Tupperware Brands Corporation has officially filed for bankruptcy, prompting widespread confusion on the meaning of their name as well as hilarious social media responses.
According to Fox Business, Tupperware formally motioned to begin Chapter 11 protocols in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on September 17, months after closing their last US plant.
“Whether you are a dedicated member of our Tupperware team, sell, cook with, or simply love our Tupperware products, you are a part of our Tupperware family,” president and CEO Laura Ann Goldman said 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, disoriented netizens took to social media to make one big confession – they had no idea Tupperware was a brand.
One X/Twitter user wrote: “I’m not even gonna lie, I thought Tupperware was just a broad term for food containers.”
“Child me too, it really be stuff you learn as adults that make you feel so lost, lmao,” a second agreed.
A third honestly admitted: “This whole time I just thought IT was Tupperware I didn’t know it was a brand.” This lead a slew of other users to point out how their misunderstanding, otherwise known as proprietary eponyms, is very common.
A proprietary eponym is a brand name that’s become the generic or generally used term for certain products or services.
“A lot of items have like a synonymous brand like that. Like all lip balms are Chapstick all tissues are Kleenex all ice pops are Popsicles all sodas are Coke, etc,” one woman noted.
Meanwhile, others joked about how avid plastic container users, such as “soccer moms,” will be devastated to know Tupperware filed for bankruptcy.
“Moms around the country just fell to their knees,” one person joked, while another said: “Moms will never recover from this.”
Another ordered: “Mothers and grandmothers of the world, assemble!”
“I guess you can say they’re . . . packing it up,” one person joked as another quipped: “Tough break for leftovers! Hopefully something fresh and exciting will fill that space soon.”
Some environmentally-conscious individuals argued a lot of people are now switching over from plastic to glass containers to avoid Bisphenol A (BPA). BPAs are found in “polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins,” according to Mayo Clinic.
However, since 2010, all Tupperware products sold and distributed in the US and Canada have been BPA free, per a CNN report.