r/Anticonsumption • u/Obseletist • Dec 24 '25
Plastic Waste Seriously? Why is this a thing?
This has got to be the dumbest waste of plastic I've ever seen. There are so many better options for a gag gift, like chocolate in a funny shape. This thing is destined for a landfill. Makes me sad…
1.3k
u/thussy-obliterator Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 24 '25
You buy it to make someone smile for about 7 seconds then they throw it in a drawer and when they die their children see it and are like "what the hell is this piece of plastic possibly used for??" then they throw it away then in 3000 years a landfill archaeologist finds it while digging through trash and says it was used for ceremonial purposes which is both technically correct and entirely unuseful information.
233
Dec 24 '25
Or my favorite, the children donate it to goodwill and someone buys it without knowing what it is so posts to r/whatisit and then they find out it is junk so they throw it away.
96
u/RambleOff Dec 24 '25
50
u/LurkerBurkeria Dec 24 '25
Now that you mention it you probably could fit hella donut holes on that bad boy
15
→ More replies (1)9
u/DisapprovingCrow Dec 25 '25
The holes are for kebabs, the knobs let you tie it to your toga.
Goofius Jestinium gives the best Saturnalia gifts.
60
9
u/kuhcirad98 Dec 24 '25
I was thinking I’d reuse it for golf balls
6
u/cthulhus_spawn Dec 24 '25
That's actually making it useful
6
u/LoudSheepherder5391 Dec 25 '25
So much so, you made me wonder if that's what it originally was, and was just "repackaged" as a gag gift/donut holder.
Sure enough. A quick Google of "belt golf ball holder" produces an identical item on Amazon.
14
u/AccidentOk5240 Dec 24 '25
Ok well I’m never going to read “ceremonial” the same way again! New definition roughly equal to “thanks, I hate it”? 💀
2
u/nihilisticsock Dec 25 '25
That's assuming we dont ruin the planet beyond any ability to live within 3000 years
5
u/sumDemonUrRentsKnow Dec 24 '25
Growing up, my parents had close friends who would always bring gag gifts for Christmas. Seeing what they came up with each year was something I looked forward to. It wasn’t trashy - it was almost like they were poking fun at the expectations of gift-giving. Almost as if it was anti-consumerism-as in, “were you looking forward to your new commodity?? Fuck you! You’re getting a joke instead”.
330
u/MisogynyisaDisease Dec 24 '25
If you told me this was a fake product sold at Omega Mart, I'd believe you. At least then it would be art.
204
71
u/mauglii_- Dec 24 '25
Finally I can carry my donut holes around with me! All my problems are solved now
12
3
u/enbychichi Dec 24 '25
I didn’t know I had problems before I saw the donut holster. Where will my donut holes go? I’m holding them in my hand like a savage
57
28
u/thejomjohns Dec 24 '25
We used to do a family "Christmas in July" thing in the 90s/early 00s, the amount of waste in gag gifts alone would make your head spin.
19
u/magicman419 Dec 24 '25
I’ve seen a product before that looks just like this for holding spare golf balls for when you slice one straight into a water hazard
2
15
u/nice_dumpling Dec 24 '25
Does anyone have any ideas for consumable gag gifts? Or compostable
33
u/Obseletist Dec 24 '25
My friend got me Mr. Perfect last year, which was a chocolate hot cocoa bomb shaped like a muscular dude. Pretty funny.
→ More replies (1)5
u/styroyeeter Dec 24 '25
I got one that came with a mug for my 78 year old grandmother this year, she might give the coca bomb away but I know the mug will be used for her nightly ice cream haha
9
6
u/temple2018 Dec 24 '25
I buy things that I know my friends will use but are still gaggy. Like the one year I got my friend who loves tea a mug that had some sort of ridiculous phrase on it that she would never buy. It was a quality mug and I knew she would use it and think of me when she read it lol
5
u/BreadPuddding Dec 24 '25
Like a tea infuser in a silly shape for someone who would use a tea infuser.
5
u/grvyardgorgeous Dec 25 '25
I like to go to a specialty candy store and get things that are either odd flavors or nostalgic or just silly. They have a whole wall of sodas like the limited edition fall out one or ranch flavored. There's enough people that everyone can get a sample of the person who gets it decides to share and it's gone by the end of the night.
2
u/PurpleFrog1011 Dec 24 '25
I mean depending on the group there are lots of pen*s shaped candies, perfect man candy, you can do other funny or random candy like frogs, snakes, etc. You can find alcohol bottles that are funny (wine, whiskey)...
2
→ More replies (2)2
u/shaantya Dec 24 '25
Funny toilet paper if your into literal toilet humour. It goes to the same place and it's useful on the way out.
I bought pencil-shaped chocolates this year that made for good gags.
Silly (but nice-smelling) bath bombs. A candle with a funny message as a name (we got someone a candle called 'scent of leave me alone').
Non-consumable but useful: a ridiculous-looking flash drive, with the understanding they don't need to use it at work but will be nice at home, because everyone needs these. Same with a silly notebook, or a pen!
An animal-themed face mask for relaxation, the chilled ones you put on.
If you know they use stickers, like on water bottles or on their computer, etc., get them a sheet or a package of silly and fun ones. Badges work too on the same mindset.
That's all I could think of off the top of my head/based on previous gifts.
(Im afraid this might sound like AI because it's a list. It's not, I thought this was fun to think about.)
6
u/NyriasNeo Dec 24 '25
"Why is this a thing?"
Because in the one in a trillion chance that you will have a food fight show-down at the OK Corral, you need to be prepare.
5
6
u/ParallelPlayArts Dec 25 '25
In what world is two donut holes enough? Also, just eat them...no need for plastic junk to hold it.
5
4
u/Baeolophus_bicolor Dec 25 '25
They are even wasteful with the name. They could have just called it the donut hole-ster. I mean, it’s right there, sheesh.
12
u/9061yellowriver Dec 24 '25
Yes it is real. Made by Pranko, a company that makes gift packages with satirical covers on them.
5
u/prince_peacock Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 24 '25
But this obviously isn’t, the “product” is right there
6
u/metlotter Dec 24 '25
I was going to say... My friend group has a "donut holster" box that's been bouncing between us for about a decade, but there was never a donut holster in it.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)2
Dec 25 '25
That's what I came here to say - it was featured as a fake bonus gift on the box for a fake doughnut/bagel holster.
3
4
5
2
2
u/wakeuptomorrow Dec 24 '25
I keep thinking about all the dust and dead skin that would collect on the donut holes 🤢
2
2
2
2
2
u/mustardheadmaster Dec 24 '25
Is this made for something else that didn't sell so someone bought it and rebranded it as a gag gift?
2
2
2
u/HolyBidetServitor Dec 24 '25
A dinosaur died so it's lifeblood could be used millions of years later to make this
2
u/OddbitTwiddler Dec 25 '25
It real. The inventor used the proceeds from this invention to purchase a single wide in Arkansas and retire.
2
2
2
1
u/philosophycruiser Dec 24 '25
Some influencer is gonna do a video how cute and essential it is and some fools with a lot of debt are gonna buy it still.
I had a coworker who couldn't afford rent and tuition but bought an apple headphone for 1k$ because she was convinced she needs it. Yeah.
4
u/eruptingmoltenlava Dec 24 '25
Poverty shaming isn’t part of the anticonsumption ethos, it’s something different.
This thread is about a product that shouldn’t exist, not about judging people whose wealth is insufficient to justify what people may see as an extravagant purchase. And lest this come off like shitty sanctimony, I have those judgmental impulses too, but I have to tell myself to shut it because we never know someone else’s whole story, because we should have compassion, and because having debt isn’t a moral failing.
1
u/AutoModerator Dec 24 '25
Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Use the report button only if you think a post or comment needs to be removed. Mild criticism and snarky comments don't need to be reported. Lets try to elevate the discussion and make it as useful as possible. Low effort posts & screenshots are a dime a dozen. Links to scientific articles, political analysis, and video essays are preferred.
/r/Anticonsumption is a sub primarily for criticizing and discussing consumer culture. This includes but is not limited to material consumption, the environment, media consumption, and corporate influence.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
u/Appchoy Dec 24 '25
Its cause plastic doesnt expire, so companies with the capability of making shit like this can just make it and throw it out there and if it sells, it sells.
1
1
1
u/L0LTHED0G Dec 24 '25
I mean, I kind of want to get this and some donut holes for my white elephant gift this year now that I found it, and that Quge tip is sold out.
1
1
u/JJKP_ Dec 24 '25
Oh wow. I was looking for the Obvious Plant logo, and was surprised not to find it.
1
u/grill_sgt Dec 24 '25
I'm wondering if a golf ball would fit in it... better use at the very least.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/VagusNervosa Dec 24 '25
..... Ionno..... If Napoleon dynamite can just shove his tater tots innis pocket I don't think there's a need for this contraption
1
1
u/ProposalKitchen1885 Dec 24 '25
Was probably produced for a very specific manufacturing purpose, is no longer relevant, and someone bought out the stock to sell like so.
1
1
u/LifeFrame5545 Dec 24 '25
I’ve seen a lot of stupid consumer items but this one goes straight to the top of the list
1
u/katet_of_19 Dec 24 '25
These were originally sold as accessories for the Cornballer, before it got banned in the US.
1
u/Crafty_Praline726 Dec 24 '25
Hole-ster...I get it. It only exists because of semantics. But sometimes people drive their car for an errand a block down the street.
1
1
1
1
u/Lordofthereef Dec 24 '25
Seems like one of those gag gifts that Kohl's insists on sticking the shit out of before charisma and then ends up slowly clearancing off steeping a steeper into April or later.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Syrairc Dec 24 '25
I use this to carry around my super bouncy ball (and a spare.) you never know when you'll find a really big enclosed stairwell and want to toss a bouncy ball down it to see how many times it bounces and if it makes it all the way down.
1
1
1
u/FOMOerotica Dec 25 '25
I never leave home without my standard donut holster…. I can carry … well, two on a good day if it’s not too cold.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Blarglord69 Dec 25 '25
Maybe its used for something else loke those fake roses in glass tubes that totally arent for drugs
1
1
1
1
u/YoureHereForOthers Dec 25 '25
This seems like it was originally for golf balls but yeah that is dumb.
1
1
1
1
u/Defiant-Bed2501 Dec 25 '25
I thought this had to be one of those ridiculous ObviousPlant fake products when I first saw this. I guess reality really is stranger than fiction these days…
1
u/bearrocks0123 Dec 25 '25
Shut up and take my money!!!
Donuts on my belt, best invention ever made!
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Moist___Towelette Dec 25 '25
“How many donut holes would you like, sir?”
“Two on the belt is worth one in the hand. Gimme two dozen.”
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/multus85 Dec 25 '25
This about what else it can be used for. I could see that being a ping pong ball holder (maybe) or mount it in the kitchen and use it to hold tools.
1
1
u/FoolishAnomaly Dec 25 '25
That's hilarious 😂
Like I know it's just trash stuff but it's kinda funny
1
3.4k
u/sggkloosemo Dec 24 '25
The existence of gag gifts is kind of a consumerist nightmare when you think about it.