There have always been red M&Ms, and blue ones are not new. What do you mean there used to be beige ones? (Class of 2002, #17)

There have always been blue M&Ms, but no tan ones. (Class of 2016, #30)

The Mindset List was originally intended as a “witty [sic] way of saying to faculty colleagues ‘watch your references,'” no doubt to avoid situations like this:

Old, out-of-touch professor: Maybe it will help if you think of the protons as tan M&Ms and the neutrons as the new blue M&Ms.

(Confused murmuring)

Professor: What’s wrong?

Student #1: What’s a tan M&M?

Professor: It’s one of the five M&M colors. It comes in every bag.

Student #2: I’ve never seen a tan M&M.

Professor: I know I’ve seen them.

Student #3: There have “never” been tan M&Ms!

Student #4: And there have “always” been blue M&Ms!!

Professor: You don’t know what you’re talking about!!!

Student #5: You just don’t understand our cultural touchstones!

(Class erupts into angry shouting and professor runs out the door.)