ citation needed ] it is strongly associated with the events in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978, in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple movement died. The movement's leader, Jim Jones, called a mass meeting at the Jonestown pavilion after the murder of U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan and others in nearby Port Kaituma. Jones proposed "revolutionary suicide" by way of ingesting a powdered drink mix made from Flavor Aid (later misidentified as Kool-Aid) that was lethally laced with cyanide and other drugs. [1] [2]

Background

A box of Flavor Aid found amongst other beverages at Jonestown Jonestown beverages.jpg
A box of Flavor Aid found amongst other beverages at Jonestown

On November 18, 1978, Jones ordered that the members of Representative Leo Ryan's party be killed after several defectors chose to leave with the party. Residents of the commune later committed suicide by drinking a grape flavored beverage laced with potassium cyanide; some were forced to drink it, some (such as small children) drank it unknowingly. [3] Roughly 918 people died.

Descriptions of the event often refer to the beverage not as Kool-Aid but as Flavor Aid, [4] a less-expensive product reportedly found at the site. [5] Kraft Foods, the maker of Kool-Aid, has stated the same. [6] This implies that it was referred to as Kool-Aid because that brand was better-known among Americans. Other accounts are less categorical. [4] Film footage shot inside the compound prior to the events of November shows Jones opening a large chest in which boxes of Flavor Aid are visible. [7] Criminal investigators testifying at the Jonestown inquest spoke of finding packets of "cool aid" ( sic ), and eyewitnesses to the incident are also recorded as speaking of "cool aid" or "Cool Aid." [8] It is unclear whether they intended to refer to the actual Kool-Aid–brand drink or were using the name in a generic sense that might refer to any powdered flavored beverage.

The group had engaged in many "dry runs" using unpoisoned drink. [9]

The phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" as used to describe either blind obedience or loyalty to a cause is considered offensive by some of the relatives of the dead and survivors who escaped Jonestown. [10] Seventy or more individuals at Jonestown were injected with poison, and a third (304) of the victims were minors. [11] [12] Guards armed with guns and crossbows had been ordered to shoot those who fled the Jonestown pavilion as Jones lobbied for suicide. [13] [14]

Use

Sign during the 2011 Wisconsin protests reading "we won't drink the kool-aid" Kool-Aid (5583740815) (1).jpg
Sign during the 2011 Wisconsin protests reading "we won't drink the kool-aid"

The first known use of the phrase was in a passage from the 1968 non-fiction book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, where it was used to describe an incident where Wolfe unsuccessfully tried to stop someone with a poor mental health record from drinking Kool-Aid laced with LSD, who then subsequently had a bad psychedelic experience. The Atlantic hypothesized that this story, which caused "many Americans [to become] familiar with the idea of being urged to drink Kool-Aid containing. . .unusual chemicals", contributed to the misconception that Kool-Aid was used in Jonestown. [1] The first allusion to the phrase after Jonestown occurred a month later, in December 1978, when Rev. Dr. William Sloane Coffin told a convention of the American unit of Pax Christi that American planning for nuclear war and preparations for the civil defense was "the Kool-Aid drill without the cyanide." [15]

According to academic Rebecca Moore, early analogies to Jonestown and Kool-Aid were based around death and suicide, not blind obedience. [16] The earliest such example she found, via a Lexis-Nexis search, was a 1982 statement from Lane Kirkland, then head of the AFL–CIO, which described Ronald Reagan's policies as "Jonestown economics," which "administers Kool-Aid to the poor, the deprived and the unemployed." [17]

In 1984, a Reagan administration appointee, Clarence M. Pendleton Jr., chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, was quoted as criticizing civil rights leaders Jesse Jackson, Vernon Jordan Jr., and Benjamin Hooks by making an analogy between allegiance to "the black leadership" and blind obedience to the Jonestown leaders: "We refuse to be led into another political Jonestown as we were led during the Presidential campaign. No more Kool-Aid, Jesse, Vernon, and Ben. We want to be free." [18]

In 1989, Jack Solerwitz, a lawyer for many of the air traffic controllers who lost their jobs in the 1981 PATCO strike, explained his dedication to their cause in spite of the substantial personal financial losses he incurred by saying: "I was the only lawyer who kept the doors open for them, and I thought I'd get a medal for it. ... Instead, I was the one who drank the Kool-Aid." [19]

The widespread use of the phrase with its current meaning may have begun in the late 1990s. In some cases it began to take on a neutral or even positive light, implying simply great enthusiasm. In 1998, the dictionary website logophilia.com defined the phrase thus: "To become a firm believer in something; to accept an argument or philosophy whole-heartedly." [16]

The phrase has been used in the business and technology worlds to mean fervent devotion to a certain company or technology. A 2000 The New York Times article about the end of the dot-com bubble noted, "The saying around San Francisco Web shops these days, as companies run out of money, is 'Just keep drinking the Kool-Aid,' a tasteless reference to the Jonestown massacre." [20]

The phrase or metaphor has also often been used in a political context, usually with a negative implication. In 2002, Arianna Huffington used the phrase "pass the Kool-Aid, pardner" in a column about an economic forum hosted by President George W. Bush. [21] Later, commentators Michelangelo Signorile and Bill O'Reilly have used the term to describe those whom they perceive as following certain ideologies blindly. [22] In a 2009 speech, Newsweek editor Jon Meacham stressed his political independence by saying, "I did not drink the Obama Kool-Aid last year." [23]

In 2011, columnist Meghan Daum wrote that the phrase had become "one of the nation's most popular idiomatic trends," while bemoaning its rise in popularity, calling its usage "grotesque, even offensive." She cited, among others, usages by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who said that he "drank the Kool-Aid as much as anyone else about Obama," and Us Weekly magazine, which reported during the short marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries that "Kris is not drinking the Kardashian Kool-Aid." [24]

In February 2012, "Drinking the Kool-Aid" won first place in an online poll by Forbes magazine as "the single most annoying example of business jargon." [25]

In the book Rage by Bob Woodward, which is an outcome of 18 interviews with former president Donald Trump, Woodward quotes Trump's reaction to his question about the responsibility of white, wealthy people who should help understand general population motivations of Black Lives Matter protesters. Trump replied: "You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn't you? Just listen to you." [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peoples Temple</span> American religious movement (1953–1978)

The Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ, originally Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church and commonly shortened to Peoples Temple, was an American new religious organization which existed between 1954 and 1978 and was affiliated with the Christian Church. Founded by Jim Jones in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Peoples Temple spread a message that combined elements of Christianity with communist and socialist ideology, with an emphasis on racial equality. After Jones moved the group to California in the 1960s and established several locations throughout the state, including its headquarters in San Francisco, the Temple forged ties with many left-wing political figures and claimed to have 20,000 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonestown</span> Peoples Temple cult settlement in Guyana

The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, an American cult under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became internationally infamous when, on November 18, 1978, a total of 918 people died at the settlement, at the nearby airstrip in Port Kaituma, and at a Temple-run building in Georgetown, Guyana's capital city. The name of the settlement became synonymous with the incidents at those locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Jones</span> American cult leader and mass murderer (1931–1978)

James Warren Jones was an American cult leader and mass murderer who led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978. In what he termed "revolutionary suicide", Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrated a mass murder-suicide in his remote jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. Jones and the events that occurred at Jonestown have had a defining influence on society's perception of cults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Ryan</span> American politician (1925–1978)

Leo Joseph Ryan Jr. was an American teacher and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. representative from California's 11th congressional district from 1973 until his assassination during the Jonestown massacre in 1978. Before that, he served in the California State Assembly, representing the state's 27th district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium cyanide</span> Highly toxic crystalline salt

Potassium cyanide is a compound with the formula KCN. It is a colorless salt, similar in appearance to sugar, that is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications include jewellery for chemical gilding and buffing. Potassium cyanide is highly toxic, and a dose of 200 to 300 milligrams will kill nearly any human.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavor Aid</span> Non-carbonated soft drink beverage powder

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass suicide</span> Groups of people killing themselves together

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Don Harris was an NBC News correspondent who was killed after departing Jonestown, an agricultural commune owned by the Peoples Temple in Guyana. On November 18, 1978, he and four others were killed by gunfire by Temple members at a nearby airstrip in Port Kaituma, Guyana. Their murders preceded the death of 909 Temple members in Jonestown and four Temple members in Georgetown, Guyana.

"Drinking the Kool-Aid" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. The episode's teleplay was written by Russell Smith, from a story by series creator Rob Thomas, and was directed by Marcos Siega, the episode premiered on UPN on November 30, 2004.

<i>Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple</i> 2006 documentary film

Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, is a 2006 documentary film made by Firelight Media, produced and directed by Stanley Nelson. The documentary reveals new footage of the incidents surrounding the Peoples Temple and its leader Jim Jones who led over 900 members of his religious group to a settlement in Guyana called Jonestown, where he orchestrated a mass suicide with poisoned Flavor Aid, in November 1978. It is in the form of a narrative with interviews with former Temple members, Jonestown survivors, and people who knew Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyanide poisoning</span> Broad-spectrum poisoning

Cyanide poisoning is poisoning that results from exposure to any of a number of forms of cyanide. Early symptoms include headache, dizziness, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, and vomiting. This phase may then be followed by seizures, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and cardiac arrest. Onset of symptoms usually occurs within a few minutes. Some survivors have long-term neurological problems.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peoples Temple in San Francisco</span> Religious groups social and political activities base

The Peoples Temple, the new religious movement which came to be known for the mass killings at Jonestown, was headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States from the early to mid-1970s until the Temple's move to Guyana in 1977. During this period, the Temple and its founder, Reverend Jim Jones, rose to national prominence thanks to Jones' interest in social and political causes, and wielded a significant amount of influence in San Francisco's city government.

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<i>Last Call in Jonestown</i> 2013 studio album by Polkadot Cadaver

Last Call in Jonestown is the third studio album by Polkadot Cadaver, released on May 14, 2013.

"Drink the Kool-Aid" is the ninth episode of the seventh season of the anthology television series American Horror Story. It aired on October 31, 2017, on the cable network FX. The episode was written by Adam Penn, and directed by Angela Bassett.

Jim Jones was a cult leader who on November 18, 1978, orchestrated the mass murder suicide of 909 members of his commune in Jonestown, Guyana. Since the events of the Jonestown Massacre, a massive amount of literature and study has been produced on the subject. Numerous documentaries, films, books, poetry, music and art have covered or been inspired by the events of Jonestown. Jim Jones and the events at Jonestown has had a defining influence on society's perception of cults. The widely known expression "Drinking the Kool-Aid" originated in the events at Jonestown, although the specific beverage used at the massacre was Flavor Aid rather than Kool-Aid.

Christine Miller was a member of the Peoples Temple cult led by Jim Jones. She is known for being the only Temple member to publicly urge Jones against carrying out the group's mass murder in Jonestown, Guyana on November 18, 1978. Ultimately, she was unsuccessful in persuading Jones and died that same day, alongside 908 other Temple members.

Maria Katsaris was a member of the Peoples Temple cult led by Jim Jones. She is known for being one of the most high-ranking figures in Temple leadership and one of Jim Jones' lovers.

References

  1. 1 2 Higgins, Chris (November 8, 2012). "Stop Saying 'Drink the Kool-Aid'". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ Hall, John R. (1987). Gone from the Promised Land: Jonestown in American Cultural History. Transaction Publishers. p. 282. ISBN   978-0887388019. Archived from the original on March 12, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  3. ↑ Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
  4. 1 2 Eric Zorn (November 18, 2008). "Change of Subject, "Have you drunk the 'Kool-Aid' Kool-Aid". Chicago Tribune, www.chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2009.
  5. ↑ Krause, Charles A. (December 17, 1978). "Jonestown Is an Eerie Ghost Town Now". Washington Post. Along the muddy path that served as a sidewalk for much of the commune, other reminders of the life and death that were Jonestown lie half buried in the fertile soil. A pair of woman's eyeglasses, a towel, a pair of shorts, packets of unopened Flavor-Aid lie scattered about waiting for the final cleanup that may one day return Jonestown to the tidy, if overcrowded, little community it once was.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ "Kool Aid/Flavor Aid: Inaccuracies vs. Facts Part 7". Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Guyana inquest" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 5, 2015.
  9. ↑ Hatfield, Larry D. (November 8, 1998). "Utopian nightmare. Jonestown: What did we learn?". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  10. ↑ Richardson, James D. (November 18, 2014). "The phrase 'drank the Kool-Aid' is completely offensive. We should stop saying it immediately". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Why 900 Died in Guyana' by Carey Winfrey Archived June 17, 2017, at the Wayback Machine . The New York Times, February 25, 1979
  12. ↑ "How many children and minors died in Jonestown? What were their ages?" Archived November 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple. Department of Religious Studies, San Diego State University.
  13. ↑ Goering, Laurie (May 10, 1997). "Guyanese Jungle Reclaiming Jonestown". Staff Tribune chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  14. ↑ "'Can't Sleep.' 'Beyond Imagination.' What It Was Like to Work on the Jonestown Massacre Clean-Up". Time. Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  15. ↑ Hyer, Marjorie. "Pax Christi Group Opposes SALT II." December 9, 1978. Washington Post.
  16. 1 2 Drinking the Kool-Aid: The Cultural Transformation of a Tragedy Archived January 22, 2018, at the Wayback Machine , Rebecca Moore, American Academy of Religion/ Western Region, St. Mary’s College of California, March 26, 2002
  17. ↑ Moore, Rebecca. "Reconstructing Reality: Conspiracy Theories About Jonestown". Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple. Department of Religious Studies. San Diego State University . Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Criticism of Black Leaders". The New York Times. November 20, 1984. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  19. ↑ Margolick, David (January 20, 1989). "Law at the Bar: Lawyer for striking air traffic controllers won back 60 jobs but suffered personal loss". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  20. ↑ Fishburne, Rodes (April 29, 2000). "The Shadow in Silicon Valley". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019.
  21. ↑ Arianna Huffington (August 16, 2002). "Wacko in Waco". Salon.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Feeling Sorry for O'Reilly". Fox News. September 9, 2005. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  23. ↑ Finch, Jake (April 1, 2009). "Newsweek editor addresses Reagan Forum". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020.
  24. ↑ Daum, Meghan (November 17, 2011). "Don't 'drink the Kool-Aid'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013.
  25. ↑ Jargon Madness Archived April 26, 2019, at the Wayback Machine , Forbes, January 25, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Trump deliberately played down virus, Woodward book says". BBC News. September 10, 2020.
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