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Why This Is Us Fans Are Turning On Their Crock-Pots

Elizabeth Buxton
January 25, 2018, 4:20 PM
Whether you're a mind, body, heart, and soul devotee of NBC's This Is Us or just a loyal Crock-pot user, recent fictional events have shaken the internet to its core. On Tuesday, the show known for tugging relentlessly at America's heartstrings finally revealed how leading man Jack Pearson, played by Milo Ventimiglia, met his untimely demise all those years ago. (This Is Us spoilers ahead!) And as it turns out, it was at the hand faulty switch of a trusted Crock-Pot. He didn't die in a tragic car crash or a robbery scuffle defending his kin, instead we are left to think it was a fire started by the trusty kitchen gadget beloved for its ability to meal prep while consumers are at work or, in this case, overnight.
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While we were certainly shocked over Jack's chosen fate, what was even more shocking was the public's reaction — not towards the show, but against Crock-Pot. Yes, a fictional character in a fictional show died because of a fictional 20-year-old crockpot — and yet, the internet is out for blood. If you thought Pittsburgh Steeler's fans were ferocious, you clearly haven't come up against a This Is Us fan (which, coincidentally, also takes place in Pittsburgh):
But not all Tweeters went for the throat of the set-it-and-forget-it company — a few threw in some welcomed, meme-worthy jabs:
The show's creator, Dan Fogelman, even weighed in with the below Tweet — essentially urging fans to get a grip on reality (because this is, after all, a TV show):
And as for Crock-Pot, we reached out for comment and a spokesperson told Refinery29 the following (which tbh, pulls at our heartstrings more than anything):
"Crock-Pot understands the concerns brought up by last night’s episode of ‘This Is Us,’ and we too are heartbroken by the latest development in Jack’s storyline. However, it is important that our consumers understand and have confidence that all Crock-Pot slow cookers exceed all internal testing protocols and all applicable industry safety standards and regulations as verified by independent third-party testing labs. For nearly 50 years, with over 100 million Crock-Pots sold, we have never received any consumer complaints similar to the fictional events portrayed in last night’s episode. In fact, the safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible.
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"In addition, and most relevant to the concerns consumers are having after watching the recent ‘This Is Us’ episode, our Crock-Pot slow cookers are low current, low wattage (typically no more than 200 or 300 watts) appliances with self-regulating, heating elements. The product is designed to cook foods over a longer period of time at low temperatures and the switches connect to only 1 side of the power line voltage, so there is never a high voltage applied directly across our switches. The switches within our slow cookers are subjected to additional internal testing, which includes a Rotary Knob Endurance test, Rotary Knob Force Test and Flame Burning Test and constructed of self-extinguishing, flame resistant material.
"Our hope is that the team at NBC’s ‘This Is Us’ will help us spread factual information regarding our product’s safety. While we know their primary mission is to entertain – something they have continued to excel in – we also feel they have a responsibility to inform. Just like many fans, we will be watching next week’s episode to see how Jack’s story progresses and, regardless of the outcome, we want consumers first and foremost to know they are safe when using their Crock-Pot.”
If this week's dramatic turn of (real life) events started because This Is Us finally showed fans how Jack dies, we can only imagine what will happen after next week's episode.
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