#Crockpotisinnocent

"This is Us" is a very popular TV show. I get to see it because it is also broadcast on Hulu a streaming service. Hulu seems to only show NBC shows so I get to see all the Chicago shows a week later after it airs on cable.

The premise of the show is that it shows a lot of flashbacks about this family that originally had triplets and one of the kids died at birth. So they adopt a foundling that was left at a firehouse the same day. That kid is black. Of course. Just consider yourself luck that he wasn't transgender.

Anyway most of the show is flashbacks and they are different then most shows. Why? Because it shows the father who is a straight white male in a positive light. I mean he has issues. He is alcoholic and has a temper but he is still seen as a good provider and a loving and generous father. He dies when the triplets are seniors in high school and they danced around how he died all last season. The big reveal is tonight after the game on a special episode designed to get monster ratings.

Last week they sort of let the cat out of the bag. You see they had a crockpot that someone gave them seventeen years earlier and the wife used it to make chili for the game. Of course she left it plugged in and it starts a fire. It is a horrible fire and the Dad rushes around getting everyone out. They don't make it explicit but I think he goes back in the house to get the daughter's dog and dies. Which leads to her life long guilt and other issues.

The funny part is the crockpot people lost their shit. They are obviously sensitive to the fact that their product is used in a scene that kills a beloved TV character. Most people are wary of having them anyway. Who wants something plugged in and cooking overnight? Most of us are paranoid about something like that working overnight thinking of course it can cause a fire and we will burn to death in our sleep. Shit my grandmother used to unplug everything when we left the house. The TV. The lamps. Even the freaking refrigerator. So this scene plays into those fears.

The show and the Crockpot people found a cute way to address that. This promotion and the hash tag campaign is promoting the Crockpot and letting people know it is safe. I know it is. I don't know if Chip uses one but I am not a fan. It just never seems to cook things properly. I have made things in it. Chile, soups and stews. But it never seems to cook right. I often cook stuff half way and then put it in the pot. I would brown the stew meat and braise it in red wine. Maybe caramelize the onions. Then put it in the pot with raw potatoes, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Add some broth and spices. The veggies can cook over time but it never seems to work right with meat. I guess I just prefer my old fashioned banged up stew pot. I am old school when it comes to cooking.

We are not watching the moolies on the game today. The National Felons League is dead to me. Except as a subject of japes and mockery. So we are going to watch a movie. The wife wants to watch "Wonder Woman." I am holding out for Thor. Maybe we will watch both. But we will catch the Crockpot episode tomorrow on Hulu.

But know one thing.

The Crockpot is never innocent.