Why is it so Hard to Open a Slim Jim? What the Company Won't Tell You

Why are those tasty little sticks of beef so darn hard to open? Everyone has their own technique to get to the beef, but I have yet to master this skill. Does the Slim Jim company do this on purpose? You may be surprised.

Humans tend to want what they can't have. This is evident even in small children. Tell your child they can't have a cookie. Then guess what they are begging for all the time. If I tell my daughter not to touch the telephone then the forbidden object is like the holy grail or something.

Think of Slim Jim executives thinking of new ways to get people to buy, and keep on buying, their meaty snacks. Yes, they taste good. The commercials are interesting (I know I can't look away from that freaky Slim Jim head guy). You can easily purchase a Slim Jim as an impulse buy on your way through the grocery checkout. The list goes on.

How about something really unique, though. This is such a sneaky genius trick that I still can't figure out what twisted Slim Jim associate thought of it. The packaging! It is impermeable! Sure, it may seem to be just a convenient way to wrap the Slim Jims, but I know what's really going on.

I don't have to tell you about all the research that psychologists have performed concerning the matter of wanting what we cannot have. Keep the science involved in your mind when I explain how easily the Slim Jim guys have gotten you hooked on their product.

You see a Slim Jim display on your way out of whatever grocery store or gas station you frequent. Your stomach growls. It's cheap enough and it's there right in front of you, so you buy. This isn't where Slim Jim gets you hooked, though. They don't start reeling you in until you try to open your Slim Jim.

You get into your car and make your first attempt to open your Slim Jim. There are clearly labeled instructions at the top of the perforated packaging that says "open here". Couldn't be easier, right? Wrong! Unless you are extremely dexterous and have absolutely no kind of oils, which occur naturally, on your fingers, you are not getting in that easily. Consider yourself on the Slim Jim hook at this point.