14 DAY TRIAL // Just when we thought we'd seen it all when it came to USB-powered devices, the British company Marks & Spencer has decided to take us completely by surprise and launched what they thought it would be a perfect office gift for Christmas, namely the USB Pole Dancer. However, despite the fact that this little gadget proved quite successful (and you'll see why quite soon), it had to be pulled out from the stores, due to the protest of some ultra-moralist shoppers, as well as an MP from the British parliament.
But why has Tory MP Ann Widdecombe (the villain in question) attacked it as "cheap and tawdry" (as the Daily Mail reports)? Well, because this toy is - roughly speaking - what you get from crossing Barbie with a stripper (oops, read pole dancer). The "USB Pole Dancer" is actually an 8 inch-tall blonde, dressed in a red bikini and wearing matching red lipstick, designed to be plugged into a PC's USB port for power. Once the device is switched on, it goes through a gyrating routine with the help of a pre-installed backing track. It sports her own dancing silver pole, as well as multi-colored lights and disco music to "recreate an authentic nightclub atmosphere".
Actually, the purpose of this device is quite clear right from the box, which features the words "Girls, Girls, Girls" printed in large lettering. Moreover, the instructions say that: "This fun pole dancer is powered directly from the USB port on your PC and will entertain you at any time of the day or night."
What really boggles me here is that this device, which - according to the company's statement - was meant to be nothing more than a very funny and interesting Christmas gifts for adults (it was actually marketed at adults and was clearly marked 'Not suitable for children'), raised so much controversy. Have people in UK become so politically correct and uptight that they can't enjoy a gadget like this without feeling offended? In any case, the people who managed to get the device (which was quite cheap, actually, just around 20 pounds), can consider themselves lucky, since this will surely become a valuable collector's item in the near future.
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