Idiocracy Porn: Illinois Governor Takes the "Cinnamon Challenge"

Though I haven't resided in the great state of Illinois in nearly two decades, I have been perversely fascinated by what an utter basket case my home state has become in recent years. The state's finances are absolutely out of control, unemployment is among the highest in the nation and four of the state's previous seven governors have ended up wearing prison jumpsuits.

I would have thought after the embarrassing spectacle that the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich, had made out himself that his successor might want to avoid ever doing anything to cause him to be seen in a similar light. Sadly, no. Instead, Governor Pat Quinn decided for some bizarre reason to go on the radio last week and take the "Cinnamon Challenge."

For those not familiar with this particular Internet sensation, here is a brief introduction to the phenomenon from Mother Nature Network:

If someone can explain the appeal of the cinnamon challenge, can they clue in the rest of us? The dastardly dare that has the Internet aflutter involves the task of eating a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, without water, in under a minute.

What could be so tough about consuming a mouthful of this innocuous-seeming spice? If cinnamon inspires thoughts of comforting apple pie and cozy cinnamon rolls, switch gears and consider Atomic Fireballs, Lava Hot Cinnamon Balls, and Hot Tamales. Cinnamon is potent, as evidenced by the reactions recorded in many a cinnamon-challenge YouTube video – coughing, choking, gagging, vomiting, crying, cursing and general signs of severe discomfort.

Sounds like a perfectly stupid, but otherwise harmless activity, right? Well, maybe not so harmless:

Parenting experts recommend keeping spices out of reach from children. One of the threats to children who play in the spice cabinet is cinnamon, which when ingested can cause severe burning of the mouth and throat, requiring immediate medical attention. The burning may be so severe that the child can suffer from swelling of the mouth or throat, blocking access to air and potentially leading to death.

Obviously infants aren’t participating in the dare, and it's highly doubtful we'll witness an infant cinnamon challenge trend, but it goes to show that cinnamon is a formidable flavoring. All one needs to see is a few “cinnamon challenge fail” videos on the Web to view the effect on teens and young adults when the powder is inhaled — which is pretty much inevitable following the gasps that occur upon the initial burning. Immediate coughing and choking are de rigeuer.

In many cases, the coughing is so severe that the challenge has difficulty catching his breath. For anyone suffering from asthma or COPD, this can be very serious. And in fact, ground cinnamon can lead to a bronchial constriction — according to the University of Michigan Health System — and that can be life threatening.

Cinnamon also contains as essential oil called cinnamal, which can act as an allergen in a fair amount of people. Those who are allergic to cinnamon can suffer from contact dermatitis — and according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, cinnamon can also cause a severe allergic reaction that can lead to anaphylactic shock. We can only hope that someone who knows they are allergic to cinnamon would politely decline the challenge; but for someone who wasn’t aware of the existence or severity of an allergy, the results could be … challenging.

So, can the cinnamon challenge kill you? Although no accounts of death by cinnamon have been reported, there are indeed risks — and it seems only a matter of time until the challenge delivers a fatal blow to some unsuspecting teen.

In other words, the Cinnamon Challenge is not something that responsible adults, let alone a state governor ought to be encouraging. In fact, school districts around the country have been warning parents about the risks of this fad. Alas, Governor Quinn is not one to set a good example, as reported by the Chicago Sun Times:

Gov. Pat Quinn may have gotten a chilly reaction to his State of the State speech this week, but the Democrat warmed things up Friday by taking down his spiciest obstacle of the year.

The governor swallowed a spoonful of cinnamon at the request of WGN-AM’s Jonathon Brandmeier while doing a guest appearance on his radio show in a stunt that has been appropriately titled the “Cinnamon Challenge.”

The old stunt, which is difficult to pull off without water, has gotten new life online as people post their attempts on YouTube. Add Quinn’s effort to the growing list.

“I want the record to state that I did not kill him, if anything happened,” Brandmeier said before Quinn swallowed the cinnamon.

The governor survived the challenge — but did take a swig of bottled water immediately after taking down the cinnamon.

“The will of the people will be the law of the land,” he said triumphantly — albeit a bit hoarse.

“This guy’s unbelievable!” Brandmeier shouted. “I don’t believe what you just did. The governor! I bow before you!”

In reading that, the first question that immediately comes to mind is: why, for fuck's sake? I understand that politicians are always looking for ways to connect to Joe and Jane Six Pack, as they condescendingly call them. But have we really sunk to such a low level that a 63-year-old alleged adult human being feels the need to stoop to FAIL Blog-type antics in order to appeal to the voters?

Nevermind, I already know the answer to that question.


Bonus: It's just a matter of time