1. 26 January 2010 · 10:10 AM

    Everyone’s Favorite Packing Material

    This is an email my dad sent me on Monday. My dad is Mr. Wikipedia, and once a week he sends me and email with interesting facts. This is just a silly one, but considering our affinity for packing supplies (and because no one has posted on here in a while), I just thought I’d share it. Enjoy :)

    Welcome to Dad’s New York Minute, with your host:  Dad.   This episode:  Bubble Wrap.    What kind of stuff is traded on the New York Stock Exchange?   Only the bestest and most funnest!   Like NYSE- SEE , for which today exists.   Yes, today, the last Monday of January, is Bubble Wrap appreciation day.   And not just any Bubble Wrap appreciation day, but the 50th anniversary of America’s favorite packing material and play toy.    In honor of the occasion, for one day only, bubble wrap will be made of gold plastic instead of clear.      It all started in 1960, when inventors Marc Chavannes and Al Fielding developed a plastic they hoped to market as textured wallpaper.   Surprisingly, that idea didn’t exactly take off, and so they sold it as greenhouse insulation.     As the legend and the songs go, Chavannes was on an airplane over New York, decending into Newark, when he noticed that the billowy clouds appeared to be cushioning the plane.    It was at that glorious moment that he realized that Bubble Wrap could be used for cushioning fragile items, putting the Sharp Pointy Objects and Heavy Stones Packing Company out of business.     It wasn’t until 1968, when Bob Bobbertybob was wrapping his 6 year old son (Bob Junior) in the stuff for shipment to Grandma’s (Roberta, “Bobby”, Bobbertybob) for the summer, that the pop culture icon was born.   As young Bob screamed and thrashed about, some of the bubbles popped.   Strangely, this seemed to calm, and even amuse the youngster.    3 days later, Grandma openned her mail to find a happy Bob Junior popping away at the bubble wrap.   And the rest is history.   Coincidentally, later in life, Bob Bobbertybob Junior, also known as patient BR-348075, was instrumental in the development of Bubble Wrap as a stress alleviation therapy.    Bob’s irrational fear of closed in spaces led to intense panic attacks when confined in small rooms, automobiles, or the appearance of the UPS driver at his office each day.    A few pops of a sheet of Bubble Wrap, and Bob retreats to his happy place.   Lobbyists are currently helping to write legislation that will include Bubble Wrap as a medical expense covered under the new Health Care Reform Bill when prescribed by a physician.   Bubble Wrap’s stock has plummetted in recent years as sending children by mail has lost popularity.   In an attempt to find new markets for Bubble Wrap, the company has looked for help beyond the Bobbertybob family.     In January of 2007, 3 student finalists in the Inaugural Bubble Wrap Competion for Young Inventors were shipped to New York to display their inventions:
    • Alex Chalcraft, age 13, from Gilbert, Arizona—“The Easy Check Chore Chart”.    The chart lists a series of weekly tasks and allows children to pop a bubble each time they complete a chore.   Lawyers for Bubble Wrap recommended against using this idea on the grounds that it might infringe upon the Jello Company trademarked “Throw Pudding At This Calendar Chore Chart”.
    • Megan Guerrero, 13, San Angelo, Texas—“The Empire State Building:   A Three Dimensional Construction Project”.   This 3-D puzzle uses custom-cut pieces of Bubble Wrap to build a 30 inch tall replica of the Empire State Building.   Genius…. ….but ugly.
    • Grayson Rosenberger, 14, Nashville, Tennessee—“Bubble Wrap Cosmetic Covering Shell for Artificial Legs in Developing Countries”.   A cost effective cosmetic skin covering designed to conceal prosthetic limbs and create the appearance of muscle tone.      Grayson also submitted a second project using Bubble Wrap as “Urban Armor”.   A cost effective protective layer for the only Jew in Tennessee.
    Today, Bubble Wrap is made by the Sealed Air company of Elmwood Park New Jersey, manufacturers of Jiffy mailers, Cryovac packaging, and Al Roker.      Thanks for tuning in to Dad’s New York Minute, where we J-walk through the facts, hail the knowledge taxi, and never say sorry (for plagiarizing Wikipedia).  See you next time.   Happy Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day!
    1. divinenine posted this
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