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Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

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Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#11

I remember my mum having a Tupperware party in the early seventies. She had all her friends round for a social gathering and to buy plastic containers. It sounds bizarre now.

Not as bizarre as two Texas narcotics officers going undercover to sex toy parties and busting women for selling vibrators.

How are vibrators narcotic? Am I just not using them right? Is it possible to overdose?

Sex Toy Party:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_toy_party

>A woman was arrested in Texas in December 2003 on obscenity charges for hosting a sex toy party for undercover narcotics officers, but the case was dismissed by the judge in July 2004.

Texas housewife busted for hawking erotic toys / Sales rep for Brisbane firm sold vibrator to undercover agents:

https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/texas-housewife-busted-...

>"It makes you wonder what they're thinking out there in Texas," Davis said. "They sound like prudes, with antiquated laws. They must have all their street crime under control in Texas if they're going to spend tax money arresting us."

>[...] Webb said she was amazed that the town's narcotics squad would be put on the case. "We have a real problem with drugs in our schools," she said, "and they're using our narcotics officers to entrap me for selling a vibrator."

Sex toys and porn on her terms:

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4314184

>Passion Parties, a company in Brisbane, Calif., that markets adult toys such as vibrators, oils and romance kits through home party "consultants," has been in the news lately. It seems the brave police in Burleson, Texas, sensing the danger of women armed with dildos, arrested rep Joanne Webb, 43, because she explained how to use a sex toy. She faces a year in jail for obscenity.

BRISBANE / Vibrator case dismissed in Texas:

https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/BRISBANE-Vibrator-case-...

>She was facing a year in jail for selling the vibrator in October to a pair of undercover officers posing as a dysfunctional married couple.

It makes me wonder how they demonstrated they were dysfunctional?

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#12
post #3

Probably cloned to dead by counterfeits. Glass and silicone tap is heavier but more clean and removes the risk of plastic leaking chemicals on the food.

I wouldn't be that sure about silicone. Most of them are flaking a lot and degrading after they are freezed, probably have a lot of plasticizers too.

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#13

I remember my mum having a Tupperware party in the early seventies. She had all her friends round for a social gathering and to buy plastic containers. It sounds bizarre now.

Not as bizarre as two Texas narcotics officers going undercover to sex toy parties and busting women for selling vibrators. How are vibrators narcotic? Am I just not using them right? Is it possible to overdose? Sex Toy Party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_toy_party >A woman was arrested in Texas in December 2003 on obscenity charges for hosting a sex toy party for undercover narcotics officers, but the case was…

> It makes me wonder how they demonstrated they were dysfunctional?

Sounds like the default state for two people pretending to be in a relationship, tbh. No unity/chemistry lol

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#14
post #4

> "Over the last several years, the company's financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment," Tupperware's chief executive Laurie Ann Goldman said in a statement to investors, external. I agree that their food storage products, which is what Tupperware is most known for, have suffered from the abundance of next best alternatives in the market. However, I just went on their…

> That’s what made Tupperware unique when it was founded.

I suppose they were making a unique product, but it was the grassroots marketing that made them a standout and a household name.

I believe that those suburban home-based "parties" bridged the gap between door-to-door salesmen and catalog/online sales.

In my neighborhood, "Tupperware parties" were not stigmatized or dreaded, but just seemed like a fun way to pick up some durable modern containers.

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#15
post #3

Probably cloned to dead by counterfeits. Glass and silicone tap is heavier but more clean and removes the risk of plastic leaking chemicals on the food.

I wouldn't be that sure about silicone. Most of them are flaking a lot and degrading after they are freezed, probably have a lot of plasticizers too.

There are a whole bunch of symbols imprinted on those containers which indicate safe usage. Dishwasher, freezer, microwave, etc.

Used as directed, as safe as anything else. Sort of like talc...

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't be that sure about silicone. Most of them are flaking a lot and degrading after they are freezed, probably have a lot of plasticizers too.

There are a whole bunch of symbols imprinted on those containers which indicate safe usage. Dishwasher, freezer, microwave, etc. Used as directed, as safe as anything else. Sort of like talc...

I noticed this effect on silicone tray intended for freezing water cubes. It would seem that it should be safe for freezer, but after freezing it, cubes were partly colored by silicone part of tray. I won't use silicone for freezing anymore. Those trays for baking are not that confidence-building either. Good fast test if you should buy anything for food - if it smells of fresh car or plastic when new, don't use for food.

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are a whole bunch of symbols imprinted on those containers which indicate safe usage. Dishwasher, freezer, microwave, etc. Used as directed, as safe as anything else. Sort of like talc...

I noticed this effect on silicone tray intended for freezing water cubes. It would seem that it should be safe for freezer, but after freezing it, cubes were partly colored by silicone part of tray. I won't use silicone for freezing anymore. Those trays for baking are not that confidence-building either. Good fast test if you should buy anything for food - if it smells of fresh car or plastic when new, don't use for…

The typical fresh car smell is almond wax added to the plastic. Coffe, Aloe or Avocado are also used.

Transparent silicon should be more inert than dyed silicon. I assume that they should be using food grade colorants in any case.

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#18
post #4

> "Over the last several years, the company's financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment," Tupperware's chief executive Laurie Ann Goldman said in a statement to investors, external. I agree that their food storage products, which is what Tupperware is most known for, have suffered from the abundance of next best alternatives in the market. However, I just went on their…

> That’s what made Tupperware unique when it was founded. I suppose they were making a unique product, but it was the grassroots marketing that made them a standout and a household name. I believe that those suburban home-based "parties" bridged the gap between door-to-door salesmen and catalog/online sales. In my neighborhood, "Tupperware parties" were not stigmatized or dreaded, but just seemed like a fun way to pi…

In the 1970's and 80's, Tupperware was functionally superior to widely available alternatives. If you wanted a reliable tumbler with fitted lid that didn't leak or a bin to keep celery fresh, Tupperware was the way to go. Pyrex glassware was available but the lids were leaky and/or low durability...most of them still are. And it looked good.

There really wasn't anywhere for Tupperware to pivot, and the death seems natural.

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#19

I remember my mum having a Tupperware party in the early seventies. She had all her friends round for a social gathering and to buy plastic containers. It sounds bizarre now.

Oh, yeah that sounds bizarre...

I've heard of tupperware parties but I always assumed that it was like a picnic where you brought your own food (in tupperware (or similar) containers) and shared with others.

Re: Tupperware files for bankruptcy as demand slides

#20
I don’t know if this applies to all the 40 countries Tupperware is selling to, but at least here in Germany, the need to „eintuppern“ (to put something into a Tupperware container) has massively decreased. Up until the 90s it was much more common to cook in abundance e.g. on the weekend and store the leftovers to eaten throughout the week or even deep frozen. These days it is much more common to cook only what you intend to eat right away.

At the same time, the trend went away from buying huge packs of stuff that need to be put in a container to not go stale, towards buying smaller-sized packages, for a multitude of reasons.

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