What connection does Margaret Thatcher have to a sticky, brown substance? －茶色くて、ねばねばした物質とマーガレット・サッチャーは、どんな繋がりがある？－

Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of Britain from 1979 to 1990.  She changed many aspects of British life during her long spell as Prime Minister.  She became known for her uncompromising style and was nicknamed “the Iron Lady.” 

Marmite is the name of a snack made in Britain.  It is made from yeast extract.  That is a by-product from the brewing of beer.  It was invented in 1902 and became popular during the First World War, when it was given to British soldiers.  It is brown, sticky and has a very strong, salty taste.  People often spread a small amount onto bread or toast.  It has a very distinctive taste. 

So what does Margaret Thatcher have to do with Marmite?  Can you guess? 

For both Margaret Thatcher and Marmite, you either love them or you hate them.  People tend to have a strong reaction to them and opinions about them are polarised. 

When Margaret Thatcher died last year, she was given a state funeral.  That means that officially the U.K. honoured her at her funeral.  The queen and current Prime Minister attended, as did many foreign politicians and world leaders. 

And yet on the day of her funeral, many street parties were held in cities and towns across Britain to celebrate her death.  Many people blamed her for the decline of traditional industries, especially coal mining.  Many people thought she was responsible for sinking the Argentine warship the Belgrano, killing many people who were not a threat to the British navy, at the start of the Falklands War in 1982 with Argentina.  When she died, some people still hated her so much that they wanted to have a party. 

And for Marmite: the strong taste is either something that you love or hate.  The company even used this in their advertising campaigns.  They ran an advertising campaign which said “Love it or hate it?”  This reaction to Marmite has become famous in Britain.  If there is a person or thing which makes people have a strongly polarised reaction then they are said to cause a “Marmite reaction” or to have a “Marmite effect.” 

I wonder if there is any food in Japan which causes a similar reaction.  Is there a natto effect?  An umeboshi reaction?  Please let me know.

Vocabulary:

By-product – Something produced accidentally during the production of something else

Sticky – If something is sticky, it attaches itself easily to anything else it touches.  For example, glue is very sticky and natto is a sticky food.

Distinctive – Unusual, it can be recognised easily.

To polarise opinion – To split opinions to one extreme or the other.