ABSTRACT
Each of these quotations illustrates an important part of the
story of chewing gum and the breadth of chewing gum’s appeal
and status as an icon of modern global society. Chewing gum is
by turns habitual and regarded as a personal treat; it was, and is,
a substitute for food, notably when food is unavailable. What
began as a private, small indulgence developed into what is
today sometimes labeled “medical confectionery.” At the same
time, chewing gum has conveyed desire in its associations
with sex and the body. It has been used to express attitude,
demonstrating coolness and sometimes even dissent to successive
generations.1
