Cookware does not emit sounds or illuminate
October 4, 2019 12:04 PM Subscribe
The Star Wars x Le Creuset Collection will soon be available, of which the Tatooine round Dutch oven has an extremely limited release. But there's also a Han Solo in carbonite roaster, a pie bird, some silicone trivets, droid mini cocottes, and {breathes heavily} ... "I hear blue milk pairs beautifully with porg." Items range from $20 to $900. Post title from the advert on YouTube.
All I really want is the Tupperware set seen in the 1977 movie. And not because it was in the movie. I just think 70s-era Tupperware is pretty damn cool.
posted by KHAAAN! at 12:09 PM on October 4, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by KHAAAN! at 12:09 PM on October 4, 2019 [13 favorites]
Columbia made a Star Wars parka not too long ago. Sold out. People actually buy this junk.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:09 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:09 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
*Porg™ Pie Bird not available in South Africa.
Huh?
posted by dobbs at 12:09 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
Huh?
posted by dobbs at 12:09 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
I’ve got a bad feeling about this....
posted by chavenet at 12:12 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 12:12 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
This is the pot that made the casserole run in less than twelve parsnips!
posted by cortex at 12:12 PM on October 4, 2019 [118 favorites]
posted by cortex at 12:12 PM on October 4, 2019 [118 favorites]
In regards to the Creuset Collection, who is the target market for this?. Serious question.
People serious about thier Cooking know that tools dont always look pristine, and I am not sure the average Star Wars fan is going to spend this much on cookware because of the brand name, so who is this for?
posted by Faintdreams at 12:14 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
People serious about thier Cooking know that tools dont always look pristine, and I am not sure the average Star Wars fan is going to spend this much on cookware because of the brand name, so who is this for?
posted by Faintdreams at 12:14 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
Bad Idea Soufflés.
posted by grumpybear69 at 12:17 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by grumpybear69 at 12:17 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
I am not sure the average Star Wars fan is going to spend this much on cookware because of the brand name, so who is this for?
It doesn't take the average Star Wars fan to make it worth the effort. They're trying to sell this to the Star Wars fan who doesn't even have regular versions of this stuff, but sees it and thinks, "Oh, okay, sure, I could use a dutch oven." And they don't care whether the Star Wars branding melts off or disappears under stains, because a very low percentage of people are going to try to return cookware because of that.
Also, the virality of the campaign draws eyeballs to all the other Le Creuset stuff.
posted by Etrigan at 12:19 PM on October 4, 2019 [8 favorites]
It doesn't take the average Star Wars fan to make it worth the effort. They're trying to sell this to the Star Wars fan who doesn't even have regular versions of this stuff, but sees it and thinks, "Oh, okay, sure, I could use a dutch oven." And they don't care whether the Star Wars branding melts off or disappears under stains, because a very low percentage of people are going to try to return cookware because of that.
Also, the virality of the campaign draws eyeballs to all the other Le Creuset stuff.
posted by Etrigan at 12:19 PM on October 4, 2019 [8 favorites]
All of these are hideous except for the Tattoine Ttwo suns pot which has a nice abstract 1970s Dreamland quality
Also heading it off at the pass the only difference in performance between the pricey Le Creuset pots and the standard Lodge pots that the creusets are prettier and have handles that feel better in the hand. Thats it.
posted by The Whelk at 12:20 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
Also heading it off at the pass the only difference in performance between the pricey Le Creuset pots and the standard Lodge pots that the creusets are prettier and have handles that feel better in the hand. Thats it.
posted by The Whelk at 12:20 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
The generation that was first marketed to with the Star Wars action figures is now at the right age to purchase expensive cookware. You'll know it's over when you see the Star Wars x Matthew Aurora Funeral Solutions carbonite caskets hit the market.
posted by phooky at 12:24 PM on October 4, 2019 [32 favorites]
posted by phooky at 12:24 PM on October 4, 2019 [32 favorites]
I still want my Sarlacc slow cooker, dammit.
posted by nubs at 12:25 PM on October 4, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by nubs at 12:25 PM on October 4, 2019 [13 favorites]
This is going to wind up on so many wedding registries...
posted by sallybrown at 12:27 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by sallybrown at 12:27 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
When I was young and science fiction was a vaguely childish nerd thing, I remember being kind of excited about fandom, excited to meet other fans, thrilled by a trip to the hobby shop which sold those little metal D&D miniatures and smelled, as I later realized, very strongly of marijuana.
I hate fandom now.
posted by Frowner at 12:27 PM on October 4, 2019 [20 favorites]
I hate fandom now.
posted by Frowner at 12:27 PM on October 4, 2019 [20 favorites]
The porg pie bird seems like it's the winner on the social media. It does seem like it's encouraging people to get pie birds for people who would normally not consider pie birds.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:31 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by dinty_moore at 12:31 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
I would probably not buy a Star Wars dutch oven, but this seems to fit in the same line of stuff as, say, Super Groupies does for the Japanese anime fan market, for the people who now have a little money and are now looking to spend hundreds of dollars on things they'll actually wear/use instead of just piles of cheap junk. Most of this stuff is not for broke college students. This is for grownup fans with jobs who'd already be looking at Le Creuset products and are willing to get a little more spendy.
posted by Sequence at 12:34 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Sequence at 12:34 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
Just in case anyone, like me, is confused as to what, exactly, a pie bird is.
posted by eclectist at 12:34 PM on October 4, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by eclectist at 12:34 PM on October 4, 2019 [7 favorites]
frowner - This is arguable NOT fandom, this is just the result of Capitalism digesting Fandom and extruding things it thinks Fans will buy.
There are a lot of things to dislike about Toxic Fandom, but Toxic Fandom is not All Fandom any more than Capitalist Fandom is all Fandom.
There is definitely pushback against 'Buying all the licensed things' being the main tenant of Fandom.
posted by Faintdreams at 12:35 PM on October 4, 2019 [15 favorites]
There are a lot of things to dislike about Toxic Fandom, but Toxic Fandom is not All Fandom any more than Capitalist Fandom is all Fandom.
There is definitely pushback against 'Buying all the licensed things' being the main tenant of Fandom.
posted by Faintdreams at 12:35 PM on October 4, 2019 [15 favorites]
I am not sure the average Star Wars fan is going to spend this much on cookware because of the brand name, so who is this for?
*hides all Mickey Mouse themed kitchenware*
I'm sure I have no idea...
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:39 PM on October 4, 2019 [16 favorites]
*hides all Mickey Mouse themed kitchenware*
I'm sure I have no idea...
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:39 PM on October 4, 2019 [16 favorites]
The way I figure is that some fans when they get money spend it on this stuff and some spend it on a terrifying number of patreons, and I suppose some manage both. I prefer the patreon method myself.
Star Wars has always been Star Wars (with tons of star wars merch), but I do wonder if some of this has to do with the fact that more and more media is essentially invisible. Fewer people are going to be collecting multiple copies of the actual media, and by making the item have a second use besides declaring fandom, it might be easier to justify the cost.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:42 PM on October 4, 2019
Star Wars has always been Star Wars (with tons of star wars merch), but I do wonder if some of this has to do with the fact that more and more media is essentially invisible. Fewer people are going to be collecting multiple copies of the actual media, and by making the item have a second use besides declaring fandom, it might be easier to justify the cost.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:42 PM on October 4, 2019
A while ago Harley-Davison produced a HD-branded-leather-jacket shaped teapot.
posted by clew at 12:43 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by clew at 12:43 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
If I see this in a man's house, no one is getting lucky that night.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 12:47 PM on October 4, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by fluttering hellfire at 12:47 PM on October 4, 2019 [7 favorites]
I agree that fandom shouldn't just be buying stuff and I think Star Wars is a great example of fandoms where the merch threatens to overwhelm everything. But at the same time, like, virtually everybody buys a lot of this stuff in some form or another. Everybody has shirts, everybody has bakeware, whatever. There's never particular outrage about somebody buying a Le Creuset dutch oven because it matches their kitchen color scheme, except in the general (legitimate) questions of income inequality.
I don't think the particular cost of these things are worth it, but like, if we all make our buying decisions based on stuff we like, it's as legitimate to cater to fans in that respect as it is to cater to people who want all their kitchen stuff to be in coordinating shades of blue. I'd much rather see more practical clothing/accessories and household goods done like this than more graphic tees and cheap plastic junk. I'd way, way rather see more stuff like this than see Nintendo getting into gacha games, where you spend money and you don't even get anything for it, which is now a thing. It does reflect a certain amount of consumer culture as a problem, but fannish consumerism isn't, in my opinion, uniquely a problem.
posted by Sequence at 12:48 PM on October 4, 2019 [7 favorites]
I don't think the particular cost of these things are worth it, but like, if we all make our buying decisions based on stuff we like, it's as legitimate to cater to fans in that respect as it is to cater to people who want all their kitchen stuff to be in coordinating shades of blue. I'd much rather see more practical clothing/accessories and household goods done like this than more graphic tees and cheap plastic junk. I'd way, way rather see more stuff like this than see Nintendo getting into gacha games, where you spend money and you don't even get anything for it, which is now a thing. It does reflect a certain amount of consumer culture as a problem, but fannish consumerism isn't, in my opinion, uniquely a problem.
posted by Sequence at 12:48 PM on October 4, 2019 [7 favorites]
Aw, you guys are no fun. I'd seriously consider getting the porg pie bird for my husband for Christmas if his signature apple pie were a pastry top instead of crumb. I might have to settle for one or two of the droid cocottes instead - he likes Star Wars, cooking, and miniature things, so they're right in his wheelhouse! (Two because they look single serving, and all kitchen gifts for him are actually gifts for me because I get to eat the stuff he makes. Like the time I gave him a blow torch and ramekins because I love creme brulee.)
posted by natabat at 12:58 PM on October 4, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by natabat at 12:58 PM on October 4, 2019 [14 favorites]
I worked at an ecommerce company that sold a lot of stuff, and you know, one thing about being an ecommerce reseller, where your catalog is really made up of a bazillion other suppliers using your company as a platform is there is a neverending stream of surprise as you and your colleagues discover new novelty items that pop up all the time. And, what's more you can see that they sell, and there really are people who take great joy and heart in the kitschiest things.
Fat Michelangelo David is a thing! Sumo Coffee tables sell! People think that a life size horse statue with a lamp shade on its head will really tie your lobby together!
I am no longer there, but my brief time at the place taught me that our markets are vast, and there really is an audience for anything.
and I sometimes walk by people in the street and wonder if they're the sort who secretly pines for Fat David
posted by bl1nk at 12:58 PM on October 4, 2019 [12 favorites]
Fat Michelangelo David is a thing! Sumo Coffee tables sell! People think that a life size horse statue with a lamp shade on its head will really tie your lobby together!
I am no longer there, but my brief time at the place taught me that our markets are vast, and there really is an audience for anything.
and I sometimes walk by people in the street and wonder if they're the sort who secretly pines for Fat David
posted by bl1nk at 12:58 PM on October 4, 2019 [12 favorites]
I agree that fandom shouldn't just be buying stuff and I think Star Wars is a great example of fandoms where the merch threatens to overwhelm everything.
I think there's a strong argument to be made that Star Wars invented the world of merch fandom.
Dolls (let's face it, "action figures" are miniature dolls) are tabula rasa they're just little figures of the people that were in the movie. It's a reasonable tie-in. Toy vehicles and other props are the same way. They at least reflect what was in the movie you liked so much. Books, sure, same thing. T-shirts, well, people will put anything on a t-shirt.
But bakeware? It has no inherent relationship to the source material. And it's not a traditional mode of expressing fandom like t-shirts or otherwise normal clothing.
This seems like plastering random logos on things. When does Michael Jordan get his own Le Crueset line?
posted by GuyZero at 1:04 PM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
I think there's a strong argument to be made that Star Wars invented the world of merch fandom.
Dolls (let's face it, "action figures" are miniature dolls) are tabula rasa they're just little figures of the people that were in the movie. It's a reasonable tie-in. Toy vehicles and other props are the same way. They at least reflect what was in the movie you liked so much. Books, sure, same thing. T-shirts, well, people will put anything on a t-shirt.
But bakeware? It has no inherent relationship to the source material. And it's not a traditional mode of expressing fandom like t-shirts or otherwise normal clothing.
This seems like plastering random logos on things. When does Michael Jordan get his own Le Crueset line?
posted by GuyZero at 1:04 PM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
This is arguably not fandom, this is just the result of Capitalism ingesting fandom
Keep YourGovernment Capitalism Out Of My Medicare Star Wars!
posted by acb at 1:07 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
Keep Your
posted by acb at 1:07 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
If I see this in a man's house, no one is getting lucky that night.
I don't know, a man with expensive cookware is probably on the top of a couple of people's lists, especially if it's well used. As far as cultural signaling through owned goods goes, it could be a lot less desirable.
Star Wars' ridiculous amount of detail and and backstories for every single character and race leads to a lot of trivia gatekeeping and merch fandom, but I will say this: there's also a ton of style booklets and explanations for every single character's outfits, in a way that cosplayers in other fandoms can only dream about. 360 degree shots! Explanations of what materials are used! Removing jackets!
posted by dinty_moore at 1:08 PM on October 4, 2019 [9 favorites]
I don't know, a man with expensive cookware is probably on the top of a couple of people's lists, especially if it's well used. As far as cultural signaling through owned goods goes, it could be a lot less desirable.
Star Wars' ridiculous amount of detail and and backstories for every single character and race leads to a lot of trivia gatekeeping and merch fandom, but I will say this: there's also a ton of style booklets and explanations for every single character's outfits, in a way that cosplayers in other fandoms can only dream about. 360 degree shots! Explanations of what materials are used! Removing jackets!
posted by dinty_moore at 1:08 PM on October 4, 2019 [9 favorites]
This seems like plastering random logos on things. When does Michael Jordan get his own Le Crueset line?
This is a bad analogy, because you can definitely get your favorite major sports team logo on a bunch of random crap, and have for years.
posted by dinty_moore at 1:13 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
This is a bad analogy, because you can definitely get your favorite major sports team logo on a bunch of random crap, and have for years.
posted by dinty_moore at 1:13 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
Uhhhhh - I'm going to buy the Darth Vader dutch oven! I don't think the venn diagram of people who can afford an LC pot (middle aged, middle management, single dude here!), enjoys cooking for others (middled aged, middle management single dude here!!) and Star Wars fan (middle aged, middle management, single dude here!!!!!) is as small as you everyone thinks. And is the beouf carbonnade flamande going taste any better cooked in Darth Vader's head? Probably not - but what not have a little fun?
posted by helmutdog at 1:23 PM on October 4, 2019 [26 favorites]
posted by helmutdog at 1:23 PM on October 4, 2019 [26 favorites]
I'm pretty meh on fandom and merch in general, but that frozen carbonite roasting pan is pretty fucken sweet.
posted by slogger at 1:25 PM on October 4, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by slogger at 1:25 PM on October 4, 2019 [9 favorites]
This is a bad analogy, because you can definitely get your favorite major sports team logo on a bunch of random crap, and have for years.
Is this a bad analogy or is it the perfect analogy and sports fan merch is terrible?
posted by GuyZero at 1:27 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Is this a bad analogy or is it the perfect analogy and sports fan merch is terrible?
posted by GuyZero at 1:27 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
The Tatooine oven is actually very pretty! Regular ebay used Le Creuset is too expensive for me, so I'm definitely not going to buy it, but I don't hate it.
(I don't object to anyone else hating it. Hate it because branding has gone Too Far, hate it because the Star Wars fandom can be toxic, hate it because most of the line is ugly, hate it because it costs too much, whatever. It's Disney! You're never punching down with Disney.)
posted by grandiloquiet at 1:36 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
(I don't object to anyone else hating it. Hate it because branding has gone Too Far, hate it because the Star Wars fandom can be toxic, hate it because most of the line is ugly, hate it because it costs too much, whatever. It's Disney! You're never punching down with Disney.)
posted by grandiloquiet at 1:36 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
Star Wars has as much merch as Hello Kitty now. I don't understand it.
posted by agregoli at 1:50 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by agregoli at 1:50 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
I don't know whether it's better or worse that I don't think any coffin makers can get the rights to Star Wars images, so people have to pay for custom Star Wars coffins.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 1:51 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 1:51 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
If you didn't tell me that it was Tatooine I would just think it was an interesting design on the dutch oven. $900 is way too much though. $20 for a Millennium Falcon trivet ain't bad. I would buy one as a housewarming present for my brother.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:56 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:56 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
I can count my Star Wars March on both thumbs, but my immediate reaction was “ Take my money. All of it.”
Upon reflection, though, needs more Leia, Rose and Rey.
posted by romakimmy at 1:58 PM on October 4, 2019 [9 favorites]
Upon reflection, though, needs more Leia, Rose and Rey.
posted by romakimmy at 1:58 PM on October 4, 2019 [9 favorites]
I am not sure the average Star Wars fan is going to spend this much on cookware because of the brand name, so who is this for?
Yeah, so, I'm in my 50s. I am the original Star Wars generation - I saw the original films in the theater, as a child.
I now am an adult woman who has a kitchen full of Le Creuset and other high end cookware. A good friend recently spent $50 on a William Sonoma Millennium Falcon Waffle Maker, and I can promise you I would get more mileage out of that Han Solo roaster than she ever will out of the waffle maker. And it would make me smile every time I used it. (Spoiler: I'm not buying it)
I'm honestly fascinated by all the assumptions above that the majority of Star Wars fans ... even original trilogy fans .... are male.
Star Wars basically invented fandom merchandising as we know it today. This is in no way out of line for them. My only real complaint about this line is that nothing seems to be Leia related, but then again I don't really think Leia cooked much, so.....
posted by anastasiav at 1:59 PM on October 4, 2019 [26 favorites]
Yeah, so, I'm in my 50s. I am the original Star Wars generation - I saw the original films in the theater, as a child.
I now am an adult woman who has a kitchen full of Le Creuset and other high end cookware. A good friend recently spent $50 on a William Sonoma Millennium Falcon Waffle Maker, and I can promise you I would get more mileage out of that Han Solo roaster than she ever will out of the waffle maker. And it would make me smile every time I used it. (Spoiler: I'm not buying it)
I'm honestly fascinated by all the assumptions above that the majority of Star Wars fans ... even original trilogy fans .... are male.
Star Wars basically invented fandom merchandising as we know it today. This is in no way out of line for them. My only real complaint about this line is that nothing seems to be Leia related, but then again I don't really think Leia cooked much, so.....
posted by anastasiav at 1:59 PM on October 4, 2019 [26 favorites]
I don't know about the rest of it, but the dutch oven is kind of pretty.
posted by tavella at 2:18 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by tavella at 2:18 PM on October 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
I need more Vader bakeware so I can sing while I make French pastry.
Pain pain pain
Tarte tatin
Tarte tatin
posted by The Underpants Monster at 2:22 PM on October 4, 2019 [19 favorites]
Pain pain pain
Tarte tatin
Tarte tatin
posted by The Underpants Monster at 2:22 PM on October 4, 2019 [19 favorites]
As much as I really hate this stuff, my sister will go gaga over it so I may as well get her one of the pieces for Christmas.
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:23 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 2:23 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
I don't like the Millennium Falcon trivet enough to buy it, but I think it's kind of neat.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:25 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:25 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
Holy poot the number of Star Wars cookbooks....
posted by magstheaxe at 2:26 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by magstheaxe at 2:26 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
It is kind of funny that in the long and shady history of star wars merchandise, fancy cookware is where some people draw the line
posted by Think_Long at 2:30 PM on October 4, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by Think_Long at 2:30 PM on October 4, 2019 [10 favorites]
The actual Le Creuset website for the dutch oven will take your email address under the auspices of signing up to buy one of the 9, but then it tells you nothing further about how they will be released, who the lucky 9 will be that end up getting to purchase them. Also, if they're only making 9, I would think they could have sold them for 9,000 rather than 900. Odd.
posted by allkindsoftime at 2:36 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by allkindsoftime at 2:36 PM on October 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
And you can store them all in your Jabba the Hutch!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 2:38 PM on October 4, 2019 [12 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 2:38 PM on October 4, 2019 [12 favorites]
I just want to leave this link to the Darth Vader lightsaber immersion blender right here...only Star Wars kitchenware I have ever considered purchasing as I feel it would be p satisfying to use while making deep scary threats at foods that won't reveal the location of the rebel base and/or join me and rule the galaxy as father and son.
I think I DO actually own a stormtrooper spatula, though? I don't know why.
The Tatooine dutch oven is really pretty, but at that price point, I think I can pass on it.
posted by potrzebie at 2:39 PM on October 4, 2019 [8 favorites]
I think I DO actually own a stormtrooper spatula, though? I don't know why.
The Tatooine dutch oven is really pretty, but at that price point, I think I can pass on it.
posted by potrzebie at 2:39 PM on October 4, 2019 [8 favorites]
cortex: This is the pot that made the casserole run in less than twelve parsnips!
More lies from the Dark Side. It was the Kettle Run, and I did it in under 12 Proseccos.
posted by Pot at 2:49 PM on October 4, 2019 [14 favorites]
More lies from the Dark Side. It was the Kettle Run, and I did it in under 12 Proseccos.
posted by Pot at 2:49 PM on October 4, 2019 [14 favorites]
More lies from the Dark Side.
Look who's calling the Kettle Dark Side! This Kettle has outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers mind you, I'm talking about the big Corelle Ware ships now. She's fast enough for you old Pot.
posted by Kettle at 2:55 PM on October 4, 2019 [10 favorites]
Look who's calling the Kettle Dark Side! This Kettle has outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers mind you, I'm talking about the big Corelle Ware ships now. She's fast enough for you old Pot.
posted by Kettle at 2:55 PM on October 4, 2019 [10 favorites]
I LOOOOVE the pie porg
I had a major Porg phase when it came out. I had the AR sticker on my phone and placed porgs in my kitchen-image and tapped at them and listened to them coo and flap. Then I got sad that they existed only in AR and stopped doing this.
But they can be in my pie!
posted by batter_my_heart at 3:17 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
I had a major Porg phase when it came out. I had the AR sticker on my phone and placed porgs in my kitchen-image and tapped at them and listened to them coo and flap. Then I got sad that they existed only in AR and stopped doing this.
But they can be in my pie!
posted by batter_my_heart at 3:17 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
There are many worse things in the world. I like Star Wars. I like Le Creuset. I don't have that kind of disposable income (or, in fact, the kind that can afford Le Creuset). However, It doesn't bother me. Surprises me a little, but doesn't bother me. I'm saving my ire for Trump. Kind of wish I could afford that roaster.
posted by evilDoug at 3:42 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by evilDoug at 3:42 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
In regards to the Creuset Collection, who is the target market for this?. Serious question.
It's for me and my brother.
In the mid-Aughties, he was having a bad week and I impulse-purchased for him a giant Death Star cookie jar and paid for overnight shipping. He was delighted. And he sent me a whisk with R2D2 silk-screened on it. I waited ... then sent ice molds of Han Solo in carbonite. He sent logo-branded spatulas. I sent a chip-and-dips bowl shaped like Jabba the Hutt.
The point was always to surprise the recipient with an unexpected Star Wars kitchen good.
A decade has passed. He now owns a Millenium Falcon waffle iron, Star Wars-themed tiki mugs, Death Star silicon molds and silicon spatulas in the shape of stormtroopers, all courtesy of me. He's sent me Yoda cookie cutters, even more Star Wars-themed tiki mugs, and even more Star Wars cookie cutters in return.
I visited his house last year & saw he had built a small tiki shrine in the living room with his mugs as the centerpiece. In my house, the tiki mugs he sent me hold my kitchen utensils. I like how having a tauntaun and a jawa holding my stuff keep my otherwise stereotypically scandi-decluttered kitchen from looking too sterile.
Through bad times and disagreements, we've always found our way back to being each other's family with this dumb, jokey thing we do with one another. At this point, it is probably a race to see which one of us is giving the other the minicoquettes.
Is there better and/or cheaper cookware? Yes. Is there more tasteful cookware? I'm sure you could make the argument. But I know if I get sent the C3-PO coquette, I'll smile every time I see it, because it'll be a reminder of the strange, hilarious, loving and durable bond I have with my brother.
posted by sobell at 4:00 PM on October 4, 2019 [30 favorites]
It's for me and my brother.
In the mid-Aughties, he was having a bad week and I impulse-purchased for him a giant Death Star cookie jar and paid for overnight shipping. He was delighted. And he sent me a whisk with R2D2 silk-screened on it. I waited ... then sent ice molds of Han Solo in carbonite. He sent logo-branded spatulas. I sent a chip-and-dips bowl shaped like Jabba the Hutt.
The point was always to surprise the recipient with an unexpected Star Wars kitchen good.
A decade has passed. He now owns a Millenium Falcon waffle iron, Star Wars-themed tiki mugs, Death Star silicon molds and silicon spatulas in the shape of stormtroopers, all courtesy of me. He's sent me Yoda cookie cutters, even more Star Wars-themed tiki mugs, and even more Star Wars cookie cutters in return.
I visited his house last year & saw he had built a small tiki shrine in the living room with his mugs as the centerpiece. In my house, the tiki mugs he sent me hold my kitchen utensils. I like how having a tauntaun and a jawa holding my stuff keep my otherwise stereotypically scandi-decluttered kitchen from looking too sterile.
Through bad times and disagreements, we've always found our way back to being each other's family with this dumb, jokey thing we do with one another. At this point, it is probably a race to see which one of us is giving the other the minicoquettes.
Is there better and/or cheaper cookware? Yes. Is there more tasteful cookware? I'm sure you could make the argument. But I know if I get sent the C3-PO coquette, I'll smile every time I see it, because it'll be a reminder of the strange, hilarious, loving and durable bond I have with my brother.
posted by sobell at 4:00 PM on October 4, 2019 [30 favorites]
I still want my Sarlacc slow cooker, dammit.–nubs
Silly nubs, Sarlacc only make bidets.
posted by sydnius at 4:20 PM on October 4, 2019
Silly nubs, Sarlacc only make bidets.
posted by sydnius at 4:20 PM on October 4, 2019
This Kettle has outrun Imperial starships margarine. Not the local bulk cruisers cruets mind you
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:37 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:37 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
like, virtually everybody buys a lot of this stuff in some form or another. Everybody has shirts, everybody has bakeware, whatever.
Believe it or not, it's possible to live a wholesome adult life without branded anything.
posted by sneebler at 6:09 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Believe it or not, it's possible to live a wholesome adult life without branded anything.
posted by sneebler at 6:09 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Yeah, sure, but I’m not going to hate on someone for having an R2 and 3PO salt-and-pepper set. If I saw that on a new date’s table I’d think it was cute.
But if they also had a Jabba couch, Reylo curtains, Yoda teaspoons, and a 3ft plastic stormtrooper as a toilet roll holder...I’d go Oh, it’s one of those people.
But maybe I like those people? Or at least, I have some idea of what I’m in for, like if you replaced the SW merch with antique porcelain dolls, or railroad memorabilia.
posted by bartleby at 7:05 PM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
But if they also had a Jabba couch, Reylo curtains, Yoda teaspoons, and a 3ft plastic stormtrooper as a toilet roll holder...I’d go Oh, it’s one of those people.
But maybe I like those people? Or at least, I have some idea of what I’m in for, like if you replaced the SW merch with antique porcelain dolls, or railroad memorabilia.
posted by bartleby at 7:05 PM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
Darth Vader dutch oven
Obi Wan was wise to hide you under this blanket. Now his failure is complete.
posted by condour75 at 7:11 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
Obi Wan was wise to hide you under this blanket. Now his failure is complete.
posted by condour75 at 7:11 PM on October 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
Reylo Curtains sounds like the name of a protagonist in a Tom Robbins novel.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:22 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:22 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
Also, I wouldn't bat an eye if I happened across a JABBA couch in an IKEA catalog.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:22 PM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:22 PM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
I did take some of the Hello Kitty stuff out of the bathroom after a guest said in what I hope was a half-joking manner, "I can't go with her looking at me."
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:22 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:22 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
My shame is a pizza cutter with Sonic the Hedgehog etched on it. I am so down for the Porg Pie Bird. Might even bake an actual pie with it!
posted by inpHilltr8r at 7:25 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by inpHilltr8r at 7:25 PM on October 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Someday we are going to have to let the music in the condo lobby be newer than the eighties.
Until then everybody in the nostalgia wallow!
posted by srboisvert at 8:07 PM on October 4, 2019
Until then everybody in the nostalgia wallow!
posted by srboisvert at 8:07 PM on October 4, 2019
Also heading it off at the pass the only difference in performance between the pricey Le Creuset pots and the standard Lodge pots that the creusets are prettier and have handles that feel better in the hand. Thats it.
Both cook fine, but the more expensive stuff is lighter, better shaped, and has better handles. Worth the money or not is a question for each person, but it isn't just a branding thing or people being dumb thing.
The Star Wars/Le Creuset branding combination is kind of genius, given the colors and shapes (and is definitely targeting my generation). I know I'm going to have to buy at least one as a gift, probably several, whether I like it or not. Sort of like my comment just above: is this really worth the money in practical terms? Maybe or maybe not, but if it makes people happy, so be it.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:39 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
Both cook fine, but the more expensive stuff is lighter, better shaped, and has better handles. Worth the money or not is a question for each person, but it isn't just a branding thing or people being dumb thing.
The Star Wars/Le Creuset branding combination is kind of genius, given the colors and shapes (and is definitely targeting my generation). I know I'm going to have to buy at least one as a gift, probably several, whether I like it or not. Sort of like my comment just above: is this really worth the money in practical terms? Maybe or maybe not, but if it makes people happy, so be it.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:39 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
> "I think there's a strong argument to be made that Star Wars invented the world of merch fandom."
A certain M. Mouse would disagree. That sort of name-associated fan purchasing goes back to at least the 1930's. Watches weren't "a traditional mode of expressing fandom" - until they were. Kids might've been buying Mouse-branded gum & toys - but they weren't the ones buying radios with his picture on the front & Uncle Walter's Seal of Approval on the back for 3~4x the average wage.
posted by Pinback at 8:47 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
A certain M. Mouse would disagree. That sort of name-associated fan purchasing goes back to at least the 1930's. Watches weren't "a traditional mode of expressing fandom" - until they were. Kids might've been buying Mouse-branded gum & toys - but they weren't the ones buying radios with his picture on the front & Uncle Walter's Seal of Approval on the back for 3~4x the average wage.
posted by Pinback at 8:47 PM on October 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
allkindsoftime: Also, if they're only making 9, I would think they could have sold them for 9,000 rather than 900.
Given that there are only 9 being made, I'm highly doubtful any of them will be put to use, and instead be kept for resale, probably getting double to triple sale costs in a few years. After all, the expensive LEGO Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon now re-sells for a significant mark-up, and that was mass produced (at least moreso than 9 copies).
A final note: while most of these are marked up heavily for the Star Wars branding, the non-Star Wars mini round cocottes are $26, so $30 for droid versions is not an outlandish price. So we'll likely be getting all three :)
posted by filthy light thief at 9:21 PM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
Given that there are only 9 being made, I'm highly doubtful any of them will be put to use, and instead be kept for resale, probably getting double to triple sale costs in a few years. After all, the expensive LEGO Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon now re-sells for a significant mark-up, and that was mass produced (at least moreso than 9 copies).
A final note: while most of these are marked up heavily for the Star Wars branding, the non-Star Wars mini round cocottes are $26, so $30 for droid versions is not an outlandish price. So we'll likely be getting all three :)
posted by filthy light thief at 9:21 PM on October 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
Stew or stew not. There is no fry.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:39 PM on October 4, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:39 PM on October 4, 2019 [8 favorites]
I’ve already “mentioned” the Porg Pie Bird to Mr. lemon_icing. And when I say mention, I mean I sent him the link and then stared at him without blinking. Imma pretty sure I’m getting it for Xmas.
The second time I made dinner for mister, I sent him into the kitchen to get dessert. When he didn’t immediately return, I went to find him. He was staring fixedly at this.
At breakfast the next morning, I served him pancakes with this.
7.5 years after two sci-fi fans met? I’d say we both got lucky.
Luckily I’m used to getting sneered at and condescended to because I love sci-fi. It hardly hurts nowadays.
posted by lemon_icing at 1:14 AM on October 5, 2019 [8 favorites]
The second time I made dinner for mister, I sent him into the kitchen to get dessert. When he didn’t immediately return, I went to find him. He was staring fixedly at this.
At breakfast the next morning, I served him pancakes with this.
7.5 years after two sci-fi fans met? I’d say we both got lucky.
Luckily I’m used to getting sneered at and condescended to because I love sci-fi. It hardly hurts nowadays.
posted by lemon_icing at 1:14 AM on October 5, 2019 [8 favorites]
This is nice reinforcement of my oft-grumbled assertion that the Le Creuset brand has been diluted into tragic decay by massive overmarketing and eye-rolling sideways moves into kitschy accessories and collect-em-all gimcracks.
Thank Escoffier that we still have Staub and moderately priced vintage Descoware.
posted by sonascope at 5:11 AM on October 5, 2019
Thank Escoffier that we still have Staub and moderately priced vintage Descoware.
posted by sonascope at 5:11 AM on October 5, 2019
like, virtually everybody buys a lot of this stuff in some form or another. Everybody has shirts, everybody has bakeware, whatever.
Believe it or not, it's possible to live a wholesome adult life without branded anything.
I don't think that's what the original post meant.
Sequence's point was not that everyone owns branded stuff; it's that everyone owns practical items such as shirts and bakeware (I actually don't think that everyone owns bakeware, but nearly everyone must own clothing) so if we're going to have branded fandom merchandise items, it's better that they be practical items that people might generally buy already anyway, instead of more disposable junk or trinkets.
posted by andrewesque at 5:21 AM on October 5, 2019 [7 favorites]
Believe it or not, it's possible to live a wholesome adult life without branded anything.
I don't think that's what the original post meant.
Sequence's point was not that everyone owns branded stuff; it's that everyone owns practical items such as shirts and bakeware (I actually don't think that everyone owns bakeware, but nearly everyone must own clothing) so if we're going to have branded fandom merchandise items, it's better that they be practical items that people might generally buy already anyway, instead of more disposable junk or trinkets.
posted by andrewesque at 5:21 AM on October 5, 2019 [7 favorites]
Came here for the quoting. Was saddened. Will leave comment I left on friends Facebook post instead:
it’s a more elegant cookware, from a more civilized time. Not so crude or random as a Staub.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:42 AM on October 5, 2019 [7 favorites]
it’s a more elegant cookware, from a more civilized time. Not so crude or random as a Staub.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:42 AM on October 5, 2019 [7 favorites]
Illustrating our pots and cooking vessels with our myths and heroes is almost as old as pottery itself. So I guess I'm really not so annoyed or shocked at all, makes perfect sense.
posted by thefool at 5:53 AM on October 5, 2019 [16 favorites]
posted by thefool at 5:53 AM on October 5, 2019 [16 favorites]
I was thinking giving all the blowback from people in this thread that these were some absurdly design heavy foolishness that were hardly functional. Darth Vader dutch oven? Is it shaped like his helmet and you take the top off to reveal the brain-case where your roast is braising?
Then I looked at the link. Instead it's just basic, traditionally shaped (as basic as Le Cruset gets) cookware with special paint or a bit of custom moulding that's merely an accent. Very function-first, design-second.
I wouldn't buy these for myself, but if I saw them in someone's house I'd think they were delightful.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:12 AM on October 5, 2019 [6 favorites]
Then I looked at the link. Instead it's just basic, traditionally shaped (as basic as Le Cruset gets) cookware with special paint or a bit of custom moulding that's merely an accent. Very function-first, design-second.
I wouldn't buy these for myself, but if I saw them in someone's house I'd think they were delightful.
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:12 AM on October 5, 2019 [6 favorites]
Tatooine and Vader were the perfect theme for the Dutch ovens, because they're both just right for cooking Obi-Wan Pierogi.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:57 AM on October 5, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:57 AM on October 5, 2019 [7 favorites]
a future scene from my kitchen:
*lifts lid*
"And I thought it smelled bad on the outside!"
posted by nubs at 8:01 AM on October 5, 2019 [19 favorites]
*lifts lid*
"And I thought it smelled bad on the outside!"
posted by nubs at 8:01 AM on October 5, 2019 [19 favorites]
"Also heading it off at the pass the only difference in performance between the pricey Le Creuset pots and the standard Lodge pots that the creusets are prettier and have handles that feel better in the hand. Thats it."
Well, if you mean the Lodge enameled pots that look like Le Creuset, those are made in China (unlike Lodge plain cast iron which is still made in the US), while Le Creuset is made in a country that provides its workers a far better environment, so there is that.
posted by litlnemo at 10:31 AM on October 5, 2019 [3 favorites]
Well, if you mean the Lodge enameled pots that look like Le Creuset, those are made in China (unlike Lodge plain cast iron which is still made in the US), while Le Creuset is made in a country that provides its workers a far better environment, so there is that.
posted by litlnemo at 10:31 AM on October 5, 2019 [3 favorites]
Gonna have to watch what you clean these with, I think. You certainly wouldn't want to scour it with sand, because that's coarse and rough and gets everywhere.
posted by nubs at 10:42 AM on October 5, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by nubs at 10:42 AM on October 5, 2019 [7 favorites]
... the Le Creuset brand has been diluted into tragic decay by massive overmarketing and eye-rolling sideways moves into kitschy accessories and collect-em-all gimcracks.
posted by sonascope
Just a wretched hive of scum and villainy these days, eh?
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:33 AM on October 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by sonascope
Just a wretched hive of scum and villainy these days, eh?
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:33 AM on October 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
You were my other ramekin! I loved you!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:39 PM on October 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:39 PM on October 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
I’ll try searing, that’s a good trick.
posted by nubs at 12:50 PM on October 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by nubs at 12:50 PM on October 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
IT WAS I who allowed the rebels to know the location of the extra large splatterware turkey roaster! I assure you, we are Quite Safe from YOUR PITIFUL LITTLE PANS!!
posted by bartleby at 5:45 PM on October 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by bartleby at 5:45 PM on October 5, 2019 [2 favorites]
Sarcastic sad tone: Oh, I assure you, the Sunday Pot Roast will be Quite Operational, when your friends arrive...Come, boy, see for yourself.
posted by bartleby at 5:48 PM on October 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by bartleby at 5:48 PM on October 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
All is unfolding according to my recipe.
posted by nubs at 7:10 PM on October 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by nubs at 7:10 PM on October 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
Darth Vader dutch oven!
I define "Darth Vader dutch oven" as those instances when your sleeping partner lets go with a fart so noxious you can smell it through your CPAP machine, which is an extra problem because your CPAP mask is one of the nose-only ones, and the nasal airway pressure effectively prohibits mouth-only breathing.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:17 PM on October 5, 2019 [5 favorites]
I define "Darth Vader dutch oven" as those instances when your sleeping partner lets go with a fart so noxious you can smell it through your CPAP machine, which is an extra problem because your CPAP mask is one of the nose-only ones, and the nasal airway pressure effectively prohibits mouth-only breathing.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:17 PM on October 5, 2019 [5 favorites]
In regards to the Creuset Collection, who is the target market for this?. Serious question.
Faintdreams, the market is 3 groups:
People who will be happy using their Star Wars stuff every day, because isn't it so cool?1? <- me
Collectors who will be happy looking at their Star Wars stuff, because isn't it so cool?!? and maybe using it as a decorative element <- me if I have enough space
Relatives of nerdy people
They're all super fun. If I wasn't avoiding all glazed cookware because of the way lead keeps turning up everywhere, I'd totally get the R2-D2 mini cocette.
I may ask for the trivets for Christmas.
posted by Ahniya at 11:19 PM on October 5, 2019
Faintdreams, the market is 3 groups:
People who will be happy using their Star Wars stuff every day, because isn't it so cool?1? <- me
Collectors who will be happy looking at their Star Wars stuff, because isn't it so cool?!? and maybe using it as a decorative element <- me if I have enough space
Relatives of nerdy people
They're all super fun. If I wasn't avoiding all glazed cookware because of the way lead keeps turning up everywhere, I'd totally get the R2-D2 mini cocette.
I may ask for the trivets for Christmas.
posted by Ahniya at 11:19 PM on October 5, 2019
All these Star Wars puns are breaking my tart.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 6:35 AM on October 6, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Kitty Stardust at 6:35 AM on October 6, 2019 [5 favorites]
"You scruffy looking sous chef!"
posted by nubs at 7:15 AM on October 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by nubs at 7:15 AM on October 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
Rebecca Traister: I mean...there’s a Le Creuset of frozen Han Solo! I am imagining talking to my cornbread batter: I love you. Cornbread batter: I know. BAM you get put in carbonite. WHAT IS THIS AND WHY DO I CARE WHEN THE WORLD IS FALLING APART
posted by mbrubeck at 7:21 AM on October 6, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by mbrubeck at 7:21 AM on October 6, 2019 [3 favorites]
All you haters look away. I'd get that roaster if I had a place to store it, and the pie bird will be mine. I don't even consider myself that much of a fan.
posted by corvikate at 7:00 AM on October 7, 2019
posted by corvikate at 7:00 AM on October 7, 2019
Welp, I just ordered some of this for a friend's birthday. It's selling out.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:43 AM on October 8, 2019
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:43 AM on October 8, 2019
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posted by GuyZero at 12:08 PM on October 4, 2019 [15 favorites]