What are the Worst Ideas Ever?
The human race has a pretty bad track record of blunders. First we ate through the ozone layer by using too much hairspray. Then we depleted the oceans of fish by overfishing, risking ecological collapse. Then we used up all the GPUs mining bitcoin. One thing we’ll never run out of, however, is bad ideas. From leaded gasoline to lifetime Supreme Court appointments, there’s no limit to how badly we can shoot ourselves in the collective foot when we really put our minds to it.
That said, some bad ideas are simply a cut above the rest when it comes to stupidity. At Loaded Media, we have a special name for these extremely bad ideas: The Worst Ideas Ever. To illustrate: the joke I just made was pretty bad. If you laughed at that joke, you probably shouldn’t feel great about your sense of humor or yourself as a person in general. But compared to the Worst Ideas Ever, that was nothing. Don’t believe me? Read on to see just how bad the Worst Ideas Ever can get…
Worst Ideas Ever: The Pet Rock
In 1975, advertising executive Gary Dahl came up with the idea to market plain, ordinary rocks as “Pet Rocks” with a humorous training manual and cardboard carrying case. Though the fad was short-lived, it’s considered one of the worst ideas in history due to its absurdity and lack of practical use.
Worst Ideas Ever: The Snackette
In the early 2000s, a company came up with the idea of a miniature vending machine specifically designed to dispense single servings of chips and other snacks. The machines were bulky, expensive, and often malfunctioned, making it one of the worst ideas in the history of vending machines.
Worst Ideas Ever: New Coke
In 1985, Coca-Cola decided to change the recipe for its iconic soft drink in an attempt to compete with Pepsi. The new formula was met with widespread disgust and backlash, leading to the reintroduction of the original formula just a few months later, which is considered one of the worst marketing blunders in history.
Worst Ideas Ever: Crop Top Tux
In the early 2000s, designer Tom Ford introduced a tuxedo jacket with a cropped waist, exposing the wearer’s midriff. The fashion faux pas was widely criticized for being both uncomfortable and impractical, and quickly fell out of style.
Worst Ideas Ever: The Bacon-scented Candle
In 2012, a company introduced a candle that was supposed to smell like cooked bacon. Though it was intended as a novelty item, it received widespread criticism for being unappealing and unappetizing. The bacon-scented candle is just one example of the horrible bacon meme trend of the early 2010s, a societal mass-brainfart so vile it actually managed to make bacon unappetizing.
Worst Ideas Ever: The Hoverboard
In 2015, a company introduced the “Hoverboard” – a self-balancing scooter that promised to hover above the ground. However, early models proved to be dangerous, catching fire, and causing injuries, leading to widespread recalls and bans. (Editor’s note: disregard this entry. Hoverboards were cool. The writer of this piece has been fired and blacklisted from the SEO industry.)
Worst Ideas Ever: Knee-highs and shorts
In 2020, a fashion trend emerged where people started wearing knee-high boots with shorts, which has been widely criticized for being unflattering and uncomfortable.
Worst Ideas Ever: Fidget Spinner
In 2017, the Fidget Spinner became a popular toy among kids and adults. The small hand-held device was designed to help with focus and concentration, however, it quickly became more of a distraction than a help, and it’s considered one of the worst ideas in the history of toys.
These are some of the worst ideas in recent history, but it’s important to remember that not all bad ideas are created equal and we can still find some humor and learn from them. So next time your friend blows up your phone like “hey bro, wanna invent a new formula for coca-cola?” Just say, “no, man. that is one of the worst ideas ever.”
