The Art of Inventing Still Lives On
They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but I think the real mother of invention is rampant commercialization. I don’t mean “commercialization” in the sense of attributing monetary value to anything and everything, but rather the unchecked spread of television commercials. I think people these days pretty much think, “If I can only get on a TV commercial, I’ll sell like gangbusters!” And then they go on to think of some sort of product that their commercial can feature.
If you don’t believe me, just have a look at this product: The Snuggie.Â
No, it’s not a device to yank your underwear up into your crack. It’s a blanket…WITH SLEEVES! I can picture the inventor sitting there thinking, “I’m cold, and I’m lazy. If only I didn’t have to remove this blanket from my arms to answer the phone or read or knit or cuddle. Curse you, traditional blanket! Curse you and your inflexible warming method!”Â
But then one day, the lightning of genius strikes this person. Getting out of the shower, he mistakenly puts his bathrobe on backwards and… “ZOWIE! Somebody get me a TV commercial!”
(Thanks to Krista for pointing this out to me before it showed up on my Hotmail.)
November 17th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
So wait, did Krista point it out to you because she wants one for Christmas?
November 18th, 2008 at 8:44 am
I saw this product on TV a while back and my immediate thought was something like this:
And new from the makers of “Snuggie”, it’s the more compact personal warming system that’s great for wearing wherever you go: it’s “Sweater”! Just slide the cold-repelling, wool-blend cover (patent pending) over your head using the conveniently placed “neckhole” (patent pending) and place your arms into the sleeves using our patent pending, one step “easymotion” technology for a perfect fit every time! And yes, it even covers your back! Wear it anywhere: to church, the supermarket, the office, even camping (patent pending)!
And coming soon from the makers of Snuggie and Sweater: it’s Light Jacket! Watch for it in stores!
November 18th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Also, my favorite part of the ad is the old guy sitting in his recliner. He looks the Archbishop of Canterbury watching reruns of “Night Court” on Nickelodeon.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Atticusser, it’s a well known fact that the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury only watches reruns of NYPD Blue (he’s a HUGE Sipowicz fan). And this old geezer looks more like a Gregorian monk anyway.
Also, I love that “Cuddle” (for some reason it’s not “cuddling” or “while cuddling”) is one of the many uses. It strikes me that the snuggie would actually be counter-productive as a cuddling blanket. Its design distinctly favors solo usage. You and your loved one want to cuddle up to watch a movie…so who gets the sleeves?
November 18th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
And how cruel is the lady in the “Cuddle” picture? It’s so cold that she needs to wrap up in the Snuggie, but the baby stays on the outside. NO SHARING THE SNUGGIE!
November 19th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I don’t want one of these for Christmas! I already have a robe. I did think it would be a pretty sweet mil gift. Ha Ha. Suz- you should know I’m cooler than that!
November 21st, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Krista, I TOTALLY know that you are cooler than that. I never for a second thought that you actually wanted one of those. Now, on a completely unrelated note: I have to run something back to the store and get you something else for Christmas… but believe me, it was NOT one of those.
*crap*