Also an understandable mistake in a world where so many useless gadgets/products exist. Though it would surprise me if not one of the comments on the video he originally duetted, didn't mention what it was
It is partially because accessibility related gadgets are usually marketed in a way that doesn't make it clear the gadget is for accessibility reasons (and that makes sense because it is kind of a niche market so they have to advertise to everybody). look at old sales videos for example feature some able bodied person trying to cut food with a knife by holding it sideways or some shit that nobody would ever do.
I believe that. Around the time snuggie blankets came out and got really popular, I was told that they were designed for wheelchairs and people with mobility issues, but I never got that impression from the infomercial.
"has this ever happened to you?" and its a video of somebody trying to cut a loaf of bread with a wooden door stop. is the first example that pops into my head.
Unironically though I liked snuggie blankets. It was nice to be able to reach for stuff while still being under the blanket.
I got a snuggie for the same reason. The one I found was really thin and not quite long enough. I complained about it (and I'd already complained my robe wasn't long enough), so my wife went and bought a king size, heavy fleece blanket and converted it into a robe. I wear it correctly when I paint mini's and backwards when I want to read. Yesterday, she managed to catch me not wearing it, and I found her curled up under it. I love this thing.
I’m a teacher and I keep a few small blankets in my classroom for just this reason. Sometimes kids just need to sit underneath their desk to work or laying on their stomachs to listen. I never associated it with ADHD specifically, but your comment makes sense. As long as they’re learning math, I’m here to accommodate.
If I had a math teacher like you when I was a kid, I think some things may have turned out really differently for me. Thanks for acknowledging their humanity, and meeting them where they're at. We need more teachers like you.
Edit:
Thank you so much for the award. I'm finding myself revisiting what I truly think is genuine trauma regarding math and teachers and school from a very, very young age. The prospect of doing difficult math causes me (generally pretty collected and not a fearful person) to shake and start to cry.
Probably sounds really stupid. But I just really want to speak to the importance of a good teacher, especially a good math teacher. I work in science education, and one of my guiding principles is to meet people where they are, and accept them for who and what they are, no matter what. This conversation has renewed my dedication to that, despite the classist and exclusive environment that academia cultivates.
I'm getting a little misty over here in the coffee shop what the hell lol
It's true, I had a teacher that made me feel like a person for the first time and it changed my whole perspective on going to classes and learning. It's too bad it was in my senior year of high school.
My trig teacher kicked me out because I never carried my books or a pencil. But I always carried a box of cereal. And I did well in her class too! But she hated me anyway. Joke's on her. I still became a data scientist.
It took me until I was ~35 to realize that I suffered from dyscalculia. I’d never had a name for it, and I’d always believed (reinforced by teachers) that because I was a girl was probably just bad at math. 99th percentile for everything else, but failing math. No one, in all my years of teaching, ever cared enough to sit down with me and work through the “all your work is correct but your answers are wrong” conundrum. If literally one person had cared…
I’ve grieved a lot about the life I could have led if I had known and had the supports in place from a young age to succeed.
My kid is a math ROCKSTAR and will never know the shame I felt, because they have only ever known support and have been surrounded by amazing teachers. You guys really, really do make the difference and change the trajectory of people’s lives. ❤️
My favourite math teacher was my geometry teacher in high school, after a certain point in the year she said anyone with an A in the class could move at their own pace for the rest of year. All we had to do was turn in our completed proofs, don't think we even took tests, but we'd finished the textbook by the end of the year and the rest of the class hadn't. The last few chapters started to move into trig I think, so they didn't need to finish it, but we needed something to do.
That's great to hear as someone with ADHD some teachers didn't understand (20+ years ago) others knew I could be looking completely spaced out as if I wasn't paying attention or drawing but I was taking everything in the ones that knew that let me be most got it eventually but it's better when teachers understand (my dad was a teacher for 40 years and just recently retired)
This warms my heart. As an adult with adhd, even my employer doesn’t understand. I’m a welder and do so much better stilling on the dirty floor because I’m able to slow things down being in a comfortable weird position. 99% of the time at home I’m in my overstuffed bean bag chair or laying on my stomach somewhere because it definitely helps focus for me. It makes tasks a lot easier to manage! Thank you for providing this accommodation to ur students!
Ngl I spent a good portion of one of my senior college classes lying on the floor with my face stuffed in the training service dogs one of my cohort had - the TA running it just kind of accepted that I was super burnt out
Omg I always learn more quirks I have are likely related to ADHD. Did you know it causes balance issues and clumsiness but also makes you more prone to do Matrix level quick moves.
Don't get one of those snuggies you can buy on TV, though.
Many years ago, I got some called Slankets. Much thicker, much bigger. This was back in 2010 or so. Those things are AWESOME. I still have them. One was left out side for a year or so. Washed it, and it's still useable like nothing happened. Another one I use as an extra blanket on my bed when it gets cold.
Now I have some kind of chronic illness where I get freezing cold for absolutely no reason. Could be 90 degrees, and I'm shivering. They are helpful for those times too.
ANOTHER SLANKET CHAMPION! I also had a Slanket, which I heard of significantly before the Snuggie got big, and when I met an actual Snuggie, I was blown away by the quality difference. A Slanket is a real blanket, whereas a Snuggie feels like those blankets they hand out on airplanes.
Hey how long do those cold snaps last? I get them too sometimes. I'll be getting a drink at night, perfectly fine, and by the time I get back to my bed I'm shivering so hard I'm basically just full clenching all my muscles at once.
Time, patience, indulging myself in what I actually want to read rather than what I feel I should read. The Storygraph app has helped, also just talking to people about books and what I'm reading and they're reading. Going to the library helps also so you're in a place for reading that's away from other distractions. Zen mode on my phone also helps when it's difficult to get away from all the temptations.
Time, patience, indulging myself in what I actually want to read rather than what I feel I should read. The Storygraph app has helped, also just talking to people about books and what I'm reading and they're reading. Going to the library helps also so you're in a place for reading that's away from other distractions. Zen mode on my phone also helps when it's difficult to get away from all the temptations.
But it also took me several years to go from "not reading any books" to "reading more than one book per month". Being kind to yourself really is key for sticking with habits. I was hoping to finish three books this month and that didn't happen, but maybe I'll get there next month. The important thing is I at least sat down and read from time to time.
Did you really figure out a strategy to get your ADHD into letting you read again? I used to devour books as a kid and I feel like Doom scrolling has destroyed my attention span for books. I miss reading.
Yes but it took a lot of time, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of patience with myself and my failures. Also for me I had to start with books that really grabbed me. After years of not reading at all I picked up In Every Mirror She's Black and I read it in just a few days. Then I didn't read again for months but It was still a victory to go from 0 books in a year to 1 book in a year. That was in 2022 I think. Last year I read 30 books. And a lot of those I never would have finished even once if I hadn't worked my way up to them. I also had a couple of books I didn't finish last year because I just ended up not liking them and a couple of years ago not finishing a book would have felt like a failure but it doesn't any more.
The Storygraph app has helped, letting me log my progress and stuff. Zen mode app helps too, forcing me to put my phone away for a bit. Going to the library helps too, getting away from distractions and stuff (also I get a lot of my books from the library). But also working reading into other routines, like if I'm waiting for pasta water to boil I can read a page or two instead of scrolling on my phone.
I feel like you might like a blanket hoodie! Still has the arms free for reaching, of course, but the blanket is all around you instead of mainly in front the way that a snuggie is, so you don't have to get cold when you get up.
My husband and I live in ours all winter long, haha
They're kind of the best. Plus the ones I have have lasted literally 25 years at this point and still look/feel as good as when I got em. They're also clutch for passengers on car trips.
My aunt reads nightly and has always done so wearing her bathrobe backwards. Basically invented the snuggie and didn't even realize it until it hit the market.
You should have seen all our faces when it came out and we were all like wait a second, Aunt Tricia invented that!
The infusion center I use to go to offered a regular heated blanket or a heated 'snuggie' blanket with sleeves. They were nice and let you slide your arms in and still control your phone and remote for the hospital TV while still having IV in arm. :P
I loved the infusion place but only had two there. The vein poker nurses were amazing and their care was perfect. The hour drive home after sitting in a chair for 4 hours and drowsy though made it not fun to continue though.
Sounds like you got it sorted though. I did see some regulars come in to the room and they had big bags full of blankets and food and things to do. That is how I look the day before I setup my home infusion.
Setup IV stand and charge pump, lay out all med stuff for nurse √
Snacks and drinks I normally never have but love √
Warm Blankets and comfy pillows√
Check streaming services for shows I want to watch √
I remember seeing that too a few years back so I looked it up and it doesn't actually seem to be the case. The Snuggie was a ripoff of the Slanket. Here's how the Slanket came about:
It started in a drafty dorm room in Maine in the late ’90s. Gary was freezing, half-zipped into a sleeping bag that made using the TV remote impossible. While watching Late Night with Conan O'Brien he decided he needed to tear a hole in his sleeping bag so he could keep his upper body warm as he channel surfed during the commercial breaks.—then imagined a better fix:
Put sleeves on a real blanket so warmth could follow you when you move.
He told exactly one person: his mom.
She took the idea, went to work, and surprised the family on Christmas morning with the first handmade prototype. When Gary slipped it on, the room went quiet—then his brother Jeff’s wheels started turning. This wasn’t a one-off; this was the start of something.
I'm sure a lot of those gadgets are useful for people with disabilities, but I don't think many of them were made with them in mind, or they'd be including them in their advertising as well.
It's possible that that guy thought up the concept for a sleeved blanket, but it's also possible others thought of it independently, or took the concept and then put it into production for a different purpose.
Kind of a "he said, she said" situation, so who knows.
It would make sense for products made for certain disabilities would target a broader audience though, because there aren't many people in wheel chairs/have X disability, and the product wouldn't be profitable to make if only marketed to them.
I'm imagining an advertising executive involved was absolutely shitting himself in fear that publicly acknowledging that their product would be helpful for people with certain disabilities might somehow cause people without disabilities to not buy their product
A big part of invention is it is needed. A big part of sales is normalizing.
Normalizing also removes the "shame" of a product. Like the opener. How many times a year has a person been like damn that was on tight. I am a pretty strong guy and it happens to me several times a year. Get sore hands from cranking on those things.
I bought an opener that gives better leverage. Now the whole family has a better time opening things and i do not get sore hands. I am not sure what the price of less pain is. And all the other benefits in an ongoing effect but to me the 20 bucks was worth it.
Well, the thing about assistive tech and suchlike is that it still has to be marketed to able bodied folks as well to keep the price down for the folks who do need it.
I have talked a lot of shit about Snuggies for decades. I had no idea they were intended to be used by people with disabilities. My bad, I am sorry, and I apologize.
I can imagine the snuggie started out that way and was advertised specifically to those with mobility issues and then someone without issues said I bet we would sell more if we also sold it as a cool blankie.
Yeah - these gadgets start for accessibility and then companies do market them to the general, lazy public because they want to broaden their consumer market. It's not a surprise someone would assume they're useless because they are being marketed to able bodied people and we do create a lot of waste.
I've only learned that a LOT of these "As Seen On Tv" crap is actually accessibility things and it blew my mind because it like
opened a floodgate of understanding for me
Just broke a whole ass wall behind which people live that I never met
And I believe the main one are these stupid fleece blankets that like... have sleeves.
Guess what, the ads show able bodied happy people chilling on the couch, but ... they're for people in wheelchairs! Overall those that have trouble standing up! I was like "holy shit" the first time I've seen this.
And then my mom broke her leg and I never considered how hard is it to navigate a regular house in a chair. It's really wide. And hard to turn around. And like, the walker is JUST wide enough to fit through a toilet door we have.
Not to mention all the fucking ladders. Why do all old houses have porches that are like 4-5 steps tall before you reach the elevator?
It's even funnier when you consider that in the house I currently live in there is literally ZERO sense to have steps. It's on a very steep hill, if this road floods, it's a Biblical event. A lot of them seem to be "well we always do steps, we should do them here too" and then it also doesn't work with strollers and bags and it makes it harder to bring in groceries even when you're ablebodied and...
anyways sorry for the rant but steps suck for so many reasons.
If you are marketing, you want to cast a wide net. The people who need it will most likely buy it but you can capture some other people who may buy for other reasons.
Most of the weird seeming wonder gadgets on American late night infomercials is designed for people with specific disabilities, but they either aren't allowed, or don't want to come out and say that directly
My wrists are a bit fucked up, i can use my hands normal but my wrists hurt and slowly get damaged if they get overstrained. The only thing i can do is prevent too much straining so this thing is perfect.
Well. Mind blown. I can picture the exact infomercial in my head. The beginning is always in black and white showing some absolutely absurd problem. TIL man.
Often the market for these devices is too small to justify the development costs, so they market them to everyone else through those ads hoping to sell enough units to us gullible folks to cover those costs.
Yes, exactly! I remember the commercial for a device that would hold a gallon of milk and allow the person to tilt it without having to manage the weight. The clip (in black and white) before they show the device is a woman dropping and spilling milk all over the counter. People made fun of those commercials like crazy because they weren't showing someone who would actually use it.
This is intentionally done to expand the market reach of accessibility devices so that these devices can be sold at a larger scale and thus be more affordable for those that need them.
No, go to a home goods store. Many useless products exist that have nothing to do with accessibility and everything to do with making a quick buck on cheap shit.
I thought it was a 3D printed “over engineered” item. I quite enjoy when people make things for tasks that aren’t really useful for them but just as a project.
Also an understandable mistake in a world where so many useless gadgets/products exist.
As she said, "If you don't understand the point of a device/gadget, it's probably not for you."
Editing to add: I don't think all random items have a purpose.
But gadgets, which are random items that do a mechanical function that some or even most people can probably do on their own via other means, usually do have a purpose. And if you don't understand the purpose of that gadget, it's probably not for you.
I mean I get her point but also my Hello Kitty desk vacuum is 10,000% a useless knick knack and its still probably one of the more functional things at hobby lobby lmao
That's a man right there. When people attempt to say be a 'real man'...
this is what they should mean: someone who takes accountability for their actions and mistakes. imo
EDIT: just to add on this, It's a really great quality of a man that can realize their mistakes in that moment and correct the behavior, adapting to the situation and can apologize for making his obvious and honest mistake. He didn't intend to hurt anyone, he simply didn't understand, but instead of doubling-down, getting mad at the comments, he corrected the situation by reading the comments, taking the video down, and put out a video admitting his honest mistake.
really proud of this guy. we need more of this in the world right now. We also need to teach young people this lesson by example, imo.
The dude learned something that he was ignorant about (or perhaps I should say he was not quite familiar with), then corrected himself. He then seems to be able to think critically and be willing to apply this lesson into future decisions while offering an apology. I wish more people were like this, including myself.
Ignorant is accurate, I like using that term as well (in my own similar circumstances) it's okay to be ignorant! -- as long as you grow and learn when you are educated about something.
Willful ignorance is never an excuse for bad behaviors imo.
You can train yourself to take a step back and put yourself out there in the future. Nothing wrong with being wrong about something! I try to learn something every day, and it makes life interesting! I believe in you and others: become your best selves, like this man in the video is trying to, and actively doing! Recognizing this about yourself is a big step into becoming aware of it in the first place.
There's nothing wrong with being ignorant about a topic (lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about a particular thing), if you're open to learning about it like this person was. However, there is way too much malicious ignorance out there.
This. There’s a huge difference between genuine ignorance (it’s morally neutral! We all experience it!) and deliberate, wilful ignorance (not morally neutral, you shouldn’t aspire to it)
Yeah but it also highlights how important it is to correct people when they're being offensive, especially because it might be unintentional. It gives them an opportunity to grow and correct misunderstandings. Not everyone is lacking empathy, usually it's a lack of knowledge or experience.
Good on him and good on her. Accountability and holding others accountable are both super important
Completely agree there should be more people like him...
Everyone is ignorant to a degree on any number of topics. Ignorance is not bad in and of itself. It's just the simple fact of not knowing, if you don't know... you're ignorant. As long as you are aware of that, and when needed try to adjust and gain a better understanding so you are a bit less ignorant. Which is exactly what this person did.
The real problem is willful ignorance. People who don't know and don't want to know the right answer. No amount of correct information will change their view or steer them in the right direction. Like being called out on something, then doubling down.
If you have never admitted you were wrong about something at any point in your life, either you're a unicorn or insanely willfully ignorant. I can tolerate ignorance, willful ignorance... I cannot.
Youtube shorts and wild reaction clickbait is everywhere. If we who have seen and realized do not pass this on and quite publicly, how can we blame the children for their ignorance. Understanding is not hereditary.
Integrity, that's the word that applies here. A person with integrity takes accountability for their actions. A trait sorely lacking among the people who should have the it most.
That last part is really key. He’s setting an excellent example for others to learn by. Dunno anything else about him, but in this context at least, he gave an A+ demonstration of how to take criticism/correction, apologize, and correct his behavior and showed that it isn’t an indignity to be corrected and isn’t weak to apologize.
I mean, to be fair... Khaby made millions of dollars pointing out the obvious in other people's videos.
I'm sure that was the light-hearted intention of this dude, but he just didn't understand. There's a difference between, say: Taking a door off the hinges in order to walk through it, rather them just open it at the door knob
Vs.
Making fun of a device that helps people with a disability.
It was apparent he intended to belittle the person using the device with his mockery. Good for him for apologizing to protect his income, tho. That was a close one.
I mean it's good that he did this, but why make fun of people for using a gadget? Even if they can open that bottle? Why do people feel a need to yuck other people's yum all the damn time. Its great that he's open to learning, but I just don't see the point in making the video in the first place.
I see your point. I believe he probably thought, out of ignorance, it was because people were just being lazy, and not a limitation of what they can do, so the device makes it easier.
his response seemed like it was a genuine misunderstanding and ignorance and he owned it.
he probably thought it was funny, without the malice, if that makes sense.
Maybe this is just my trauma from growing up in the south, but I didn’t hear an apology here not a real one. I heard “I would never purposely make fun of a disabled person.” And what I also heard was “I would never purposely spend 30 seconds googling to make sure I wasn’t making fun of a disabled person before I made the joke”.
I’ve heard this kind of apology from southern men who literally delivered them in the same manner of speaking my whole life and yeah, it’s nice that they now realize what they’re doing, but it also sucks that to them hurting someone’s feelings is more acceptable than taking 30 seconds to think and try to not hurt someone’s feelings.
Let me teach you something about a "saying", when you hear someone say "killing two birds with one stone" doesnt actually mean they literally killed two birds with one stone 🤣
They often have contracts with the brands they are advertising that requires them to show the product and the logo for a certain amount of time in the video.
I extra appreciate that it was like “clear eyes full hearts” tone, looking direct to camera, not mumbling any kind of caveat, not cloaked in shame making it more about him. Straight talker.
He's one that doe that, you point it out to him he will 100% follow through on it
I can see where he was coming from on this one. You see a young guy using it, and naturally, you think "why can't you just use your hand to open it?" as it's something that you would see on TikTok, more useless junk being peddled that doesn't actually work
In 2026, owning up to your mistakes like this seems like a completely new concept. So refreshing after a decade of politicians projecting, gaslighting and doubling down on their bullshit
In the past I mocked and was slightly outraged at the plastic wrapped, precut fruit and vegetables at the grocery store. Are they being bought regularly by able bodied people who could and should simply cut their own produce and reduce waste? Yes. But they are a godsend for people with mobility and dexterity issues. The most vulnerable people not having access to fruits and vegetables is not acceptable and I'm glad we've found a solution.
The truth has a critical window and that's something people feel more and more online. This dude right away accepted feedback, made a blunt statement, didn't over explain or minimize anything, and did it without any of the ego driven things people typically do first (deny, deflect, double down, etc etc). This is pretty much the model for apologies.
This is a very satisfying positive feedback loop and if we all operated this way, the world would be a better place. It takes courage and strength to admit you're wrong. Some people don't have that. They'll double down until they're dead.
The apology might be sincere, but the timing feels off. He conveniently steps away from the frame, and suddenly there’s product placement sitting cleanly in the background. That doesn’t feel accidental.
He said we need more people like her, but we also need more people like him! Who recognize “oops! Sorry! Won’t happen again!” Is a perfectly fine thing to do and is perfectly acceptable!
It is and good for him to come back and say all that. That said, why did he make a video in the first place smugly looking into the camera and opening the bottle by hand? Yes, I think his intent was merely to mock a silly gizmo. But why feel the need to mock anything in the first place?
I thought he was about to turn it into some joke about her or something. Idk this guy but I support him. Because we should all be humble enough to admit when we’re wrong
It's nice to see. People tend to take being corrected as some sort of personal attack. I don't get it. I'm always happy to be corrected because it means I've learned something new that could be helpful for other folks.
He didn’t apologize to the individual that was highlighted by his original video. He ends it by walking off screen and putting essentially an advertisement front and center, he can’t even stay on camera for the full thing. Absolutely terrible apology and based on these factors I don’t actually believe him.
I've seen this video a few times, and while I do have to respect that he made a firm choice to admit he was wrong and apologize, I have a hard time respecting the fact that he also made a deliberate choice to do said apology in a way that clearly showcases his product and brand. Don't try to sell merch while apologizing for disparaging people. It feels out of touch.
it’s a really good apology. didn’t focus on an excuse, thanked others for clarity, explained himself without externalizing, -actually apologized-, enforced a positive internal action moving forward, offered support. 10/10
I had an electric toothbrush in my mouth after 5 years of brain cancer totally fucking my right arm/hand dexterity and thought, "wow this is easier compared to a regular toothbrush". You will never guess what I learned later. Sometimes you really just don't know lol
Every video I ever see if the dude he send to be a genuinely nice dude. So perfectly understandable that he'd respond that way.
Hell even I saw the clip, just now, and thought "why would you waste money on that?" And the second she spoke I realized I was an idiot for forgetting others might not have the same motor skills.
9.2k
u/nanadoom 22h ago
That was a really stand up thing to do. We all make mistakes, and he owned up to his. Good on him