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Did Shark Tank Just Appropriate Poppers? 

Did 'Shark Tank' Just Appropriate Poppers?

Did 'Shark Tank' Just Appropriate Poppers?

Gay men have some questions for the inventors of Boom Boom Inhalers.

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If you're familiar with ABC's Shark Tank, you've watched many entrepreneurs pitch their ideas and inventions to a panel of five business titans who decide if they want to invest in their product. A clip from an episode from last October has gone viral on Twitter for the queerest of reasons, leaving many gay men with one simple question. 

Did Shark Tank just "invent" poppers? 

The clip introduces "Boom Boom Inhalers," a "new best friend for your nose" that you inhale and experience a "cooling, tingly sensation that makes you feel alive." The judges are clearly delighted as the camera catches them sniffing the inhalers.

"It does open you up," Charles Barkley proclaims. 

It definitely sounds like poppers... 

According to their website, Boom Boom's Energy Nasal Inhalers consist of four main ingredients: menthol, peppermint oil, eucalyptus, and natural flavoring. There are no hard chemicals or even caffeine in the product as they are meant to simply provide a "natural, refreshing boost that can improve one’s attitude and enhance an overall feeling of well-being."

So they're definitely not poppers, which are small bottles of the chemical amyl nitrite commonly used as sex enhancers among gay men. For many, a quick sniff of what is basically nail polish remover can help with relaxation during intercourse. The now recreational drug was originally used to treat heart problems and cyanide poisoning and can still be quite dangerous to inhale, as they cause one's blood pressure to drop. Most recently, poppers have been linked to retinal damage

That didn't stop the gays, and it certainly didn't stop the memes:

 

 

 

 

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Taylor Henderson

Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one! 

Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!