Brownie Wise
Appearances
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
I mean, Earl Tupper's over the moon. He's finally found somebody to burp his baby.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Brownie was the communicator. Brownie was the motivator. Brownie loved to get out among the public and have her picture taken. And so Brownie started becoming famous as the Tupperware Lady.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Nominally, Earl Tupper is the president of the company, but she's the genius behind this. It was good advertising. It spread the message. But ultimately, that's what started to cause the friction with Tupper and Brownie.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
And then the big thing was the annual jubilee in Kissimmee in July of 1957.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Oh, they'd wear costumes, they'd sing their songs, I got that Tupper feeling down in my heart. I mean, they were into it.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Brownie had bought her own island in the middle of Lake Toho, which is in Kissimmee, right near Tupperware headquarters. And Brownie had decided she was going to have a luau. on her private island.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
If you're ever in Central Florida in the summer, in the evening, you can almost set your watch by the thunderstorms that are going to brew up. And sure enough, they did. And there was no cover for anybody on the island. The boat drivers were struggling to get people back on dry land. And there were a bunch of boat accidents. And there were people injured. And it was a disaster.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Brownie left. She saved her own skin, let's say, you know?
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Some of the people who were injured ended up filing lawsuits. And Earl Tupper wanted no part of that. And he was livid.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
He felt she would be a liability. He was just going to go out there and say, you're done.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Hello, this is Brownie. You know, Brownie was a minimally educated woman from South Georgia.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Her marriage fell apart not long after her son was born. So it was up to her to make money to raise him.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Brownie has a guy. for Stanley Home Products who knocks on her door is selling these utilitarian home cleaning products, kind of dowdy brushes, brooms, you know, different things you can use around the house. And he gives this very fumbling demonstration of all the products. And she says, oh, my God, I could do better than that.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
She wanted to move up in the world. And she told him, I'd really like to get into management. And he said, honey, management's no place for a woman.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
Earl Tupper was a Spartan New Englander. He was a dyed-in-the-wool inventor who had said, I'm going to be a millionaire by the time I'm 30.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
It was like a byproduct of what the military would use for helmets, a product no one else would consider even using.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
He was able to make it more malleable and softer, and he could even add certain dye colors to it to make it more attractive.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
She would take the Wonder Bowl, she'd fill it up with grape juice, seal it, and then throw it across the room in somebody's family room. And they'd be aghast, but it wouldn't spill a drip.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
You burp it just like a baby. And that was one of the things Brownie would say. to her prospective customers.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
It took about 15 seconds for me to say, oh, it's warm down there. Yeah, we'll go.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
You get somebody who would be willing to host the party. It turns into a social gathering.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
And they would give their demonstration.
Planet Money
How Tupperware took over our homes, with Decoder Ring
He told her, you know, when you talk, people listen. And he made her the head of sales for the brand new home party division that he created at her encouragement to sell the product exclusively through home parties.