Posts tagged kitchens

For lots of good reasons, we don't link to a lot of "cultural critique" here. But every once a while, when a big fat target presents itself, and when the critic isn't just a critic but someone who's actually creating something pretty cool with his 100 Thing Challenge, why not?

re: advertising, affluence, consumption, kitchens, marketing

Andy:

KraftMaid makes cabinetry for various rooms of your house. I found an advertisement for their products in Southern Living magazine. The advertisement read, “Everyone has a personality. Shouldn’t your kitchen have one too?” You can see the TV commercial for this advertising campaign on their site.

Let’s shelve the moral question: Is it ever right to spend overindulgent amounts of money on a home kitchen? Instead let’s ask about the cost of any of the kitchens shown in the KraftMaid advertisements.

Of course, if we are honest, we should not only ask about the cost of the cabinetry, but also inquire into the cost of the whole package. The kitchens are “personalities” that reflect the personality (lifestyle) of the people featured in the ads. That hot woman in the skimpy dress eating that huge bowl of ice cream, well, obviously she has an expensive gym membership. And notice how she has enough fancy plates to serve everyone in her home owners association. The other couples are much the same. . . .

The cost of the kitchen cabinetry alone is beyond the financial means of most poor, middle class, and upper middle class Americans. But the cost of the lifestyle associated with the cost of the kitchen cabinetry - the whole cost of the “personality” - is beyond the financial means of pretty much all Americans, with the exception of a fraction of a percent of ultra wealthy individuals. And let me assure you, those ultra rich Americans who can afford these KraftMaid kitchens, trust me, they don’t read Southern Living.

A glorious celebration of the toaster in its various vintage forms. The photo galleries in particular are worth getting lost in, come breakfast-time.

re: bread, food and drink, horizons of the possible, kitchens

Nate:

For inventors and engineers of toasters it seemed to be a big challenge to create as many as possible different technical solutions to ... well ... heat and rotate a simple square slice of bread.

• Perchers The bread stands alone
• Pinchers The bread is pinched at its place
• Turners The bread is turned horizontally
• Swingers The bread is turned vertically
• Sliders The bread slides in the toaster
• Drive Thrus The bread drives thru the toaster
• Tippers The bread tips out the toaster
• Floppers (Turn Overs) The bread flops out and flips over
• Droppers The bread falls through a trap door
• Pop-Ups The bread automatically jumps out of the top
• Drop/Turn-Ups The bread has been raised manually
• Flat Beds The toast lies on a grille