History Main / SodaCandySplosion

[[folder:Video games]]

** At one point in ''Captain Underpants and the Big Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy - Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets'', Melvin's parents are shown performing a top secret government experiment, which apparently involves pouring Pop Rocks into soda.
** In ''Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot'', Smart Earth—an identical counterpart of Earth made out of an [[GeniusSerum element that increases intelligence]]—explodes due to a science experiment involving the mixture of Smart Diet Coke, Smart Pop Rocks, and Smart Mentos. Later, [[BigBad Sir Stinks-A-Lot]] is destroyed by being forcefully fed our world's versions of said items.

Science is a wonderful thing. It makes our world go round, and yet can be done by virtually anyone. No need for priceless equipment and particle accelerators—the materials you need may be right in your own home. One of the easiest and most iconic of all is no doubt the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_geyser soda geyser]], in which the simple combination of soda and certain candies can effortlessly create an eruptive geyser of soda.

The simple nature of this little experiment means that it can be done by anyone, and thus frequently serves as a basis for gags in fiction. A common scenario is for characters to create a big mess—either intentionally or unintentionally—with the ensuing eruption. Occasionally, the combo may even be weaponized due to its simplicity and accessibility, with the explosive effect often exaggerated for the RuleOfFunny.

Sometimes, Pop Rocks are utilized instead of Mentos. This candy tends to appear in relation to a common UrbanLegend which claims that consuming both could cause one's stomach to explode. Former child actor [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Mikey Little Mikey]] of Life Cereals fame has famously been rumored to have died from this [[note]]In reality, Little Mikey actor John Gilchrist is still very much alive and works as director of media sales for a regional sports network in New York[[/note]]. Unlike Diet Coke and Mentos, the two will not create an outright soda eruption when mixed, although it does release large amounts of carbon dioxide. Nonetheless, these rumors have persisted in fiction, and having characters' [[YourHeadASplode heads]] or [[PopGoesTheHuman bodies]] explode is not an uncommon sight.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/RavingRabbids TV Party,'': There's a Commercial Microgame where a Rabbid drinks an entire bottle of cola. To win the microgame, the player has to toss a piece of mentos into the Rabbid's mouth to which he accidentally swallows, and all the cola bursts out of him like a geyser.
[[/folder]]

-->'''Homer:''' [[PremortumOneLiner See you in hell, candy boys!]]

-->'''Homer:''' [[PremortumOneLiner See ya in hell, candy boys!]]

** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E9HomerBadman Homer Badman]]" has Homer improvising a grenade out of a can of cola and a bag of Pop Rocks to cover his escape after he steals the Gummi Venus di Milo.

--> '''Homer:''' Does it work?
--> '''Jimbo:''' ''[floating a foot off the ground with a jetpack strapped to his back]'' Kinda.

-->'''Homer:''' Does it work?\\

--->'''Homer:''' Does it work?\\
'''Jimbo:''' ''[floating a foot off the ground with a jetpack strapped to his back]'' Kinda.

The simple nature of this little experiment means that it can be done by anyone, and thus frequently serves as a basis for gags in fiction. A common scenario is for characters to create a big mess—either intentionally or unintentionally—with the ensuing eruption. Occasionally, the combo may ever be weaponized due to its simplicity and accessibility, with the explosive effect often exaggerated for the RuleOfFunny.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Like and thubthcribe for more looney hijinkth!"\\

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': “[[Recap/FuturamaM4IntoTheWildGreenYonder Into the Wild Green Yonder]]” features a dancing fountain display at Mars Vegas created through a mix of Diet Slurm and Mentos.

-->'''Homer:''' Does it work?\\

** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS19E13TheDebarted The Debarted]]", after learning their new friend Donny is an accomplice of Skinner, Bart and Nelson intend to punish him by giving him crates of Diet Coke and Mentos. Skinner stops them before they can do so, however Donny ultimately pushes the crates together and creates a foamy explosion to help the boys escape.

In terms of ingredients, Diet Coke and Mentos (or BlandNameProduct or BrandX counterparts) are common choices. This is indeed TruthInTelevision; the two are infamous for creating a massive soda geyser for reasons elaborated on below. As this iteration of the experiment was largely popularized on websites such as Platform/{{YouTube}} in the [=2000s=], characters are sometimes shown filming their attempts, in the hope of becoming an InstantWebHit.

Sometimes, Pop Rocks are utilized instead of Mentos. This candy tends to be appear in relation to a common UrbanLegend that claims consuming both could cause one's stomach to explode. Former child actor [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Mikey Little Mikey]] of Life Cereals fame has famously been rumored to have died from this [[note]]In reality, Little Mikey actor John Gilchrist is still very much alive and works as director of media sales for a regional sports network in New York[[/note]]. Unlike Diet Coke and Mentos, the two will not create an outright soda eruption when mixed, although it does release large amounts of carbon dioxide. Nonetheless, these rumors have persisted in fiction, and having characters' [[YourHeadASplode heads]] or [[PopGoesTheHuman bodies]] explode is not an uncommon sight.

While Diet Coke and Mentos are the most common choices with this experiment, any carbonated beverage can substitute for Diet Coke, though Diet Coke is nonetheless believed to have the strongest effect. Among other explanations, it has been proposed that the lack of sugar in Diet Coke makes the mixture less viscous and thus have less surface tension, meaning the gas is released more rapidly.

As for Mentos, a variety of other objects will work, including other candy and even various inedible objects. Pop Rocks also contain tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide within them, responsible for the popping effect when consumed. While the release of the carbon dioxide within both the soda and candy can be significant enough to inflate a balloon placed over a soda bottle, it still won't be enough to cause your stomach to explode.

* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'': One landmark of [[LevelAte candy-coated]] kart racing arcade game ''Sugar Rush'' is Diet Cola Mountain, a volcano of boiling Diet Cola with an massive array of Mentos stalagmites hanging from the top. It's home to an unfinished course where local outcast Vanellope has made her home. [[spoiler:It also becomes a ChekhovsVolcano in a dramatic context; when the Cy-Bugs [[SugarApocalypse overrun the game]], Ralph recalls that they are attracted to beams of light and heads off to attempt a HeroicSacrifice to dislodge the Mentos and cause an eruption.]]

** In ''Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot'', Smart Earth—an identical counterpart of Earth made out of an [[GeniusSerum element that increases intellegence]]—explodes due to a science experiment involving the mixture of Smart Diet Coke, Smart Pop Rocks, and Smart Mentos. Later, [[BigBad Sir Stinks-A-Lot]] is destroyed by being forcefully fed our world's versions of said items.

** Naturally, as a series focusing on testing UrbanLegends old wives' tales, this was covered at multiple points. The first time this was attempted, it was not given any sort of rating ("Busted", "Plausible", or "Confirmed") and instead simply had the science behind it explained, with them using a nozzle to reach a height of over 30 feet. A later episode tested out the myth that this reaction could cause a ruptured stomach; when attempted with that of a pig, it was discovered that simply drinking the soda eliminates much of the carbon dioxide responsible for the eruption. Even when the gas was directly pumped into the stomach, it only inflated, albeit to a point that would cause pain.
** The very first pilot episode looked at the soda and Pop Rocks myth in relation to the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Mikey Little Mikey]] claim. Like in the later Diet Coke and Mentos test, it was determined that the reaction was far from powerful enough, though the pig stomach used inflated to a painful extend when unrealistically large amounts of both were added.

* ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'': "[[Recap/TwoAndAHalfMenS8E14LookinForJapaneseSubs Lookin' for Japanese Subs]]" has Jake and Eldridge film a variety of ''Series/{{Jackass}}''-style stunts to upload to the Internet. The first one, the "human volcano", has Jake consume warm (off-brand) Diet Coke and Mentos and lay on the floor. Alan shows up in the middle of it, [[VomitIndiscretionShot getting vomit violently spewed in his face as a result]].

* The ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' Halloween episode "[[Recap/HomestarRunnerTheHouseThatGaveSuckyTreats The House That Gave Sucky Treats]]" has Pop Rocks as an option to give to The Cheat and Strong Mad for their trick-or-treat candy. Doing so will cause The Cheat to eat them and drink a soda, leading to his head exploding. Giving ''actual'' rocks to them will have Strong Mad eat them, along with eating half a can of soda... and The Cheat's head will ''still'' explode.

* ''WebVideo/TheAngryGrandpa'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9u6jBt8_E0 Diet Coke & Mentos Explosion!]] has the titular Grandpa being challenged to hold his face over a bottle of Diet Coke while dropping a handful of Mentos in. He only lasts a single second, and goes into one of his typical rages afterward. He later gets sprayed with the same while he's distracted.

* ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'': In "[[Recap/MegasXLRS1E11TVDinner TV Dinner]]", Coop and Jamie debate the legend that consuming Pop Rocks and soda will make your stomach explode, after the former considers using it to win a burping contest. He's ultimately cut off before he can consume the soda, however. The myth is later proven true when the combination is (unintentionally) used to destroy a planet-sized space monster.
* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'': After hearing of the myth of a kid's demise from consuming Pop Rocks and soda, a bunch of kids dare their friend Mikey to try it and see what happens. One kid even bets a dollar that he'll do it. Mikey quickly turns into an out-of-control {{Gasshole}} who's ignited farts cause him to run faster than the nearby train before his body ultimately starts spinning out of control. A nearby citizen caps his butt with a softball, only for the explosion to turn upward and send his head flying off to land by his friends feet. In their StunnedSilence, the one kid hands a dollar to the other.

* In ''Literature/RebornAsAVendingMachineINowWanderTheDungeon'' Boxxo vends Lammis a pack of Soda bottles and "[[ProductDisplacement certain candies]]" when the Frog King attacks. After an accidental EurekaMoment, she and the wounded hunters create a fountain that hits the monster in the eye and stalls it long enough for TheCavalry to arrive.

** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E9HomerBadman Homer Badman]]" has Homer improvising a grenade out of a can of cola and a bag of pop-rocks to cover his escape after he steals the Gummi Venus di Milo.

--->'''Homer:''' Does it work?\\

* ''WebComic/MoringmarkTOHComics'': In one strip, Willow and Gus mention how they once knew a witch called Lucine (an IdenticalStranger to Luz) who decided one day to [[TooDumbToLive drink an entire bottle of fizzy Coke and Mentos]]. [[GoryDiscretionShot We don't see the aftermath,]] but it's confirmed that it killed her, and seriously traumatized Gus and Willow.

* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': "My Mirror Image" has this occur with Pop Rocks and soda. Keith and Ted mix them together to see what will happen, creating a mess that the Janitor clearly isn't happy about having to clean up.

* ''Film/AliensInTheAttic'' Jake uses Mentos to create soda grenades to fight against the aliens during the climax. [[spoiler:The soda grenades become ineffective when the aliens use the molecular expander]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBossBabyFamilyBusiness'': The climax of the film sees Tina and Tabitha use a Mentos and Coke combo to produce a candy lava volcano, which destroys the servers being used by Armstrong to keep the parents as zombies.

-->'''Homer:''' Does it work?\\

!!Examples

'''Jimbo:''' ''(floating a foot off the ground with a jetpack strapped to his back)'' Kinda.

-->'''Jimbo:''' ''(floating a foot off the ground with a jetpack strapped to his back)'' Kinda.