In the Daniels’ (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheiner) blockbuster genre-bending movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, the film rewards astute watchers for every moment in the film. Visual and narrative motifs come up again and again. Everything Everywhere feels random and is, but isn’t. This extends to the costuming and props in the film, too. And now, you can buy that one not safe for work object that cycles with the story at the A24 store.
**Spoilers for Everything Everywhere All at Once.**
In the movie, Deirdre (the IRS agent played by Jamie Lee Curtis) shows off her collection of “Auditor of the Month” awards. These awards are in the shape butt plugs and a physical manifestation of “fucking” people under the weight of bureaucracy. In the universe where we’re introduced to them, this is another layer to Evenyln (Michelle Yeoh) that she is going to continue to struggle working through her case with Deirdre. Later in the movie, anal insertion of the award moves some of the security through to their original universe, too, in one of the many epic fight scenes.
Like the hotdog fingers, you can now buy this award on the A24 store in candle form.
This is definitely the most polarizing of all the EEAAO props and merch. For one, some writers have noted that the Daniels’ obsession with anal insertion as something a part of “the absurd” is tired and veering into regressiveness. I got kinda defensive reading the W Magazine take, but also, the writer is correct that this is a common trope in their work. This doesn’t downplay the progressive politics of the story and other affirming elements, but it just dims the glow a bit overall.
The more vocal beef people have with this candle is that it’s a $60 candle they won’t use or won’t use as functionally intended. (The intended use is as a candle.) You can’t even safely use it for wax play because beeswax isn’t safe for this activity. To be fair, $20+ dollars is a fair price for a 20 oz. candle if it lessens the chances of human and environmental exploitation. Also, this is a novelty item from an “indie” darling, raising the price of this matte black prize. Even though I’ve spent a modest three figures on this website, I’m not looking to drop that much on a novelty candle right now, either. However, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a great gift for the many who love this film.
(featured image: A24)
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