This year's hot -- and controversial -- holiday toys are Hasbro's Yellies, a line of plush spider-like ("Spooders) creatures that move faster when you scream at them.

The toys are creating quite a kerfuffle with parents who think the toys are a bad idea.

The person who invented this toy is clearly not a parent. pic.twitter.com/DQGsrn58mI

— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) December 12, 2018

Every parent's nightmare. #yellies pic.twitter.com/z0wNdM3fP0

— littleterror (@mattterror) December 1, 2018

One mother shared that her son was scared of the toy and that it actually fed off her kid's "screams of terror":

...Being the mother of a naturally loud and boisterous kid, I thought it would be the perfect Christmas present... well I couldn’t wait for Christmas. So I crack it open tonight, and get a good look at it. I test it out. I’m amazed at how powerful the little motor is... how fast the little legs move... how its creepy little eyes glow a lovely shade of radioactive green. So I call Leo in. He looks at it, cocks his little head to the side. And then, obviously, I yelled at it. The spider ran for it. Leo starts screaming... the louder he screams, the faster the spider pursued him. He runs. And this is when we discovered the fun little feature in which the spider has a tendency to stop abruptly... pause for a couple seconds... spin in several erratic circles... and then turn towards wherever it senses sound... and take off in that direction.

Back in October, Sainsburys grocery chain launched two new questionably-flavored teas based on UK Christmas dinner favorites: Brussels sprouts and pigs in blankets.

Metro:

Yes, you can now drink meat or vegetable flavoured tea and we’re not quite sure what to think.

In hopes of helping anyone looking for unusual gifts, Sainsbury’s decided to create a green tea which is made using actual Brussels sprouts, as well as a tea which features the smoky flavour of sausages, sage and rosemary.

The supermarket says the tea will make the ultimate stocking filler for any foodie – especially as it’s only £1 for 20 teabags.

Despite the name of the pigs in blankets flavour, it is suitable for vegans and is totally calorie free, and is apparently best enjoyed without milk.

Hard pass.

Image via Metro

Thanks, Veek! Read the rest

My home has a fireplace and before the oppressive smoke of wildfires ruined the joy of lighting it, I used to start a fire once in a while during the colder months. Firewood isn't readily available here in the Bay Area, so I would often have to resort to the use of firelogs since they were easily obtained in the barbeque section of my local grocery store. This lead to a conversation with a friend of mine who assured me, "There's no shame in the chemical flame."

Well, KFC's latest promotional item, the 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog from Enviro-Log®, puts the shame back into the chemical flame. Yup, it's a chemically-engineered firelog that emits the scent of their fried chicken.

Imbued with the unmistakable, mouth-watering aroma of Colonel Sanders’ secret recipe, the KFC 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog finally puts to rest the age-old dilemma, “How can I make this fire a hundred bajillion times better?” This one-of-a-kind firelog from Enviro-Log, a leading manufacturer of firelogs made of 100 percent recycled materials, is the result of countless hours of research and development, all done over the last couple of months since we had this idea. Pick up a firelog today, and you’ll be wondering how you were ever able to enjoy a fire that didn’t smell like fried chicken.

This fried chicken firelog was available for $18.99 but has since sold out.

Image via The Daily Meal

(Geekologie, The Daily Meal) Read the rest

I thought I had seen it all but now there's this... the Digging Dog Butt Tissue Holder ($28).

"Get laughs as you pull tissues from this diligently digging dog's behind."

Oh, I will.

"Great way for a teacher, therapist, or salesperson to get smiles."

Obviously.

Surprise, it's just a square box of tissues under there! Read the rest

Sausage brand Jimmy Dean is offering wrapping paper that smells like their product line as part of a promotional "recipe gift exchange." To get some of this sausage-scented wrapping paper, you just have to cook up a recipe using their sausage and submit it to their exchange. You can then pick the wrapping paper, or one of the other branded things they offer, as your gift. Then you can enjoy the magic of huffing the meaty-smelling presents under the tree. Or not.

(Brandflakes) Read the rest

An open letter to Post Consumer Brands:

In regards to your new Sour Patch Kids cereal, I quote Dr. Ian Malcom (and if there was EVER a time to pull out this quote, it's now):

"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should."

And, they really shouldn't have.

Sincerely, Rusty.

P.S. Are you marketing these to kids or stoners?

---

Folks, it's not April 1st and this doesn't appear to be a joke. The new Sour Patch Kids cereal will be available at Walmart on December 26. Come next June, it will be available in a grocery store near you. Candy cereal, yup.

image via Facebook Read the rest

I might be 12, but my brain went straight to the gutter when I saw this weird banana-filling gadget. This thing is marketed to kids, even though it seems rather inappropriate!

So, this is how the $27 "Banana Surprise" works. You cut off the tip, just the tip. Then, you rest the fruit in the "Yumstation." Now, this is where the fun begins. You get out the tool and jam it into the end and then quickly pull out. And now, according to the directions, it's time to fill that hole with some sweet syrup, fruit puree, or cream.

Surprise, you have an oozing, dripping piece of phallic fruit!

It's just a banana. It's just a banana. It's just a banana.

Related: The phallic pop-up egg-on-a-stick cooker gadget

(Geekologie) Read the rest

What the hell, Scotland? Why would you ruin perfectly good ice cream by putting the devil's condiment -- mayonnaise -- into it?!

Artisanal ice cream shop ICE Falkirk, the creators of Mayonnaise Ice Cream, have some 'splaining to do.

image via ICEFalkirk, used with permission

(Delish) Read the rest

These putty-colored pumps by Maison Margiela ($825) are described as "cloven toe." I might be 12, but wouldn't a better description be "camel toe"?

A similarly racy shoe is available in red for $1080.

Thanks, Caroline B.! Read the rest

Step aside couture platform Crocs, you've got some competition for world's most ridiculous spongy-soled shoes. Crocs now come in high heels. I wish I were kidding. Check it and see. Read the rest

Please don't shoot the messenger on this one. But to show how mad advertising has become, I present to you this super-weird commercial for Gain laundry detergent where a boy sniffs a jockstrap.

Here's the premise: Two boys (the "Martinez brothers") attempt to prank their napping "dad" by placing a jockstrap (that they just pulled out of a gym bag with a stick) on his face. What the young pranksters don't know is that the jockstrap has been washed with Gain, which has effectively eliminated the man-crotch aroma. So, instead of being woken up in disgust by the smell of his own junk, the dad just smiles and keeps on sleeping. Confused, the older boy then takes the jockstrap back and gives it a deep huff. The announcer says, "That, boys, is the sweet smell of defeat."

I'm laughing so hard. Who greenlighted this?! And what parent would be ok with their child taking an acting role that involves sniffing a jockstrap to sell laundry detergent?

The internet has questions too:

@ProcterGamble 1-800-888-4642 Your jock strap #GainDetergent commercial is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!What's next soiled diapers or menstrual?What is wrong with u ppl? Ur advertising dept is morbid SICK!!! Contributing 2 the vile sickness in this country! Hope u fire them all!

— Carrie (@CarrieHKP57) July 6, 2018

Has anyone else seen the #Gain detergent, jockstrap commercial... where the kids sniff their dad’s jockstrap? I’m like super disturbed by it and want to know who the hell ok’d that? #wrong

— Jason Engler (@JasonJEngler) July 6, 2018

The #Gains Flings commercial showing the son sniffing his sleeping dad’s jockstrap for a prank he’s trying to pull is the creepiest thing I have seen all year!

The designers at luxury fashion house Balenciaga are taking "dress in layers" a smidge too literally with their Double Shirt.

The striped garment is part of their Men's Fall 2018 collection and features a long-sleeved shirt attached to a boxy, short-sleeved shirt.

But wait, there's more. They've designed it so if you decide to wear the long-sleeved shirt, the short-sleeved one hangs off the back. And if you wear the short-sleeved one, the long-sleeved one hangs off the front. So basically you're getting two shirts in one, which is good because the Double Shirt costs $1490.

If you're looking for a more economical shirt-on-shirt option, try their T-Shirt Shirt for $1,290.

This gentleman decided on the shirt-shirt's DIY version:

Hey @BALENCIAGA,

I just made my own Double Shirt and it didn't cost thousands of dollars! pic.twitter.com/8daWqAGy7C

— Mike (@AH_Mike) May 28, 2018

I suggest pairing shirt-shirts with couture Crocs. Read the rest

Demna Gvasalia, luxury brand Balenciaga's creative director, has reimagined Crocs by adding a five-inch thick sole to them.

Of course, the main difference between the two pairs of shoes, besides the platform soles and the Balenciaga-specific flair, is the price.

A pair of ordinary Crocs costs under $50. A pair ofBalenciaga "foam platform sandals" will set you back $850 (a charmless pair is "only" $495). [Its high price didn't stop the shoes from selling out on its release in February, according to Dazed.]

W writes that Gvasalia has "a habit of trolling the fashion industry with upscaled versions of mundane items."

For example, there's the $1,100 calf-skin leather version of the brand's own paper shopping bags, $2,145 leather totes inspired by IKEA's iconic $0.99 Frakta bag, and a high-fashion take on "ugly sneakers" that have been seen on the super-hip crowd, from Hailey Baldwin to Elsa Hosk to Bella Hadid. It's started something of a trend outside of Gvasalia's domains of Balenciaga and Vetements as well, including Tiffany & Co.'s "Everyday Objects" collections (complete with a $1,000 sterling silver "tin" can), Dolce & Gabbana's $110 pasta, and Supreme's paperweight made of $100 bills.

Oh, we remember the "tin" can.

Previously: Mocking the $2,145 "couture Ikea bag" with awesome Ikea bag hacks and This is a $9K ball of yarn

(bookofjoe) Read the rest

Easter is on April Fools Day this year but what I'm about to share is not a joke.

A brewery in Texas, The Collective Brewing Project in Fort Worth, has crafted a Peeps-filled ale that will be ready for the holiday. It's a collaboration with local bar Lone Star Taps and Caps, according to Dallas Morning News' Guide Live:

Called Peep This Collab, the beer is a sour ale brewed with Peeps, vanilla and butterfly pea flower, which will turn the beverage purple. Brewers added more than 30 boxes of the marshmallow candy, says Steven Roman, general manager of Taps and Caps. And once the beer has fermented, they'll add edible glitter to really make it shine.

Collective's head brewer and co-founder Ryan Deyo says, "Several of us were just sitting around the brewery talking about how beer has become this super serious thing. I've been on a kick to assert beer should be a fun thing... We make a beer with ramen noodles, so Peeps isn't really a stretch." Read the rest

With so many men in power getting caught with their pants down recently, lame "apologies" and excuses for their unacceptable behavior have become the norm.

Enter the "Celebrity Perv Apology Generator."

A project by Dana Schwartz (she wrote the apologies), Rob Sheridan, and Scott McCaughey, the website mocks all those lame, out-of-touch non-apologies abusers make by fabricating joke (though surprisingly/sadly realistic) ones with the click of a button.

Try it for yourself over at apologygenerator.com.

(AV Club) Read the rest