Cultural moment synonym archive#

After World War II, he created a softer durable plastic and patented a lid with a double seal, said to be inspired by the paint can.īut the invention needed a show-and-tell. The forever business was certainly a goal for Tupperware, the brainchild of inventor Earl Tupper. Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Tupperware's design and historic impact landed it in museums worldwide, including these bowls at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. 'We're in the forever business,' Ruffins, a curator, explains the gloves. This collection in storage at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is proof of just how influential these products once were. Turning homemakers into saleswomenįath Davis Ruffins puts on disposable gloves before opening a dream 1950s cabinet: Tupperware storage containers, little spears for finger foods, serveware and cutlery, in a rainbow of pastels. It has now missed deadlines for at least two financial reports. Since April, the company has been warning of a possible pending bankruptcy.

Tupperware's value is now less than a tenth the size of its debt.

Cultural moment synonym archive#

Archive Photos/Getty Imagesĭecline happened slowly over a decade. Women attend a Tupperware Party in someone's back garden in 1955. But now, the company faces financial peril. Tupperware once revolutionized women's roles - in the kitchen and the country's economy - and sealed its place in American lore as a synonym for kitchen storage. 'When I have the ability to go to a house and do a house party, I just love, love, love it.' 'Tupperware is best when it's shown, when you can touch it, when you can feel it,' says Sottung, who began selling as the Philly Tupperware Lady during the pandemic.

But fundamentally, the brand's business harkens back to its 1940s roots: women selling to women, ideally in someone's living room. Many sell on Facebook or at virtual parties Sottung has been trying out TikTok. To this day, individual dealers like Sottung are how Tupperware makes most of its money. Stacey Sottung shows off a stack of colorful bowls in an Instagram video, filming for her followers a taste of the modern Tupperware party, which in addition to bowls and vintage tumblers, may include cake pans that go in the microwave, cold-brew carafes or vegetable choppers. Listen Tupperware is now selling some products at Target, but it still makes most of its money through individual sellers.