The phrase "iconic status" means that the popsicle is so famous and loved that people often think of it as a symbol for all frozen treats, just like how people use the name "Kleenex" to refer to any tissue.
The Lowe Co. went on to catapult Epperson’s invention to national success. During the Great Depression, the company debuted the two-stick version of the Popsicle to help consumers stretch their dollar — the duo sold for 5 cents.
But this delicious duo faced competition from Good Humor, which had recently debuted its own chocolate-covered ice cream on a stick, and Lowe was sued for copyright infringement. The court’s compromise? Popsicle could sell water-based treats, and Good Humor could sell ice cream pops. Popsicle tested the limits of the agreement, selling a “Milk Popsicle,” and the two companies tussled in court about the definitions of sherbet and ice cream over the years through a series of lawsuits.
The giant food corporation Unilever scooped up the Popsicle brand in 1989, expanding the brand beyond its original fruity flavors. It also bought Good Humor, ending the feud between the two icy competitors.
Over the years, Epperson’s childhood invention has achieved iconic status, standing in for any frozen treat the way Kleenex means a tissue. That explains why also over the years, Unilever has worked to keep the name Popsicle its and its alone: In 2010, the company threatened legal action against artisan Brooklyn ice pop makers People’s Pops for using the word “popsicle” on its blog.
As for Epperson, he died in 1983 and is buried in Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery, where he’s featured on a tour celebrating local food luminaries including chocolate mogul Domingo Ghirardelli and mai tai inventor Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron.
His story lives on in many forms — from the official Popsicle website, where it’s illustrated in comic form, to an inspirational Christian self-help book about trusting in God’s grand plan for your life. Epperson’s childhood invention, born randomly on a freezing night, has also proved to be resoundingly successful and long lived: These days, some 2 billion Popsicles are sold each year.
©2015 National Public Radio, Inc. News report titled "How An 11-Year-Old Boy Invented The Popsicle" by Shelby Pope was originally published on NPR.org on July 22, 2015, and is used with the permission of NPR. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited.
Notes
AllDefinitionsFootnotes
Entrepreneur (noun) : a person who starts a business
Concoct (verb) : to create something magical or unusual by mixing different ingredients
The Great Depression was a worldwide economic decline that lasted from 1929 to 1939.
Consume (verb) : to eat or drink something
Debut (noun) : the first public appearance
made (by something) to feel confident; encouraged
a license that ensures a right or title for a set period, often the right to prevent others from making, using, or selling an invention
a dessert made with sweet ingredients
a tool
Apocryphal (adjective) : well-known but probably not true
“Flat” can mean utterly ruined or destroyed.
to sell one's valuables in exchange for cash
legal term that describes the use of a concept, artistic work, or invention that belongs exclusively to someone else
describes products made in a traditional way (often by hand)
a powerful person in one or more specific industries (such as the chocolate industry)
a popular alcoholic drink
Question 3
Write: What does the phrase "iconic status" suggest about the popularity of the popsicle?
"Over the years, Epperson's childhood invention has achieved iconic status, standing in for any frozen treat the way Kleenex means a tissue."
MAKE IT 1 SENTENCE AND WRITE IT ON A 8TH GRADER LEVEL
1 answer