Pop goes the — Bubble Wrap

It’s my guilty little secret — I love to pop Bubble Wrap.

I even have a stash at home. Whenever I feel especially stressed or — more likely — whenever I come across the stash, I pop a few of the little pockets of sealed air, and it makes me laugh.

Recently I bought a little tray of eye shadows that came in a box, and the plastic tray in the box was sealed with teeny-tiny bubble wrap. I didn’t think they’d pop but they did. Little teeny-tiny pops. It was fun.

Bubble Wrap is one of those inventions that was discovered by accident, like penicillin but not as serious. Two guys in 1957 — Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavaness — decided to make three-dimensional plastic wallpaper. Why in the world they thought that was a good idea, we’ll never know. Surely their wives didn’t give them that idea: “Honey, you know what would look good in the dining room? Wallpaper with blisters all over it, like acne.”

The wallpaper notion failed, but Fielding later got it, and formed the Sealed Air Corporation in 1960, which today still makes the popular packing material.

 Bubble Wrap as a source of enjoyment took off and people over the world love to pop it. The last Monday of January has been designated Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.

One day while visiting the local UPS Store I saw a large roll of Bubble Wrap about five feet high and a foot or so across. I asked the clerk if anyone had ever asked to lay a stretch of the Bubble Wrap across the floor and roll on it. For some reason, she thought that was odd.

Amazon and eBay both sell Bubble Wrap suits, onesies, and even a string bikini. There are even Facebook pages devoted to Bubble Wrap. I “liked” one called Popping Bubble Wrap. One can even find Internet sites devoted to virtual Bubble Wrap popping. It’s like fake whipped cream; it’ll do if the real thing isn’t available.

Recently Sealed Air Corporation announced it was revamping its product, and Bubble Wrap will soon take up less space and its bubbles won’t pop. I don’t know if Alfred Fielding is still alive or has any input into the company if he is, but somehow I don’t think he’d approve. I know I don’t.

The company posted the solution to the popless bubbles as “at least you still have virtual Bubble Wrap to pop.”

Not the same.

The annoyance factor has been eliminated. That’s half the fun!