What is it?

- A simple toaster, that we prefer to call a ‘Bro-star’, as it’s so full of the body-language of 21st century masculinity.

 What’s going on in semiotic terms?

- The name 'Cookworks' connotes old-fashioned industry, ‘steelworks’, ‘brickworks’
- There are connotations of The Gym, with references to ‘high lift’ and ‘extra wide’ (the toaster itself appears to have shredded abs…)
- The cooking space is a minimalist man-cave: granite, steel and nothing but an old-school juicer

Why is it culturally interesting?

- It fits with the wider ‘bro cooking’ culture of ‘beards, baristas and biceps’. (Check out the ‘ultimate chef’s knife’ ads on YT)
- It’s an extreme example of our need to ‘flex our muscles’, i.e. to connect on a physical level with everyday tasks
- Our lives have become so smooth, automated and clickable- we need to feel some literal resistance, to make us feel ok about this

Key thought: as consumers seek further engagement and psychological reassurance, our basic tasks are becoming inflated into ‘crafts’.