S14.E10: Long Table; VoChill; Jicawraps; Kudos

[JTMacc99]

Quote

Gwyneth Paltrow, CEO and founder of lifestyle juggernaut Goop, makes her first appearance in the Tank as a guest Shark. First into the Tank is an entrepreneur from San Francisco who hopes the stacks are in his favor with his healthier version of a favorite breakfast indulgence. A husband-and-wife team from Austin, Texas, introduce their elevated product designed to keep your beverages crisp and cool, while entrepreneurs from New York City yearn to wrap up a deal with their low-calorie superfood alternative. Last into the Tank is an entrepreneur from Los Angeles, California, who wants to help change the world with her eco-friendly version of a baby product.   

   

Quote

The Sharks in this episode are Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner and guest Shark Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sharks-Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark, Lori, Barbara, Kevin.

1-Long Table-healthier breakfast food, pancakes, with fluffier whole grain flour made from popcorn.  They make pancake and waffle mix.  They have blue corn versions too.   Guest is David Schwimmer with samples. He did a movie with Gwyneth in the 90’s.  Barbara says the waffle texture is better than the pancake version.   I think this could be the next big thing.    Lori, Barbara and Gwyneth are out, and so is Mark.   Seller needs a social media wizard.    Kevin is out.  I wonder if this will be the next Kodiak pancake mix item?  They've done very well since their ST appearance.    I think this would be a licensing deal to one of the big companies.     However, looking at the later poster who listed the ingredients, this isn't much of a popcorn product at all.  

No deal.

2-VoChill-Keep beverages crisp and cool, it keeps wine chilled, it’s a personal wine chiller.  You freeze the top ring, and it keeps wine cool.   You can use it with wine, martinis, beer and almost anything.   On year two they sold $800k (on their website and Amazon), then anticipate $1.5 million.  They’re not profitable yet.   Kevin pitches the royalty deal.   Their Customer Acquisition Cost is way too high.  Barbara says it’s too ugly to invest in, Lori drops out, Gwyneth out, and Mark out.   Kevin is the only offer.  Seller doesn’t want a royalty deal, but wants investor to stay until they sell out to someone else. No deal with Kevin on the royalty either.

No deal.

3- Jicawraps-Low-cal superfood made of Jicama.  Jicawraps, wraps made from Jicama.  Gluten free.  Pico de Gallo , Jicama taco tortillas and wraps, Jicama fries. They lost with a previous Jicama chip, from competition. This company started in 2019, $1 million, till this year $6 million.  Manufactured in Mexico, the only place where they produce commercial Jicama.   They’re in Whole Foods, with Sysco food service, and in 700 stores.   I think this will be a huge product, and after the appearance on ST, will be very popular.   They're already in a lot of stores, so I hope they're ready for a lot more demand for their products.   

Barbara makes the deal.

4- Kudos- Eco-friendly baby product, a better version of the disposable diaper.     Why is my guess “premium” will equal expensive?   Why is she screaming?    The price is comparable to eco-friendly diapers, 20 to 25% more than conventional disposable diapers.  Mark and Gwyneth make an offer, together.   I'm wondering if this one was already for Gwyneth, and the seller was booked at her request?   

 Deal made with Mark and Gwyneth

 

 

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[DrSpaceman73]

Freaking Gwyneth Paltrow and goop....screw her. Though she was not nearly as annoying as I expected outside of 'oh I make my own jica at home' and 'oh you have not tasted jica?'   And of course you realize it's not the point you naked your own most people don't. 

I guess I'm not sure....is cotton less of a landfill problem than plastic?   It's natural of course but not like you can recycle diapers. 

 

[30 Helens]

Sometimes I wonder how the entrepreneurs feel when the sharks jump in immediately with a 2-shark package offer. What if the diaper lady wanted to partner with Gwyneth alone (she seemed like the perfect shark for this, after all) and keep the percentage she was forced into shelling out for Mark? “You get two sharks!” is always touted as the dream deal, but I think landing one well-matched shark could be better for many people.

But then again, the diaper lady was hurting my ears with all the high-pitched yelling, so I didn’t really care in this case.

I like cold wine, but those chiller things looked a little clunky. Besides, I learned from a lady in a wine store that if you wrap some damp paper towels around your bottle and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes, it does basically the same thing.

I was intrigued by the idea of popcorn flour, but I hate pancakes. Why not figure out the replacement ratio to regular flour and just market it as its own thing, rather than only in a pancake/ waffle mix?

[NoThyme]

The Popcorn pancakes contain very little popcorn flour!

Ingredients: Organic Oat Flour, Organic Wheat Flour (Wheat), Almond Meal, Cane Sugar, Non-GMO Aluminum-Free Baking Powder (Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Non-GMO Cornstarch), Non-GMO Popcorn Flour, Organic Corn Meal, Poppy Seeds, Sea Salt

Allergens: Contains Almonds, Wheat 

[tired and hungry]

Uptil the last pitch, I don't think Gwen was planning on ever going to invest in any of the deals. Seemed like she was just there for the publicity as an "entrepreneur".

Diaper lady was so loud I had to turn down my volume.

And lastly, of course they just had to pair another shark with the guest shark to make a offer/deal. They clearly never let the guest shark make a deal on their own(there may be just single guest shark deals in the past that I dont remember). Mostly the guest sharks just end up partnering with Mark or Lori for a deal whenever they are on.

I do not understand! Is it a just show thing? Are they trying to portray the guest shark does not have enough experience to invest on their own and that they can only be successful with Mark or Lori's additional help? Or is it that they don't want the guest shark to invest and make millions on their own and leave the OG sharks in the dust?  Just let them invest on their own sometimes!! 

Edit: I remembered that Emma has made some solo deals in the past.... 

Edited January 7, 2023 by tired and hungry
added a note and corrected spelling

[Shellie]

15 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Though she was not nearly as annoying as I expected outside of 'oh I make my own jica at home' and 'oh you have not tasted jica?'   

 

That was my thought . . . I expected to find her a lot more annoying, but at least with what they showed, she was OK for the most part.

[DrSpaceman73]

4 hours ago, tired and hungry said:

Uptil the last pitch, I don't think Gwen was planning on ever going to invest in any of the deals. Seemed like she was just there for the publicity as an "entrepreneur".

Diaper lady was so loud I had to turn down my volume.

And lastly, of course they just had to pair another shark with the guest shark to make a offer/deal. They clearly never let the guest shark make a deal on their own(there may be just single guest shark deals in the past that I dont remember). Mostly the guest sharks just end up partnering with Mark or Lori for a deal whenever they are on.

I do not understand! Is it a just show thing? Are they trying to portray the guest shark does not have enough experience to invest on their own and that they can only be successful with Mark or Lori's additional help? Or is it that they don't want the guest shark to invest and make millions on their own and leave the OG sharks in the dust?  Just let them invest on their own sometimes!! 

Edit: I remembered that Emma has made some solo deals in the past.... 

I think they brought in Gwyneth specially for the last deal. 

I think they did tge same thing earlier in the season or before with Kevin hart. They see products and celebrity investors pairings and bring them in specifically for a particular product. 

I hope Gwyneth won't be back. 

Also it bugged me when David Schwimmer said he snd Gwyneth Paltrow were in a movie together and didn't name it.....I had to look it up couldn't recall.  The Pallbearer.  Never seen it

[30 Helens]

1 hour ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

The Pallbearer.  Never seen it

Few people did.

[eel21788]

On 1/7/2023 at 7:09 AM, tired and hungry said:

Uptil the last pitch, I don't think Gwen was planning on ever going to invest in any of the deals. Seemed like she was just there for the publicity as an "entrepreneur". 

I think you're totally correct as to why she was there. All 4 of these products seemed as though they should have been of interest to her and her "lifestyle brand."

I don't think she would have made an offer on the last deal either. It was Mark's idea to bring her in, and she looked a little uncomfortable as though she had hoped to find a way to worm out of it.

Nothing in her I'm the Greatest Actor-Cum-Entrepeneur Ever segment endeared me to thinking she would make a good investor for anyone or anything. Her "business" sounds more like a year-round knockoff of Oprah's Favorite Things with the idea that "people will buy other people's stuff that I'm endorsing in exchange for picking up some of their equity because my Hollywood pedigree makes anything I try to sell irresistible to the masses*."

Hopefully, her reluctance to make any deals as well as her offering little in the way of advice will be the death knell for her ever being invited back. 

ETA:* I probably should have said "unwashed masses" or "feeble minded."

Edited January 10, 2023 by eel21788

[eel21788]

22 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Long Table-healthier breakfast food, pancakes, with fluffier whole grain flour made from popcorn.

I wish the acrobatics and David Schwimmer had been left on the cutting room floor. Neither of them being there had anything to do with the product, and I had a whole lot of question about the actual product that never got answered.  

[Shellie]

23 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Barbara says it’s too ugly to invest in

 

I also wanted to mention how rude I thought this was. Barbara can make the nastiest comments that really are uncalled for.

[EXEAL]

Paltrow might have been brought on to tout her as an entrepreneur, but I think she was mostly there to promote her company. The profile they did of her was an infomercial for her company, goop. Shark Tank gets a famous name and the famous name gets free advertising. Win-win.
When Meghan and Harry did the Oprah interview, they made a point of saying M&H were not being paid for the interview but during the interview they talked about and promoted M&H's website. That was a payment of sorts. Again, win-win. 
 

[eel21788]

6 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

The Pallbearer.  Never seen it 

5 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Few people did.

If the title of the movie is telling me that it is about a funeral, I have zero interest in watching it even if you let me into the theatre for free.

[DrSpaceman73]

24 minutes ago, Shellie said:

I also wanted to mention how rude I thought this was. Barbara can make the nastiest comments that really are uncalled for.

She really is awful. She's worse than Mr wonderful. He can very blunt in his advice but not rude like her. Can't stand her. 

[eel21788]

17 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

I like cold wine, but those chiller things looked a little clunky. Besides, I learned from a lady in a wine store that if you wrap some damp paper towels around your bottle and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes, it does basically the same thing.

This presentation totally confused me, but then again, I don't drink.

Were they selling 2 different devices, one for white wine and one for red wine, or was it one device that somehow knew to chill white and red to different temperatures?

Didn't the Squarekeg Mini Keg guy from 4 episodes ago tell us the red wine was served at room temperature? Wasn't the reason he was trying to add argon to the cartridges so that you could keep it out for a few weeks at a time without it going rancid and draw one glass at a time at room temperature?

At $50 at unit, I can't see people buying enough of them to use at a dinner party or any other larger gathering. After all, we've just spent $300 on Boardererie Cheese and Charcuterie. Now we have to increase the cost of a glass of wine by $50 per person? How much disposable income do these people think we have?

If it's going to be just you or you and your spouse, why do you need it anyway? If you didn't think ahead to chill a bottle of wine, did you think ahead to put their thingies in the freezer? Are you so desperate to have a glass of wine instantaneously at the perfect chill temperature that you can't wait 10 minutes and use the method someone else suggested above? What does that really say about your drinking habits? 

Color me confused. Then again, I'm not sure I actually need answers because it is nothing I'm ever going to use. As for non-alcoholic drinks, I have no problem with using ice cubes, and this is coming from someone who doesn't have an automatic ice maker.

At least, we weren't treated the sob story about how much they had overleveraged all their finances to have sold 16000 units without making a profit until after they left the tank. That was one small favor.

[seacliffsal]

This episode just felt flat to me.  Gwyneth may be a superstar and super rich, but she didn't really add anything and never seemed really excited about any product.  Until Mark brought her in on the diapers she didn't make any offers or express any interest in the products.  

And I agree with all of the comments about the yelling of the final presenter.  They should have lowered the volume on her mic or something.  

[eel21788]

On 1/6/2023 at 7:01 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Jicawraps-Low-cal superfood made of Jicama. 

I hate jicama, so I thought a better name for their product would be Jiwacraps. I guess they could make in even more elegant with Jiwacrepes.

I was very unclear about the shelf-life of their product. She said it was good for 19 days, but is that 19 days from harvest to consumption, 19 days from packaging to store shelves or were they only talking about 19 days shelf stable, and it can l last longer if it's refrigerated?

Whichever scenario, I think they should sell smaller packages to keep it from spoiling before you can finish the package. They could probably even keep their price point at $5 if they were selling half as much just because people who shop at Whole Foods are always willing to pay higher prices for everything.

Edited January 8, 2023 by eel21788

[CrazyInAlabama]

14 hours ago, eel21788 said:

Were they selling 2 different devices, one for white wine and one for red wine, or was it one device that somehow knew to chill white and red to different temperatures?

Didn't the Squarekeg Mini Keg guy from 4 episodes ago tell us the red wine was served at room temperature? Wasn't the reason he was trying to add argon to the cartridges so that you could keep it out for a few weeks at a time without it going rancid and draw one glass at a time at room temperature?

At $50 at unit, I can't see people buying enough of them to use at a dinner party or any other larger gathering. After all, we've just spent $300 on Boardererie Cheese and Charcuterie. Now we have to increase the cost of a glass of wine by $50 per person? How much disposable income do these people think we have?

At least, we weren't treated the sob story about how much they had overleveraged all their finances to have sold 16000 units without making a profit until after they left the tank. That was one small favor.

You use the same device for white and red wine, since I don't drink I have zero clue how that works.   As Mr. Wonderful said, people didn't used to chill red wines, I still don't know exactly why either. 

Don't be cheap!   Just take out a loan, buy everyone at your party wine chillers, and Boarderie boards, and don't worry about losing every penny you have, because apparently impressing people with how much you spend is more important than not going broke.  I guess they think the ST audience is as rich as the sharks are.       I could build a charcuterie board for well less than half what these cost, and if you really want to spend more, get the deli platters and get the same thing.  

I couldn't believe the failed deal pitchers claiming that they will keep going ahead.    Ridiculous on their part.   

Barbara frequently says rude remarks.   

Edited January 8, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[eel21788]

On 1/6/2023 at 7:18 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

I guess I'm not sure....is cotton less of a landfill problem than plastic?   It's natural of course but not like you can recycle diapers. 

Back in the old days, we used to wash and reuse cotton diapers if you want to call that recycling.

There is a reason that we have nearly abandoned using cotton diapers.

They are nowhere near as absorbent as the diapers with the gel fillers, which means they don't hold anywhere near as much liquid and need to be changed more frequently (read: increased cost). I'm also pretty certain that her diapers wouldn't include the elastic woven in that improves the fit and helps keep anything for "escaping" the confines of the diaper.

Not changing them frequently enough leads to diaper rash, which had once been a rite of passage for all babies but has now been nearly eradicated completely by the "lock in moisture" fillers in the brand name and lesser used disposables. She mentioned the cost for a subscription for a month's worth of her diapers but didn't tell us exactly how many you'd receive. An average month for brand name would be around 270. If hers are less absorbent that number needs to be a lot higher.

I don't remember the last time I saw a disposable diaper with a plastic outer layer. Even the supercheap generic ones I use in my litter box have the "cloth-like" exterior touted in the commercials for the name brands. I don't know that I would put a human baby in the generic diapers, but they work just fine for litter box liners. I know I definitely wouldn't put a human baby in a diaper that cost more and needed to be changed more frequently just because it was made from cotton for the final reason below. (If she's charging $78 a week for 270 diapers a month that is $1.16 per diaper; the generic brand I use for Agent DiNozzo's litter box are $0.16 per diaper)

Changing to cotton may allow them to biodegrade in a landfill eventually; however, it still shouldn't be thought of as environmentally friendly. The water, chemicals (I don't think she mentioned organic cotton; I know she didn't specify unbleached cotton), labor, harvesting and processing of cotton all has its toll on the environment as well.

She should be taking her engineering background and coming up with a way for municipalities to mass-compost the disposable diapers we're currently using instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.

[30 Helens]

1 hour ago, eel21788 said:

Back in the old days, we used to wash and reuse cotton diapers if you want to call that recycling.

There is a reason that we have nearly abandoned using cotton diapers.

They are nowhere near as absorbent as the diapers with the gel fillers, which means they don't hold anywhere near as much liquid and need to be changed more frequently (read: increased cost). I'm also pretty certain that her diapers wouldn't include the elastic woven in that improves the fit and helps keep anything for "escaping" the confines of the diaper.

Not changing them frequently enough leads to diaper rash, which had once been a rite of passage for all babies but has now been nearly eradicated completely by the "lock in moisture" fillers in the brand name and lesser used disposables. She mentioned the cost for a subscription for a month's worth of her diapers but didn't tell us exactly how many you'd receive. An average month for brand name would be around 270. If hers are less absorbent that number needs to be a lot higher.

I don't remember the last time I saw a disposable diaper with a plastic outer layer. Even the supercheap generic ones I use in my litter box have the "cloth-like" exterior touted in the commercials for the name brands. I don't know that I would put a human baby in the generic diapers, but they work just fine for litter box liners. I know I definitely wouldn't put a human baby in a diaper that cost more and needed to be changed more frequently just because it was made from cotton for the final reason below. (If she's charging $78 a week for 270 diapers a month that is $1.16 per diaper; the generic brand I use for Agent DiNozzo's litter box are $0.16 per diaper)

Changing to cotton may allow them to biodegrade in a landfill eventually; however, it still shouldn't be thought of as environmentally friendly. The water, chemicals (I don't think she mentioned organic cotton; I know she didn't specify unbleached cotton), labor, harvesting and processing of cotton all has its toll on the environment as well.

She should be taking her engineering background and coming up with a way for municipalities to mass-compost the disposable diapers we're currently using instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.

I’m sure you made many excellent points here, but I got stuck at the idea of using diapers in a cat litter box, which I think is genius. Maybe you should go on Shark Tank, with a big rectangular diaper designed to cover the bottom of a litter pan. Feliapers!

I agree that Gwyneth was there just to promote her own brand. I don’t begrudge her this, since they certainly pitched it as part of the invitation. But I also agree that she added nothing to the show, and doesn’t need to return any time soon.

[eel21788]

34 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

I’m sure you made many excellent points here, but I got stuck at the idea of using diapers in a cat litter box, which I think is genius. Maybe you should go on Shark Tank, with a big rectangular diaper designed to cover the bottom of a litter pan. Feliapers!

Actually, I stole the idea from a product call Feliners. I'm betting there is already someone who holds the patent.

They went out of business, and I couldn't find anything that came even close to their product. Thus, I make my own by putting a generic cat box liner in the box, using duct tape to secure 2 size 4 disposable diapers side by side flat across the bottom of the box then covering it with enough clay litter that the padding from the diapers is no longer visible. My litter lasts much longer leading to needing to completely change out the box much less frequently. 

[bilgistic]

There are currently cloth diapers that one uses with a companion leak-proof outer removable layer/bloomer. They've been around for years. How I know this despite having no kids is a mystery.

[TM101]

On 1/7/2023 at 5:54 AM, NoThyme said:

The Popcorn pancakes contain very little popcorn flour!

Ingredients: Organic Oat Flour, Organic Wheat Flour (Wheat), Almond Meal, Cane Sugar, Non-GMO Aluminum-Free Baking Powder (Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Non-GMO Cornstarch), Non-GMO Popcorn Flour, Organic Corn Meal, Poppy Seeds, Sea Salt

Allergens: Contains Almonds, Wheat 

So basically similar to the marketing ploy of Cauliflower products.

”Omg there’s frozen cauliflower pizza! I am going to be so healthy! It has all the same ingredients of regular frozen pizza but it has cauliflower too!”

[TM101]

- Long Table presentation was ridiculously cringey along with Ross there for theatrics. If he loves the product and the mission so much he can’t fork up $140K to be an investor? $11 for pancake mix is also ridiculous. And I thought $7-$8 for protein mix was high..I also have no idea or ever heard of “popcorn flour”. I would assume more consumers would associate popcorn as being “unhealthy”.

- Paltrow provides nothing and is annoying to listen to. She also doesn’t sound very intelligent, at all. Cool, she’s a rich women from acting.

- I agreed with Mark being wow at the sales of the Jica products. Never heard of this before to be honest.

- Agreed with Barbara on the wine product. It was ugly. You’re not going to have guests over and pass around that product. Throw the bottle in the fridge for a little.

Pretty lame episode. The highlight was probably Lori’s dress.

Edited January 8, 2023 by TM101

[bilgistic]

I told my boyfriend that Lori was wearing a Count Chocula dress.

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, bilgistic said:

I told my boyfriend that Lori was wearing a Count Chocula dress.

Did you see her boobs practically get forcibly ejected through the coin slot on the front when she bent over to eat her pancakes?

[KaveDweller]

On 1/7/2023 at 9:09 AM, tired and hungry said:

Uptil the last pitch, I don't think Gwen was planning on ever going to invest in any of the deals. Seemed like she was just there for the publicity as an "entrepreneur".

Yeah, I don't she think had any interest in investing, and only even inv. Most of those products seemed in line with her brand and she showed no signs of jumping in. I don't think she would have made an offer on that last one if Mark hadn't put her on the spot.

I did laugh when they showed her asking the other Sharks if they liked each other and Lori said "no, we all hate each other." And Gweneyth didn't know whether or not to believe her.

22 hours ago, eel21788 said:

I wish the acrobatics and David Schwimmer had been left on the cutting room floor. Neither of them being there had anything to do with the product, and I had a whole lot of question about the actual product that never got answered.  

The acrobatics was actually distracting. You could see the Sharks were watching her when the guy started his pitch and not listening. Then David Schwimmer was distracting too. Like, cool that a celebrity likes your product, but unless he has signed on to endorse in your commercials, it's not really relevant. And he admitted he's friends with them so who knows if he really thinks it is that good.

21 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

She really is awful. She's worse than Mr wonderful. He can very blunt in his advice but not rude like her. Can't stand her. 

Kevin is blunt, but he usually doesn't make personal comments like "it's ugly" or "I just don't like you." He'll say, "the product is a loser," but he doesn't really seem to care what a product looks like or the entrepreneur's personality. He cares about sales and if he thinks he can make money. Barbara often makes personal comments unnecessarily.

[seacliffsal]

Just another quick thought-all of the Friends actors made millions during the first run and continue to earn millions from royalties, so if the product is really good, Ross (I know that's not his real name) could easily have invested.  Additionally, he can just stop with the "my poor theatre suffered during Covid" as, again, he continues to make millions from reruns. I just checked a couple of sources and both stated that each Friends actor makes about $20 million a year from residuals.  

[Madding crowd]

David doesn’t personally own Lookinglass Theater although he has been involved since his college days. It is a non profit theater that also provides classes and camps for children and gives local artist a chance to be heard. All theaters suffered because of Covid so I didn’t have a problem with him bringing it up. 

I thought the wine things were ugly and you would have to buy a bunch of them if you wanted to use them with friends or at a party. Lately none of the Shark Tank products have been interesting to me.
 

 

[seacliffsal]

1 hour ago, Madding crowd said:

David doesn’t personally own Lookinglass Theater although he has been involved since his college days. It is a non profit theater that also provides classes and camps for children and gives local artist a chance to be heard. All theaters suffered because of Covid so I didn’t have a problem with him bringing it up. 

I understand that not only theaters but basically the majority of small businesses (and probably large businesses) suffered during Covid, but he actually has the wealth to have made a difference for the theater with which he is involved as well as others (IMO).

[bilgistic]

I love how Gwyneth pretended like she didn't know what aerial silks (the "acrobatics") are. There are classes for learning how to use them in my medium-sized city.

 

[Tango64]

On 1/7/2023 at 5:54 AM, NoThyme said:

The Popcorn pancakes contain very little popcorn flour!

Ingredients: Organic Oat Flour, Organic Wheat Flour (Wheat), Almond Meal, Cane Sugar, Non-GMO Aluminum-Free Baking Powder (Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Non-GMO Cornstarch), Non-GMO Popcorn Flour, Organic Corn Meal, Poppy Seeds, Sea Salt

Allergens: Contains Almonds, Wheat 

So more sugar (and baking powder!) than popcorn flour. What a scam. 

 

[eel21788]

20 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I did laugh when they showed her asking the other Sharks if they liked each other and Lori said "no, we all hate each other." And Gweneyth didn't know whether or not to believe her.

If I'm remembering it right, she said, "No, I hate them all."

If so, she at least wasn't trying to speak for the others the way she does for the businesses she invests in. If she's given you money, she thinks she can bully you.

[eel21788]

17 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

Just another quick thought-all of the Friends actors made millions during the first run and continue to earn millions from royalties, so if the product is really good, Ross (I know that's not his real name) could easily have invested. 

I doubt he would be able to give them any mentorship though. If I'm remembering it right, their sales were pretty dismal, and I don't think the big celeb trying to hawk it at grocery store demos would achieve much.

However, that is not to say he could have said "I'll give you the money to hire a business consultant" for whatever they were offering in equity.

On the other hand, the adage "Never Do Business With Friends (no pun intended)" exists for a reason.

[eel21788]

On 1/7/2023 at 3:54 AM, NoThyme said:

The Popcorn pancakes contain very little popcorn flour!

Ingredients: Organic Oat Flour, Organic Wheat Flour (Wheat), Almond Meal, Cane Sugar, Non-GMO Aluminum-Free Baking Powder (Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Non-GMO Cornstarch), Non-GMO Popcorn Flour, Organic Corn Meal, Poppy Seeds, Sea Salt

Allergens: Contains Almonds, Wheat 

I was surprised that he never said gluten free. Now I know why.

You'd think that he could have found something to use in place of the wheat flour, and then he would be able to get his gluten free designation.

The gluten free people are the ones who I would think would be the most interested in this.

[eel21788]

3 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I love how Gwyneth pretended like she didn't know what aerial silks (the "acrobatics") are. There are classes for learning how to use them in my medium-sized city.

 

It's also used in a lot of yoga classes.

Maybe she hasn't taken her children circus in the last 20 years. That must be the nanny's job.

Edited January 9, 2023 by eel21788

[jcbrown]

On 1/8/2023 at 3:38 PM, KaveDweller said:

Barbara often makes personal comments unnecessarily.

Barbara lost me when the product was something for offices (maybe modular cubicles?) and she made some comment about how she designs these beautiful spaces for her businesses and then her employees (and she said that word with a tone of mild disgust) bring in their personal tchotchkes and photos (dripping disgust) and clutter up her beautiful minimalism. It was a very "let them eat cake" moment for me and I've despised her ever since.

[KaveDweller]

11 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I understand that not only theaters but basically the majority of small businesses (and probably large businesses) suffered during Covid, but he actually has the wealth to have made a difference for the theater with which he is involved as well as others (IMO).

Maybe he has helped and that's why the theater didn't totally close down like lots of others during Covid?

But I agree with the point that it would make a much bigger statement if he was an actual investor in the product. He is mega-rich and gets money every time Friends reruns air (which is like 10 times a day), so he could easily afford a small loss. Having a celeb talk about how they like your product but haven't invested actually is more of a negative than a positive.

[30 Helens]

On 1/8/2023 at 12:26 PM, TM101 said:

So basically similar to the marketing ploy of Cauliflower products.

”Omg there’s frozen cauliflower pizza! I am going to be so healthy! It has all the same ingredients of regular frozen pizza but it has cauliflower too!”

The primary market for cauliflower based products— including cauliflower crust pizza— is people who can’t eat gluten, or people who have fallen into the mindset that gluten is unhealthy (it’s not, unless you can’t eat it for specific medical reasons). I love pizza, but I can’t eat gluten, so I appreciate things like cauliflower crust pizza. But I am not so deluded to think it’s healthy. 

8 hours ago, eel21788 said:

You'd think that he could have found something to use in place of the wheat flour, and then he would be able to get his gluten free designation.

The gluten free people are the ones who I would think would be the most interested in this.

And I was one of them. There are many varieties of non-wheat flour, some better than others, and I was intrigued by the idea of using popcorn. But I’m guessing it doesn’t hold up well on its own, since so many other ingredients were added to build substance. I mean… there is more sugar and baking powder in that bag than popcorn? No thanks, even if I didn’t have the wheat issue. This one was definitely a marketing gimmick.

2 hours ago, jcbrown said:

Barbara lost me when the product was something for offices (maybe modular cubicles?) and she made some comment about how she designs these beautiful spaces for her businesses and then her employees (and she said that word with a tone of mild disgust) bring in their personal tchotchkes and photos (dripping disgust) and clutter up her beautiful minimalism. It was a very "let them eat cake" moment for me and I've despised her ever since.

I remember this, and I was equally appalled. I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t encourage their employees to decorate their desk/ cubicle with personal items, unless you want to crush their sprits and stifle their individuality. Barbara’s workplace sounds like a hoot.

[aemom]

On 1/7/2023 at 9:03 PM, eel21788 said:

At $50 at unit, I can't see people buying enough of them to use at a dinner party or any other larger gathering. After all, we've just spent $300 on Boardererie Cheese and Charcuterie. Now we have to increase the cost of a glass of wine by $50 per person? How much disposable income do these people think we have?

This made me laugh really hard!

 

On 1/8/2023 at 1:33 PM, TM101 said:

- Long Table presentation was ridiculously cringey along with Ross there for theatrics. If he loves the product and the mission so much he can’t fork up $140K to be an investor?

I also thought that it was very interesting that he was willing to come on the show, said that he makes the pancakes every weekend at home, but had not invested a single dime into the company.  The pitcher said that he needed help with social media - Schwimmer couldn't at least help him with that?  The whole thing was a little strange.

 

On 1/8/2023 at 6:38 PM, KaveDweller said:

Yeah, I don't she think had any interest in investing, and only even inv. Most of those products seemed in line with her brand and she showed no signs of jumping in. I don't think she would have made an offer on that last one if Mark hadn't put her on the spot.

I do wonder if the deal did/will actually go through with her or not?

Edited January 10, 2023 by aemom
Typos, because spelling is important to me

[eel21788]

13 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

There are many varieties of non-wheat flour, some better than others, and I was intrigued by the idea of using popcorn. But I’m guessing it doesn’t hold up well on its own, since so many other ingredients were added to build substance. I mean… there is more sugar and baking powder in that bag than popcorn? No thanks, even if I didn’t have the wheat issue. This one was definitely a marketing gimmick.

One of my questions that was never brought up (at least during the small portion of the presentation that we were allowed to see) was did their flour come from grinding the dried kernels from a variety of corn that is grown to make popcorn or did they pop the popcorn, then try to grind it up into flour?

If it's the latter, it would explain why there is so little of it in their product. If you get popped popcorn wet with anything with a lower viscosity than melted butter, the kernels simply shrivel up and disintegrate leaving nothing left but the desiccated husk (I once tried to use popcorn as croutons in soup; it doesn't work). You couldn't make a batter with it without your flour dissolving into nothingness when the liquid (which I'm assuming is water since no other liquid is listed in their ingredients) is added, thus the need for the oat and wheat flours to make an actual batter.

If it's the former, grinding up unpopped, dried kernels isn't going to be any different than any other kind of cornmeal, so were back to nothing is really unique about their product other than it is the only waffle batter endorsed by David Schwimmer (which is probably not a huge selling point for most of the consumer market).

 

[eel21788]

14 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

The primary market for cauliflower based products— including cauliflower crust pizza— is people who can’t eat gluten, or people who have fallen into the mindset that gluten is unhealthy (it’s not, unless you can’t eat it for specific medical reasons). I love pizza, but I can’t eat gluten, so I appreciate things like cauliflower crust pizza. But I am not so deluded to think it’s healthy. 

Do you like cauliflower crust pizza? I know someone who has celiac, and she says that cauliflower crusts taste nothing like real pizza crusts. To quote her, "it tastes like wet cauliflower with pizza toppings." Maybe it was just the brand she tried.

[eel21788]

On 1/8/2023 at 10:58 AM, bilgistic said:

There are currently cloth diapers that one uses with a companion leak-proof outer removable layer/bloomer. They've been around for years. How I know this despite having no kids is a mystery.

These have been around since at least the 1980s. Either you're going to be washing all your diapers and the covers at home, or you're going to have to subscribe to a diaper service for the diapers and wash the covers yourself.

cost for 1 month of her diapers with subscription (higher if you don't pay for 1 month at a time): $312

cost of 1 month of other disposable diapers (I know this doesn't include generic; I'm paying $5 for a bag of 32): $150-$275

cost of 1 month of diaper service: $199-$256 (plus all my non-monetary objections to cloth diapers above)

https://www.greendiaperbabies.com/does-cloth-diapering-with-a-service-cost-more/

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by eel21788

[30 Helens]

1 hour ago, eel21788 said:

Do you like cauliflower crust pizza? I know someone who has celiac, and she says that cauliflower crusts taste nothing like real pizza crusts. To quote her, "it tastes like wet cauliflower with pizza toppings." Maybe it was just the brand she tried.

The one I like is Kirkland brand (sold at Costco, obviously), and it’s supreme style. I find the crust crunchy and delicious. It doesn’t taste like flour, but it’s good as its own thing. Tell your friend to also try Sabatasso’s Gluten Free 4-cheese pizza— it’s flour based, not cauliflower, but indistinguishable from wheat IMO. That one shows up at Costco often, but it’s not exclusive to them. These are pretty much the only GF pizzas I will eat because I agree, most of them are trash.

[CrazyInAlabama]

21 hours ago, jcbrown said:

Barbara lost me when the product was something for offices (maybe modular cubicles?) and she made some comment about how she designs these beautiful spaces for her businesses and then her employees (and she said that word with a tone of mild disgust) bring in their personal tchotchkes and photos (dripping disgust) and clutter up her beautiful minimalism. It was a very "let them eat cake" moment for me and I've despised her ever since.

I believe she sold out a long time ago.     She's always making tone deaf remarks.     

[seacliffsal]

I was appalled during either the first or second season when she told a presenter (of a b-b-q rub or sauce that wanted to open a restaurant) that he looked like a pig (his face) and if she invested he had to dress up like one at the opening.  I am always amazed that not only do they keep her on the show (if the male sharks said half of the things that she does I think they would be long gone) but they keep her comments in the final editing (all of her 'I don't like your face' comments are usually directed towards men).

[aemom]

37 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I was appalled during either the first or second season when she told a presenter (of a b-b-q rub or sauce that wanted to open a restaurant) that he looked like a pig (his face) and if she invested he had to dress up like one at the opening.  I am always amazed that not only do they keep her on the show (if the male sharks said half of the things that she does I think they would be long gone) but they keep her comments in the final editing (all of her 'I don't like your face' comments are usually directed towards men).

I also recall several times when there was a male presenter who was shirtless (typically for some sort of exercise or nutritional product) and she made rather lewd remarks.  It was never ok when men drooled over women, and the reverse is not ok and should never be acceptable either.

[eel21788]

4 hours ago, aemom said:

I also recall several times when there was a male presenter who was shirtless (typically for some sort of exercise or nutritional product) and she made rather lewd remarks.  It was never ok when men drooled over women, and the reverse is not ok and should never be acceptable either.

If I recall correctly, it was something to the effect of "can I get my husband's head on your body?"

The presenter should have been pretty offended by that, but her husband should have been ever more offended.

[Lurk]

On 1/10/2023 at 1:46 PM, eel21788 said:

Do you like cauliflower crust pizza? I know someone who has celiac, and she says that cauliflower crusts taste nothing like real pizza crusts. To quote her, "it tastes like wet cauliflower with pizza toppings." Maybe it was just the brand she tried.

I understand that people who have celiac would need alternatives to mimic certain foods. I know that the keto crowd goes for the "califlower" movement.

I can't call a pizza made with cauliflower for the crust a pizza. It's a pizza inspired baked cauliflower. Just like "riced" cauliflower or "mashed" cauliflower. It's not rice or mashed potatoes. I'd prefer to just have my cauliflower as florets as a side to some meatballs in marinara sauce. I have made a spaghetti inspired dish using spiral cut zucchini and crookneck squash.

Using ground popcorn (or ground popcorn kernals) as an alternative to wheat is interesting. But as someone pointed out, ground popcorn would just melt.