“The feature is available in both front-load and top-load washers.” The sales ‘person’ beamed with a wide smile and dead eyes. It was difficult to tell what they were thinking behind those pools of high gloss or even what they were. Everything about them, their skin, their clothes, the texture of their hair, all of it radiating with almost a plastic glow or rather shine. The rest of them, including their voice, was uncomfortably ambiguous.

“That’s nice, but you haven’t explained what ...