Your criticism of the product in your post is “Hur hur, this is stupid”, not “This product is being marketed incorrectly”. (Also–if this is a Skymall thing–are you somehow under the impression that disabled persons do not fly? Because that’s basically what you just said.)

Also, you are aware that auto-stir devices have been in use in Serious Science Laboratories for an age, right?

Unlike you, I also know that “grey area” is not a flattering phrase – and if you don’t, you and your editor should probably have a conversation about that. Or, you know, consult a dictionary.

Furthermore, you’re the one who very clearly said that, here, let me quote your words, “[t]he EcoSalon audience, by contrast, prefers to stumble along in the beleaguered darkness of doing more than one thing at the same time…”

This quite clearly eliminates anyone from the EcoSalon audience who does NOT do this self-same stumbling.

Words have meaning. You cannot twist them around to try to serve yourself when you get called out on the fact that you used ableist language and attitudes in a post.

Yes, being cheeky helps draw blog traffic, because people will say “oh how funny and/or cute” and repost the link. But there is a big difference between being cheeky and being ableist, dismissive, and rude. This post falls very firmly into the latter category, and your attempts to back-peddle here (and @ecosalon’s similar attempts on Twitter) are not helping. When you make a mistake, own up to it. Not doing so just digs the hole deeper.

I’m not so sure you’d “look forward” to hearing my explanation or rationalization since you seem to already have me all figured out.

I don’t feel the need to dislodge anything, and if you think this post was actually personally directed at you as a statement that you aren’t “a part” of the audience, I really don’t know what to say to that.

Hammacher made a wasteful, toxic product and marketed it as a solution to home cooks who don’t want to stir. I think there’s something wasteful and silly about that. Period. If they had made the product and marketed it as something to help those who can’t stir normally, I don’t see how anyone would have a problem with it. I agreed with our “gray area” twitterer, hence the inclusion. It’s a point Hammacher should make when trying to justify this product. You’ll notice they don’t. Why not go get upset at them for leaving out those who might need their product?

As for those who have physical issues that would make stirring difficult or impossible, I agree, this tool could help. My issue is that Hammacher did not create the product for people who would genuinely need it, and isn’t marketing it as such. They are not even marketing it for professional chefs who have a lot going on in the kitchen. They are marketing it expressly for people who don’t want to stir. That seems like “solving” a problem that isn’t really a problem to me.

Also, those of us who cook more elaborate concoctions than Kraft Dinner often find ourselves wishing for a few extra hands. Perhaps someday you’ll be able to say the same.

I’m not saying I’d use this precise product, because I detest non-stick pans and don’t generally make candy, but for people whose arthritis, RSI, nervous issues, stroke affect etc don’t enable them to stir a pot easily or for long stretches, I suspect this is a godsend.

And I like how you apparently don’t considered the disabled to be a part of the Ecosalon audience. Duly noted. I’d look forward to hearing your explanation and justification of this reasoning, which will undoubtedly be something along the lines of “oh I was just trying to be funny no no we really welcome everyone er…” as you dislodge your foot from your keyboard, but as you note, I’m apparently not a part of the Ecosalon audience, so I should not be here.