No. This isn't a missionary blog post...although if I knew what was good for me, it would be. But no. I feel this has to be addressed.I was recently having a discussion with a friend about a most disconcerting trend that is slowly taking over our collective consciousness. I, myself, am not immune. Upon making this realization, I posed the question to my friend, "When will the madness end?!" and he responded, "They won't stop until the entire earth is covered."
That made me think of the glorious, albeit singular and ambitious work of environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who frequently cover large edifices or landscapes in fabric.
What could we possibly be discussing, you ask? What else? Snuggies, of course! Now, let me be perfectly clear. I love Snuggies. I purchased two for my parents as Christmas gifts last year and two for myself. Admittedly, the two for myself were an unintentional purchase, but (and I think my roommates will concur) they are fantastic! They are every bit as cozy and warm and snuggly as advertised. Inane, though they are, the Snuggie really is useful.
What concerns me is the craze that has been spreading rapidly behind this phenomenon or, dare I say, movement. Hm...concerns may be too strong a word...but I don't know of an adjective that simultaneously means concerned and amused. (Wordsmiths? A little help?) Come to think of it...add awed to that word too. Snuggies started out as just your average informercial marketing scheme, a la the Bumpit, the Ab Rocket, and the Bedazzler. (I'm not necessarily endorsing any of these products, but if they want to send me free stuff for advertising for them, how could I refuse?) After only a very short time span, Snuggies had sold over 4 million units and had a waiting list for people who wanted their Snuggies. In fact, my parents and I had to wait about a month or more before our Snuggies arrived! So, okay. Kudos to them. Way to go, little entrepreneur! But now the growing product line is getting a little more disturbing. Follow the trend here, will you?
We began with this:
And then we came to this:
(Who can argue with the genius of such dialogue: "Just put, put, PUT your arms through and see what you can do!" or my personal favorite "Don't bug me. I'm wearin' my Snuggie!")
What's next? The only natural conclusion, of course, is this:
I'm not sure who was/is in charge of the script-writing, direction, etc. for these infomercials, but in my opinion they were just begging to either inspire a cult following or to be spoofed. I mean, come on now. Whose idea was it to have a kid doing the macarena? All joking aside, you really do have to hand it to the entrepreneurs behind this craze. They have obviously embraced the kitsch-factor and run with it all the way to the bank! And you have to have a pretty healthy sense of humor to hold your own fashion show in the heart of fashion central New York City during Fashion Week! So kudos to them and kudos to those of you who own Snuggies. We can form our own cult/fan club and hold monthly meetings where we read books, enjoy a snack, or attend outdoor sporting events! Who's with me?
Oh...and for those new moms concerned about taking their new babies out in the cold weather...we've got you (and your baby) covered.
