In this day and age, when you can hop on Amazon and find literally millions of items for sale, it’s hard to be surprised by anything anymore. So when we find something cute, quirky or bizarre, our response is more likely to be, “Of course that exists,” than, “Wow!” And that’s exactly what the Of Course That’s A Thing subreddit is all about. This community, which was created a decade ago, has amassed an impressive 2 million members who are dedicated to sharing all of the unique things out there that, well, aren’t actually that surprising. 

You can say, “Of course that’s a thing,” about almost anything nowadays. Sexy pet clothes, “cheese burgers” that are literally just slices of cheese between a bun, and confetti glitter fruity cereal flavored fruit spread? Of course! Why not? If you’re a fan of makeup, you might be interested in knowing you can purchase your very own Cheetos eyeshadow palette. And if you want Corn Flakes branded underwear, no worries! You can find it! Capitalism has gotten out of hand in many ways, including with the creation of novelty items, so today, let’s take a moment to enjoy some of the strangest ones. 

People are always trying to invent the newest “next big thing.” That’s why shows like Shark Tank exist. Our needs (or perceived needs) as consumers will never end. We will always come up with another problem that needs solving or cute thing that we’ve just got to have. And while these novelty purchases can certainly be questionable ethically, as we all know consuming too much isn’t great for the environment, we have to admit that many of them are entertaining.

There is no end to the bizarre products you can find online. In fact, Reader’s Digest recently published a list of some of the weirdest things you can purchase on Amazon in 2023. For example, have you ever seen a mini hand squirrel? It’s not a puppet exactly, but rather five separate finger puppets, including four legs and the head of a squirrel. And you know those massive, wacky, waving inflatable tube men that are often spotted outside of car dealerships and businesses on the side of the highway trying to grab driver’s attention? Well, apparently, you can purchase a mini one for your own personal use. 

If your feet have always dreamed of being nestled into warm, soft loaves of French bread, Amazon has the baguette slippers you’ve always been looking for as well. But if those don’t satisfy your carb cravings, you can also buy a giant baguette pillow. Because of course that exists, right? And if you want to update your handbag to give more of a barnyard vibe, you can purchase a rubber chicken purse on Amazon too. Or are you worried about how much time you’ve been spending on the toilet? Don’t worry, there’s a toilet timer for sale that actually made it onto Shark Tank as well!  

While you might think of Shark Tank as a prestigious program for upcoming inventors, the show has also managed to feature some bizarre and questionable products that might have you saying, “Of course that’s a thing.” One of which was called the Ionic Ear, which was a bluetooth device that would literally be implanted into a person’s ear. It would need to be charged by plugging an AC adapter into the user’s ear, and it would require FDA approvals plus clinical trials to ever get the product off the ground. So unfortunately for the inventor, this product didn't take off.  

Drive Suits was another infamous product that graced our televisions on Shark Tank. This was essentially a suit that allowed people to turn into real life Transformers. It was a robot suit that turned into a vehicle which could travel at speeds up to 12 mph. And while the creator, Drew Beaumier, didn’t have great luck with the investors from Shark Tank, he is still working on his products under the name of RoboCars Entertainment, which you can learn more about right here!

One strange item that somehow ended up on Shark Tank was one that all golfers might understand the desire for: the UroClub. The UroClub is for those pesky moments when you’re out golfing and realize that you need to take a restroom break, despite being twenty minutes away from the clubhouse. It allows users to “discreetly” pee into the fake golf club, which comes with a “privacy towel,” and continue with their games. Amazingly enough, the creator, Dr. Floyd Seskin, actually struck a deal with Kevin Harrington and saw great success from the show. 

Another product from Shark Tank that deals with a slightly embarrassing matter was the Under-Ease. This product, which looks like a giant adult diaper, was designed to be anti-flatulence underwear. The creator told the sharks that they could confidently pass gas without anyone around them knowing, but unfortunately for him, they weren’t interested in the bizarre product. Perhaps the world just wasn’t ready for this idea yet…

If you’re a fan of waking up to the savory smell of bacon cooking, you might have been a fan of the Wake’n Bacon, which was featured on Shark Tank. This was an alarm clock, which had a cute yet simple pig face on it, that would wake snoozers by automatically cooking bacon at a set time. The sharks were not wowed by the idea, however, possibly due to concerns for safety or simply wondering why it would exist in the first place. So unfortunately, if you’re a bacon fan, you’ll need to cook your breakfast the old fashion way.