Most despicable product of all time

[dudog84]

The cigs, baby oil & iodine thread made me think of this. I'm not talking about a product found to be dangerous after it was firmly entrenched in society (cigarettes) or a product with not-well-thought-out implications (Jarts...sigh, I loved that game...kids throwing steel tipped missiles around the yard, who coulda thunk of any unintended consequences?).

My nomination: candy/gum cigarettes. Even came in a nice realistic carton, so you could pretend you were smoking until you were old enough to scrounge up the real thing.

BTW, you can still buy these things.

What's your favorite SMH product?

[killerleft]

The cigs, baby oil & iodine thread made me think of this. I'm not talking about a product found to be dangerous after it was firmly entrenched in society (cigarettes) or a product with not-well-thought-out implications (Jarts...sigh, I loved that game...kids throwing steel tipped missiles around the yard, who coulda thunk of any unintended consequences?).

My nomination: candy/gum cigarettes. Even came in a nice realistic carton, so you could pretend you were smoking until you were old enough to scrounge up the real thing.

BTW, you can still buy these things.

What's your favorite SMH product?

UNC merchandise. Propaganda promoting cheaters, liars and Silent Sam.

[LasVegas]

The cigs, baby oil & iodine thread made me think of this. I'm not talking about a product found to be dangerous after it was firmly entrenched in society (cigarettes) or a product with not-well-thought-out implications (Jarts...sigh, I loved that game...kids throwing steel tipped missiles around the yard, who coulda thunk of any unintended consequences?).

My nomination: candy/gum cigarettes. Even came in a nice realistic carton, so you could pretend you were smoking until you were old enough to scrounge up the real thing.

BTW, you can still buy these things.

What's your favorite SMH product?

99% of toys they market to kids via ads on kid shows. Most of these toys have little value and my kids just stop playing with them after a day or so. But they HAVE to have them for Christmas, birthdays, etc.

[Edouble]

I really hate household cleaning "systems" where you have to continually feed the system (purchase the disposable items that make the system operate) until they stop making said system and you have to purchase the next system.

eg Swiffer Wetjet... what is wrong with a mop and a bucket? It will last you 50 years.

[Rich]

Reminds me of this SNL sketch

[luvdahops]

Reminds me of this SNL sketch

And this one. Products include Johnny Switchblade Adventure Punk doll, Bag O'Glass and Teddy Chainsaw Bear. A later Halloween costume sketch with Irwin (brilliantly played by Dan Akroyd) included Johnny Human Torch kit (a bunch of oily rags and a lighter) and Johnny Space Commander (a plastic bag to go over your head and a rubber band).

https://youtu.be/veMiNQifZcM

[MartyClark]

Pet rocks. Mood rings. Chia anythings.

[ClemmonsDevil]

And this one. Products include Johnny Switchblade Adventure Punk doll, Bag O'Glass and Teddy Chainsaw Bear. A later Halloween costume sketch with Irwin (brilliantly played by Dan Akroyd) included Johnny Human Torch kit (a bunch of oily rags and a lighter) and Johnny Space Commander (a plastic bag to go over your head and a rubber band).

https://youtu.be/veMiNQifZcM

EXACTLY where my mind went.

[CameronBornAndBred]

99% of toys they market to kids via ads on kid shows. Most of these toys have little value and my kids just stop playing with them after a day or so. But they HAVE to have them for Christmas, birthdays, etc.

80% of toys ARE kid shows.

01_Optimus_Prime_8.jpg

PS, Transformers are far from despicable. They've probably birthed a few genius engineers along the way. My Little Pony, however, can rot in equestrian hell.

[moonpie23]

"toy" guns

or cigs...

[PackMan97]

"toy" guns

I was going to say UNC merchandise, but someone beat me to it...

after that I think realistic looking toy guns is way up there on the list. I'm not talking about the neon colored squirt guns, but ones like the real thing. I'm ashamed to say I bullied my parents into getting one of these. They were AWESOME! But now as a parent, they are so so wrong.

[jimsumner]

Pet Rocks. Seriously.

No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.

[cspan37421]

Radithor and other radium cures probably should be among those considered for this title.

[BigWayne]

Government designed gas cans.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Government designed gas cans.

Wayne wins.

[budwom]

Government designed gas cans.

previous owner of my house died here from a hideous gas can mishap, but I don't know if it was government mandated or not. I suspect not. It was vented. Don't buy a vented gas can is my tip for today.

[rsvman]

The bass-o-matic! This 59-second video will explain the whole thing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HKTx5WFcs0

[BigWayne]

previous owner of my house died here from a hideous gas can mishap, but I don't know if it was government mandated or not. I suspect not. It was vented. Don't buy a vented gas can is my tip for today.

The bad design is mandated so that the can closes automatically. This was started by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which has had some benefits for our air quality here in CA, but creates all sorts of unintended consequences with their rules.

The goal of closing the can automatically is to prevent air pollution from fumes of evaporating gas when the can is left unattended by absent minded individuals that leave the caps off. The assumption is that we are all idiots and need to be protected from ourselves. The end result is that people spill gas all over the place using these badly design cans, essentially wiping out the gains of keeping the caps closed.

Safety issues are not the driver here. Gas cans, like many other items we use regularly, are inherently dangerous if not used properly and I am sure accidents still happen with the new gas cans.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Safety issues are not the driver here. Gas cans, like many other items we use regularly, are inherently dangerous if not used properly and I am sure accidents still happen with the new gas cans.

If you try to fill your lawn mower from one of the new safety cans, while chewing on a candy cigarette, your obituary will say you died from smoking.
In reality you had a stress induced heart attack trying to have shorter grass.

[BigWayne]

If you try to fill your lawn mower from one of the new safety cans, while chewing on a candy cigarette, your obituary will say you died from smoking.
In reality you had a stress induced heart attack trying to have shorter grass.

On the upside, this thread had the unintended consequence of me remembering that I had thought I had finally figured out how to "fix" my Costco gas can.

After about 20 minutes with a variety of power and hand tools, I have a working nozzle that still looks pretty much like it came from the store and doesn't leak.

The aftermarket ones I had previously tried all had trouble keeping a good seal at the base of the spout.