Hollywood stars are like us: They like getting free stuff at events too.
In case you didn’t know, the top 25 Oscar nominees in the best actor and actress, supporting actor and actress and director categories get an unofficial swag bag before the awarding ceremony. Marketing company Distinctive Assets has been giving away these gifts to the stars for 18 years. They’ve received backlash in the past, even getting sued in 2016 for allegedly infringing on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ trademarks.
Despite that, the company is still going strong and has continued doing swag bags. This year, they’re giving away over $200,000 worth of gifts, including a yacht trip, a guided cannabis-infused chocolate tasting and a phone call with a life coach. Those sound pretty normal, right? Well, there have been some weird stuff too.
Before we tune in to the 2020 Oscars tomorrow, Feb. 10 (Philippine time), let’s look at some of the bizarre and over-the-top giveaways this year and in previous years.
Hotsy Totsy Haus Royal Crown Chakra Handmade Vegan Natural Bath Bomb Brick
This bath bomb is made with purple Brazilian clay, hyaluronic acid and coconut milk. It’s handcrafted with 24 karat gold and when it dissolves, it reveals a moon-charged amethyst crystal. According to Hotsy Tosy Haus’ site, it’s meant to relax and restore the body, mind and spirit, and also give you soft skin. Who doesn’t want that after a long night at the Academy Awards?
Mister Poop toilet brush
Who doesn’t want a toilet brush that looks like the poop emoji? This was included in the 2019 swag bag. According to The Cut, it’s just a regular toilet brush with a glow-in-the-dark handle that comes in a smiling poop caddy. It’s not that weird, but it still made our list for its pure novelty.
Dandi Patch underarm sweat patch
In 2018, the swag bag included an underarm patch from Dandi Patch. It’s a thin bandaid-like patch that adheres to the skin to avoid odor, wet marks and yellow staining on one’s clothes.
Vampire breast lift
You probably heard of the Kim Kardashian-approved vampire facial, a procedure that uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) extracted from the patient’s blood and re-injecting it to the face. This is said to help rejuvenate the skin and speed up the healing process. Now take the same technique and use it on the breast area to plump it up sans surgery—that’s the vampire breast lift. This $1,900 procedure was included in the 2016 swag bag and it was probably used by someone who’s not squeamish at the sight of blood.
“O-Shot”
Created by Dr. Charles Runels, the Orgasm Shot (O-Shot) takes out blood cells from a woman’s body and injects them into the vaginal tissue and clitoris. (I’m squirming in imaginary pain as I type that last bit.) It’s allegedly designed to “help relieve women with urinary incontinence and sex problems.” This gift was included in the 2014 and 2015 swag bags, but it doesn’t mean that the O-Shot works for everyone. Healthline noted that more research is needed to make the procedure effective.
$80 hair ties
We know what you’re thinking: Why are those hair ties so freaking pricey? This accessory from Duette was part of the 2013 swag bag and it’s apparently a bracelet that doubles as a hair tie. Based on the photos on Business Insider, each bracelet has gold chain details and some of them have crosses. We’d check out the other fancy-looking designs, but the Duette site is either down or dead.
Sex toys and condoms
In previous years, Distinctive Assets included items like packs of condoms, a $250 Afterglow vibrator and a $260 Nuelle Fiera Arouser. We’re glad that they’re promoting sex positivity and pleasure, but it is still quite unusual to find these inside a gift bag.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
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