Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The Worst New Product of 2012…so far

Everyone has seen those toy pinwheels whose handle is a clear plastic tube filled with candy. I have also seen them with other toys on top, notably colorful, pose-able hands. These fun toys did not prepare me for what was in the store the other day:


The candy-filled fly swatter. Perhaps the idea is that if the sugar in the candy attracts flies, then you will have a way to dispatch them.

 
It is difficult to think of a less appetizing complement for candy than a fly swatter.


The candy itself reminds me of those sachet pellets my mother once put in drawers and linen closets. That was years ago, but still when removing drawers from chests, we sometimes find those little pellets rolling around inside. I didn't suppose at the time that they were making any impression at all, but coming across them now strongly evokes pleasant memories of the house I grew up in.


I’m not sure if anyone is going to form similar nostalgic memories of these candy fly-swatters. Let me know if you have seen a similar-level product that was yet more appalling. The real question is that now that we have candy fly-swatters, how will the designers crown this achievement? The fact that we know that they will try makes an adventure of walking into the store every day.
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4 comments:

  1. AnnFebruary 21, 2012 at 5:45 PM

    Ha! The happy bear face seems to say to flies everywhere, "killing with kindness, since 2012."

    ReplyDelete
  2. ParnassusFebruary 21, 2012 at 11:53 PM

    Hello Ann, The more you look at these, the stronger the ironical contrast.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mark D. RuffnerFebruary 22, 2012 at 4:38 PM

    After looking at your candy fly swatter for a long while, and trying to put myself in the place of the manufacturer (granted, an effort), I believe I've hit upon his logic. Killing a fly is a great, heroic act, and it should be rewarded. Kill a fly and win a prize! Now please tell us that the candy is dispensed from the bottom!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ParnassusFebruary 22, 2012 at 5:07 PM

    Hello Mark, I checked, and both the top and bottom pieces can be removed--your choice. There are surprisingly few flies in Taipei, but there are generous supplies of mosquitoes, and I like your idea of an instant reward for getting rid of one.

    ReplyDelete

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