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Decoder Ring

I am Tupperware, I Contain Multitudes

Decoder Ring

Slate Podcasts

Documentary, History, Society & Culture

4.62K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The storage container is a stealthy star of the modern home. It’s something we use to organize more of our stuff than ever before, and also something other people use to organize their stuff for our viewing pleasure. Its role as a source of soothing, satisfying, potentially viral clicks is new, but storage container innovations are not – something we had occasion to remember when Tupperware, the company, recently filed for bankruptcy. Tupperware was the original container craze. In today’s episode we’re going to connect it to the contemporary one, because as it happens, for a long time now, we’ve been filling empty plastic boxes with far more than just leftovers.   This episode was reported and produced by Olivia Briley. It was edited by Willa Paskin. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin, Evan Chung, Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. In this episode, you’ll hear from Amanda Mull who wrote the articles “Tupperware Is in Trouble” and “Home Influencers Will Not Rest Until Everything Has Been Put in a Clear Plastic Storage Bin.” And from Bob Kealing, the author of Tupperware Unsealed Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the Home Party Pioneers. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at [email protected] Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:12.5

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0:17.5

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0:22.0

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0:24.5

Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.

0:30.3

Before we begin, this episode contains adult language.

0:40.5

Amanda Mollah's estate. adult language. Amanda Mull is a senior reporter

0:42.4

at Bloomberg Business Week,

0:44.0

where she writes a column

0:44.9

trying to make sense of consumer culture.

0:47.7

Seeing people's neuroses

0:48.9

and emotional lives play out

0:50.9

and the way that they choose

0:52.9

to spend time and money is fascinating to me.

0:56.8

Amanda is always noticing things. And last year, she became very curious about a strange

1:02.7

kind of video that's all over the internet. It's time for another drink fridge restock.

1:07.7

It's been a little over a month. so we're going to get it full again.

1:11.4

You just tell me what a restocking video is.

1:14.4

Restocking videos are usually a few minutes long. They are generally sort of a close-up on a woman's

1:20.4

hands, taking a set of containers, usually out of a refrigerator, out of a pantry, out of a

1:26.3

laundry room.

...

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