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"Somewhere in the world a Tupperware Party is held every ten seconds."
Public television's "The American Experience" recently chronicled the history of Tupperware. But back in 1980, with only two other radio stories under their belts, The Kitchen Sisters produced this story about the icon of American plastic.
Tupperware. More than a way of storing leftovers in covered plastic bowls, for many it's a way of life. Parties. Rallies. Sales sessions. Earl Tupper took the plastics he developed for WWII into post-war American kitchens. The Tupperware Party is one of the ways women came together to swap recipes and kitchen wisdom, get out of the house and support each other's entrepreneurial efforts.
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Piece Description
"Somewhere in the world a Tupperware Party is held every ten seconds." Public television's "The American Experience" recently chronicled the history of Tupperware. But back in 1980, with only two other radio stories under their belts, The Kitchen Sisters produced this story about the icon of American plastic. Tupperware. More than a way of storing leftovers in covered plastic bowls, for many it's a way of life. Parties. Rallies. Sales sessions. Earl Tupper took the plastics he developed for WWII into post-war American kitchens. The Tupperware Party is one of the ways women came together to swap recipes and kitchen wisdom, get out of the house and support each other's entrepreneurial efforts.
4 Comments
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Review of TupperwareI got enthused listening to this story--a real this American life odyssey. I liked the technique of multi-tracking, layering sound tracks over each other. This was most obvious when dealers told of the perqs that flowed from being a dealer. What was confusing was that I didn't hear of anyone making money selling Tupperware. Party guests bought Tupperware for their hostess. Sales people got paid off in Tupperware. Who pays the electric bill? I wondered. |
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Review of TupperwareA good piece for hearing the voices of people without the mediation of a narrator interpreting and introducing. The editing is also superb, creating a richly textured and seamless experience. Tupperware had a helpful role in transitioning women from their post-WWII expectation of staying at home back to the workforce before 1960s feminism dawned. Therefore, while this piece is amusing, it could be used to balance a more serious program about 20th century women and work. |
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Chana Joffe-Walt
Posted on January 18, 2005 at 01:14 PM | Permalink
Review of Tupperware
I love the energy of this piece. The layering of voices of women involved with singing, partying and selling works spledidly. It also managed to capture the complex role tupperware parties played in the lives of many women while not taking itself too seriously. This piece stands alone but could also work nicely next to a segment on women's history.