Obama Kool Aid Song

The term “drink the Kool-Aid” is used to describe blind acceptance of something, whether it be a high stress work environment, an order from a superior, or membership in a particular group. This term is commonly used in American politics and corporate culture, typically by outside commentators, who might say that someone is “drinking the Kool-Aid.” People will also tell each other not to drink the Kool-Aid, in the hopes of encouraging people to open their eyes to a situation before it is too late.

There are two different explanations for the origin of this phrase. Some people argue that it is a reference to the Kool-Aid Acid Tests administered by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters in the 1960s. These tests were framed as challenges to the followers of the Merry Pranksters, and they involved drinking Kool-Aid that had been laced with LSD, informally known as acid.

It has also been suggested that the phrase may have its origins in the infamous Jonestown murder-suicide which occurred in 1978. During this horrific event, hundreds of people in a cult called the People's Temple died by drinking poison-laced drinks or being forced to consume poison. According to popular mythology, the poison was mixed with Kool-Aid. In fact, as ample evidence from the period indicates, the Jonestown suicides actually drank Flavor Aid, a slightly different drink.

Both explanations for the origins of "drink the Kool-Aid" involve a certain amount of faith and trust in a leader, and they also suggest a certain amount of recklessness.

It has also been suggested that the phrase may have its origins in the infamous Jonestown murder-suicide which occurred in 1978. During this horrific event, hundreds of people in a cult called the People's Temple died by drinking poison-laced drinks or being forced to consume poison. According to popular mythology, the poison was mixed with Kool-Aid. In fact, as ample evidence from the period indicates, the Jonestown suicides actually drank Flavor Aid, a slightly different drink.

While the brand name may have been Flavor Aid vs Kool-Aid, that distinction is rather meaningless. Kool-Aid has become such a dominant fixture in the "flavored drink" market, that the brand name has become the generic term for the product (like BandAid for adhesive bandages, or Kleenex for facial tissues). So people refer to a flavored punch drink as Kool-Aid when it might be Flavor Aid or the generic store brand drink.

As for the origin of the phrase "don't drink the kool-aid" or its variations, this phrase was not in common usage in the 60's and 70's and the whole acid-laced Merry Pranksters phenomenon was isolated enough to a fringe group in society that it would have the broad exposure and context for the phrase to be meaningful in the overall lexicon. It is pretty obvious that the phrase in broad usage originated after the Jonestown massacre, referring to the forced poisoning of the cult followers.

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