Joy to the world - it's Day 8 of Pogue's 12 Days of Gadgets! (All offbeat tech products, all under $100.)
And in this holiday season in particular, we could use a little joy.
Prank Packs (three for $20) will bring it.
They're the boxes for screamingly funny, hilariously awful, but scarily plausible products that don't really exist. New this year, for example:
- The Crib Dribbler. It looks like a giant water bottle, like the kind that clings to the side of hamster cages - but it's for baby cribs. “With the Crib Dribbler feeding system, baby will have the alone time it needs, and its parents can enjoy some quiet time without having to tend to a hungry baby.†“For use with milk, formula, stew and cocoa.†(The testimonials are priceless. “I really like that it's made from recycled plastic syringes!â€)
- Pet Sweep. They're basically mop-head slippers for your dog, but of course it's billed as an “Animal-Powered Debris Removal System.â€
- Connect-a-Cord. It's 50 one-foot extension cords. “Use your appliances anywhere!†The best part is the bulleted list on the back of the box. “With 50 separate cords, the configurations are endless! 1 foot; 2 feet; 3 feet; 4 feet; 5 feet; 6 feet; 7 feet…†(You get the idea.) It's just plausible enough to become a real product, actually.
The photography, typography and layout of these boxes are perfect. I mean, they look exactly like the cheesiest products you'd buy from TV infomercials.
Anyway, the point is that you put people's real presents inside the empty Prank Pack boxes. Then, when they unwrap their gifts, you get that delicious moment of watching t heir faces as they struggle to be tactful. They think you've just given them the all-time turkey of presents.
Once they figure out that it's just a satirical prank, there's even more laughter - and then gratitude for the much more thoughtful present you've stashed inside.
