False Memory, Real Folklore, and Drinking the Kool-Aid

Hook:
You’re in a meeting, and someone says the team “drank the Kool-Aid.”
Nobody blinks.
But somewhere in your brain, a little alarm goes off.
Because you vaguely remember hearing about Jonestown in a documentary, or a sociology professor, or maybe your older cousin told you about it once.
And also… wasn’t it really Flavor Aid?
It’s a phrase built on tragedy.
It’s also completely wrong.
And yet, somehow, it’s everywhere.
It’s probably a folk thing.
[Intro Music]
Welcome to It’s Probably a Folk Thing -- the podcast about everyday experiences that turn out to be older, weirder, and way more meaningful than we realized. I’m Aaron Crawford, and today we’re talking about the curious journey of a phrase you’ve definitely heard: drinking the Kool-Aid.
1:01 - Segment 1: The Wrong Brand
In 1978, over 900 members of the Peoples Temple died in Jonestown, Guyana, after being instructed to drink a poisoned fruit drink. Most people say it was Kool-Aid. But it wasn’t.
It was a knockoff brand called Flavor Aid. Grape-flavored, if you’re curious. Cheaper than the name-brand stuff. And, tragically, easier to buy in bulk.
So why do we say Kool-Aid? Because Kool-Aid was already in the cultural bloodstream. It had a catchy name, a colorful mascot, and a decades-long presence in American kitchens. When newspapers reported the story, they defaulted to the name people already knew. It stuck.
Folklore doesn’t prioritize accuracy. It prioritizes memory. Kool-Aid was memorable. Flavor Aid was expendable. And so the folk picked the one with better branding.
It’s the same reason searching the internet is called “Googling” and any small, sticky bandage is called a “Band-aid” – except from a much more nefarious context.
Segment 2: From Poison to Punchline
Before Jonestown, the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" was already circulating – but only among a few, and with a different meaning. In the hippie circles of the late 1960s, “drinking the Kool-Aid” referred to mind-altering group experiences. It was based on a 1968 book by Tom Wolfe, called The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. For the hippies, “drinking the Kool-Aid” meant stepping into something wild or unknown. You know: “expanding your consciousness.”
But after Jonestown, that meaning changed -- violently.
The phrase "drink the Kool-Aid" started circulating within weeks of the Jonestown tragedy. At first, it was grim and literal. But on December 22, 1978, journalist C. Fraser Smith quoted a Cleveland councilman. The councilman was describing a group of loyal followers of local politician Dennis Kucinich. He said, “Dennis Kucinich could say, 'Drink the purple Kool-Aid,' and they would."
That’s the first known print example of the phrase used in its current, metaphorical form: blind, cultish loyalty. From there, it spread. Quickly. By the early '80s, it showed up in politics, tech, business, and pop culture.
What made it catch on? Partly the contrast. It’s a phrase that sounds cheerful, even childish; but it masks something deeply dark. That juxtaposition helped it stick in the collective consciousness.
Segment 3: Why This Idiom Worked 3:50
Idioms don’t succeed just because they’re vivid. They work because they do something. This one became shorthand for a particular kind of belief: total, committed, and potentially unwise.
"Drinking the Kool-Aid" found a home in our language because it could do a lot of work. Depending on tone and context, it could suggest irony or critique, even camaraderie. It hints at danger without saying the quiet part loud.
And it doesn’t hurt that it’s got rhythm. It just sounds right. Folklore often involves mental shortcuts – which is part of why that certain je nis e qua matters.
Segment 4: What Folklore Does to Language 4:31
By now, most people using the phrase aren’t thinking of Jonestown. That’s not callousness. That’s folk processing. Language evolves and meanings shift. Eventually, all idioms outgrow their origins.
This isn’t unique to Kool-Aid. Think about phrases like “bite the bullet,” “saved by the bell,” or “run the gauntlet.” Most people don’t know those came from battlefield surgeries, boxing knockouts, or military punishment lines. But we still use them.
The phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" just happens to be new enough that we remember where it started. That gives it extra weight. And maybe even a little discomfort at the tackiness of informalizing tragedy.
Because of its origin, some people think the phrase should be retired. Others argue it’s already transformed. But for folklore, these are often moot issues. Folk speech doesn’t ask for permission. It spreads because it serves a purpose, even if the facts get fuzzy.
[Closing] – 5:33
So next time you hear someone talk about Kool-Aid (whether they’re describing startup culture or political loyalty) just remember: they’re using a phrase that mutated, spread, and stuck.
Not because it’s true.
But because it works.
It’s definitely a folk thing.
Until next time.