PublishedonAlternet(http://www.alternet.

org)
Home>What'sInPopeye'sPipe?

What'sInPopeye'sPipe?
ByDanaLarsen[1] /CannabisCulture[2]
February8,2005
Popeyeisoneoftheworld'smostwellknownandbelovedanimatedcharacters.Sincehiscreation,thepipepuffingPopeye
hasbecomeaglobalphenomenon,withmillionsofkidsheartilymunchingonspinachinthehopesthatitwillmakethemas
strongasthelegendarysailorman.
YetisthespinachwhichgivesPopeyehissuperstrengthreallyametaphorforanothermagicalherb?Havechildrenaround
theworldbeenadoringaherowhoisreallyaheavyconsumeroftheforbiddenweedmarijuana?
Theevidenceiscircumstantial,butitisthere,andwhenaddedtogetheritpresentsacompellingpicturethat,formany
readersatleast,Popeye'sstrengthgivingspinachismeantasaclearmetaphorforthemiraculouspowersofmarijuana.
ComicCreation
Popeyehasgonethroughmanydifferentwritersandartistssincehewasfirstcreatedin1929bycartoonistElzieSegar.
PopeyewasoriginallyintroducedasaminorcharacterinSegar'songoingcomicstrip,ThimbleTheatre.For10yearsSegar
hadbeenchroniclingtheadventuresofOliveOyl,herbrotherCastor,andherfianceHamGravy.Atthestartofonenew
adventure,CastorandHamweretoembarkonanoverseasvoyage,andsotheywenttothedocksandhiredasailornamed
Popeye.
SoonPopeyehadbecomeamajorpartoftheThimbleTheatrecast,andwithinayearHamGravywaswrittenoutofthestrip
asPopeyereplacedhimasOlive'ssweetheart.Wimpywasaddedtothecastthreeyearslater,andbabySwee'peafour
yearsafterthat.

AtfirsttherewasnoexplanationforPopeye'samazingstrength.ButwithinafewyearsPopeye'srelianceonspinachwas
entrenchedinthestrip,andthebasisofsomeongoingjokes.Bythetimeoftheanimatedcartoons,decadesafterSegar's
death,thespinachhadbecomeanessentialpartofeveryplot,withPopeye'sconsumptionofthemagicherbsignalingaswift
endtohisfoes.
TheoriginalcomicbySegarwasmuchmorecomplexandnuancedthanthelateranimatedshorts.Segarintroducedmany
strangeandwonderfulcharactersintoPopeye'sworld,includingthemaliciousSeaHag,whoseenchantedfluteenablesher
toflyanddomagicthewealthyMr.Vanripple,whosebeautifuldaughterJunerivalsOliveforPopeye'affectionsthe
disturbingAlicetheGoonwhospeaksonlyinsquigglesandthemightyToar,whosemonstrousstrengthchallengeseven
Popeye's.
Segar'sstorylineswerefullofadulthumor,includingToarhavingacrushonPopeye,callinghim"hotstuff"andkissinghim
onthehead.Popeye'songoingadventuresincludedfoundinghisownislandnationcalledSpinachovia,andbecoming
"dictipator"overacountrymadeuponlyofmen.
Spinach=Marijuana
Sofromtheseseeminglyinnocentbeginnings,whatevidenceistherethatPopeyeisactuallyastoner?
Duringthe1920sand'30s,theerawhenPopeyewascreated,"spinach"wasaverycommoncodewordformarijuana.One
classicexampleis"TheSpinachSong,"recordedin1938bythepopularjazzbandJuliaLeeandHerBoyfriends.Performed
foryearsinclubsthickwithcannabissmoke,alongwithotherJuliaLeehitslike"SweetMarijuana,"thepopularsongused
spinachasanobviousmetaphorforpot.
Inaddition,antimarijuanapropagandaofthetimeclaimedthatmarijuanauseinducedsuperstrength.Overblownmedia
reportsproclaimedthatpotsmokersbecameextraordinarilystrong,andevenimmunetobullets.SotyinginPopeye'smighty
strengthwithhissuckingbacksomespinachwouldhaveseemedlikeanobviouscannabisconnectionatthetime.
Further,asa"sailorman,"Popeyewouldbeexpectedtobefamiliarwithexoticherbsfromdistantlocales.Indeed,sailors
wereamongthefirsttointroducemarijuanatoAmericanculture,bringingtheherbbackwiththemfromtheirvoyages
overseas.
Segardidmakeother,moreexplicitdrugreferencesinhiscomicstrip.Oneongoing1934plotlinehadVanripple'sgoldmine
facingcorrupt,thievingworkers.Popeyediscoversthattheminemanagerisfeedinghismenberriesfromabushwhose
rootsaresoakedinanastydrug.Consumingthedruggedberriesremoveshumanconscience,makingpeoplemoreviolent
andwillingtocommitcrime.
Popeyefallsundertheinfluenceofthelacedberriesandbecomessurlyandmean,strikingoutathisfriendsandallies.Yet

hestillmanagestogetfivegallonsof"myrtholene,"ajoyinducingdrugwhichhepoursovertheplant'sroots.Thenew
berriesproducedelirioushappiness,andasPopeyesays,"Whenaman'shappyhejus'couldn'tdonothin'wrong."
PotReferences
Segardiedin1938,andthestripwastakenoverbyothersinthefollowingdecades.AsthePopeyecharacterwasre
interpretedbyothersinprint,animationandfilm,otherindicatorsofamarijuanasubtexthavecontinuedtopopup.
Forexample,inmanyoftheanimatedPopeyecartoonsfromthe1960s,Popeyeisexplicitlyshownsuckingthepowergiving
spinachthroughhispipe.
Further,inthecomicsandcartoonsmadeduringthe'60s,PopeyehadadognamedBirdseed.Surelythewriterswhonamed
Popeye'sdogduringthis"flowerpower"erawereawarethatcannabiswasinfactAmerica'snumberonesourceofbirdseed
untilitwasbanned?
Anotherslightlydifferentdrugreferenceoccursinthe1954cartoon,GreekMirthology.Inthecartoon,Popeyetellshis
nephewsthestoryofhisancestor,Hercules.Hercules,wholooksjustlikePopeye,isshownsniffingwhitegarlictogainhis
superstrength.BytheendofthecartoonHerculeshasdiscoveredspinachandswitchesovertoit.Isthisametaphorforthe
benefitsofcannabisovercocaineorsnuff?
AnotheranimatedfilmshowsPopeyecarefullytendingacropofspinachplantsreminiscentofacannabispatch.Hecarefully
takescuttings,dipsthemintorootinggelandplantstheminhisoutdoorgarden.Heevengiveseachplantaspecialfeeding
mixfromababybottle.PotgrowersworldwidewouldrecognizetheuniquewaythatPopeyecaresforhissacredcrop.
IYamWhatIYam
SomehavecommentedontheparallelbetweenPopeye'sfamousphrase,"IyamwhatIyam,"andthestatement,"IamthatI
am,"madebyGodtoMosesintheOldTestament.Inthestory,GodspeakstoMosesthroughamagicalburningbush,which
wasnotconsumedbythefire.Manydifferentpeopleandfaiths,includingRastafariansandvariousearlyChristiansects,
havebelievedthatthebiblicalburningbushisareferencetothecannabisplant.
Sointhiscontext,theuseofphrase,"IyamwhatIyam,"canbeseenasareferencetoPopeye'suseoftheburning
cannabisbush,whichcreateshishigherawarenessoftheselfreflectivenatureoftheGodhead.
PureBolivianSpinach
TheonlyPopeyestriptoeverexplicitlyrefertothepot/spinachconnectionwaspublishedinthe1980sbyillustratorBobby
London.ThecomicshowedPopeyeandWimpypickingupaloadof"pureBolivianspinach."

LondondidthesyndicatedPopeyedailystripforKingFeaturesfrom1986to1992,andwasknownforputtingadult,
controversialthemesintohiswork.HehadpreviouslyworkedontheshortlivedcomicbookAirPirates,whichshowed
MickeyandMinnieMousehavingsex,gettinghighandsmugglingdrugs.
LondonwaseventuallyfiredfromPopeyeforwritinganallegoricalsatireabouttheabortionissue.NonewPopeyestripsare
nowbeingwrittenthoserunningindailynewspapersareallrepeats.
PopeyeMythology
WhetherPopeye'smanypotreferencesareintentionalornot,someseeamazingdepthsandlayersofmeaningwithinthe
Popeyesaga.AnauthorandonlineartistnamedMichaelmprovidesthefollowinganalysis:
"Popeyecharacterizesthenaturalcyclegoingbackthroughtheagestotheancientmariners...books,[B]ibles,logs,maps,
pennants,sails,ropes,paints,varnishes,lampoilandsealantswereallderivedfromhemp.Blutorepresentsthegreedytoxic
corporations,dependentindustriesandlandowners.
"Bothcharacterstrytoswoonthepremieroilsource,OliveOyl.BlutobeginstounderstandPopeyeistoocompetitivesohe
decidestoeliminatehim.HechainsPopeyedown,capturesOliveOyl,andapproachesthepointofrape.Butintheend
Popeyemanagestosuckthe'spinach'throughhispipe,growsstrongwithhemp,breaksfreeanddefeatstheevil
corporations,savingherfromindustrialpollutionandoppression.
"Relievedandhappy,shegivesherselfbacktothenaturalcycle,thenPopeyesmiles,winksandtootshispipe."
Whilethisislikelyreadingfarmoreintothestripthananyofitscreatorseverintended,itisanexcellentexampleoftheiconic
statusthatPopeyehasachievedamongsomequartersofthecannabiscommunity.
DanaLarsenistheeditorofCannabisCulture,whichisbasedinVancouverB.C.
ShareonFacebookShare
ShareonTwitterTweet
Reporttyposandcorrectionsto'corrections@alternet.org'.[3]
[4]

SeeAlso

1. Brazilian Swim Wear

6. Top 10 Signs of ADHD

2. 10 Lung Cancer Signs

7. Mini Dental Implants

3. Halter Top Bikini

8. Diabetic Nerve Pain Signs

4. Symptoms of Mesothelioma

9. Plus Size Tankini

5. Dental Implant Average Cost

10. Vitamins for Hair Growth

SourceURL:http://www.alternet.org/story/21206/what%27s_in_popeye%27s_pipe
Links:
[1]http://www.alternet.org/authors/danalarsen
[2]http://www.cannabisculture.com
[3]mailto:corrections@alternet.org?Subject=TypoonWhat&#039sInPopeye&#039sPipe?
[4]http://www.alternet.org/
[5]http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B

SharedviaIvyGetyoursnowfree