Over the past two decades, the Chia Pet has grown beyond its marketer's expectations to become a classic kitsch gift.This article actually made me want to run out and find a chia-thing of my own. I can't grow anything. At the moment, I inherently dislike anything which would require attention and time on my part in order to grow or live. This includes but is not limited to: plant life, fish and other animal life. Seriously. If its life is dependent on me providing it something on a regular basis, no thank you. But a chia-something could work. I could probably handle watering it and watching it sprout growth-like green things. Heck, I have old bread products and old oranges that have sprouted green growths, why not do it deliberately?
The company began marketing Chia Pets -- the Chia Ram was the first -- around Christmas 1982 after purchasing a variation from a man who happened upon the idea in Mexico, said Michael Hirsch, vice president of Joseph Enterprises Inc.
The company kept the trademark name, but revamped the product and packaging and began advertising on television. The hokey "Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia" spot shows children applying the seed mixture to the terra cotta planter.
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"I can remember specifically when Chia Pets came out on the market," he said. "We thought they were so cheesy that they were cool," he said.
New Chia products are added every couple of years and there are about a dozen varieties, including Shrek, Scooby-Doo, an assortment of animals and an herb garden.
So maybe I'll look around online and order one online. Sit it on the ledge over my couch maybe. Who knows, the possibilities are endless!
Also, I was contemplating chia-things one may not expect to hit the market any time soon. After discarding the first few which were far too uncouth to put into print, I put the list on hold pending some time to sit and thing about it at greater length. There may be a follow-up post involved at some near time in the future.