1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, Do you want to know how Tupperware works 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: all over again? But you're in the right spot because 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: it is a throwback time to how Tupperware works. This 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: is a good one. Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to 6 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Josh Clark with Charles W Chuck Bryant, 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: and there's Jerry. So this is stuff you should know herb. 8 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: Have you ever heard a tupper Warrior burp? Yeah? Sort of? 9 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: I mean it, you know, it doesn't sound like a burb. 10 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: It's just sort of like, can you emulate one? Well, 11 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: it's just like a like air just sort of. It 12 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: doesn't sound like a burb. It sounds like a dude, yeah, 13 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: something different. Yeah, but I don't think you could call 14 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: it a Tupperware bart because it probably wouldn't sell us much. Well, 15 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: even a burp is a little you know. Okay, So 16 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: I guess I have heard one before when I was 17 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: a kid, But I thought like there was like a 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: burp or something like that. Or do you remember that cartoon? 19 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: It might have been like a what was the Droopy? 20 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 1: I think it might have been a droopy cartoon. So 21 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: some sort of tech savory cartoon, where like they had 22 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: a machine that burped radishes. But I like it. It 23 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 1: was a great I think it was like the Kitchen 24 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: of the Future, one great cartoon Bert. That's what I assumed. 25 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: The tupperware thing was like, Yeah, that was a big 26 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: droopy fans I thought I was missing out. Nope, No, 27 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: it's just a little air being expelled. But it was 28 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: a very very important bit of air because Chuck. At 29 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: the time that tupperware came out, women were using like 30 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: basically a pot that they cooked something in, maybe a bowl, 31 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: and putting a shower cap over it and storing it 32 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: in the ice box. You know what they call that 33 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: primitive that primitive food storage. It sounds like tuk Tuk 34 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: would have done something like that, not men and women 35 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: in the nineteen forties, except he would have used like 36 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: some sort of Madagascar type animal pelt sure from the 37 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: movie Madagascar. No, not Madagascar. I say, that's what I'm 38 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: thinking of. I say, I haven't seen it the one. 39 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: So they're very similar. It is setting like different climbs 40 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: in different time periods. I've never seen me. They're different 41 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: animal protagonists. I just I can get a lot from 42 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: commercials yeah. Uh so, yeah, Tupperware. Let's let's talk about it. Um, 43 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: the original pat and I love the name of this thing, 44 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: and you know it was created. You want to drop 45 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: this cool little fact by the name, the name of 46 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: the guy, Earl Tupper. Yeah I never knew that. Yeah, 47 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: I guess I didn't either. I didn't didn't think about it. No, 48 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: you think of Tupper wears nothing but tupper ware, and 49 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: there's no Tupper who invented It's crazy talk, right, Yeah? No, 50 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: there was a Tupper named Earl and that Tupper tup 51 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: tup for why yes, the Earl of Tupper he uh 52 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: he has a patent um call it, well had he 53 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: doesn't have it anymore. Uh. The e s tupper open 54 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: mouth container and non snap type of closure. Therefore this 55 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: by the way, Yeah, that's why I read it like that. 56 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: But I was explaining that to the everybody else. Do 57 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: they know me? This is going poorly? No, it's not so. Um. 58 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: Let's you want to talk a little bit about Tupper himself. Yeah. 59 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: He um was a bit of a reclusive figure, as 60 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: we'll find, but he was also like he was a 61 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: pretty sharp guy. I a grouch, I think, is it 62 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: possible way to describe him maybe a bit of a mad, smart, tinkering, grouchy. Um. 63 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: He disliked his father because he felt his father lacked ambition. 64 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: And this is when he was like ten, right, Um, 65 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: all you do is just go to the races and 66 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: lay around. He well, his parents owned a like a 67 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: farm of sorts, but I think I get the idea. 68 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: It was like kind of a harvest your own farm. 69 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: And this kid, little Earl Tupper, when he was like 70 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: ten twelve, he was like pitching the idea to to 71 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: build like a children's playground on the ground of this 72 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: pick your own farm for you know, to attract tourists 73 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: and stuff. And his dad was like, it sounds like 74 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: a lot of work. Totally, just go to school or something. 75 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: Get out of my hair. And Earl was like, you're 76 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: gonna pay for ignoring me. But he he was of 77 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: sharp contrast to his father, is what I'm trying to say. 78 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: He was very ambitious. Big tinker came up with a 79 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: lot of different patent ideas and apparently patents too. Yeah. 80 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: He uh, he had a book of inventions. Uh. There 81 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: was a better stocking guarter, which is a very sexy 82 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: thing for a child. To admit, right, UM, a better 83 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: way to remove a burst appendix. Yeah, yeah, that's for real. UM, 84 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: A dagger shaped comb to be clipped to the belt. 85 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: Um pants that wouldn't lose their crease. UM. One of 86 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 1: great import the customized cigarettes. I can't believe that didn't 87 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: catch on, Like for real, you know how Coca Cola 88 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: does those uh stupid cans and bottles now with names? 89 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: Oh now I understand. Yeah, there were cigarettes that said 90 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: like Sporty or the collegiate on the cigarette, so it 91 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: would have like your sports team like emblazoned on the side. 92 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: Maybe the problem is none of these inventions took off. 93 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: You know this guy literally well he could give his 94 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: inventions away, but like he almost literally couldn't give him 95 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: give them away. He he ended up manufacturing these things 96 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: and giving them away as like premiums for other stuff 97 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: like cigarettes and things like that. Yeah. So, UM he 98 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: starts a a tree uh doctor business, Tupper tree Doctors 99 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 1: that UM failed after um the depression, people were cutting 100 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: back on things like tree doctoring, so he went out 101 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: of business and in a very fortuitous move, went and 102 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: worked UM for Visca aid Plant, which is a division 103 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: of DuPont making plastics, right, and this is where things 104 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: kind of started taking shape. Yes, yes, yes, So basically 105 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: he gets into plastics and this town in Massachusetts that 106 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 1: he ended up in where the viscaloid plant was. He 107 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: was all over New England basically growing up, right, but 108 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: this particular town was kind of like a mad scientists 109 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: mecca where like all of this stuff is going on 110 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: in plastics, all these little tiny plastic manufacturing outfits are, 111 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 1: you know, start It's like a startup town for plastics 112 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 1: in like the thirties or forties, because they're like, we 113 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: have this new thing, like what all can we do 114 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: with it? Yeah? And which, by the way, plastic, especially polyethylene. 115 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: Polyethylene was invented by accident, and by the forties they 116 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: had still kind of they perfected the polyethylene or had 117 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: come out perfect, but they hadn't figured out quite how 118 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: to use it. And Earl Tupper was one of those 119 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: guys in the forties on the cutting edge of taking 120 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: plastic and figuring out how to mold him in the 121 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: right shape, how to keep him from being oily or 122 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: sticky or falling apart. When they were sitting out in 123 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,119 Speaker 1: the sunlight or all this stuff. This guy is doing 124 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: all these tests and he ends up coming up thanks 125 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: to getting a block of this pure polyethylene from DuPont. 126 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: The good stuff, the good stuff, the uncut stuff. Um. 127 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: And he figures out how to make this bowl a 128 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,559 Speaker 1: wonder lire bowl is what he calls it. Yeah, and um, 129 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: DuPont at the time didn't think that they could even 130 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: mold plastic. Like he was smarter than their guys because 131 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: he figured out how to do it. And um. Then 132 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: along with the design, the the patented tupperware seal that 133 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: made it so useful and famous, that made the what 134 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: sound that made the like the burping sound or tooting sound. Um. 135 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: He originally got that idea for the seal from paint cans, apparently, 136 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: the fact that you could turn a paint can upside 137 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: down and it wouldn't leak paint out all over the place. 138 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: And he said, I guess we can do us with food, 139 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: you know, yeah, like put food in here. It's sealed. 140 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: Look at the demonstration. It's upside down and I'm shaking 141 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: it and there's none of that gravy coming out. What right, 142 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: the grave is not coming out. I can drop this 143 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 1: bowl and it's not gonna break because everyone knows how 144 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: clumsy housewives are breaking stuff all over And the fact 145 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: that it um is that you burp it right and 146 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: it makes that sound, and you're basically preserving the food 147 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: for many, many days to come, which was huge because 148 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: a lot of the people who were um homemakers in 149 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,559 Speaker 1: the forties and fifties, they had lived through the depression 150 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: and they remembered exactly what it was like. So preserving 151 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: food was a big deal. And so this thing was 152 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: like it's really easy to take for granted these days, 153 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: but it was very cutting edge technology. Well, these days 154 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: they have all those terrible cheap oh uh, I was 155 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: gonna say knockoffs are not knockoffs are major brands. But 156 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: you know those little cheap plastic containers that are sold, 157 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: they're they're not nearly the quality of Tupperware. No, Tupperware 158 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: started all that. Yeah, and this stuff is garbage. The 159 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 1: lids don't fit right ever, they break, they don't they 160 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: don't do anything that Tupperware did. Like I have a 161 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: Wonder bowl from the nineteen seventies that's still like perfect. 162 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a little worn down, but it's still 163 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: like functions perfectly right. Well, it's a testament to tupperware 164 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: and that other garbage that stuff, Like I don't have 165 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: anything from last year. Well it's made and it was 166 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: made during a time of much more disposable thinking. You know. 167 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: At the time, it was like we're going to make 168 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: something now will last forever. Yeah, and I think they 169 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: still have a lifetime guarantees on everything. Yeah, Like you 170 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: could send in a tupperware piece from the sixties and they'll, 171 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: you know, if it's broken and it meets the requirements, 172 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: like you know, you didn't smash it with a hammer 173 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 1: or something. Um, because they can prove you. They'll give 174 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: you like credits or the equivalent of what you could 175 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: get today or something. It's like, well you paid for that. 176 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: But like let's see what the West Aid currency calculator 177 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: has to say about that. So, um, he formed upper Plastics. Uh. 178 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: Things did not take off though, um like he thought 179 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,319 Speaker 1: they would. He put him in department stores and hardware 180 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: stores for some reason. Oh yeah, not a good place 181 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: to sell your tupperware. Yeah. I mean nowadays I can 182 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: see that, but back then you probably just went to 183 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: hardware stores for nails and hammers and stuff. Yeah, I'm 184 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: sure there are home goods and stuff too. It was 185 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: probably closer to a general store in the hardware stores today, 186 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: but even still, they weren't flying off the shelves at 187 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: the point they were not. UM. So what he did 188 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: was there was another timeline going on at the same time. 189 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: UM Stanley Home Products was this, uh, basically pioneered the 190 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:58,559 Speaker 1: non door to door sales in favor of hosting a 191 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: party for lack of a better word, in home demonstrations 192 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: where you would gather people together. And it was a 193 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: guy named Norman Squires had um garnered a lot of 194 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: profits in this kind of sales, and they had working 195 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 1: for them a woman named Brownie Wise, right, and she 196 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: was selling all kinds of stuff for Stanley Home Products 197 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: and uh they called it the hostess group demonstration plan 198 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: and she was a great, great salesperson. Yeah. So these 199 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: people at Stanley Home Products basically found Tupperware on their 200 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: own and started selling it at these hostess parties. Right. Yeah, 201 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: she formed her own company called Tupperware Patio Parties. Oh 202 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: did she? Yeah, before she was hired. Before she was hired, 203 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: and she was selling so much of it that Earl 204 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: Tupper got in touch with her and was like, I 205 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: can't sell this stuff in stores like you're beating, like 206 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: department stores in New York City sales records she and 207 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: she yeah, she really was. She had a lot of charms. 208 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: She had. Um. She figured out that this burp thing 209 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: that was so essential and made this product so revolutionary, 210 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 1: right that, um, it wasn't like intuitive, you didn't just 211 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: understand how to work it, and so it wasn't helping sales, 212 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: which again seems weird today, but back then, you know, 213 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: people like, what is this weird colored thing? Right? Does 214 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: go together? And they were just banging them together in 215 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: the aisle of a hardware store crying. Um. They she 216 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: figured out that if you demonstrate this to people, especially 217 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: in like somebody's house or whatever and they've had a 218 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: couple of martinis and there's or Derv's, people are apt 219 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: to buy these things. And yeah, like you said, she 220 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: started out selling department stores hardware stores obviously. Um, and 221 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: she got hired on by Earl Tupper. She was in 222 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: Detroit at the time. I think I think she'd moved 223 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: down to Orlando when she was hired. Really by that point, Yeah, 224 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: she was from Beauford, Georgia, originally. Yeah, she was from Earl, 225 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: Georgia and uh ended up um being married and divorced, 226 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: which was pretty unusual at the time. And she was 227 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: a single mom. Yep, the little Jerry Wise. That's right. 228 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: She Unfortunately her husband was a violent drunk. I saw 229 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: that too, So that's not saying that, that's PBS taking 230 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: the fall for twe So she was only married to 231 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: him for about six years and then it was basically like, 232 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make my own way. He only had an 233 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: eighth grade education, and she was killing it on the 234 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: sales front. Yeah, she she really was. So it took 235 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: before we get any further about Brownie Wise. Great name, 236 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: awesome name. Yeah, maybe not a band name, but a 237 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: great name. The brown the Brownie Wise would be a 238 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: good name. Or the the Brownie Wise Massacre. Yeah sure, yeah, 239 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: there you go, or Brownie Wise over drive. Both of 240 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: those anyway for one another. I guess the point that 241 00:13:47,280 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: I'm trying to get to. Let's take a break. Okay, 242 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: So Brownie Wise has her Tupperware patio Parties company out 243 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: selling stores. She gets hired on um they literally divide 244 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 1: the company into uh two sides, the Tupperware manufacturing up 245 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: in Massachusetts and then Tupperware home parties down in Orlando. 246 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: Down in Orlando, yeah, where she lives. Basically, Earl Tupper 247 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: comes to her in n and says, Hey, how would 248 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: you like to be one of like three female high 249 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: level executives in the United States in the world, I 250 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: would guess, And she said, that's sure, why not, I'll 251 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: do you a favor. And I said she was a 252 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: very interesting woman. If I didn't, I did in my 253 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: head and meant to say it, but she, Um, there's 254 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: apparently a movie coming out about her life, starring Sandra Bullock. 255 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: You did not say that, and I did see that, 256 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: So there you go. I couldn't find any information on 257 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: except that I think it's in uh in pre uh 258 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: pre production right now. Oh, I see, I think it's 259 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: going to happen. But um, yeah, I mean she she's 260 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: one of the great uh woman entrepreneurs that this country 261 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: has ever seen, the world has ever seen. Really, yeah, 262 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: because she took this tupper wear, which everyone except the 263 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: American public agreed was great. In ninety seven, the year 264 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: that Tupper invented this stuff, Time named it this amazing thing. 265 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: It won design awards. Yeah, she was on the first 266 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: woman on the cover of Business Week magazine, right right, 267 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: but even before she came along, everybody, especially in the 268 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: art world, in the design world, um said this this, 269 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: this stuff is great. But it was just sitting there languishing. 270 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: And then the brownie wise comes along and just turns 271 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: it into a blockbuster, like turns it into it an 272 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: American iconic brand, which it still is today. Yeah. And 273 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: what she realized, which is uh, was a stroke of genius, 274 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: was it's the nineteen fifties. The suburbs are happening post 275 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: World War two in a big way. Um, there's a 276 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: lot of the men that are that are homemakers, that 277 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: are I guess we could just say they were bored 278 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: and looking for something to do well. Plus also they 279 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: had very um, they had very real constrictions on their 280 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: time where like they're basically freedom of movement. They didn't 281 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: have cars, they didn't have things like this, they didn't 282 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: have a lot of ways to make money. Yeah. Well, 283 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: and again they were out in the suburbs for the 284 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: first time. It's not like many of these were connected 285 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: by subway or anything. That was still an inner city deal. Right. So, 286 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: But rather than view these places as vast like waste 287 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: lands of isolation. Brownie Wise said, no, these are like 288 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: little tiny social networks where people know and trust one 289 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: another and they're bored out of their skulls and they're 290 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: looking for ways to make money. Like so, not only 291 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: do you have a really great market to sell this to, 292 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: you have a really great workforce that's just sitting there idol. 293 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: And she said, how would you gals like to sell tupperware? 294 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: And they went, let's do this, that's right. And what 295 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 1: she did was came up with a system where and 296 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: you could work your way up the chain um from 297 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: sales all the way. Well, let's let's just detail it. 298 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 1: What you are is your consultant at first, which is 299 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 1: out there, you know, holding the party, hosting these parties. 300 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: We'll talk about everybody's chilling. Yeah, and then you can 301 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: work your up to manager if you organize a certain 302 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: number of parties, and then managers, uh, we're eventually recruiting 303 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: other women. So if you recruit enough women and increased sales, 304 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: then you could rise to distributor. And that was the 305 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: highest level you could attain at that point. Yes, you 306 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: could be a distributor. You have your own office, you 307 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: have your network of managers and then they manage the 308 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: consultants or the party throwers, party hosts, and UM basically 309 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: she started her own army of salespeople. Yeah, so Chuck 310 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: incentibized salespeople. Right now, there are two point nine million 311 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,360 Speaker 1: people in the world selling tupperware. Every three seconds, there's 312 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 1: another Tupperware party. But we're getting ahead of ourselves, right, 313 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,239 Speaker 1: So she she put together this workforce. And again it 314 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:10,680 Speaker 1: was UM, this guy named Norman Squires who came up 315 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: with this idea that led to UM being a huge, 316 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 1: huge hit for Tupperware, but also later on avon Um 317 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:25,120 Speaker 1: and Mary Kay and Pampered Chef and like all of these, 318 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: all of these brands that like are sold through hostess 319 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: parties basically get you in our house and get you drunk, 320 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: and so just just leave me a blank check basically. 321 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,679 Speaker 1: But the it wasn't invented by Brownie Wise, but she 322 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: definitely perfected it for sure. So UM she tapped this workforce. 323 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: And one of the ways that she kept people excited 324 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: and loyal not just the fact that they could rise 325 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 1: throughout this hierarchy UM in the tupperware industry, but there 326 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 1: there was also like this thing that she created called 327 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: the Jubilee every year down Orlando. It's a big company party, 328 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: it was. And they would just pull out all the stops. 329 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: Like they would bury fur coats, they would bury blenders. 330 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: One of the buyers once said that he bought a 331 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: hundred thousand blenders once for the Jubilee. They would just 332 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: bring all these Tupperware sales associates and just basically throw 333 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: them a party for a few days and let them 334 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: just win free stuff and have a great time. And 335 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: when you say, Barry, I think we should explain, because 336 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 1: it sounds really weird. They would bury these prizes and 337 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: people would go and dig them up. Right. It wasn't 338 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: like you can't have this. Look at what you can't have. 339 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: We're burying It just sound you're like, they'd bury fur coats, 340 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: they'd bury anything that moved. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, but 341 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: it was all part of the fun. Apparently they lost 342 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: a lot of them too. Yeah. Years later, um at 343 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 1: the at the Tupperware headquarters in Orlando, they went to 344 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:51,439 Speaker 1: dig a pond and they found a bunch of the 345 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: prizes that had never been found. Yes, some say there's 346 00:19:54,560 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: still fur coats buried all over Orlando. By the illuminati. Right. So, um, 347 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: those are the big jubilee parties, a big company parties, 348 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: great for morale. Um. The hostess uh themselves or the 349 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:14,239 Speaker 1: consultants would um, they would make percentage. They'd basically make 350 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: a cut what they were able to sell, as well 351 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: as get prizes. Um like these really neat prizes. And 352 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: the more parties you hosted, the better the prizes would get. 353 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 1: So it's like it's like the wild West. It's the 354 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,639 Speaker 1: heyday for these women. They're like earning their own money 355 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: for a change. They're getting these great prizes. They're feeling 356 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: great about themselves. They're not bored any longer. And their 357 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: husbands were like, WHOA, what's going on here? Give me 358 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,879 Speaker 1: that money you made? Yeah, exactly. And things were so 359 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 1: successful with this model that that was their only sales 360 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 1: model up until the late nineteen eighties. Right. You couldn't 361 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 1: even buy the stuff in stores. No, he just stopped. 362 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: It wasn't even worth the money or effort to distribute 363 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: his stories. They just did it through parties and home parties. 364 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: Thank you, Brownie Wise. Right, so um, in like you said, 365 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: in eighty they started selling it through UM catalogs. I 366 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: guess uh yeah, I think they cat I've seen like 367 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: older catalogs from like the fifties and sixties, So I 368 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: don't know what that means. Maybe over the phone, you 369 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:19,159 Speaker 1: saw Tupperware one catalog. Yeah, it's on our it's on 370 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 1: the podcast page for this episode. There's a link to 371 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: this kind of design layout and it has some catalogs. 372 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,120 Speaker 1: So it must have been like ordered by phone. Oh yeah, 373 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: maybe so. And then just about ten years later in 374 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 1: Tupperware had their first website, which e commerce in that 375 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,400 Speaker 1: was fairly forward thinking. Yeah, that's true, you know. Yeah, 376 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: um so this caught like wildfire. Today you can it's 377 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:48,400 Speaker 1: not just like an American institution. There are Tupperware parties, 378 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 1: like we said, at the rate of one every three seconds, 379 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: and more than a hundred countries around the world. I 380 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: had no idea that Tupperware was that popular in like 381 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:01,360 Speaker 1: Asia and India, and they said half a million, more 382 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 1: than half a million every year in France alone. Yeah, 383 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 1: of Tupperware sales are outside of the US these days. Yeah, 384 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:11,679 Speaker 1: and it's a I mean like it's got it's moving 385 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: like gangbusters. Last I saw I was trading at like 386 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 1: sixty three dollars a share, which is down from like 387 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: a hundred in December. Maybe, UM like it's it's a 388 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: really set company again these days, like it's been able 389 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: to just be on the brink of utter irrelevance when 390 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: it finds a new market, when it figures out a 391 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 1: new way to to sell, when it figures out a 392 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 1: new product, like currently right now in China, um Tupperware 393 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,200 Speaker 1: is making tons of cash selling a thousand dollar water filter, 394 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:44,880 Speaker 1: and they're doing it by traveling from town to town 395 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: and setting up these in home demonstrations or public demonstrations 396 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:51,439 Speaker 1: and showing how to do it. So they're like taking 397 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: the Tumperware model that Brownie Wise like really perfected and 398 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,640 Speaker 1: and figuring out how it best works and cultures around 399 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 1: the world. Yeah, I know. They make um all so 400 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: like h depending on your country and what they eat, 401 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:07,399 Speaker 1: like certain shaped UM containers, right like round bread containers 402 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: for non in India. How about that? So what happened 403 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: to Brownie Wise? I guess she retired, was thanked, carried 404 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 1: out on everyone's shoulders, and lived a great fulfilled life 405 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,479 Speaker 1: until her death. Right, Well, we're gonna tell you right 406 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: after this break, all right, Josh, let's fast forward to UM. 407 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: The Tupperware. Business is booming, Brownie Wise is a bit 408 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:57,400 Speaker 1: of a celebrity. The twist is going like Gangbusters? Was it? Probably? Okay? 409 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,640 Speaker 1: People are still twist in the night away? I mean 410 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: what was that like? Probably started three years. Sure there 411 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: was some squares still twisting. Yeah, they weren't doing the 412 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:11,959 Speaker 1: mashed potato yet. No, I think that was a little later. Okay. Um, 413 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: so business is booming, Brownie Wise is killing it. She's 414 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 1: a celebrity. Earl Tupper um starts to get a little 415 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,200 Speaker 1: jealous over the years. It's as simple as that. Yeah. 416 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:24,160 Speaker 1: As much as he liked didn't seek or want the limelight, 417 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: he was still jealous that Brownie Wise people thought that 418 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 1: she was Tupperware and that she started the company um 419 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 1: and started selling like I can sell anything like this. 420 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: So she didn't say that in the media said she could. 421 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 1: She could have done this with any brand. She's that great. 422 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: Well she could, And Earl Tupper wanted to be like, well, no, 423 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,919 Speaker 1: I mean my product that I invented is you know 424 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: a big part of this, if not the thing. I'm 425 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: Earl Tupper right, so he um he apparently Also she 426 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 1: stopped kind of cow towing to him quite as much. Um, 427 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 1: but I got a lot great for while. Yeah, and 428 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: again he had said to their PR department and to 429 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: any media interviewer, like, yes, this lady is the face 430 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: of Tupperware. Treater, is such, promoter, is such, And he, 431 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: just like you said, ended up getting jealous. I didn't 432 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 1: like that she wasn't cows outing to him any longer, 433 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: and in said you're fired. Yeah. He The story I 434 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,119 Speaker 1: read was that he wanted to sell the company and 435 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:29,439 Speaker 1: cash in, and that he didn't think and was advised 436 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: that it would be really hard to sell a company 437 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: with a woman in such a prominent position on the board. 438 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,959 Speaker 1: And so he, uh, like you said, just unceremoniously get 439 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: rid of her, gave her one year salary. It was 440 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:45,159 Speaker 1: like thirty grand zero stock in this company that she 441 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 1: had built almost from the ground up. Yeah, or help 442 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: build at least. And um, I gotta say that was 443 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: her You know, that was her mistake. She should have 444 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: gotten some stock along the way. Yeah, I guess you know, 445 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: she's too busy selling and jam, I mean and exactly 446 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,919 Speaker 1: she was imagined thirty five grand a year was a 447 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: pretty good salary at the point. You want me to 448 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 1: look it up, I will you can. So she got 449 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: that small pay out. She went um and what he 450 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: said to her was is that there were some accounting 451 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: errors in the previous year. She wouldn't come to Massachusetts 452 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:21,399 Speaker 1: to talk to him about it, and sort of dug 453 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,119 Speaker 1: In says that she said that she had gotten sicker, 454 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: injured and couldn't leave Florida. He finally went down to Florida, 455 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 1: um and basically said that, you know, these jubilees are 456 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: too expensive. The landscaping you've done here in Florida, the 457 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: company headquarters is too expensive. You're spending too much money 458 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,439 Speaker 1: on clothes. Uh. And we own all that stuff, We 459 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: own all your clothing. What well, I mean that's I 460 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: don't know if he actually took it, but he basically 461 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: was like, you know, she paid for all that stuff 462 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: through the company as she should have, you know, to 463 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:55,199 Speaker 1: keep up appearances. But um, yeah, that was it for her. 464 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 1: She started a small company called Cinderella Cosmetics that folded 465 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: after a year and sort of faded into obscurity. So 466 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:08,920 Speaker 1: then um Earl Tupper uh sold out that the next 467 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,400 Speaker 1: year I think sixteen million. Yeah, he sells out for 468 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 1: sixteen million dollars. Nice. Cash to rex All Drug Company, 469 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: which was eventually absorbed by Kraft, who apparently now owns Tupperware. 470 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 1: I think maybe it's the parent company. Um and yeah, 471 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 1: sixteen million in nineteen fifty eight. It's not too bad 472 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 1: for a boy who couldn't get his parents to build 473 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 1: a playground on the family pick your own whatever farm. 474 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: Did you find out if she thirty five grand was 475 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 1: a good salary? Yeah, it wasn't bad. It was like 476 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 1: two hundred and I think thirty two thousand dollars back then. Yeah, 477 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 1: that's good. It's not bad, I mean especially for a executive. Yeah. Um. 478 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: But he sold the whole thing for sixteen million, gave 479 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,880 Speaker 1: her one year salary, moved to Costa Rica, bought in island, 480 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 1: announced as US citizenships so we didn't have to pay 481 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: any taxes on. Got divorced before all that, right, and 482 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: uh said, sion are everybody, I'm going to Costa Rica 483 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 1: to buy an island and keep a note pain in 484 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 1: my pocket. So anytime an idea for a new invention hits, 485 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,280 Speaker 1: I'll have it. Yeah. And just like probably you know, 486 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: eight pineapples on his island. Yeah. He died in three 487 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,439 Speaker 1: in Costa Rica. Uh, seventy six and she died in 488 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: nine and um, Tupperware has not gone out of fashion. 489 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: It's it's been featured, uh starting in what year was it, 490 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 1: I guess when they first came out at the Museum 491 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 1: of Modern Art, and then again in two thousand eleven. 492 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,239 Speaker 1: I think I even saw this exhibit. In fact, I'm 493 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: almost positive I did, because it was about just industrial 494 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 1: design and things, and there's Tupperware all over again because 495 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: of its gorgeous of course, now you know that fifties 496 00:28:54,720 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: era retro design. The original line that tupper Um released 497 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: is called the Millionaire line, and it came in six colors, 498 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 1: five pastels and one white, right, yellow, blue, green, orange, 499 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 1: and pink. And they're really pretty. Like if you look 500 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: at a set of these things and a good condition, 501 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 1: they're gorgeous. He went on to the Plastics Hall of Fame, 502 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 1: UM and now like this stuff from the fifties and sixties, 503 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: you can get some decent money on eBay for that stuff, 504 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: you know, because it still works and people love that 505 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: retro look. Did you know that he refused refused to 506 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 1: have any um any pet bowls designed. He thought it 507 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: was tupper Ware was too good for pets to eat 508 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 1: out of. What a jerk. See, I was all on 509 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: board until that. Actually I wasn't on board. I was 510 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: off board when I found out that he fired Brownie Wise. 511 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: Yeah he and then was like, Okay, I've got some money. 512 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 1: See you later. Family moving to Costa Rica. Would you 513 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 1: be funny if he went down and started a cult 514 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: with this slinking guy? Um? So Tupperware stayed pretty much 515 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 1: the same until when they UM a designer named Morrison 516 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: Cousins basically kind of redesigned for for the new era. Yeah. 517 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: He he was UM already a VP I guess at Tupperware, 518 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: and he was. He decided that it was a little difficult. 519 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: He had an eighty two or eighty one year old 520 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: mother at the time eighty seven year old mother at 521 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 1: the time when he was charged with redesigning the Tupperware line, 522 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: and UM he from that viewpoint, he redesigned it to 523 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,719 Speaker 1: make it easier for UM the aged to use. Right, So, 524 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 1: like that burping lid that you had to like really 525 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: kind of have some decent hand strength to put on. 526 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: He figured out a way around it by UM using 527 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: flaps that opened and close to release the air didn't 528 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: require quite as much hand strength. Um, the lids were 529 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: made in contrast and close to the bulls, so if 530 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 1: you had a low visibility low vision, not visibility, that's 531 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: totally different. If you were wearing all camouflage at the time, 532 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: you'd be able to find the lid and the bowl 533 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: that go together pretty easy. So he yeah, he made 534 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: them easier for old books. Yep. And he was the 535 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: guy who brought it online. He did a lot of 536 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: good stuff apparently with it. He also took the brand. 537 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: I thought this is cool, and I would love to 538 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 1: see this on video because I'll bet it's just so 539 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: bizarre and surreal to watch. They broadcast a series of 540 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 1: live temperware parties on some home shopping channel in the 541 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: early nineties. That was probably the first home shopping experience. 542 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: You know, I think those were around in the eighties. 543 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: I think home shopping was already established. When did they 544 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,360 Speaker 1: do this early nineties? Oh? I thought you said he 545 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: did it like in the sixties. No, no, no, no, 546 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: we should do one on home shopping. I'll bet that 547 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 1: has an interesting, weird history. You think I'll look into 548 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 1: I let you know, Okay, my mom's into it, man, QBC. 549 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: So did we talk about how to throw a tupperware party. 550 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:09,240 Speaker 1: Yeah we did, We sure did. Okay, did we talk 551 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 1: about tupperware drag parties? We did not? We should, Yeah, 552 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: because there's more than one. Yeah, there's well, there's one 553 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: person in particular, a guy named Chris Anderson who performs 554 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:26,480 Speaker 1: in drag as Dixie Longate and um sells like a 555 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 1: million dollars worth of Tupperware in the process, Like he 556 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: gets paid to perform, Like you gotta pay forty bucks 557 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: just to a person just to have I guess he 558 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,520 Speaker 1: still does house parties, but he literally does like tours 559 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 1: and does like off Broadway shows and stuff. Now right, 560 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: But the whole thing is I mean real tupperware party 561 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: where like you can buy tupperware and like he's demonstrating 562 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,720 Speaker 1: the tupper wearing. He's kind of giving his own take 563 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,640 Speaker 1: on what it's useful for. But he's not the only 564 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: um drag show in the country selling tupperware, of course, 565 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 1: not apparently. UH drag queen named Aunt Barbara up in 566 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,680 Speaker 1: Long Island is was at least in two thous twelve, 567 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 1: the number one salesperson in North America for Tupperware. It 568 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:11,600 Speaker 1: all makes sense when you think about it so two 569 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,800 Speaker 1: fifty grand worth of Tupa in one year. Like the 570 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: kitch of the Drag show, the kitch of Tupperware parties, 571 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: it all sort of goes hand in hand. And Um, 572 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: I went to the website of Dixie Longate and he 573 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 1: has a pretty interesting bio. I have three kids, Winona, 574 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 1: Dwayne and absorbing Junr. It's all made up, I think, 575 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 1: I think maybe, although you never know. But yeah. Now 576 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: he has solo stand up shows, um and a recent 577 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 1: theatrical show called never Wear a tube top while Riding 578 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 1: a mechanical bowl and sixteen other things I learned while 579 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: I was drinking last Thursday. And apparently that is selling 580 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 1: out venues. It's basically that's selling out venues. We're not, 581 00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: but that is don't be better. We will one day. 582 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: If we did it in drag we'd probably well, no, 583 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 1: that's not true either, one day chuck. Uh wow, that's 584 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 1: a weird way to end this. Yeah, I think it's perfect. Um. 585 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: I thought I had something else, but I guess I don't. Oh, 586 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 1: yes I do. PBS did a great documentary called Tupperware 587 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:21,960 Speaker 1: with an exclamation point. It's got a whole website on 588 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: online and you can watch parts of the documentary, if 589 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,280 Speaker 1: not the whole thing. Yeah, and look for the Sandra 590 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:30,439 Speaker 1: Bullock the Brownie Wise story coming to a theater near 591 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 1: you in a couple of years. Nice job, you said 592 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:36,279 Speaker 1: a theater near you. You just said coming to a 593 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,439 Speaker 1: theater near you. That's like wow? Did you ever think 594 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:46,799 Speaker 1: you would grow up to say that like in public? Sure? Okay, Well, 595 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:48,400 Speaker 1: if you want to know more about tupper ware, you 596 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 1: can type that one word and the search part how 597 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com? And uh, since I said search parts, 598 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: time for a listener mail and they call this the 599 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:02,040 Speaker 1: strisand effect? Have you ever heard of this? Hello? Josh, 600 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: Chuck and Jerry really enjoyed the podcast on Internet censorship. 601 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: Although I was disturbed that s OP three oh three exists, 602 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,759 Speaker 1: one thing not mentioned that I thought was relevant is 603 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: when individuals attempt to censor specific things from their own 604 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 1: life and the resulting fallout that occurs. In two thousand three, 605 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 1: and I remember this happening. Actually, a picture of Barbra 606 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:26,760 Speaker 1: Streisand's home in Malibu appeared in a publicly available collection 607 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: of over twelve thousand photos of California Coastline. The collection 608 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 1: was documenting coastal erosion and not related to news paparazzi 609 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: or tabloids or anything like that. But Streisand's lawyers filed 610 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 1: a fifty million dollar lawsuit against the photographer, asking the 611 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:46,960 Speaker 1: picture to be taken down for privacy reasons. Before stories 612 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:48,799 Speaker 1: of the lawsuit hit the press, the photo of the 613 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 1: home had only been downloaded six times, two of which 614 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,360 Speaker 1: were by her attorneys. During the following month, after the 615 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 1: whole thing became a news story, more than four hundred 616 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:01,440 Speaker 1: thousand people visited the website. Uh. They even coined the 617 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 1: term at the strice end effect an attempt to really 618 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:06,880 Speaker 1: got out of hand for her. Yeah, I did I 619 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: remember this blew up in her face. An attempt at 620 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:12,320 Speaker 1: censoring or removing something from the Internet results and said 621 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,759 Speaker 1: thing being seen and reported on much more than if 622 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:16,800 Speaker 1: the person requesting it be removed had simply let it 623 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 1: fade into obscurity. Thanks for the podcast. Also possibly a 624 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:23,759 Speaker 1: shout out to my wife Emily, who is nearly as 625 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 1: addicted to stuff you should know as I am nearly 626 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:30,279 Speaker 1: And that is from Brenton Krauss in uh mid Hudson Valley, 627 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:34,480 Speaker 1: New York, USA. So Emily and get on it. So 628 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:38,439 Speaker 1: you're equally as addicted, and thank you Britton for being 629 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:43,439 Speaker 1: fully addicted. Yeah to the brim, I guess uh. If 630 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: you want to get in touch with us and talk 631 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:51,520 Speaker 1: to us about Tupperware or um whatever, you can tweet 632 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:55,360 Speaker 1: to us right at s y s K podcast. Josh's 633 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 1: manning that station. You can go on to our awesome 634 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:01,320 Speaker 1: Facebook page courtesy of Chuckers I'm in that station, Facebook, 635 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:03,279 Speaker 1: dot com, slash Stuff you Should Know. You can send 636 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:05,840 Speaker 1: us an email. We both get those. They come direct 637 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:09,520 Speaker 1: to us to uh stuff podcast at how Stuff Works 638 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:11,839 Speaker 1: dot com and hang out with us at our home 639 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:16,960 Speaker 1: on the web. Stuff you Should Know dot com. Stuff 640 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 1: you Should Know is a production of I Heart Radio. 641 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:22,000 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the i heart 642 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,960 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 643 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:25,760 Speaker 1: favorite shows.