The Great Potholder Controversy
August 2, 2007
It happens every year that free stuff is given out. People complain.
A potholder? How dare they give me a potholder! Are they implying that I should be in the kitchen cooking?
Or for the vegans among us, Are they implying I should eat animal flesh?
Damn that patriarchy for thinking we as women are in the kitchen.
Oh wait. I am in the kitchen. A lot. See I have these kids and they oddly want to eat all the time. And sometimes they are not happy with foraging in the cabinets and want me to cook actual meals that they can then complain about. I love it.
And lord knows I spend way to much time taking stuff out of the oven, sometimes fun stuff like cookies. And I love me some meat. Mmmmmm, meat.
A few Christmases ago I bought one of my sons one of those looms that you make potholders on. Remember those? I don’t think that there is a person among us who has not made a potholder by weaving those little loops.
He loved it and totally ran with the making of potholders like there would soon be a shortage of cotton loops. And then he threw away all of the “old and yucky” potholders that we had in our kitchen. Why wouldn’t I want to use a 4″ square cotton potholder that was hand woven by my beloved son, even if it meant I burned my hand on every damn baking pan we own. I mean, duh? At least according to him.
I have tried to bring other potholders or oven mitts into the house, but my son pipes up with, “I can just make you some more! Don’t waste your money buying things I can make!” (As an aside, who is this child? And how can I learn how to make Legos?)
I am just glad that they didn’t have sewing kits or ironing supplies in the BlogHer schwag bags because at my house those are man jobs.
I would have had to become very offended and throw the sewing kit into the trash with shrieks of, “Does the patriarchy think I sew?!? Is that what they think?”
And all that being offended energy would have taken far too much time away from my ongoing quest to find out where the free drinks were being served.
RSS feed for comments on this post.
The URI to TrackBack this entry is:
http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com/2007/08/02/the-great-potholder-controversy/trackback/
So true my dear… on every point. Oh, and all those Blogher people that don’t want their potholders? Email me. I’ll give you my address. I live in my kitchen - I’ll use them!!!!!
(www.housewifebarbie.blogspot.com) - SEE? I LIVE IN THE KITCHEN AND I AM USUALLY BAREFOOT TOO! (But not pregnant… been there, done that).
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:25 amSeriously? Who ever heard of complaining about a FREE goody??? Gratefulness has just been thrown out the window!
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:49 amLove the make’em myself spirit of your son! Sympathize about the burnt fingers. How about sewing a couple together for a double thick potholder?
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:54 amWe went to Sturbridge Village yesterday (1800s living). Have you all been there? Your son could start working on making your brooms next….
Yeah all the complaining about free stuff made me upset too. Maybe they should have a box where people can leave the stuff they don’t want and pick up the stuff they do - because I saw a lot of stuff thrown out that will end up in landfills - not cool.
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:59 amI was trying to give mine away in exchange for business cards because I felt bad for not having any cards…because I too, have TONS of potholders but not enough business cards of new bloggers.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 amChris isn’t joking about what is man’s work at her house: over the weekend she called home and her husband was getting ready to iron their daughter’s dresses. VOLUNTARILY.
I told her that if she ever gets tired of him, she can send him to me. For the ironing, of course.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:02 amI’m loving this! I knew if I gave it a few days the true stories of Blogher would surface1
And, yeah, I too am tired of everything in the world offending people. Gee whiz, everybody. Quit reading into every little thing.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:06 amHeck, take the potholders, rip out the seems and recon them into a bag or a cute skirt!
Oh, wait … that’s sewing … never mind.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:08 amUm … seams!
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:09 amKaren,
That is an excellent idea. We should organize something like that for next year. A big donation box. Drop off your potholders, bliss products, towels, dildos… whatever you don’t want, and arrange for it to be donated somewhere.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:15 amMy husband irons too. Weird world we live in…
People get very strange over free stuff. Like at Camp Jeep (which is where I was while all you lovely ladies were getting drunk in Chicago), they began throwing out stupid little foam antenna balls. You’d think they were giving out diamonds by the way the crowd reacted. Like people had 10 of them and were going back for more. WTF?
Ahem, potholders, I could use a few more, maybe your son should start a business.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:16 amI love that he threw any the old ones, how considerate!
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:35 amI make those potholders. I have even sold those potholders until I got an order to do 20 of them and got cross-eyed and nauseated. Now I only make them when I need some mental health therapy. Those looms are great for that!
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:54 amI was angered by the gym towel, personally. Are you saying I’m FAT?!
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:04 amI like to sew. Live with all boys. My youngest wanted to learn to sew - made the best quilt out of jeans and fleece. Three years later it still has a place of honor (if one exists in a 12 year olds bedroom??). I think I shall try the pot holder loam, think it can compete with video games?
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:07 amIf the BlogHer whiners aren’t careful, they’re going to wind up with a bunch of NASCAR and Bass Pro Shops goodies in their gift bags next year.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:12 amWho the heck wouldn’t want something that is FREE? Some people have issues.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:37 amYou have completely captured my feelings after last years swag bag fiasco. People. Relax. It’s just free stuff. No statement being made. Calm down.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:52 amSuburban Turmoil,
No. I think they are saying you are sweaty.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:57 amI agree one hundred percent. Of course, I was not at blogher, so am going to turn this into a story all about me:
A friend of mine just changed jobs and said she was happy to do so because the Christmas bonuses (boni?) that her old employer gave out were measley.
Um … it’s a bonus! On par with something given away free …. geez, louise, people, take these things and accept gratefully, no matter the item. If you don’t like it, take it home and recycle it or give it to someone else. But for Pete’s sake, why must people complain about free stuff????
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:08 pmSome people can’t learn to put up or shut up. Don’t want it? Don’t take it.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:22 pmI hate free stuff. No seriously, most of the things that are given out at conferences will at some point be tossed to a landfill….the same with cutesy crap in children’s party favor bags. How about enjoying a party or conference and leaving with warm memories? I get that it is a form of advertising at conferences, but geesh, enough already with the stress balls, dildos, and tee-shirts in a tube.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:36 pmThe part that astonished me about the “furor” about this is that it was Butterball that provided them. A food product that, oddly enough often gets cooked in a large (hot) pot, necessitating the need for pot holders.
You know, if say Microsoft or perhaps Federated Media was giving out the potholders, well then maybe the moaners would have had a point, because their products have nothing to do with “the kitchen.”
Some people just thrive on complaining though.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:52 pmI have a whole different issue with the free stuff. I LOVE free stuff–to a point –and I guess I don’t have to brain cells left to put the potholder into the Subversive Anti-Feminist filter. I use potholders. So does everyone I know –male or female.
But here’s my thing and I hope I don’t sound ungrateful: My husband travels to a LOT of conferences. He brings back the freebie stuff for the kids. The foam apples and the –hello–laser pointers, etc.–things that aren’t remotely kid-friendly. We have Had Words about this but he’s just unable to leave something free behind.
Which would explain why I have, no kidding, at least 50 canvas bags with advertising slogans on them.
I’ve taken to sort of, well, okay, REALLY sneakily giving stuff away as soon as it hits our doorway.
Now if we could talk to the people who put race packets together…
My kingdom for a potholder.
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:49 pmI used to have one of those looms when I was little! I made one and actually SOLD it for 5 cents to my old neighbor. (shaking head and hanging it in shame)
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:21 pmI’m actually a big fan of pot holders. And cloth napkins. I don’t really know why, but I always have been.
And nabbalicious: Nascar garb! Yessss. I think you’re on to something there!
(wink, wink.)
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:25 pmCan I just say thank goodness the bitching is about the butterball and not queer visibility? We’re improving! Next year I’m sure we’ll be complaining about notebooks and pens because obviously women are only able to take notes the old fashioned way…
August 2nd, 2007 at 3:50 pmI can’t believe you’re not posting a photo of the pot holder. Typical woman, thinking only of yourself . . .
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:00 pmdelurking to say: Did you know Klutz has a really cool book of potholder crafts you can make (Like a stuffed chicken and a purse…) Fairly “girly” but worth checking your library for….esp. if it avoids burnt fingers and possibly *gasp* spilled cookies!
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:54 pmFor the vegans, those pot holders make great puppets. Trust me, I may never see mine again because my kids have claimed it for their own puppet making scheme.
Now, if they could have given us free Spa treatments or free food and drink at Fogo de Chao, THAT would have been AWESOME!
Or, maybe a free copy of Windows Vista for all who attended…yes…
In the meantime, I’m fine with my potholder. I’m sure it will protect many a vegan hand from burning themselves on a warm dish straight from the oven. Which is what it is intended for, yes?
Shash
August 2nd, 2007 at 8:53 pmI gave it to my husband who is the real cook in my family. He loved it. Maybe those turkey people were on to something after all.
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:21 pmAs a vegetarian, I thought it would be hilarious to have a Butterball potholder, but I am trying to declutter, thus declined all swag. Except for a certain pink and shiny something I got in a very special bag…
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:39 pmI used to make those potholders and sell them door-to-door! As for the BlogHer potholders. . . I LOVED them! They were FREE, forcryingoutloud, and frankly, if it’s free, I don’t care WHAT it says on them.
Besides, they’re great potholders. You can stuff it between the layers and nobody will ever know.
Just kidding.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:05 pmSome people NEED to be offended, we decided. About something. Anything. But better than the Butterball potholder? The Butterball giant button that said “I *HEART* GIBLETS.” That rocked.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:48 pmlast year it was the weight watchers water. which was gross. mostly i think it was just the presence of weight watchers. ‘ARE YOU SAYING I AM FAT??? OF COURSE I AM, BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN, AND I MUST HAVE SOME WEIGHT ISSUES, RIGHT??’
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:15 amso sorry i missed this years hoop-lah-de-dah. hope to share in some offensive free shit with you next year.
and by the way, i am downright pissed to have missed out on that shiny pink swag.
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:16 amChris - It was lovely to meet you after hearing so much about your super-packing abilities from Mir and admiring your photos all year.
The random free stuff was way better than I get a tech conferences. How many logo pens can a girl use?
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:31 am[...] Yonder’s anniversary bash. Notes to Self’s Blogher recap Notes from the Trenches Blogher’s Swagbag recap Rancid Raves ongoing Harry Potter discussion (read at your own [...]
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:03 amI betrayed my gender by using the potholder last night.
Oh, yes I did.
But, before anyone gets all “power to women” on me, I wasn’t the one that did the actual cooking. That’s what mothers in law are for.
I like free stuff. Donate it to me and shut up.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:59 amI’ve met a few ladies who could potentially make lots and lots of homemade potholders……the silicone kind.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:38 pmOh, and I made 6 babies. Shouldn’t that absolve me from making anything else?
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:39 pmI commented that I really could have used a box of tampons. And I think that if Tampax visits next year, they should pay BOSSY to do her absorption test, complete with food dye.
I wouldn’t even mind if the Keeper was there, because I have a bone to pick with them.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:42 pmWas that what that strange square item, with the ring attached was? A pot holder?
Hmm…maybe I should try um, holding a pot. My kids might like it.
But my husband, he would be confused. He’d think I suffered an injury. He associates me with a pizza box and I think the potholder may cause him mental stress…
August 4th, 2007 at 2:54 pmAigh! I would have killed for a sewing kit.
August 4th, 2007 at 11:40 pm