35 Products That Are So Bad, It’s Hard To Believe Someone Came Up With Them
Interview With Author
If you hate wasting time walking around the mall, online shopping might be right up your alley. It’s fast, it’s efficient, and it has become almost like a lifeline during quarantine. When you have something specific in mind, you often turn to the retail giant Amazon, a go-to site for virtually everything. Yet, once you scroll past the items you need, things take a bizarre turn.
The Worst Things For Sale (TWTFS) is a Twitter account dedicated to the most horrible objects on the web. After all, there’s plenty to choose from. The creator, Drew Fairweather, combs the site and handpicks "one terrible item every day" to make his followers a little baffled and a lot amused.
So if you’re looking for a terrible gift guide, you’ve come to the right place because we have selected some of the weirdest things the account had to offer. Continue scrolling, upvote the ones you enjoyed most, and tell us what you think about them in the comments!
This post may include affiliate links.
When people say that all things should have a function and a purpose, they've probably never stumbled upon an enormous USB-compatible Enter Key or a fried chicken phone case. The internet is chock full of items so extreme that they seem unreal. Yet, all it takes is one look at Amazon to recognize that it’s a true treasure trove of weird, strange, and peculiar objects.
We reached out to Drew Fairweather, the founder of the account, to learn more about his project and the inspiration behind it. The artist not only writes The Worst Things For Sale blog but is also the author of the daily comics Toothpaste For Dinner and Married To The Sea.
Fairweather started TWTFS about ten years ago when he was simply looking through Amazon. He noticed that there were many weird and hilarious items "always peeking out from under what I was actually trying to find," he told Bored Panda. Ever since then, the author has faithfully documented the oddest and most pointless objects found online. "Once you realize the breadth of bizarre things available there, you can't un-see them!"
I have seen it, its actualy amazing becase it hugely desexualite woman wearing it, so they arent fpcus of some random boner
When it comes to the Twitter account, it now has more than 11.6K followers. This shows just how many people are drawn in by a desire to discuss and figure out why on earth such things exist in the first place. Also, why some people actually buy them. Well, as they say, one person’s trash is another’s treasure.
"Since buying items is the main creative outlet of most people—most Americans, at least—people enjoy seeing unusual items for sale," he said. Statista reports that Amazon was responsible for 50 percent of US e-commerce spending in 2021. One of the company’s key tools to increase that spending is Amazon Prime, a membership that gives you free and fast shipping, plus extra privileges like streaming music and video.
In 2018, as many as 62 percent of their customers in the US were Prime members. According to Statista, they are highly engaged shoppers who spend a lot of money—more than double the amount of non-Prime members per year—and are relevant to Amazon’s success.
Fairweather also writes about items "that seem normal—branded waffle irons, pink screwdrivers—that have a strange or sinister subtext hidden beneath the sales pitch." When it comes to some of the most bizarre things he has ever come across, it has to be the "BabySaver, a box where you store your child's baby teeth after they fall out."
"The box has holes for each tooth, so you can reassemble your child's teeth into a jaw-shaped curio," he explained. "If that's not enough, it has a slot in the middle for your child's umbilical cord."
Maybe the follow-up is Melanie's Funeral and then Melanie's Wake to complete the trilogy. Not many twists, I'll be honest. Unless there's a crossover into George's Marvellous Medicine.
That's what makes this book even worse. The title is obviously 'inspired' by George's Marvelous Medicine written by Roald Dahl, whose daughter died of measles.
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Why subject your child to all the complications that come with getting a preventable illness? For instance: Measles resets your immune system. Yeah, sounds like a GREAT way to strengthen their immune systems! /s And getting Chicken Pox opens you up to getting Shingles later in life.
Just to not have to cross paths with Shingles is worth it!
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Fat lot of good when poor Melanie is blind and deaf because you’re not a fan of getting you’re kids jabbed. Like a friend of mine who was born deaf and with kidney problems because her mum caught measles whilst pregnant from you’re unvaccinated brat. Sadly she died a few years ago from cancer.
"German measles" is the one that is very mild so nobody minds gettin it except pregnant women. For them it is almost guaranteed to cause stillbirths or babies with serious birth defects like deafness.
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Measles ruined my eyesight. I'm the only one in my family to wear glasses, & worked with a girl who went deaf because of measles. No, just no.
From the same author: Pop! goes the weasel and 50 other fun microwave games.
Please tell me "Pop! goes the weasel" isn't literal.
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Other idiotic titles in the children's anti-vax series: Stephanie's Stellar Shingles, Colin's Contagious Covid, Melanie's Magnificent Meningitis, William's Wonderful Whooping Cough, Honey! The Kids Gave Me Covid!, and Mummy's Massive Lawsuit.
Don't forget Peter's Perfect Polio and Brenda's Brilliant Black-Death.
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Oh damned, I just ... I think that, and it's quite a thing that I say that, that society has accepted way too much of the disease-fans' shid way too long. Antivaxers are stupid, and the prime example of where the state and law enforcement, in order to protect those who cannot be vaccinated, should intervene. Please, people, don't let those making a fortune from telling you lies get away with it. Never was there any therapy that was better than not getting sick in the first place, and each and every vaccination available today is safe! Don't support people who support germs! Don't spend money on their propaganda! Fück them!
"Never was there any therapy that was better than not getting sick in the first place..." this is GOLD!
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I had measles as a child, there was no vaccine available where I lived when I got it. Trust me, I wasn't in any mood to go prancing through a garden chasing butterflies, I was sick as a dog for a week. Any parent who won't vaccinate their children against measles is abusive, IMO.
I had measles and mumps at the same time. I was only 9 months old, but my mom said it was horrible.
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Yes, let's spread an illness that was almost never heard of for kids born in 90s
Please dear Lord, don't let this particular Stephanie reproduce.
She did. One of her four kids died and she blamed it on vaccinations. Hence her stance.
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Measles erases immune memory. So if you get measles after developing immunity to other diseases, you are re-susceptible to those same diseases. In other words, measles can help you die of things other than measles. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03324-7
So I obviously HAD to Google this (going to Google 'Wings of Desire' too) and the first thing that jumped out at me was 'self published'. And it goes without saying that the author was an anti-vaxxer before being an anti-vaxxer was hip.
My father, born in 1944, contracted Rubella when he was small, and it stunted his growth a bit, and ruined his teeth. Me, born in 66, missed half of kindergarten due to chicken pox, and the last month of 6th grade due to measles. I contracted them the same week they were inoculating my class for measles. High fevers, hallucinations, couldn't eat due to the measles in my mouth, yah it was really flicking marvelous. I had mumps too, not at the same time thankfully. Anyone who thinks these diseases are no big deal, or who infects their child on purpose to get it "out of the way", is a very misinformed and potentially lethal parent. And not just to their own child.
And the sequel Melanie Finds Out Her Samoan Own Friend Died of Measles. So Did All Her Friends.
*Pen. Jesus. Why can't you edit in the app like you can on the website.
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to all antivaxxers, go fork yourselves. while yes it may take your kid 3 minutes to get a vaccine,it will take three years for them to die,and their funeral will be three hours long.
Yet they're banning books with positive views of the LGBTQ+ cmmunity!
Wait we had a governor that believed in this garbage. He bragged about throwing chicken pox parties for his adopted kids. No thought that he aimed the gun that is shingles at his kids. Spoiler alert... 33% chance of getting it and chicken pox is the only way to get it. It's not just unsightly, it's super painful. I've known a few people to have it and a couple said they wanted to die it was so bad and they wouldn't wish it on their worst enemy.
Having had the measles and chicken pox before vaccines were available, I can aver that NOT vaxxing is cruelty to children. It's stupid to make a child suffer for parental paranoia, or God forbid, religious principles.
WOW I LOVE HAVING MEASLES said Melanie, who is legit jumping for joy over having measles
Some idiot deliberately gave my kids chickenpox ones. They didn’t bother to tell me that the kids were suffering from chickenpox before bringing them over. When I protest and I was told “the younger they get it the better.” So stupid. My baby was so ill, she could barely eat and I literally had to hold and carry her 24 hours around the clock. I had special medication for the sores in her mouth so that she could eat, but I had to stop nursing because of the risk to me. Do not ever think that it’s a good idea to expose a child to some thing like the measles or chickenpox.
Measles is making a comeback due to extremely stupid people. Hopefully it sterilizes most of their kids (because all those parents were vaccinated) and ends their DNA chain.
“Hey Carole, I done read this here booky doodad that said we need to give are douter so’ of the measis”
When I was a child they had 'measles parties'. That's right, if your neighbor or other mother's child got measles, mother's would bring their own children to get it. That way your child(ren) get over the measles early in life when the symptoms are mild. Measles in adults can cause major health issues.
When we moved to Utah in the 1990s people were having chicken pox parties.
Melanie's marvelous measles which is a part of the Christopher's crazy chicken pox and Irene's Infamous influenza sick af collection for kids 🤣🤣🤣
My older kids were born before the chicken pox vaccine and when my oldest son got them, my neighbors wanted to borrow one of his tee shirts so their kids could get the chicken pox over with before they started school!
We actually did bring our kids to their friend's homes with chicken pox when it was a convenient time to have them and wouldn't ruin a vacation or get them in summer when it was stinking hot, before there was a vaccine. That was really a thing.
I don't know if it's better or worse that this thing isn't from the 2020s.
Melanie's measles left and now all she has is encephalitis and a wrecked immune system.
Peter's Perfect Plague. Hilary's Hilarious HIV. Edward's Enthralling Ebola.....
Blind Melanie gets a heart transplant, but she's built up that immunity naturally.
Well I did have them, I got them from my sister who brought them home from school
I saw a book like that called “My Asthma Attack” and it was a book like this.
When I was growing up and someone's kid had the measles, mumps or chicken pox we were sent or taken to their house so that we'd be exposed and catch it to "get it over with" according to my mother.
When it comes to finding such items floating around Amazon, he revealed that most of them he has dug up on his own, though his followers also help with suggestions. "I tend to stay away from novelty items, which are those intentionally created to be 'wacky,' since there's nothing unusual or sinister about these."
"I'd rather write about something like Extylus, which is a stylus for your smartphone that you strap to your finger, so you can use your finger to control your smartphone."
"As with any items manufactured and sold, these were all created with the purpose of making money! A lot of these companies, I'd imagine, start with someone having an idea they hope will be popular, a niche product that will become the next Beanie Baby or Scrub Daddy," he told us. "They're then put through the wringer of marketing to become one of the abominations I write about, like Bumper Dumper, the toilet you attach to the trailer hitch of your truck."
My family destroyed capitalism and the only thing they brought back was this tee shirt.
The artist revealed that his ultimate goal is to make people think about what they’re buying and why. "These products are mostly made of plastic, manufactured by underpaid factory workers, sold at a premium to people who don't need them," he explained.
"They're a colossal waste of energy and material resources, and it engenders suffering from the human cost of manual labor, the occupational health hazards experienced by the workers, and the ecological damage done by extracting these limited resources from the Earth."
Ok but I NEED this! I have autism and HATE when food touches, and I would buy this is an INSTANT!
Fairweather continued: "The very richest people accumulate wealth and use their power to strip the rest of us of health and happiness, then sell it back to us, one plastic piece at a time. We don't need any of these things! It's all a symptom of a society which has prioritized the accumulation of the wealthy over all other aspects."
So while these awful objects catch our attention and allow us to let out some genuine laughs, they also show a much deeper problem. Remember that each time we consume a product, we support certain businesses and their values. So next time you want to buy a funny-looking thing online, think long and hard whether it's actually worth it.
You can even store the umbilical cord and the lanugo in it. Every proud parent should have one.
Amazing how much american flag apparel there is. I'm sure that there's something written that the flag is not supposed to be worn
Because you can't just use your hands to shape hamburger into any shape you want.
Note: this post originally had 120 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
So... People wasted time, money, resources and energy to make... that?
Capitalism is gross. “Does anyone need this? No. But some people will still pay us for it, so let’s make it.”
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A review on the Shock bracelet site complaining that it started shocking them at random intervals. They didn't figure out that they were being punished for being stupid enough to buy it in the first place.
"35 Products That Are So GOOD, It’s Hard To Believe Someone Came Up With Them"
Curious. Question to all of you. If you were to choose one of these products for yourself. Which one would you buy?
It seems to me that this list offended itself. I'd consider quite a few of these. If uncommongoods.com was a little less uptight, they'd sell some of these things.
Which ones? Seems many like the divider thing for plates.
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Several of these would actually be really useful for ND people or those with motor issues :/
"Fight capitalism, buy my merch! Only 10 uyghers died in the factory, on the day this shirt was made" I'm convinced most gen z'ers are going to cause a new type of willfull dark ages, where the information is there but they care more about their own statement backed by feelings rather than facts.
It's kinda sad that some of the ones being mocked are products made for disabled people.
Advanced techniques in design and mass production supporting an explosion of creativity. There's a book called Post-Scarcity Anarchism that explains how these forces have the potential to create an great utopian anarchy. But looking at products like these, it seems we've got a ways to go yet. We're not yet done wasting time, energy, and resources on drivel like this.
I want to read that book, and I think at least half of these items are not drivel.
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Some of these are dumb, sure. But a lot of these are just fun stuff, or actually helpful for people with mobility issues. Made me laugh a couple times at least.
Cats (as well as dogs) are special because they can usually sense when their owner is pregnant. That product may seem dumb at first, but cats do have very sensitive hearing, so it could be good to get them used to baby noises before the baby truly arrives as they can be very loud, as well as other noises that may result from caring for a baby. So that when the cat meets the actual baby, it won’t be as surprised by the noises it makes or become afraid. Just make sure baby doesn’t play too rough with your cat! Kitties are only animals so if your child pulls their tail, the kitty may give you baby a little swat, so be sure to condition your baby to your cat as well and make sure they know how to properly treat cats and to not harm them!
Wow. I think I upvoted every single one except that product to keep food from touching (which seems legit). I'm impressed with the ability of humans to be complete ridiculous.
*that's* the one you thought seemed the most useful?
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So... People wasted time, money, resources and energy to make... that?
Capitalism is gross. “Does anyone need this? No. But some people will still pay us for it, so let’s make it.”
Load More Replies... A review on the Shock bracelet site complaining that it started shocking them at random intervals. They didn't figure out that they were being punished for being stupid enough to buy it in the first place.
"35 Products That Are So GOOD, It’s Hard To Believe Someone Came Up With Them"
Curious. Question to all of you. If you were to choose one of these products for yourself. Which one would you buy?
It seems to me that this list offended itself. I'd consider quite a few of these. If uncommongoods.com was a little less uptight, they'd sell some of these things.
Which ones? Seems many like the divider thing for plates.
Load More Replies... Several of these would actually be really useful for ND people or those with motor issues :/
"Fight capitalism, buy my merch! Only 10 uyghers died in the factory, on the day this shirt was made" I'm convinced most gen z'ers are going to cause a new type of willfull dark ages, where the information is there but they care more about their own statement backed by feelings rather than facts.
It's kinda sad that some of the ones being mocked are products made for disabled people.
Advanced techniques in design and mass production supporting an explosion of creativity. There's a book called Post-Scarcity Anarchism that explains how these forces have the potential to create an great utopian anarchy. But looking at products like these, it seems we've got a ways to go yet. We're not yet done wasting time, energy, and resources on drivel like this.
I want to read that book, and I think at least half of these items are not drivel.
Load More Replies... Some of these are dumb, sure. But a lot of these are just fun stuff, or actually helpful for people with mobility issues. Made me laugh a couple times at least.
Cats (as well as dogs) are special because they can usually sense when their owner is pregnant. That product may seem dumb at first, but cats do have very sensitive hearing, so it could be good to get them used to baby noises before the baby truly arrives as they can be very loud, as well as other noises that may result from caring for a baby. So that when the cat meets the actual baby, it won’t be as surprised by the noises it makes or become afraid. Just make sure baby doesn’t play too rough with your cat! Kitties are only animals so if your child pulls their tail, the kitty may give you baby a little swat, so be sure to condition your baby to your cat as well and make sure they know how to properly treat cats and to not harm them!
Wow. I think I upvoted every single one except that product to keep food from touching (which seems legit). I'm impressed with the ability of humans to be complete ridiculous.
*that's* the one you thought seemed the most useful?
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