You can all stop arguing about this now

Quick Overview

Twizzlers are scientifically the better red licorice candy compared to Red Vines, winning the preference survey with 49.7% of the vote versus Red Vines' 34.9%, a result that correlates strongly with which candy brand a person grew up eating, suggesting early exposure heavily influences adult flavor preference.

Key Points: Twizzlers won the general preference survey with 49.7% of respondents choosing them, while Red Vines received 34.9% of the preference votes. 15.4% of respondents disliked both candies equally, describing Red Vines as tasting like "vomit flavored rubber" and Twizzlers as tasting like a "tire masquerading as a candy with a facade of strawberry." The strongest predictor of current preference was which candy a person grew up eating: those raised on Twizzlers were significantly more likely to prefer Twizzlers, and Red Vines fans showed the same bias. Red Vines have historically been manufactured in the San Francisco Bay Area, while Twizzlers have been manufactured in Pennsylvania. A study on flavor learning showed that infants whose mothers drank carrot juice during pregnancy and early nursing preferred carrot-flavored cereal more than infants whose mothers did not introduce the flavor prenatally or postnatally. The video introduced the concept of the "Uncanny Valley" applied to candy similarity, where products that are too similar but not quite right cause revulsion (the dip in enjoyment on the similarity curve).

Context: This video investigates the long-standing debate over which red licorice candy, Red Vines or Twizzlers, is superior by analyzing survey data collected from over 900 respondents worldwide, with an emphasis on how early childhood flavor exposure influences adult preference, referencing scientific studies on flavor learning and expectation.

Detailed Analysis

The video definitively concludes that Twizzlers are the superior red licorice, according to the survey data, winning with 49.7% of the preference vote compared to Red Vines' 34.9%, with 15.4% disliking both equally. This preference split aligns strongly with geographical origin and early life exposure: those raised in Red Vines' primary manufacturing area (West Coast/San Francisco Bay Area) overwhelmingly preferred Red Vines, while those raised near Twizzlers' manufacturing base (Pennsylvania/East Coast) preferred Twizzlers. The survey also explored the intensity of preference, finding that over 40% of those who chose a favorite rated their preference strength as a 5 out of 5. The video uses the concept of the "Uncanny Valley," adapted for candy similarity, to explain the strong aversion some people feel toward the product they dislike—it is just different enough from their preferred candy to cause revulsion rather than acceptance. Furthermore, scientific backing for flavor learning is presented via a study showing infants whose mothers consumed carrot juice prenatally and postnatally preferred carrot-flavored cereal more, suggesting early exposure conditions adult taste. The video humorously contrasts the dislike for the 'loser' candy, with one comment describing Red Vines as tasting like "vomit flavored rubber," while another suggests Twizzlers taste like a poorly recreated Twizzler from memory while having dementia and COVID.