23. The Spinach Strength Myth
Because of Popeye the Sailor Man, many kids have dreamt at some point in their early years that they could gain superpowers by overcoming their distaste for spinach. Popeye’s love of spinach was popularized to a receptive public, primed by what seems like a weird widespread belief that spinach was an extraordinarily great food item.
Unfortunately, kids who mastered their gag reflexes long enough to swallow the green stuff were not rewarded by an explosive increase in strength, prowess, or any other abilities and talents. However, there was at least a silver lining, as the kids learned one of life’s early lessons: don’t believe everything you see on TV.