The Mother Load

Ever since I profiled the LED Toilet Seat in the Stupid Products section of this blog, I thought I'd never find a bathroom product as stupid.  I stand before you now, officially corrected.  The iPod Dock Toilet Paper Holder has cured me of my former belief.

This product is just the way it sounds.  It's an iPod dock with speakers and a handy little arm to hold toilet paper.  It can sit on a counter in your bathroom or be mounted into a wall.  At $60, it's a pricey piece of ridiculousness meant to fill a niche that probably doesn't actually exist.

Now, I've been known to take my tunes into the bathroom a time or two.  It's just that these are not the times when I require toilet paper.  Those times, I prefer to just keep things strictly business.  When I want music in the bathroom, it's generally because I'm taking a "relaxing" bath and need to drown out the sound of small fists banging on the door and disgruntled voices shouting, "Mooooooooo-ooooooom!"

So, yeah.  I understand wanting music in the bathroom.  I just don't understand the need for an iPod dock that is JUST for the bathroom.  I mean, are users going to be listening to music every time they go in there?  Do people really spend that kind of time in the bathroom?  Are people who spend that much time in the bathroom the kind of people who can afford to spend $60 on a toilet paper holder?

If I could talk to the makers of this product, I expect our conversation would go something like this:

Sarah: So, why would anyone want to buy this when they could just bring a portable iPod dock into the bathroom with them and not spend the money on this?
Ridiculous Product Maker: Well, if they had this, they wouldn't have to move their iPod dock from one location to another.  It's convenient!
S: But it's expensive!
RPM: But it has a toilet paper holder right in it!
S: But I already have one of those in my bathroom. In fact, I think it's safe to say that everyone has one of those.
RPM: But that's the beauty of it!  If you don't need the toilet paper holder, the arms fold in and disappear!
S: So, what's the big deal, then?  It's an iPod dock you could use anywhere, and I already have one of those, and I could bring that into my bathroom and save myself $60.
RPM: But it has a toilet paper holder right in it!
S: We're not going to get anywhere in this conversation, are we?
RPM: It's convenient!
S: I didn't think so.

Maybe someday I'll be rich and I'll give stuff like this another look, simply because I can.  Then, I'll put the money into savings or donate it to a homeless shelter or expand my community garden instead.