Snake Oil & Snake Oil Supplements
The Gist: The original snake oil actually worked.
Really!?:
Snake oil has often been referred to as a euphemism for deceptive marketing, healthcare fraud, or scam (in fact, many dictionaries from Merriam-Webster to Oxford define snake oil as such). However, the original snake oil actually worked. It was oil from the Chinese water snake that was introduced to the United States by Chinese railroad workers on the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1800s who used it to reduce inflammation on their joints after a long, hard day of work. The success of the original snake oil then spurred the popularity of "patent medicines" in America where over-the-counter medicine was heavily commercially advertised without regard to their effectiveness at events called "medicine shows" (translation: many of them didn't work, the concept of snake oil salesmen was born, and the rest is history).
Visual: Patient asking her doctor to debunk supplement claims that she’s been seeing numerous times on social media.
What Now?:
Does the deceptive marketing "snake oil" still exist today? Unfortunately, yes. With social media culture optimized for aspirational photos and influencer marketing, the frequency of selling "snake oil" has increased with now anyone selling snake oil supplements with their detox teas, hair vitamins, and appetite suppressant lollipops. It's sad to see the brand of "snake oil" take a turn in the 1800s with a slew of copycats, but be mindful of the medical effectiveness of products you may see advertised as you scroll or swipe through on social media.
Resources:
Maintenance Phase Podcast: Snake Oil
Code Switch (NPR): A History Of 'Snake Oil Salesmen'
Wired: A Brief History of Instagram’s Trouble With ‘Weight-Loss Tea’