My friend recently snagged a Snuggie from a co-worker who received it as a gag gift last Christmas and never used it. Although the Snuggie is advertised on TV as a practical clothing item, most people read between the lines and realize it looks silly for grownups to lounge around the house in what is essentially a bulky backwards bathrobe (see this hilarious You Tube parody). Still, my friend loved the cozy Pepto Bismol pink Snuggie her co-worker gave her, solid proof that gag gifts can be funny and practical.
If you love the idea of giving gag gifts, but don’t want to waste your money on something your gift recipient will never use, here are five other holiday gag gift ideas that are both practical and funny:
Practical Holiday Gag Gift #1: Singing Toilet Paper – For less than five dollars you can add mirth to a practical joking relative’s holiday season with this clever gag gift. All he has to do is install this gee-whiz piece of technology in his bathroom and watch as guests walk out scratching their heads after witnessing a toilet paper roll play “Jingle Bells” as they unfurl the paper. (Find the Singing Toilet Paper roll here.)
Practical Holiday Gag Gift #2: TV Hat – If you’re thinking special hat you would wear while watching TV (e.g., Giants cap for watching baseball, Star Trek hat for Trekkies), think again. The TV hat is an actual hat with a superlong visor. At the end of the visor is a 2.5x magnification screen with a pouch in which you slip your your smart phone or any midget-sized media player. The ad copy promises a “movie theater experience,” but we think they could be exaggerating just a tad. The special privacy shield on the side of the hat hides what you’re watching – great for guys who secretly watch chick flicks. (You have to see the TV hat here to believe it.)
Practical Holiday Gag Gift #3: Gas Gauge Bank – This practical piggy bank is designed to simulate the gas gauge on your dashboard, the perfect gift for your spendthrift friends who are always mooching money off you. The bank actually makes saving money fun: each time a new coin is added the needle moves closer from empty to full. How’s that for positive reinforcement? (Test ride the Gas Gauge Bank here.)
Practical Holiday Gag Gift #4: Funny t-shirt – Funny t-shirts make great practical gag gifts because your recipient can wear them for years after enjoying the initial chuckle. Two of the wittier new funny t-shirts we’ve seen lately are “I have CDO: It’s like OCD but all the letters are in order like they should be” (here) and “In dog beers I’ve only had one (here).”
Practical Holiday Gag Gift #5: Nose Shower Gel Dispenser – Everyone needs to lather up in the shower, so why not make the process more fun? The nose shower gel dispenser looks like a giant nose you hang on your shower wall. When you press the nose green shower gel drips out of the right nostril. How gross is that? (Sniff out this bargain here.)
What gag gifts will you be buying for the holidays this year?
