Mind-Boggled by the Snuggie

A little over a year ago, I saw a commercial for something called the Snuggie. I didn’t pay much attention to it. It looked dumb.

Then, while watching “The Late Show With Jimmy Fallon,” I laughed like a madwoman when Fallon came out on stage wearing a blue Snuggie. I laughed even harder when the camera panned to the audience, all cuddled up in Snuggies. I thought, “Aha! That’s the meaning of the Snuggie. It’s a joke.”

I was wrong. The Snuggie is a serious product, and to my amazement, it’s in high demand as shoppers bombard the stores for Christmas gifts. It seems that in every store I encounter old ladies grabbing some employee and asking where the Snuggies are. Now there are even knockoff Snuggies, just in case the regular price of $15 to $20 is too expensive for your taste.

When I first saw the Snuggie on TV, I was bewildered. Someone already invented that. It’s called a robe, and if you really want to, I suppose you could put it on backward just for kicks. Or you could wrap yourself in a blanket. Either way, the Snuggie makes no sense to me.

Marketed as “the blanket with sleeves,” the Snuggie is not only a silly idea, but it’s also horrendous-looking. In all the TV commercials and photos on the box, I have yet to see anyone look good in a Snuggie. That’s why it was so funny when Fallon walked out onstage in one. It’s so tacky.

Have you ever seen a Snuggie up close? It’s a piece of lightweight fleece with arms and flaps in the back. People sing its praises for keeping you and your feet warm, but I just wonder if your back gets cold. Oh, and if you have cold feet, they already make something for that, too; they’re called slippers, and they work really well.

When my mother and I were at the pet store about a month ago, I noticed that you can now buy a Snuggie for your dog. I’m not sure if these are genuine Snuggies or if they’re knockoffs, but they seem to come in the same colors as the real Snuggies, so you and your dog can match.

Perhaps the most horrifying thing I have seen in stores this year was the Nebraska Cornhuskers Snuggie at the Nebraska Furniture Mart. Now there’s a sight: some old grandma or grandpa curled up in their Huskers Snuggie.

Will someone please tell me the point of the Snuggie?