Why do American products say “cannot be shipped to California”?
Funny Conversation About A Weird Christmas Product
B2 English listening practice · American English · Picked for people who know more
“This product cannot be shipped to California” is a phrase Americans see on websites and packaging all the time. The label comes from California’s Proposition 65, a 1986 state law requiring warnings on products containing any of about 900 listed chemicals. Many small companies skip California shipping instead of dealing with the paperwork, so the disclaimer became its own joke: if a product has the label, it’s probably a little weird, edgy, or fun.
In this clip, two friends laugh over a strange Christmas product that “California does not allow to be shipped.” One says it makes him feel like he’s “on Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” a reference to Paul Reubens' wild 1986-1990 CBS kids' show.
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Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In American online shopping reviews (Amazon, Etsy, novelty product sites)
- ▸In American comedy podcasts about weird products (The Worst Idea of All Time)
- ▸In American gift-guide content for white-elephant parties
- ▸In American small-business shipping policy pages
- ▸In American consumer-protection news and Consumer Reports articles