tupper

FOCUS ON THE CORPORATION

To: rrichter@acad.ursinus.edu

Sent: 10/8/99 10:31

Subject: Fwd: Tupperware, Disney and the Selling of the Public Space

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Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.04.9910051530090.18146-100000@milan.essential.org>

From: Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>

Reply-To: rob@essential.org

To: Multiple recipients of list CORP-FOCUS <corp-focus@essential.org>

Subject: Tupperware, Disney and the Selling of the Public Space

Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 15:29:08 -0500

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Tupperware, Disney and the Selling of the Public Space

By Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman

Yesterday, the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History held a

press briefing to launch the publication of a new book, "Tupperware: The

Promise of Plastic in 1950s America," by Alison J. Clarke (Smithsonian

Press, 1999).

In the book, Clarke tells the story of Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise.

Tupper, the conservative New Englander who worked for DuPont, created

Tupperware in 1942. Tupper believed that Tupperware would improve women's

lives -- no more spills or odors in the refrigerator, no more wasted

leftovers.

But for years, Americans were not impressed with plastics or Earl Tupper's

food containers. Tupperware sat on store shelves.

Enter Brownie Wise. Wise, a middle-aged housewife and impoverished single

mom, sold Tupperware door-to-door. Tupper was amazed by her numbers.

Tupper wanted to know her secret. Wise confessed: the Tupperware home

party.

Tupper pulled his entire product line from all department stores and

retail outlets. In 1951, the Tupperware party became the company's

exclusive form of distribution and sales. By the mid-1950s, the Tupperware

party became a regular occurrence throughout America and sales boomed.

Friction grew between the reclusive Tupper and the flamboyant Wise. He

fired her in the late 1950s, but the corporation continued to flourish.

Today, a Tupperware party is held every 2.5 seconds, sales top $1.2

billion worldwide, and Tupperware has become a cultural symbol for the

American way of life.

"Astounding," is the way the Smithsonian public relations people put it.

Perhaps. But nowhere in the book, and nowhere in the press materials

handed out by the Smithsonian, is there any mention of the controversy

raging over the impact of the plastics industry on our health and on the

earth.

The book covers "the promise of plastic in 1950s America." But what about

the consequences? Why no questions about the workers in the industry, and

people who live near plastics manufacturing facilities, and the threat to

their health and well being? Why no questions about the 30 percent (by

volume) of municipal landfills that are filled with plastics and the

impact this has on the environment?

A large percentage of Americans believe that plastics are harmful to

health and the environment. But the Smithsonian never addresses the issue.

Why? And why is the Smithsonian publishing a book that asks so few

critical questions about the company?

In December 1984, The Tupper Foundation -- the foundation started by Earl

-- gave $4 million to the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute in

Panama.

Earl Tupper's papers were donated to the Smithsonian's Museum of American

history -- papers that Clarke relied on to research her book. In May 1993,

the Tupper Foundation also gave $200,000 to the archives collection at the

Museum of American History, where Earl Tupper's papers are housed.

Tupperware Worldwide, the company, gave $15,000 to the Smithsonian over

the past four years to safeguard archival film footage about the company.

This financial support was not disclosed to reporters at the press

conference, or in the book.

Smithsonian officials pretend not to understand the problem of corporate

control over history.

"Why is it important?" asks Mimi Minnick, an archivist at Tupper

collection at the Smithsonian. "They are a private family. [The $200,000]

is an unrestricted gift. They had no control or influence over the book.

They didn't buy anything."

It could be that Tupperware and the Tupper family didn't buy anything from

the Smithsonian. But the rule of thumb in these cases is simple -- don't

bite the hand that feeds you. And the Smithsonian didn't.

The Smithsonian used to be a public space -- where independent historians

could present history and independent scientists could present science --

free of the distorting lens of profit-making large corporations.

Now, it has been transformed into an bustling accounts receivable -- where

big money defines the outline of history and science.

In the past, the Smithsonian has taken big money from the chemical

industry to present an exhibit on "Science in American Life" and from the

oil industry to present an exhibit on "Oil in the Arctic." Now, it puts

out a puff piece on plastics.

And of course, it is not just the Smithsonian that is selling its public

space to the highest bidder. It's almost a daily event in our nation's

capital.

Tonight, for example, at the Library of Congress, the Library will host an

interview by Parade magazine editor Walter Anderson of Disney Corporation

Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner, part of a series "on the moral, academic

and technological challenges of the next century."

We put in a call to Library spokesperson Craig D'Ooge to inquire as to how

much money Disney has donated in recent years to the Library of Congress.

"They are a major contributor," D'Ooge said. "I'll get back to you with

the numbers."

*****************************************************************

Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime

Reporter. Robert Weissman is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based

Multinational Monitor. They are co-authors of Corporate Predators: The

Hunt for MegaProfits and the Attack on Democracy (Monroe, Maine: Common

Courage Press, 1999; http://www.corporatepredators.org)

---------------------------------------------------

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