MW08: On The Floor: Budclicks styles your ears

News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

January 22, 2008

MW08: On The Floor: Budclicks styles your ears

Posted Jan. 22, ’08, 2:50 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi

Category | iPod » iPod Accessories

“Crap,” said a friend after we were briefed by the reps at the Budclicks booth. “This is going to be the next big trend.”

At first look, our impressions fell somewhere between “Wow, this is kinda stupid,” and “Wow, this is really stupid.” But after looking at the demos and seeing the sales line grow longer and longer, we came to the grim-but-obvious realization that usefulness and practicality often play no role in determining youth trends. And the Budclicks products are so pointless and extravagant they’re likely to win the hearts of 13-year-old iPod-toting girls across the country.

The Budclicks concept is simple enough: they’re little trinkets that connect to the bud-section of iPod headphones. Their purpose? To pretty-ify your ears with all sorts of different designs, from flowers, to peace signs, to skulls, to grenades with skulls, to more skulls, to bullets (the last four are for the manly men). They have over 36 different designs on their website, including Politoclicks — earbud snap-ons that sport the name of your favorite presidential candidate. The Budclicks range in price from $8 to $15 for a set (yeesh), and can be purchased through their website.

It’s only a matter of time before your niece’s ears will look like tiny sandals or purple pineapples (?), and the entire ear-piercing industry is put out of business because it’s much easier and cooler to just wear the clips on your headphones instead of getting a needle jammed into your earlobe. So build your faith in humanity and prepare yourself for the onslaught of stylized ears, before it’s too late. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.