By the looks of it, it appears that most bathtub tray sellers are men. I mean, how else could you explain the images that were designed to promote them? More specifically, the stuff they put on the tray that’s supposed to be brought there by the dame who’s using it? A plate of a small undressed salad? Or how about a bowl of cornflakes, a text about global warming and a nail polish kit, all right next to each other?

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Women are supposedly better at multitasking than men, but come on, they don’t have eight arms. Classical pianist Sharon Su was the one who brought this ridiculous trend to Twitter’s attention and people started sharing their own finds as well. Turns out, this is a much bigger “problem” than you’d expect.

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Sharon herself is more of a shower person. “I usually don’t have time to take a bath and just need to get clean,” she told Bored Panda. “Once in a blue moon when I have the time or I need to unplug and relax, I’ll draw a bath. ”

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“A couple of months ago I was looking up bathtub trays on Amazon and while I was looking through product photos it struck me that they all featured women doing things one would never do in the bath,” she said. “Eating salad, painting nails, feasting on massive cheese platters. I thought it was funny and then closed the tab. This weekend I remembered those funny product photos and thought some of the people I know on Twitter might get a kick out of seeing them too. I didn’t think the thread would go viral the way it did; clearly, it struck a chord.”

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“I had to mute the Twitter thread because the notifications were overwhelming, but before I did I noticed a lot of recurring themes in the replies. A lot of women were asking where the razors, loofahs, exfoliators, etc. were. I also don’t know a single person who would paint their nails or apply lipstick and perfume in the bath. Cheese is great but it would get really gross from the heat and steam. A lot of women chimed in saying that their cats or children would definitely come into the bathroom and knock the trays into the tub.”

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“Honestly, I don’t know if anyone even needs these images,” Sharon said. “Everyone has their own bathing rituals and most of the time it’s not going to look super glamorous (I just need something to rest a stack of printed-out articles and a dry washcloth for drying my hands, but I know a pile of paper and a tiny towel resting on a board doesn’t look marketable).”

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According to her, we don’t need to look at some misguided attempt to be aspirational that just ends up looking ridiculous. “We just want to live our own lives with products that work, you know?”

Image credits: doodlyroses

“I actually ended up never buying a bathtub tray. The one feature I was looking for was something that would keep the tray from slipping off and falling in the water. After I looked at all these images of laden trays of beverages, meals, candles, electronics, etc. I thought ‘I actually don’t do any of this, I guess I don’t need a bathtub tray.'”

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But if you are one of the people who enjoy releasing their tension by taking long baths, you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of having a bathtub tray. They definitely come in hand when you want to take a book or a tablet to your bubbly oasis. ETSY shops, for example, can offer you a wide selection to choose from. The thing to keep in mind when searching for a bathtub tray is quality. Most designs are kinda similar, but they tend to differ in materials and craftmanship used to build them. Search for handmade natural products that are eco-friendly and non-toxic. But if you want something sturdier, consider metal designs as well.

However, if you feel there’s someone – not something – missing when you’re soaking in the tub alone, consider taking it up a notch and inviting your partner to join you for some rub-a-dub action. “Though having intercourse in the tub is problematic — water washes away lubrication — indulging in a soapy sexcapade can be the ultimate foreplay,” clinical sexologist Ian Kerner, PhD, author of She Comes First, told Cosmopolitan. Just be sure to start draining the tub as things are getting hotter. And maybe, just maybe this will bring the sexes closer together and future bathtub tray ads won’t be as unreasonable as these.

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People started making jokes about these trays, too

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Watch this video if you wan’t to build a customized bathtub tray of your own!

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