One thing that struck me as I browsed the many goofy products that Thanko sells is the hint of sneering contempt in a lot of their product photography:

For instance, The Lonely Guy Wine Chiller:

And the Fat Slob Food Warmer:

Compare and contrast to The Dorkiest Umbrella Ever, where the guy can’t help but look ridiculous but is out doing something, and the girl actually looks kinda cute in it:

Now, it’s possible I’m reading too much into it. The “fat slob” model shows up in a lot of product photos and videos, and seems to be comfortable with how he’s used, but marketing pictures tell a story, and these stories show how the company views the customer. Add a girl to the wine-chiller photo, and Our Hero would be having a successful date; add some more guys to the food-warmer pic and put a nice spread of finger foods on it, and Our Hero would be hosting a Superbowl party.

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