Bear with us, because we’re not regular viewers of The Martha Stewart Show (or, truth be told, even occasional viewers). Maybe this is some kind of running gag that her fans are in on, like the chicken dance on Arrested Development or “We were on a break!” on Friends; perhaps, by questioning it, we’re setting ourselves up for jeers and laughter from her loyal groupies (who are known, the Internet tells us, as “Stewies.” No, seriously). But there is something troubling indeed about this clip, discovered and uploaded by the good folks over at BadAss Digest, of Ms. Stewart, just hangin’ out in her TV kitchen, doing a show (like you do), while a never-acknowledged human skull sits on the stainless steel scale behind her.
Rest assured, this is not some kind of a Halloween decoration; there are no faux-cobwebs or linen-based ghosts complimenting it, and Phil Noble Jr. (the earnest poster at BadAss Digest) informs us that he watched the entire episode and there was “not one mention” of Halloween or the grinning skull. It’s just there.
Any theories? Does she just keep this around to intimidate the staff? Or was this a subtle message to some unmentioned enemy? “What’s that? You’d like to increase your commission? Hmmm. Well, let me weigh that. In the meantime, you should definitely watch the show today.”