‘Tis. The. Season. ‘TIS INDEED.
December 21, 2022 3:00 PM Subscribe
The 2022 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog is here, thanks to Drew Magary and Defector. Let's ogle some decorative crap!
I don't know how you did that. It wasn't there, and I tried to get it to archive the URL and it refused. Thank you!
posted by hippybear at 3:23 PM on December 21, 2022
posted by hippybear at 3:23 PM on December 21, 2022
Bypass Paywalls Clean.
There is one for Chrome as well.
posted by Splunge at 3:25 PM on December 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
There is one for Chrome as well.
posted by Splunge at 3:25 PM on December 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
"Listen man, the only thing I want to see when I open up a false book is a handgun."
posted by box at 3:30 PM on December 21, 2022 [13 favorites]
posted by box at 3:30 PM on December 21, 2022 [13 favorites]
“KITCHENAID BLOSSOM ARTISAN DESIGN SERIES STAND MIXER: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG”
Okay that’s a pretty good line.
posted by jedicus at 3:36 PM on December 21, 2022 [19 favorites]
Okay that’s a pretty good line.
posted by jedicus at 3:36 PM on December 21, 2022 [19 favorites]
I cracked up at "I ate chickpea pasta once and it tasted like a rigged election."
posted by May Kasahara at 3:37 PM on December 21, 2022 [30 favorites]
posted by May Kasahara at 3:37 PM on December 21, 2022 [30 favorites]
To all the haters out there, I will happily-with-an-appropriate-touch-of-sadness take your $4k espresso machine and $40 steel milk pipe accessory off your hands. Hmu!
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:47 PM on December 21, 2022
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:47 PM on December 21, 2022
I was able just to click outside the pay popup and read it. Haven't read anything else on the site it a minute, mind.
As someone with a rapidly-increasingly large collection of appliances that repeat the oven's function, i feel personally attacked here.
posted by ominous_paws at 3:56 PM on December 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
As someone with a rapidly-increasingly large collection of appliances that repeat the oven's function, i feel personally attacked here.
posted by ominous_paws at 3:56 PM on December 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
To read, just enter a fake email address.
posted by dta at 3:56 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dta at 3:56 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
To read, just enter a fake email address.
WILLIAMS SONOMA PRESENTS
𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕗𝕒𝕦𝕩 𝕖-𝕞𝕒𝕚𝕝 𝕒𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕩
posted by lalochezia at 3:59 PM on December 21, 2022 [32 favorites]
WILLIAMS SONOMA PRESENTS
𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕗𝕒𝕦𝕩 𝕖-𝕞𝕒𝕚𝕝 𝕒𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕩
posted by lalochezia at 3:59 PM on December 21, 2022 [32 favorites]
The Firefox "Toggle Reader View" tool worked on this site. It's the sheet of paper icon next to the star icon in the address bar.
It reformats pages to plain text, fixing those unreadable tiny gray print on a black background styles.
posted by jjj606 at 4:12 PM on December 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
It reformats pages to plain text, fixing those unreadable tiny gray print on a black background styles.
posted by jjj606 at 4:12 PM on December 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
What do you think they meant when they said “Arrives cinched with a strip of local spruce cadmium bark.”? I mean… cadmium??
posted by Vatnesine at 4:25 PM on December 21, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by Vatnesine at 4:25 PM on December 21, 2022 [5 favorites]
To all the haters out there, I will happily-with-an-appropriate-touch-of-sadness take your $4k espresso machine and $40 steel milk pipe accessory off your hands. Hmu!
We have a $3K version (with a lowly milk hose) at work, and it's... okay. Honestly all of the different milky versions come out pretty much the same no matter what settings you use.
Enough people started working remotely that we don't connect the milk thingy anymore. So now it's just a convenient way to make plain coffee or just dispense hot water.
posted by Foosnark at 4:27 PM on December 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
We have a $3K version (with a lowly milk hose) at work, and it's... okay. Honestly all of the different milky versions come out pretty much the same no matter what settings you use.
Enough people started working remotely that we don't connect the milk thingy anymore. So now it's just a convenient way to make plain coffee or just dispense hot water.
posted by Foosnark at 4:27 PM on December 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
I think they meant "cambium".
posted by The otter lady at 4:36 PM on December 21, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by The otter lady at 4:36 PM on December 21, 2022 [10 favorites]
What do you think they meant when they said “Arrives cinched with a strip of local spruce cadmium bark.”? I mean… cadmium??
It’s almost certainly a typo for cambium.
posted by jedicus at 4:37 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
It’s almost certainly a typo for cambium.
posted by jedicus at 4:37 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
They probably mean cambium, the flexy part of tree bark.
posted by sixswitch at 4:37 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by sixswitch at 4:37 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
I prefer to believe that W-S is sending poisoned spruce bark to all their customers.
posted by hippybear at 4:38 PM on December 21, 2022 [24 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 4:38 PM on December 21, 2022 [24 favorites]
Yay, it’s back!
He didn’t ask it, so I will: Why does the OPAL 2.0 NUGGET ICE MAKER WITH SIDE TANK AND WIFI need WiFi? Why?
posted by Mchelly at 4:38 PM on December 21, 2022 [18 favorites]
He didn’t ask it, so I will: Why does the OPAL 2.0 NUGGET ICE MAKER WITH SIDE TANK AND WIFI need WiFi? Why?
posted by Mchelly at 4:38 PM on December 21, 2022 [18 favorites]
Because those ice makers don't really keep the ice for long and you need an alert so you know to get it NOW for your drinks?
posted by hippybear at 4:42 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 4:42 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Uhh but that's an excellent typo, beautifully exploited.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:47 PM on December 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:47 PM on December 21, 2022 [7 favorites]
Kinda want that Santa mug, not gonna lie.
posted by hydrophonic at 5:10 PM on December 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by hydrophonic at 5:10 PM on December 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Give one to Justice Alito so he can live out his "black Santa who is forced to take pictures with children dressed in KKK outfits" theoretical he tossed out during the 303 Creative hearing.
posted by hippybear at 5:16 PM on December 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 5:16 PM on December 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Why are there spruce needles, pine cones, and holly berries on same god damned sprig on that mug‽‽‽?
posted by mollweide at 5:29 PM on December 21, 2022 [27 favorites]
posted by mollweide at 5:29 PM on December 21, 2022 [27 favorites]
BECAUSE IT'S FESTIVE, MOLLWIEDE!!
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 5:36 PM on December 21, 2022 [16 favorites]
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 5:36 PM on December 21, 2022 [16 favorites]
We can have botanically accurate festivity, by glob!
posted by mollweide at 5:37 PM on December 21, 2022 [11 favorites]
posted by mollweide at 5:37 PM on December 21, 2022 [11 favorites]
Maybe grafting?
posted by hippybear at 5:39 PM on December 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 5:39 PM on December 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
That's some seriously advanced micro-grafting, but I can appreciate the skill involved.
posted by mollweide at 5:41 PM on December 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by mollweide at 5:41 PM on December 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
To read, just enter a fake email address.
Are some people not being presented with the “close” link at the top of the nagwall?
posted by zamboni at 5:45 PM on December 21, 2022 [9 favorites]
Are some people not being presented with the “close” link at the top of the nagwall?
posted by zamboni at 5:45 PM on December 21, 2022 [9 favorites]
DERAIL
Defector runs a softish paywall—first article nothing, after a few articles you get the pop up, then you need to enter an email, and ultimately you get blocked unless you subscribe. Which, as a subscriber, I recommend! The sports coverage is entertaining, but as with Deadspin before it, you can get that anywhere. It’s this stuff, and Chefector, and Sabrina Imbler’s writing, that makes it worth it.
END DERAIL
posted by thecaddy at 5:49 PM on December 21, 2022 [15 favorites]
Defector runs a softish paywall—first article nothing, after a few articles you get the pop up, then you need to enter an email, and ultimately you get blocked unless you subscribe. Which, as a subscriber, I recommend! The sports coverage is entertaining, but as with Deadspin before it, you can get that anywhere. It’s this stuff, and Chefector, and Sabrina Imbler’s writing, that makes it worth it.
END DERAIL
posted by thecaddy at 5:49 PM on December 21, 2022 [15 favorites]
I laughed through this, thanks for posting, all of it, because I love Wms Sonoma, they totally got my weak spot, I used to feel so special shopping there, I still have a blue French country table cloth from them. That whole speak is so well executed, and then the takedown...
posted by Oyéah at 6:00 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 6:00 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
The Firefox "Toggle Reader View" tool worked on this site. It's the sheet of paper icon next to the star icon in the address bar.
It reformats pages to plain text, fixing those unreadable tiny gray print on a black background styles.
posted by jjj606 at 4:12 PM on December 21 [1 favorite −]
jjj606 This is brilliant. I feel like an idiot for not knowing about this before now. THANK YOU!!!
posted by sardonyx at 6:05 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
It reformats pages to plain text, fixing those unreadable tiny gray print on a black background styles.
posted by jjj606 at 4:12 PM on December 21 [1 favorite −]
jjj606 This is brilliant. I feel like an idiot for not knowing about this before now. THANK YOU!!!
posted by sardonyx at 6:05 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds cookie trees infuriating.
posted by wondermouse at 6:16 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by wondermouse at 6:16 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
Why are there spruce needles, pine cones, and holly berries on same god damned sprig on that mug‽‽‽?
Must be a sprig of the Peasle Tree.
posted by jamjam at 6:24 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Must be a sprig of the Peasle Tree.
posted by jamjam at 6:24 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
“ Finally, just what I always wanted with a toaster oven: content.” is a sentence I feel deep in my soul….
posted by heurtebise at 7:23 PM on December 21, 2022 [18 favorites]
posted by heurtebise at 7:23 PM on December 21, 2022 [18 favorites]
WHY THE FUCK DO THEY STILL MAKE PEPPERMINT BARK IN 2022?
posted by loquacious at 8:00 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 8:00 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
Rich people's phones must be dripping in all sorts of crap apps from all of their stupid appliances and geegaws. Someone please use this cornucopia of malware vectors for good.
posted by maxwelton at 8:07 PM on December 21, 2022 [14 favorites]
posted by maxwelton at 8:07 PM on December 21, 2022 [14 favorites]
“ Finally, just what I always wanted with a toaster oven: content.” is a sentence I feel deep in my soul….
I think my spouse thought I lost it at that line, and to be fair, I pretty much did.
posted by mollweide at 8:08 PM on December 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
I think my spouse thought I lost it at that line, and to be fair, I pretty much did.
posted by mollweide at 8:08 PM on December 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
MetaFilter: frothing at the buttcrack.
posted by loquacious at 8:12 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 8:12 PM on December 21, 2022 [4 favorites]
It's worse than I thought. I think they're larch cones on that sprig.
posted by mollweide at 8:19 PM on December 21, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by mollweide at 8:19 PM on December 21, 2022 [8 favorites]
It's worse than I thought. I think they're larch cones on that sprig.
Larch cones, but not larch needles or pine needles.
Maybe doug fir but the photo I'm looking at is very small.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:00 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Larch cones, but not larch needles or pine needles.
Maybe doug fir but the photo I'm looking at is very small.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:00 PM on December 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Why does the OPAL 2.0 NUGGET ICE MAKER WITH SIDE TANK AND WIFI need WiFi? Why?So it can talk to the rest of the lonely, unused WiFi appliances, you heartless fiend.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 9:06 PM on December 21, 2022 [15 favorites]
so it's a $4000 coffee machine and they charge extra for the fancy hose? whata buncha cheap bastards
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 9:06 PM on December 21, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 9:06 PM on December 21, 2022 [10 favorites]
I want an icemaker that makes restaurant ice 😭
posted by Bottlecap at 9:34 PM on December 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by Bottlecap at 9:34 PM on December 21, 2022 [6 favorites]
They're trying to do for the modular-coffee-machine-interconnect market what the crazier audiophiles have done to wires.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 9:35 PM on December 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by thatwhichfalls at 9:35 PM on December 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
WHY THE FUCK DO THEY STILL MAKE PEPPERMINT BARK IN 2022?
For me! I love peppermint bark more than almost any other candy, I get super excited when the holidays come and you can find it again. But I buy mine from Trader Joe’s. It comes in an old-timey metal tin just like the expensive stuff does, and if I ever want to monogram it I have a sharpie.
posted by Mchelly at 10:09 PM on December 21, 2022 [20 favorites]
For me! I love peppermint bark more than almost any other candy, I get super excited when the holidays come and you can find it again. But I buy mine from Trader Joe’s. It comes in an old-timey metal tin just like the expensive stuff does, and if I ever want to monogram it I have a sharpie.
posted by Mchelly at 10:09 PM on December 21, 2022 [20 favorites]
He didn’t ask it, so I will: Why does the OPAL 2.0 NUGGET ICE MAKER WITH SIDE TANK AND WIFI need WiFi? Why?
GE's been doing a thing. I can ping the air-conditioner in the living-room. There's an app. It speaks to the cloud or something.
GE's been doing a thing. I can ping the air-conditioner in the living-room. There's an app. It speaks to the cloud or something.
Nmap scan report for GEModule8E0C.lan (172.16.32.238)posted by mikelieman at 1:02 AM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Host is up (0.0045s latency).
Not shown: 999 closed tcp ports (reset)
PORT STATE SERVICE
80/tcp open http
MAC Address: D8:28:C9:92:8E:0C (General Electric Consumer and Industrial)
Always a delight and I'm here for it.
But, also, is there a Neiman Marcus version of this? Does Neiman Marcus still have a catalog?
I don't know why those phonebook sized catalogs showed up at our house in my very-late teen years (aka very early Amazon.com years) and I assume it's because my mom finally had good credit, but the offerings were insane. I recall thumbing through one to find the infamous 1:1 scale X-Wing and being just amazed that anyone would offer it or want it. Meanwhile, NM was like "hey place this enormous thing in your enormous backyard! That's normal!"
Everything in their catalogs seem insanely overpriced to the extent that over the years I've constantly heard them referred to as "Needless Markup".
posted by revmitcz at 1:09 AM on December 22, 2022 [6 favorites]
But, also, is there a Neiman Marcus version of this? Does Neiman Marcus still have a catalog?
I don't know why those phonebook sized catalogs showed up at our house in my very-late teen years (aka very early Amazon.com years) and I assume it's because my mom finally had good credit, but the offerings were insane. I recall thumbing through one to find the infamous 1:1 scale X-Wing and being just amazed that anyone would offer it or want it. Meanwhile, NM was like "hey place this enormous thing in your enormous backyard! That's normal!"
Everything in their catalogs seem insanely overpriced to the extent that over the years I've constantly heard them referred to as "Needless Markup".
posted by revmitcz at 1:09 AM on December 22, 2022 [6 favorites]
Metafilter: just what I always wanted with a toaster oven.
posted by slogger at 1:20 AM on December 22, 2022
posted by slogger at 1:20 AM on December 22, 2022
“KITCHENAID BLOSSOM ARTISAN DESIGN SERIES STAND MIXER: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG”
Would also accept "The Desolation of Smeg"
posted by chavenet at 3:34 AM on December 22, 2022 [13 favorites]
Would also accept "The Desolation of Smeg"
posted by chavenet at 3:34 AM on December 22, 2022 [13 favorites]
WHY THE FUCK DO THEY STILL MAKE PEPPERMINT BARK IN 2022?
It's an easy thing to monogram.
I buy mine from Trader Joe’s. It comes in an old-timey metal tin just like the expensive stuff does, and if I ever want to monogram it I have a sharpie.
I totally have a half-empty tin of some Trader Joe's peppermint bark, which I've topped back up with a bag's worth of those individually-wrapped peppermint bark squares from Ghiaradelli.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:54 AM on December 22, 2022 [5 favorites]
It's an easy thing to monogram.
I buy mine from Trader Joe’s. It comes in an old-timey metal tin just like the expensive stuff does, and if I ever want to monogram it I have a sharpie.
I totally have a half-empty tin of some Trader Joe's peppermint bark, which I've topped back up with a bag's worth of those individually-wrapped peppermint bark squares from Ghiaradelli.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:54 AM on December 22, 2022 [5 favorites]
if I ever want to monogram it I have a sharpie.
This made me smile, thank you (:
(I also come from a super WASPy family that loves monograms; I got my daughter personalized stationary before she was born and when I came out as trans one of the first and best gifts I got was when my spouse bought me monogrammed towels with the correct initials)
posted by an octopus IRL at 5:29 AM on December 22, 2022 [23 favorites]
This made me smile, thank you (:
(I also come from a super WASPy family that loves monograms; I got my daughter personalized stationary before she was born and when I came out as trans one of the first and best gifts I got was when my spouse bought me monogrammed towels with the correct initials)
posted by an octopus IRL at 5:29 AM on December 22, 2022 [23 favorites]
Williams-Sonoma is just Marshalls for people who are too insecure of their own socio-economic class to give gifts purchased at Marshalls. This is why everything food related is so obviously branded as Williams-Sonoma. It's to eliminate any suspicion that the fancy holiday hot coco gift box or popcorn tin was bought for $10.99 at Marshalls (or worse--$5.99 at Ocean State Job Lot)
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:38 AM on December 22, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:38 AM on December 22, 2022 [10 favorites]
OMG Ocean State Job Lot, I miss Rhode Island
posted by an octopus IRL at 5:47 AM on December 22, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by an octopus IRL at 5:47 AM on December 22, 2022 [5 favorites]
[Derail] I also miss ocean state job lot, which was where I always purchased very nice but low cost stoneware houseplant pots. Where do people buy these in AZ without paying a fortune????
Back on track: purchased very similar versions of all these at one or another for less tha $20 at Ocean state!
posted by Tandem Affinity at 6:30 AM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Back on track: purchased very similar versions of all these at one or another for less tha $20 at Ocean state!
posted by Tandem Affinity at 6:30 AM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
purchased very similar versions of all these at one or another for less that $20 at Ocean state!
Yeah, but back in the day you coulda bought 4 of those for $10 at Spag's, provided you were willing to dig under a pile of wigs and hedge clippers to find them
posted by biddeford at 6:48 AM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Yeah, but back in the day you coulda bought 4 of those for $10 at Spag's, provided you were willing to dig under a pile of wigs and hedge clippers to find them
posted by biddeford at 6:48 AM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Or Building #19, but you would've had to sort through the ones that were marked down because they came pre-smashed.
Speaking of which, there's some chain now called "Ollie's" which feels very Building #19 down to the caricature of it's presumed founder and the "Good Stuff Cheap" slogan, but apparently it's it's own thing and doesn't have any connection to it? I wonder if they also have free coffee and free fake cream and give out bottles of Chateau-de-Cheapo if you find someplace selling something at a better price...
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:00 AM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Speaking of which, there's some chain now called "Ollie's" which feels very Building #19 down to the caricature of it's presumed founder and the "Good Stuff Cheap" slogan, but apparently it's it's own thing and doesn't have any connection to it? I wonder if they also have free coffee and free fake cream and give out bottles of Chateau-de-Cheapo if you find someplace selling something at a better price...
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:00 AM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
As someone with a rapidly-increasingly large collection of appliances that repeat the oven's function, i feel personally attacked here.
My spouse got to the pizza oven and started repeatedly insisting "IT HAS ITS PLACE" when I mocked it. I am just glad they are not easily enticed by wi-fi and that their pizza aspirations can be satisfied by the gas oven.
I do own like four Nordic Ware cakelet pans but in my defense I also moved within a mile of their factory outlet store a year ago and I may have gone a little hog wild at the factory seconds sale. On the upside, now I can make as many pizza skulls as I want.
posted by sciatrix at 7:20 AM on December 22, 2022 [7 favorites]
My spouse got to the pizza oven and started repeatedly insisting "IT HAS ITS PLACE" when I mocked it. I am just glad they are not easily enticed by wi-fi and that their pizza aspirations can be satisfied by the gas oven.
I do own like four Nordic Ware cakelet pans but in my defense I also moved within a mile of their factory outlet store a year ago and I may have gone a little hog wild at the factory seconds sale. On the upside, now I can make as many pizza skulls as I want.
posted by sciatrix at 7:20 AM on December 22, 2022 [7 favorites]
My spouse got to the pizza oven and started repeatedly insisting "IT HAS ITS PLACE" when I mocked it.
She does kinda have a point with this. The average oven can't get any hotter than 500 degrees, but for optimum pizza cooking you would need something that got up to 850 degrees. Adding baking stones helps a little, but not enough.
So if you really want to recreate wood-fired pizza like you can get in a pizzeria, getting a pizza oven is the best way to go. (Or, you could hack your original oven in a way that you can use the self-cleaning function in ways that you're really not supposed to....)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:37 AM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
She does kinda have a point with this. The average oven can't get any hotter than 500 degrees, but for optimum pizza cooking you would need something that got up to 850 degrees. Adding baking stones helps a little, but not enough.
So if you really want to recreate wood-fired pizza like you can get in a pizzeria, getting a pizza oven is the best way to go. (Or, you could hack your original oven in a way that you can use the self-cleaning function in ways that you're really not supposed to....)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:37 AM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Alas, I am unswayed: I prefer pizza crust that does not leave me in mind of a burned cracker anyway. Also, even if the wood fired pizzeria stuff was my preference, I would have to eat wood fired pizza-alikes a lot to make purchasing the oven more cost effective than just ordering out. It's okay if we don't make absolutely everything in our own house! There's a baking steel and also a baking stone for the ceramic grill and the propane grill here already! We own a tabletop rotisserie!
if you will excuse me I am going to go hide the ad for the pasta maker now before it can come back to haunt me
posted by sciatrix at 7:50 AM on December 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
if you will excuse me I am going to go hide the ad for the pasta maker now before it can come back to haunt me
posted by sciatrix at 7:50 AM on December 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
Williams-Sonoma is just Marshalls for people who are too insecure of their own socio-economic class
Yes. He asks, "Does anyone love monograms more than rich people?" I don't know enough rich people to say for sure, but I'd bet that really rich people don't monogram, or at least those who are secure in their wealth don't. Rather, it's those who are aspiring or insecure rich people, who are the general market for Wiliams-Sonoma.
Or maybe I'm totally overgeneralizing, and sometimes people like monograms or peppermint bark regardless of their wealth or social class. But where's the fun in admitting that?
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:05 AM on December 22, 2022
Yes. He asks, "Does anyone love monograms more than rich people?" I don't know enough rich people to say for sure, but I'd bet that really rich people don't monogram, or at least those who are secure in their wealth don't. Rather, it's those who are aspiring or insecure rich people, who are the general market for Wiliams-Sonoma.
Or maybe I'm totally overgeneralizing, and sometimes people like monograms or peppermint bark regardless of their wealth or social class. But where's the fun in admitting that?
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:05 AM on December 22, 2022
Everything in their catalogs seem insanely overpriced to the extent that over the years I've constantly heard them referred to as "Needless Markup".
I live in Dallas and Needless Markup was founded here, which tells you everything you need to know about it (if you know Dallas). The holiday catalog gifts were always supposed to be super-aspirational and not stuff for real people to buy, even if you were the sort of person that bought stuff at Neiman Marcus. The highlight of the catalog as I remember it was the one-off "his and hers" gifts which, well, deserved the sort of snark Williams Sonoma is getting here.
I find the WS snark hilarious. My ex-husband and his family were WS folks: in the early 90s he had a full kitchen of Calphalon pans from there. The pans were a point of contention in the marriage because he was the kind of guy who made a full-on production out of mac and cheese every time, starting with the roux, and it was SO GOOD, but it took forever and then there were a million pans to wash and I couldn't physically lift some of them even then, never mind give them a really good hand wash. And he resented it when I took a lot of kitchen shortcuts. I've been remarried for more than two decades and I still don't like to cook because my ex ruined it for me with his WS-bought Calphalon! It took me years after I split from him to be able to shop at WS, even to buy gifts for others.
(WS is great for wedding/housewarming gifts precisely because it's so aspirational and because they do have nice basics like pyrex bowls and kitchen towels. Our WS bowls are still going strong after 20+ years of regular use.)
posted by gentlyepigrams at 8:21 AM on December 22, 2022 [11 favorites]
I live in Dallas and Needless Markup was founded here, which tells you everything you need to know about it (if you know Dallas). The holiday catalog gifts were always supposed to be super-aspirational and not stuff for real people to buy, even if you were the sort of person that bought stuff at Neiman Marcus. The highlight of the catalog as I remember it was the one-off "his and hers" gifts which, well, deserved the sort of snark Williams Sonoma is getting here.
I find the WS snark hilarious. My ex-husband and his family were WS folks: in the early 90s he had a full kitchen of Calphalon pans from there. The pans were a point of contention in the marriage because he was the kind of guy who made a full-on production out of mac and cheese every time, starting with the roux, and it was SO GOOD, but it took forever and then there were a million pans to wash and I couldn't physically lift some of them even then, never mind give them a really good hand wash. And he resented it when I took a lot of kitchen shortcuts. I've been remarried for more than two decades and I still don't like to cook because my ex ruined it for me with his WS-bought Calphalon! It took me years after I split from him to be able to shop at WS, even to buy gifts for others.
(WS is great for wedding/housewarming gifts precisely because it's so aspirational and because they do have nice basics like pyrex bowls and kitchen towels. Our WS bowls are still going strong after 20+ years of regular use.)
posted by gentlyepigrams at 8:21 AM on December 22, 2022 [11 favorites]
Are some people not being presented with the “close” link at the top of the nagwall?
Strangely enough, zamboni, I was not presented with a close button*. I've been subscribed since Defector first opened (not super big into sports, but the price of admission is worth it for Magary alone, IMO), so when I've seen Defector linked items in here, have often had that same question.
The first time I linked to a Defector article, I e-mailed them to see if I could do a gift article a la NYT and they explained, "No, but here is our soft paywall policy." Imagine my surprise when people complained they could not read the article.
So, yeah, it's hit or miss.
Looking forward to reading the article. I was SET! to read last night and then present wrapping overtook the evening.
*Checking something on Defector on my work computer for reasons unrelated to this post, but related to a recent MeTa. Hadn't thought I've ever clicked on a Defector link on this machine so was quite surprised to see the pop-up with no close button on their "about us" page, of all things. It wouldn't even let me click over to the subscribe page!
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 8:35 AM on December 22, 2022
Strangely enough, zamboni, I was not presented with a close button*. I've been subscribed since Defector first opened (not super big into sports, but the price of admission is worth it for Magary alone, IMO), so when I've seen Defector linked items in here, have often had that same question.
The first time I linked to a Defector article, I e-mailed them to see if I could do a gift article a la NYT and they explained, "No, but here is our soft paywall policy." Imagine my surprise when people complained they could not read the article.
So, yeah, it's hit or miss.
Looking forward to reading the article. I was SET! to read last night and then present wrapping overtook the evening.
*Checking something on Defector on my work computer for reasons unrelated to this post, but related to a recent MeTa. Hadn't thought I've ever clicked on a Defector link on this machine so was quite surprised to see the pop-up with no close button on their "about us" page, of all things. It wouldn't even let me click over to the subscribe page!
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 8:35 AM on December 22, 2022
I'd bet that really rich people don't monogram
I don't know about that; as I say, I'm insanely WASPy (literally descended from the Brooks Brothers) and my family loves a monogram. Great Aunt Helen had a full silver service monogrammed with her initials and the date of her wedding and I assume you she was not aspiring or insecure in her wealth.
posted by an octopus IRL at 8:39 AM on December 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
I don't know about that; as I say, I'm insanely WASPy (literally descended from the Brooks Brothers) and my family loves a monogram. Great Aunt Helen had a full silver service monogrammed with her initials and the date of her wedding and I assume you she was not aspiring or insecure in her wealth.
posted by an octopus IRL at 8:39 AM on December 22, 2022 [4 favorites]
EmpressCallipygosm thank you for the modified pizza oven link. It was a hoot.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 8:49 AM on December 22, 2022
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 8:49 AM on December 22, 2022
thank you for the modified pizza oven link. It was a hoot.
My pleasure! That guy is great fun; he's sort of like what would happen if Jamie Oliver and Adam Savage had a baby and then left him with a Parisian couple to raise.
He started out with a "self-taught amateur trying different cooking stuff" vibe but now his videos are more multi-video series where he picks some random Food Thing and goes on a deep dive about it; like, for his series about meatballs he flew around to 3 different countries to explore trade secrets, and then ended by 3-D printing a sort of meatball-rolling device for some reason; and for his series about "mother sauces", he spent a couple afternoons with the saucier of a 5-star restaurant getting a crash course and then spent hours in a cookbook research library in Paris, and made a very good case for correcting Wikipedia's article on the subject.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:14 AM on December 22, 2022
My pleasure! That guy is great fun; he's sort of like what would happen if Jamie Oliver and Adam Savage had a baby and then left him with a Parisian couple to raise.
He started out with a "self-taught amateur trying different cooking stuff" vibe but now his videos are more multi-video series where he picks some random Food Thing and goes on a deep dive about it; like, for his series about meatballs he flew around to 3 different countries to explore trade secrets, and then ended by 3-D printing a sort of meatball-rolling device for some reason; and for his series about "mother sauces", he spent a couple afternoons with the saucier of a 5-star restaurant getting a crash course and then spent hours in a cookbook research library in Paris, and made a very good case for correcting Wikipedia's article on the subject.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:14 AM on December 22, 2022
The sports coverage is entertaining, but as with Deadspin before it, you can get that anywhere. It’s this stuff, and Chefector, and Sabrina Imbler’s writing, that makes it worth it.
Defector seem like the kind of thing I'd subscribe to if its focus wasn't sports. I feel like I'm out of my lane, even if they do post stuff like this that I like.
posted by JHarris at 9:23 AM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Defector seem like the kind of thing I'd subscribe to if its focus wasn't sports. I feel like I'm out of my lane, even if they do post stuff like this that I like.
posted by JHarris at 9:23 AM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
As an espresso geek I can tell you that’s not outrageous for a good machine. Of course that’s not really a good espresso machine. But you can spend gazillions on espresso stuff. The nice thing is that you don’t have to, it’s really all diminishing returns but fun to mess around with and get great coffee. So spend $10k on some fun stuff or $30 on an Aeropress. It’s all good.
posted by misterpatrick at 10:07 AM on December 22, 2022
posted by misterpatrick at 10:07 AM on December 22, 2022
Rich people's phones must be dripping in all sorts of crap apps from all of their stupid appliances and geegaws. Someone please use this cornucopia of malware vectors for good.
That's how you end up with the Williams-Sonoma KitchenAid Smart Appliance Control Unit ($959.95), a four-year-old iPhone with its cellular modem disabled, glued into a bright cherry-red case (optional monogramming $24.95).
Anyway, regarding monogramming:
There are probably a lot of rich people who do just get a chubby out of seeing their own initials (wouldn't that we all), but that's not where the whole thing comes from.
It comes from the British "public school" system ("private school" in the US) where you are compelled to purchase a uniform consisting of identical clothing to everyone else, and are also provided (or compelled to purchase) laundry service. The monograms are to keep your shirts separate from every other twerp's, particularly since the shirts aren't standard sized (keep in mind the socio-economic class we're dealing with: these aren't, or originally weren't, off-the-rack shirts!).
Generally speaking, I believe that the big-name schools (Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Rugby, etc.) had different places they conventionally put the monograms. (Not always in obvious places; I think some schools traditionally place it under the collar.) Wearing a monogrammed shirt around off-grounds was a not-so-subtle way of conveying to other people: (1) I am going / went to a Public School, and probably [THIS ONE], as conveyed by the monogram's placement; (2) I'm either still the same size I was when I was in college, or I'm still buying my shirts from the same guy.
Americans with an Anglo fetish, as usual, just copied whatever they saw 'classy' British people doing without realizing why they were doing it, which is why it doesn't really make sense. Are you really mixing your laundry in with a bunch of other guys who are also wearing Mens Warehouse Relaxed Fit 17-1/2 x 32 shirts, Mr Wall Street Broker? Or is that just a dumb fucking affectation you don't understand?
The only situation it has any real place in anymore (in a US context; it probably still serves its original purpose at Eton) is in the military if you're fancy enough to have had your non-personalized uniform components modified. If you're going to spend the coin for Patagonia or Crye ACUs, and inhabit a world where other people are also doing that and you're getting your clothes washed together, it probably makes sense to get them monogrammed someplace subtle.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:34 AM on December 22, 2022 [15 favorites]
That's how you end up with the Williams-Sonoma KitchenAid Smart Appliance Control Unit ($959.95), a four-year-old iPhone with its cellular modem disabled, glued into a bright cherry-red case (optional monogramming $24.95).
Anyway, regarding monogramming:
There are probably a lot of rich people who do just get a chubby out of seeing their own initials (wouldn't that we all), but that's not where the whole thing comes from.
It comes from the British "public school" system ("private school" in the US) where you are compelled to purchase a uniform consisting of identical clothing to everyone else, and are also provided (or compelled to purchase) laundry service. The monograms are to keep your shirts separate from every other twerp's, particularly since the shirts aren't standard sized (keep in mind the socio-economic class we're dealing with: these aren't, or originally weren't, off-the-rack shirts!).
Generally speaking, I believe that the big-name schools (Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Rugby, etc.) had different places they conventionally put the monograms. (Not always in obvious places; I think some schools traditionally place it under the collar.) Wearing a monogrammed shirt around off-grounds was a not-so-subtle way of conveying to other people: (1) I am going / went to a Public School, and probably [THIS ONE], as conveyed by the monogram's placement; (2) I'm either still the same size I was when I was in college, or I'm still buying my shirts from the same guy.
Americans with an Anglo fetish, as usual, just copied whatever they saw 'classy' British people doing without realizing why they were doing it, which is why it doesn't really make sense. Are you really mixing your laundry in with a bunch of other guys who are also wearing Mens Warehouse Relaxed Fit 17-1/2 x 32 shirts, Mr Wall Street Broker? Or is that just a dumb fucking affectation you don't understand?
The only situation it has any real place in anymore (in a US context; it probably still serves its original purpose at Eton) is in the military if you're fancy enough to have had your non-personalized uniform components modified. If you're going to spend the coin for Patagonia or Crye ACUs, and inhabit a world where other people are also doing that and you're getting your clothes washed together, it probably makes sense to get them monogrammed someplace subtle.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:34 AM on December 22, 2022 [15 favorites]
You can spend gazillions on espresso stuff. The nice thing is that you don’t have to, it’s really all diminishing returns.
Speaking as a person with several expensive hobbies, I have found that this is true for every single one of them.
posted by box at 11:20 AM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Speaking as a person with several expensive hobbies, I have found that this is true for every single one of them.
posted by box at 11:20 AM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Okay but the cookie cutters and cakelet pans are adorable and all this did was convince me I need to own them.
posted by FritoKAL at 11:34 AM on December 22, 2022
posted by FritoKAL at 11:34 AM on December 22, 2022
When I think of monogramming in the UK context, I think of monogramming silver, and if you're really rich, aka generationally rich, your silver won't necessarily have your own monogram. It'll have the monogram of whichever ancestor of yours originally bought it, and quite possibly will be mixed "patterns" and monograms because some of those ridiculous Victorian implements were invented later than your original silver.
Probably not as true now as when I learned it in the 1980s and probably a bit old then, but that was what I was told; I think matching monogrammed silver might have been a way of catching out nouveau riches.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:52 AM on December 22, 2022 [6 favorites]
Probably not as true now as when I learned it in the 1980s and probably a bit old then, but that was what I was told; I think matching monogrammed silver might have been a way of catching out nouveau riches.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:52 AM on December 22, 2022 [6 favorites]
What gentlyepigrams and an octopus IRL said. I also come from one of those families (hard to believe! Downward mobility, it's where I'm a Viking!) and there were monograms all over the place. But they were not supposed, especially in the silver, to match. I have my great aunt Claire's monogrammed scarves and my grandmother's silver monogrammed goblet and the Tiffany's silver monogrammed christening mugs for my father, my brother and myself. All those different initials - that shows that I'm from generational wealth. Ha ha! Or, well, theoretical generational wealth that is all gone now and the mugs are horribly tarnished.
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:14 PM on December 22, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:14 PM on December 22, 2022 [7 favorites]
So it can talk to the rest of the lonely, unused WiFi appliances, you heartless fiend.
It's not an Internet of Things, it's an Internet of Buddies.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:17 PM on December 22, 2022 [11 favorites]
It's not an Internet of Things, it's an Internet of Buddies.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:17 PM on December 22, 2022 [11 favorites]
the cookie cutters and cakelet pans are adorable
yeah, I didn't get the cakelet hate, honestly. I mean, Drew's heard of cupcakes, right? Those are also small personal-single-serving-size cakes like the cakelet.
If the issue is that they are silly shapes then whatever, I guess.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:27 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
yeah, I didn't get the cakelet hate, honestly. I mean, Drew's heard of cupcakes, right? Those are also small personal-single-serving-size cakes like the cakelet.
If the issue is that they are silly shapes then whatever, I guess.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:27 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Kadin, at summer camp, my parents used a stamp on my boxers and t-shirts. The ink from that never wore off.
And now that I live in the UK, when I go to look up clothing stamp, I'm finding stamps that are for school clothing.
So monograms are the old-timey version of your name stamped on underwear. I'll have to remember that next time I see a monogrammed wallet.
posted by Hactar at 12:54 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
And now that I live in the UK, when I go to look up clothing stamp, I'm finding stamps that are for school clothing.
So monograms are the old-timey version of your name stamped on underwear. I'll have to remember that next time I see a monogrammed wallet.
posted by Hactar at 12:54 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
I want an icemaker that makes restaurant ice 😭
High-end fridges finally make fancy ice instead of just squares and the world's worst crushed ice! They just added that feature in the past year or two.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:41 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
High-end fridges finally make fancy ice instead of just squares and the world's worst crushed ice! They just added that feature in the past year or two.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:41 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
You can get a countertop ice maker that makes nugget ice for a LOT less than this one from W-S. America's Test Kitchen just did a gadget review video where they feature a couple. They review other things in that 25 minutes, too.
posted by hippybear at 1:48 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 1:48 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
I'm glad other people are also unhappy about the botanical inaccuracies of that mug. It upset me so much that I could hardly mock the peppermint bark.
Now, I love my Dutch oven. But a Dutch oven lasts, like, thousands of years, and you are supposed to, in a normal life, only need one of them. I can't imagine saying "A brown one! I must have it!". On the other hand, I got mine for free from a friend whose aunt worked for Williams and Sonoma.
posted by acrasis at 1:50 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Now, I love my Dutch oven. But a Dutch oven lasts, like, thousands of years, and you are supposed to, in a normal life, only need one of them. I can't imagine saying "A brown one! I must have it!". On the other hand, I got mine for free from a friend whose aunt worked for Williams and Sonoma.
posted by acrasis at 1:50 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
We do have quite a few single purpose kitchen things, but they're for certain things and packed away. Like, we have an ice cream maker... the tub is always in the deep freeze, but the machine is tucked away. We have a rotary deli slicer, but we only get that out a few times a year, it lives in a box in the garage the rest of the time. We used to have a bread machine, but that became obviously silly after a while. Our rice cooker we use a lot, and our instant pot is a favorite appliance of mr hippybear. Also a deep fryer that we use regularly. Those last three are the three on our counters.
posted by hippybear at 1:56 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 1:56 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Sending your laundry out used to be really common, for anyone but the very rich or very rural - it’s heavy messy work requiring a lot of fuel, it makes sense to centralize it. Legible lettering on your sheets was very practical! It’s one of the things girls learned as fundamental housework.
I think DMC has taken "boilfast" off their floss labels, alas.
It was a selling point of the swank ex boardinghouse near me in Seattle that they had their own laundry in the basement, and that was in the 20th century. But even then I bet sheets and shirts and towels were marked.
posted by clew at 2:44 PM on December 22, 2022
I think DMC has taken "boilfast" off their floss labels, alas.
It was a selling point of the swank ex boardinghouse near me in Seattle that they had their own laundry in the basement, and that was in the 20th century. But even then I bet sheets and shirts and towels were marked.
posted by clew at 2:44 PM on December 22, 2022
If you're on the fence as to whether or not Defector's worth subscribing to, Ashley Feinberg is coming out of her seemingly-eternal retirement to write Drew's Funbag column on Christmas, and it's guaranteed to be awful and hilarious.
posted by Tom Hanks Cannot Be Trusted at 2:59 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Tom Hanks Cannot Be Trusted at 2:59 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
I didn't enjoy this year's catalogue roast as much as usual, probably because there wasn't much pretty tableware in it this year, which is my weakness. I'm not susceptible to special purpose appliances.
As for the monogramming, my two closest friends have the initials CK and LC while mine are BR, so theoretically we can, respectively, buy Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne, and Banana Republic brand stuff that comes monogrammed. There's no need to aspire when one has already arrived, people.
posted by orange swan at 3:33 PM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
As for the monogramming, my two closest friends have the initials CK and LC while mine are BR, so theoretically we can, respectively, buy Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne, and Banana Republic brand stuff that comes monogrammed. There's no need to aspire when one has already arrived, people.
posted by orange swan at 3:33 PM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Who wastes time and energy hating the Williams-Sonoma catalog when there's the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog right there.
posted by Naberius at 4:59 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Naberius at 4:59 PM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Who wastes time and energy hating the Williams-Sonoma catalog when there's the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog right there.
It's Magary's annual present to us. I would be delighted to have someone with his sense of snark go after other... "wasteful" catalogs (H-S, N-M, etc.)
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 5:16 PM on December 22, 2022
It's Magary's annual present to us. I would be delighted to have someone with his sense of snark go after other... "wasteful" catalogs (H-S, N-M, etc.)
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 5:16 PM on December 22, 2022
Who wastes time and energy hating the Williams-Sonoma catalog when there's the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog right there.
I guess the Harriet Carter catalogue is too low rent to snark on.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:38 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I guess the Harriet Carter catalogue is too low rent to snark on.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 6:38 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
OMG THANK YOU!
I have been wracking my brain for exactly that name. Harriet Carter!!!
posted by hippybear at 6:48 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have been wracking my brain for exactly that name. Harriet Carter!!!
posted by hippybear at 6:48 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am intrigued that there is apparently a chain of stores called Ocean State Job Lot. It inspires in me a real moment of 'I know those words but that sign makes no sense'. Is it like Big Lots?
posted by lizard music at 6:54 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by lizard music at 6:54 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I subscribed to Defector and have yet to regret it. Between funbag, baseball coverage, why your team sucks, and some of the non-sports articles there's enough to justify the subscription. Far more than Medium or Slate.
posted by Ber at 8:12 PM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Ber at 8:12 PM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Here's my distinction between Williams-Sonoma and Hammacher Schlemmer. Both of them send you a catalog, which is them saying "we think you are in our target demographic. This is who we think you are."
And Williams-Sonoma is basically saying something like, "you have more money than you need, enough that you don't really need to worry about what things cost, and maybe you're a bit too into conspicuous consumption from all that Martha Stewart watching." Which is not exactly a compliment, but it does at least suggest they think you're in a somewhat elevated position on the socio-economic ladder.
When Hammacher Schlemmer sends you a catalog, on the other hand, they're just flat out saying, "you're a schmuck. The kind of schmuck who'll spend $139 on The Solar Powered Plastic Fandango, a cheap piece of junk to do some esoteric thing that no one ever really needs to do, and it doesn't even do it particularly well. It's both useless and available for $50 less somewhere else. But we think you'll buy one anyway because you're pathetic enough to see us as some kind of status gatekeeper."
posted by Naberius at 9:26 AM on December 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
And Williams-Sonoma is basically saying something like, "you have more money than you need, enough that you don't really need to worry about what things cost, and maybe you're a bit too into conspicuous consumption from all that Martha Stewart watching." Which is not exactly a compliment, but it does at least suggest they think you're in a somewhat elevated position on the socio-economic ladder.
When Hammacher Schlemmer sends you a catalog, on the other hand, they're just flat out saying, "you're a schmuck. The kind of schmuck who'll spend $139 on The Solar Powered Plastic Fandango, a cheap piece of junk to do some esoteric thing that no one ever really needs to do, and it doesn't even do it particularly well. It's both useless and available for $50 less somewhere else. But we think you'll buy one anyway because you're pathetic enough to see us as some kind of status gatekeeper."
posted by Naberius at 9:26 AM on December 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
One gets such expensive-seeming catalogs for so long, without buying anything. Either they’re cheaper than I think, possibly as a tax dodge?, or they’re doing something other than selling me what’s in them.
Are there multi-catalog strategies in which seemingly ineffective catalogs are softening us up for the real sale? Does the Neiman-Marcus catalog make Williams-Sonoma seem reasonable, Williams-Sonoma Hammacher Schlemmer, and so on to viscosity?
posted by clew at 10:54 AM on December 23, 2022
Are there multi-catalog strategies in which seemingly ineffective catalogs are softening us up for the real sale? Does the Neiman-Marcus catalog make Williams-Sonoma seem reasonable, Williams-Sonoma Hammacher Schlemmer, and so on to viscosity?
posted by clew at 10:54 AM on December 23, 2022
Is Hammacher Schlemmer German for Sharper Image?
posted by Selena777 at 11:00 AM on December 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Selena777 at 11:00 AM on December 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
I don't see a reference to the podcast "Normal Gossip" here, so I will just note that their higher supporter tier also gets you a Defector subscription and it is a delightful podcast!!!
posted by Laetiporus at 8:20 AM on December 24, 2022
posted by Laetiporus at 8:20 AM on December 24, 2022
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posted by hippybear at 3:10 PM on December 21, 2022