Mello Yello
September 30th 2008 22:03
What the hell happened to Mello Yello?
I know it is scarcely available in a few places in the south of the U.S., but certainly here in Oz, and most of the known world - Mello Yello has disappeared from the face of the earth.
For those of you that cant remember it - Mello Yello was a yellow, but not so mellow, citrus flavored soft drink that was chock full of sugar and caffeine and came out at the dawn of the decade.
Mello Yello was a huge 80s trend that suddenly died in the ass.
It even had a huge sponsorship deal with Tom Cruise and his movie Days of Thunder. It was so popular after the film, that an actual NASCAR was made and still races today with the Mello Yello design.
The drink originally appeared in the U.S. to compete with Mountain Dew sales - which is funny, because Mountain Dew hadn't even hit Australia yet.
I recently found out that our Mountain Dew is different too, because in the States it has loads of caffeine, but over here it has none - due to some rule that non-cola soft drinks cant have caffeine - which is almost defiantly the reason Mello Yello was removed in the first place. Not only did it have loads of sugar and caffeine, but it also contains the coloring Yellow No. 5, which is famously known for sending kids 'hypo'. (Some urban myths even suggest it dramatically lowers sperm count!).
I'd heard that it had been banned because it made kids go crazy, but I thought that was an urban myth - now I've found out it was probably the truth!
Bright yellow drinks that have so much sugar its like drinking syrup appealed to kids, so they wanted it - and got a head full of caff and some of that good ol' Yellow No.5 too.
Whatever - bring it back. I wanna get mello man.
What other products have disappeared since the 80s?
Australian Mello Yello ad from '83 - nice overdub of an American version!
'They call me mellow yellow...'
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Comment by Anonymous
What the hell happened to that????
Comment by Nomad
Awesome Food
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Anonymous
I notice they've recently brought back Toobs, but they don't tasate like the 80s originals.
There were a lot of ice creams I remember that aren't around any more. I remember there was a chocolate/coffee version of Golden Gaytimes that I liked, and I still have a perverse fondness for Bubble O'Bills, dispite the fact they had crap ice cream and worse bubble gum!
Comment by Macho Man
Comment by Jarrah
Back to the Eighties
Sellin' ugg boots of all things