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Tupperware Brands Corporation has officially filed for bankruptcy, prompting widespread confusion over the meaning of its name and hilarious responses on social media.
According Fox BusinessTupperware filed a formal motion to initiate Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on Sept. 17, months after closing its last U.S. plant.
“Whether you are a dedicated member of our Tupperware team, sell, cook or simply love our Tupperware products, you are part of our Tupperware family,” said President and CEO Laura Ann Goldman in an official statement obtained by Fox Business“We plan to continue serving our valued customers with the high-quality products they love and trust throughout this process.”
Following the sudden news, bewildered netizens took to social media to make a big confession: they had no idea Tupperware was a brand.
One X/Twitter user wrote: “Not gonna lie, I thought Tupperware was just a broad term for food containers.”
“Me too, son, there really are things you learn when you're an adult that make you feel very lost, hahaha,” a second agreed.
A third honestly admitted: “This whole time I thought it was Tupperware, I didn’t know it was a brand.” This led many other users to point out that their misunderstanding, also known as proprietary eponyms, is all too common.
A proprietary eponym is a brand name that has become a generic or general-purpose term for particular products or services.
“A lot of items have a synonymous brand like that. All lip balms are Chapstick, all tissues are Kleenex, all ice creams are Popsicles, all soda is Coca-Cola, etc.,” one woman noted.
Meanwhile, others joked about how avid users of plastic packaging, such as “soccer moms,” will be devastated to learn that Tupperware has filed for bankruptcy.
“Moms across the country just fell to their knees,” one person joked, while another said: “Moms will never recover from this.”
Another commanded: “Mothers and grandmothers of the world, gather together!”
“I guess you could say they're… packing up,” one person joked, while another quipped, “What a rough patch for leftovers! Hopefully something new and exciting will fill that space soon.”
Some environmentally conscious people said many people are switching from plastic containers to glass containers to avoid bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is found in “polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
However, since 2010, all Tupperware products sold and distributed in the US and Canada are BPA-free, according to a CNN report.
