Upamanyu Biswas
In Apple TV+’s ‘The Studio,‘ a massive Hollywood studio, Continental Studios, revamps its management by appointing executive Matt Remick as their new head. As the recently appointed chief, Remick tries to usher in a new era where artistic integrity is preserved over soulless filmmaking. However, his aspirations are quickly quashed when the eccentric boss, Griffin Mill, orders the protagonist to make his dream of a Kool-Aid movie into reality. Looking for an alternative to a mediocre blockbuster project, Remick sanctions legendary director Martin Scorsese to oversee the movie, which centers on the Jonestown Massacre. While the subject matters seem distant, Kool-Aid is brought up in the conversation because of its alleged use during the actual mass murder, shining a spotlight on the incident and whether the claims hold true.
The Jonestown Massacre Was Not the Result of Poisoned Kool-Aid
For the uninitiated, the Jonestown Massacre is a mass murder-and-suicide event that took place in 1978 at the Peoples Temple settlement in Jonestown, Guyana, carried out by Jim Jones, a religious cult leader. The massacre cost the lives of around 900 people, all of whom had been instructed by Jones in their final moments to consume a cyanide-laced drink, which ended up being one of the main causes of death. Today, it is known as one of the most tragic events associated with cult-related crimes. However, it has also led to many people reimaging the actual details of the case. For instance, most believe that the drink used in the poisoning was Kool-Aid. In reality, the group actually consumed a contaminated version of Flavor Aid, a different soft drink with a similar-sounding name.
The reasons for mistaking Flavor Aid for Kool-Aid could have been the result of a multitude of factors. A report by The Atlantic theorizes that the latter was simply a more well-known brand, which led to people referring to Kool-Aid as the alleged poisoned drink in the event’s aftermath. Another reason might have been confusion regarding the drinks that were present on-site, as reports suggest that both Kool-Aid and Flavor Aid were present in Jonestown at the time of the massacre, with the latter being more in abundance. One of the enduring legacies of people believing that poisoned Kool-Aid was used in the mass murder was the birth of the phrase “Drinking the Kool-Aid.” It means a person’s inability to question harmful ideologies or groupthink mentality and applies to a whole host of situations.
The Studio Explores the Negativity Surrounding Kool-Aid and Jonestown
In ‘The Studio,’ Matt Remick gets drawn into the alleged use of Kool-Aid in the Jonestown Massacre because of a new Martin Scorsese movie centered around the tragedy. Remick’s boss, Griffin Mill, the CEO of Continental Studios, wants his studio head to kickstart a popular Kool-Aid movie into being. However, the protagonist wants to keep true to his desire to make artistic films, which puts him in direct opposition to Mill’s thinking. In his desperation to make his aspirations count for something, Remick urges Scorsese to turn his Jonestown Massacre film into a project meant to promote Kool-Aid, just as his boss wants. However, it only causes more complications as everyone within the complex believes that the drink was used in the cyanide poisoning.
The people involved in Continental may know about the actual details of the case and how Kool-Aid is often mistaken as a poisoned drink in the infamous massacre. However, as most Hollywood projects are often dictated by public opinion, it likely doesn’t matter or make any difference in the long run. Any negative connotations would be seen as bad for a massive Hollywood property, adding to spurious claims and undue controversy, which is what Mill wants to avoid with his Kool-Aid movie. It puts Remick in a precarious position and dredges up an interesting part of a real-life massacre that is often swept under the carpet. However, as explored above, the reality of what actually transpired is far from what most believe occurred during the event – showcasing a gap in everyone’s thinking.
Read More: Is The Studio a True Story? Is Matt Remick Based on a Real Studio Head?
