“I think we know who to blame”: Explaining the Mountain Dew flavor conspiracy theory

The internet is rife with conspiracy theories, the latest of which to hit the mainstream is that Mountain Dew flavors lead to disaster. From the Pentagon pizza index to debates about celebrity clones, online communities continually seek hidden connections. 

Fans noticed that some of the soda company’s flavors appeared to line up with global tragedies. Soon, a theory emerged: Mountain Dew was somehow predicting disasters through its flavor releases.

Although the idea started small, folks on social media helped spread the theory about the timeline of events. The coincidences piled up quickly, fueling arguments that the brand’s flavors were linked to everything from terrorist attacks to financial collapse.

With the announcement of the company's new "Dirty Mountain Dew Cream Soda" drink, the theory has begun circulating once more.

The supposed timeline of flavors and disasters

The first coincidence came in May 2001, when Mountain Dew introduced Code Red, a cherry-flavored soda with a bright red color. That same year, the September 11 attacks occurred. Some online theorists connected the name to the "code red" alert system used afterward by the Department of Homeland Security.

The pattern seemed to continue with the Baja Blast release in 2004, being connected with the tsunami later that year that killed more than 220K people. Another was Voltage, which came out in 2008 and was linked with the financial crisis.

Even the patriotic Star Spangled Splash, released in 2024, drew attention because the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed that year after being struck by a ship. Since Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner," people online claimed the release was more than a coincidence.

@sluttycigarette tweeted, "Just saw someone post this insane conspiracy of something relating Mountain Dew to tragedies." They shared a screenshot of the connections people had made with this conspiracy theory.

Is there any truth to the conspiracy theory?

Despite its popularity, the Mountain Dew theory does not hold up under closer inspection. For instance, the Department of Homeland Security only introduced its color-coded "code red" system after 9/11, not before. That alone weakens the idea that the soda foreshadowed the attack.

As Redditor u/Tebowtime195 explained, "A lot of the 'theories' are way off - Pitch Black originally released in 2004, way off of that cyber blackout. Maui Burst released several years before the fires. Star Spangled Splash released after the bridge collapsed. They’re all Olympic-sized reaches and correlation ≠ causation."

u/EarthboundMan5 also pointed out, "Also with Star Spangled Splash, it released at the same time as Infinite Swirl, Freedom Fusion, and Liberty Chill, but there's no 'events' for those flavors."

Even Voltage seemed like a stretch. The Great Recession technically began in December 2007, nearly a year before the soda became widely available. In the case of Star Spangled Splash, the bridge collapse occurred about three months before the flavor’s release. The timeline reversed the suggested order of prediction.

Still, folks do love a conspiracy theory, even if it is in jest.

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