Start Date
27-5-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
27-5-2026 10:15 AM
Description
One crisis we currently face is the rising incidence of diabetes worldwide, arguably due to the inclusion of sugar, in one form or another, in nearly all processed foods. Superman and Coca Cola, two symbols prominent in the American cultural landscape, suggest an association of sugar consumption and power. Indeed, sweetness appeals to us both as a taste and as a concept, and sugar, accordingly, is often marketed not as nourishing but as empowering. Superman may seem far removed from discussions of food. However, the possibility of acquiring greater-than-human strength was apparently uppermost in the minds of mid-twentieth century Americans, triumphant at the end of World War II, when Superman emerged from a comic book to appear in a popular television series. Superman may even be a prototype for today’s biohackers, intent on maximizing physical strength and longevity. The advertising of Coca Cola, global in its reach, has linked sugar inextricably to powerful emotional states. Rather than review the exploitation of sugarcane as a cash crop for the acquisition of political power, I will explore the persuasive effects of intertwining sugar and glamor, sugar and heroism, sugar and physical strength. Drawing on work by Gary Taubes, Robert Lustig, and Chris van Tulleken, I will first review how sugar, often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, is affecting human health. I will then attempt to disentangle the associations, embedded in the language and imagery used to promote Superman and Coca Cola, that encourage excessive sugar consumption.
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Included in
Superman and Coca-Cola
One crisis we currently face is the rising incidence of diabetes worldwide, arguably due to the inclusion of sugar, in one form or another, in nearly all processed foods. Superman and Coca Cola, two symbols prominent in the American cultural landscape, suggest an association of sugar consumption and power. Indeed, sweetness appeals to us both as a taste and as a concept, and sugar, accordingly, is often marketed not as nourishing but as empowering. Superman may seem far removed from discussions of food. However, the possibility of acquiring greater-than-human strength was apparently uppermost in the minds of mid-twentieth century Americans, triumphant at the end of World War II, when Superman emerged from a comic book to appear in a popular television series. Superman may even be a prototype for today’s biohackers, intent on maximizing physical strength and longevity. The advertising of Coca Cola, global in its reach, has linked sugar inextricably to powerful emotional states. Rather than review the exploitation of sugarcane as a cash crop for the acquisition of political power, I will explore the persuasive effects of intertwining sugar and glamor, sugar and heroism, sugar and physical strength. Drawing on work by Gary Taubes, Robert Lustig, and Chris van Tulleken, I will first review how sugar, often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, is affecting human health. I will then attempt to disentangle the associations, embedded in the language and imagery used to promote Superman and Coca Cola, that encourage excessive sugar consumption.