My Snuggie Story
“What are you watching?” I asked my 4-year-old daughter the other day after noticing that she was paying an unusual amount of attention to the TV.
“It’s a blanket that has sleeves on it,” Punky replied. “It keeps you warm and cozy, Mommy. Can I buy one?”
I stifled a laugh. Apparently, even preschoolers weren’t immune to the charms of the Snuggie, that infamous backwards robe featured in what might be the cheesiest commercial to air on TV since the heady days of The Clapper.
In the commercial, beaming men, women and children sport Snuggies while watching TV at home, roasting marshmallows around a campfire, and rooting for their team in the stands of a football game. It’s no wonder that the Snuggie is the joke of choice right now on the Internet, as Facebook and Twitter users debate its merits and trade links of Snuggie spoofs on YouTube– and all that publicity is paying off.
According to Time Magazine, more than 3 million Snuggies have been sold nationwide. This led me to the realization that as your beauty correspondent, the Snuggie was a trend I needed to get on top of. Or underneath, actually. And so I sent my husband to buy me one at Walgreens.
“The guy at the register asked me if there was a Snuggie party,” Hubs announced when he returned home. “He said this was the fourth one he’d sold today. And then he asked me if I wanted to try it on first before I bought it.”
“Did you?” I asked incredulously.
“Hell no,” Hubs said.
“Good,” I replied, tearing into the box. “I want to be the first person to wear it.” Hubs grimaced, but his attitude changed when he spotted the free booklight that was included inside the box.
The next day dawned cold and bright. “This day was made for Snuggie!” I told Hubs excitedly. “I’m wearing mine to lunch!”
Hubs sighed. We were planning to go to Blue Coast Burrito, a new restaurant in West Nashville populated by suburban hipsters (if there is such a thing). “I guess you’ll want your camera,” he said.
We made a somewhat awkward entrance into Blue Coast Burrito. The place was crowded, and I was having trouble getting the kids inside and holding up the hem of my Snuggie at the same time. Also, the sleeves hung well past the tips of my fingers. The one-size-fits-all aspect of my Snuggie was turning out to be problematic.
As we got in line, several people did double takes. A girl in front of me turned, looked me up and down and burst into embarrassed laughter, which she then tried to hide as I fixed her with a supercilious stare. Another woman took a picture of me with her cell phone and texted it to someone, probably TMZ. I realized then that in a town full of people trying to get noticed, I had hit gold.
Once we got our food, all heads turned as I tripped over my hem several times in an effort to get to a table. Somehow, I managed to get my wriggling toddler son into a high chair and buckle his lap belt. People gave me embarrassed looks, probably, I told myself, because they were cursing themselves for not ordering two Snuggies for the price of one after seeing the commercial on TV. I smiled at everyone sympathetically. I was experiencing “total warmth and comfort” in my Snuggie. And they … were not.
“Could you watch that thing?” Hubs said, snapping me out of my reverie. I looked down to see that one of my Snuggie sleeves was marinating in the tomatillo salsa. “Sorry,” I said sheepishly. For the fifth time, my Snuggie drooped off of one shoulder. Irritated, I pushed it back up.
“The thing won’t stay on,” I said to Hubs.
“Yeah,” Hubs replied. “Maybe there’s a reason why most robes face forward.”
“You may be right,” I admitted, “My ass is pretty cold.” It wasn’t a feeling I liked. I began to wonder if wearing a Snuggie around town was such a good idea after all. I mean, true, it was only $15, and it came with a free book light. But on the other hand, to truly make the thing useful, I needed to have it altered and think about getting some Velcro closures for the back.
If I had it to do again, I would simply buy a microfleece lap blanket at Target, then cut a slit in the middle for my head. Now that’s a wearable blanket.
In the meantime, I now have my costume for Halloween. Perhaps I’ll pair my Snuggie with a light saber and be a Snuggie Jedi. Or, maybe I’ll carry a pitcher of Kool-Aid and be a member of the Snuggie Cult. Or, I can tie a belt around my waist and be a monk from the order of Snuggie.
And so can my kids. Because I just read that plans are in the works to introduce a child-sized Snuggie this year.
Punky will be thrilled.
>LOL. She is a doll.My best girlfriend got her hubby a snuggy for Christmas and I told her I wanted to borrow it next year for Halloween so I could go as a monk.
>Are you the meanest mommy in the world? You’re walking around in total warmth and comfort, and your poor daughter is freezing beside you?The Snuggie people who dis blankets are missing the whole point of them—you can cuddle three or four kids under one blanket.
>OMG. And you actually rock it. Not many people could pull that off. Snuggie obviously needs to make a version for two, with little hand holes down by Mommy’s knees. It’s freedom for all hands or freedom for none.
>I’m laughing at her reminder not to wear your pajamas (with the snuggie) or people would laugh at you and it would be the worst day ever. Good advice! cuz the snuggie won’t be embarrassing…at all.When my son was that age he told me “when your bank say no, champion says yes” Think we were watching a little too much tv?
>haha that is awesomei went on you tube to find the commercial, but i also found a praody of it.. it’s kind of funnyhttp://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=h05ZQ7WHw8Y
>I am just thinking your ass looks rather pissed at being left out in the cold… In my onlyslightlyyoungerdays, they made this thing I thing was called a SnugSack or something to that effect. It was like a cozy sleeping bag that zipped part way up the front, then the two top corners folded down over your shoulders and snapped somewhere on the top to create sort of sleeves. It was certainly cozy, but a pain in the tush when you needed to get up for anything, especially the bathroom.
>http://tinyurl.com/dlxgy5I can’t believe I found a picture of it!
>Ha ha! That picture is AWESOME! It’s like Snuggie 1.0! And the Snuggie spoof is HILARIOUS, too. Definitely worth watching.
>My kids want me to have a snuggie.. everytime that the commercial comes on, they yell at me to come see it. I found them at Walgreens on Sunday night. 14.99 – and it has a book light too! That way we don’t have to wait on the mail!Melody
>LOVE IT! I said the same thing you did… “did she just say ‘it’s freedom for your hands’?”You have yourself one smart chica! =)
>Wow you DO make A Snuggie look chic!It’s a small world in bloggerville – I live in the town that the Snuggies are shipped from (Wallingford CT) AND my husband remodeled the home of the man that owns the company.Oh – and your voice reminds me of one of the 2nd grade teachers at our school, very sweet and patient!
>Maddie is so jealous that Punky’s mom has a snuggie and hers doesn’t.
>I want to know who on earth you got to take your photo where you don’t feel ridiculous. Not that I’m saying the Snuggie is ridiculous; I just wonder how you asked someone to take your picture in one.
>you’re going to start a new trend!! I would’ve paid to see peoples reactions!My boys were snuggie obsessed too. I found a pattern and made them their own kid size ones http://wakemewhenitsover1.blogspot.com/2008/12/amy-vs-infomercial-who-wins.htmlThey wore them, for a day.
>Fabulous choice on the royal blue color! Pair it with a wide belt and oversized cocktail ring, and you would really be turning some heads!
>I have Snuggie envy! Though I would have chosen the maroon color to better compliment my family room decor. The reason your ass was cold is because it’s supposed to be laying on a couch 😉
>Says the video is unavailable 🙁
>It’s working for me… Try again, maybe?
>Freedom for your hands? Be still my heart that girl is adorable. ADORABLE!
>Ok, the red color makes you look like a Tibetan Monk. Anyone else notice that? And the Blue makes you look like a sorcerer. Like the kind Mickey Mouse wore in Fantasia.
>For sitting at home reading a book or watching TV, I would recommend a Snuggy for women who have hot flashes. I was given a robe that is really too big for me and I had already discovered that wearing that robe backward (instead of normal wearing of it or a better fitting robe) made it a lot faster and simpler to take on and off as hot flashes come and go. When wearing a robe normally, you must get up and pull it off or put it on, watching out to keep the sleeves or robe-ends from knocking off lamps, papers, etc. But worn backward, when you have a hot flash, you can just slip it down off your arms and chest and shove it to one side off your lap. Then when the hot flash is over and you are chilly again, just stick your arms back in the sleeves instantly.
>Lindsay your daughter just made my fricken day! Her saying ‘freedom for your hands’ made me bust a lols at work and I am not ashamed to look the office crazy doing it. Now you have to teach her that wearing the snuggie does NOT mean you should drink the koolaid.
>Too funny. Isn’t this way better than being a tv reporter? You get to cover the snuggie now! I can’t believe they’re open in the back! Though I guess that makes going to the bathroom more convenient.
>I received this for Christmas from my husband. I am happy that it came with two or I would never have one – he is always wearing it!I have the desire to put two together for total warmth. btw, my husband wants to use it to go as a monk for halloween as well! lol
>All kids must be obsessed with this thing. even my 13 year old fashion diva wants one.
>I have a slanket – looks very similar!
>Nice big story on msn about the Snuggie. I think the color works on you, but I’m not sure of the style, it’s sort of a fleecey Mrs Roper.Here’s the link:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28869549/
>I always thought it seemed like a fleece, hospital gown- and yes- those commercials have been the fodder for much diet coke spit out of my nose laughter with family and friends on FB- I am posting the link to this on my page- my friends will surely appreciate this-
>you are too funny! I wish I could have been there when you went to the restaurant. That must have been hilarious.
>OH man, my Walgreens is sold out of the Snuggie! And yes, I humiliated my 11 year-old daughter by actually ASKING the manager if they had it! Good times.
>My mom has a Snuggy because their only TV is in the cold-as-ice basement and she likes to knit down there. It’s hysterical.
>o m g, i love this. too freakin funny. and I am now tempted to follow your lead and wear my snuggie (mine looks more like Sherlock Holmes) to work. cheers and thanks for the laughs. you had me at snuggie.
>Seems like it is quite a craze. Have you seen this article in Ad Age about them? Some interesting behidn the scenes stuff.http://adage.com/print?article_id=134080 When I first saw the commercial, I decided I wanted one. Then I was in a gathering of friends/family and they were mocking it endlessly and I was too embarrassed to admit I really wanted one.So I’m curious – beyond wearing it out in public, how DOES it work when you are at home on the couch watching TV? All kidding aside (temporarily, anyway), do you like it?
>shouldn’t there be a snuggie anthem or something? a garment this popular and worthy deserves to be heralded with song!
>You made me laugh until I cried. Will you please wear your Snuggie to dinner with me?Ethan is always reciting infomercials to me- he is convinced I need Space Bags! 🙂
>Yep…Punky’s a keeper ;)And that Snuggie looks downright useful, ‘specially when the temp here this morning was -5. Yowza.
>Amy, I don’t think it stays on all that well- It kept falling off my shoulder. On the other hand, I was toasty warm as soon as I put it on in the car- It actually would be nice for a long car drive in cold weather, as long as you’re the passenger!And Amy Allen Clark, I’d TOTALLY wear my Snuggie to dinner, but I don’t think our San Francisco friends would be amused! 😀
>My kids think the Snuggie commericals are the funniest commercials they have every seen. They keep threatning to buy me a Suggie to wear in the stands of their hockey games. But then they said that they couldn’t play because they would be laughing too hard!
>Oh my gosh! My son (who just turned 5) also wants one of these. He asked for one for his birthday. We went with an Iron Man action figure instead, but now I’m wondering…In a related story I did buy a Ped Egg and I love it!
>That is high-larious, Lindsay! A well-written description of lunching w/ Snuggie. Snuggie was a family topic at Christmas, everyone bemoaning that none of us got one, because we would have enjoyed hootin’ at the wearer. 🙂
>Hehe, I blogged about this about a month ago claiming it was “Cult Gear”. For some reason, it just makes me think of a cult’s uniform.
>I’m guessing your older girls did NOT join you for lunch! Apparently you bought yours just on time. I heard on the radio they’re sold out and on back order!
>OMG this is funny lol! I thought who in the world would buy this cult cloak lol! My husband and I saw the commercial and started laughing b/c we thought the same thing. It’s cult wear! I’ll have to go and pull out my poncho from the garage. :)I can’t be the only one thinking this.
>I’ve always wanted a monastic looking family.
>I love that you are crazy enough to sport that out.
>CJ *loves* the Snuggie ads. Their marketing team has obviously hit on a means of reaching the preschool set.Meanwhile, we’ve got the Nuddle blanket – same idea, 4x as expensive, much more subtle colors – and she still wants a Snuggie.
>The Snuggie a ripoff! The original is called Snug Sac and is FAR superior because it stays on, and it covers up your back side, too! You need to do a comparison. http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Down-Alternative-Reversible-3-in-1-Snug-Sack/2192144/product.html
>I get the appeal- I really do- but how exactly is this different than a comfy fleece bathrobe? Someone clue me in?
>Linds, I am crying.That last picture of you sauntering down the street is priceless. I haven’t cried this much after looking at pictures since cheeseburgHers.
>i love the pictures that accompany this post ( and article on her nashville)! who would have ever thought a backwards blanket was marketable? its great!
>Deb sent me, and your daughter is priceless!! work that snuggie!!
>Sorry you wasted your money on a backwards robe..A snuggie is NOT a blanket. THe whole purpose of a blanket is to keep your body heat chambered in by encapsulating your WHOLE body, including arms. That’s why when people are cold they tuck their arms into their body. A snuggie effectively eliminates that and doesn’t work like a blanket at ALL. You’ll still have the urge to tuck your arms into your body. It’s a backwards robe.
>the Snuggie, for when you don’t have a special someone to snuggle you back — one size fits all
>Freedom! May the Snuggie be with us all!