How the Life Cereal Mikey Rumor Nearly Killed Pop Rocks

Pop Rocks killed that little kid who played Mikey on the Life Cereal commercials. Or so goes the rumor, anyway. In fact, as far as is known, Life Cereal's Mikey never even went to the hospital as a result of a Pop Rocks accident; he may never even have consumed the carbonated candy delight. One thing is for certain: the rumor that Mikey died from a tragic accident involving massive quantities of Pop Rocks mixed with Coke did lead to one near-death. Pop Rocks had been a bona fide fad sensation that rocked school yards populated with kids all across America. Once the rumor of the Life Cereal kid made it from the school yard into the Principal's office the literally explosive popularity of Pop Rocks experienced a quick death.

Pop Rocks at the time of the Mikey rumor had been so incredibly popular that you could even make money by selling them on the black market in places where, inexplicably, they had not yet officially made it to market. Like Louisiana. The growth potential of Pop Rocks seemed enormous until gradually there spread like wildfire the rumor that the little kid named Mikey who was willing to try Life Cereal because, well, he'll eat anything one day downed at least three entire packets of Pop Rocks followed with a Coca-Cola chaser. The result was an internet combustion in which Mikey, for all intensive care purposes, literally exploded to death. Would make a great YouTube prank today, wouldn't it? Like the guy who posted that funny YouTube video in which he downed a package of Mentos and drank Diet Coke and his head exploded. Man, I love that YouTube video. You don't see stuff like on America's Funniest Videos and even if you did, they give the award money to something that is definitely not funny.