•

  • Would You Watch a TV That Only Works When You’re Happy?

    Yeah, me neither

    07.16.2014 | |

    Hey, look…another entry to throw into the “Worst Idea of All Time” sweepstakes! What we have here is a television that will only work…wait for it …when you’re smiling.

    Dubbed “Smile TV,” the invention uses facial-recognition technology to essentially watch YOU while you’re watching IT. To me, that’s creepy in itself. But the even creepier part is the fact that if you happen to stop smiling, the TV will simultaneously stop working. I guess if you tend to watch the tube when you’re depressed, this isn’t the product for you. Hopefully, this isn’t a “product” at all, but rather some silly post-modern experiment.

    Artist David Hedberg claims he wants to offer a new spin on the relationship between TV’s and their viewers. Funny, I never thought I had a “relationship” with my SONY Bravia. But to each his own.

    Smile TV is actually a fairly simple contraption. It’s basically a television that plays a bunch of light clips such as animal videos, wrestling matches, Kung-Fu flicks, and a scene from The Sound of Music. But hidden inside the base, just underneath the Smile TV logo, is a camera that is not-so-secretly observing the smile on your lips. Should you cease smiling, the TV screen reverts to an image of static, a la those rabbit ear antennas you used to have before cable came along.

    Sure, it’s an interesting experiment…but I highly doubt most people would want to be forced into doing impressions of The Joker while sitting on their La-Z-Boys.


    Matt Fox

    Senior Editor

    Fox has history in broadcasting that spans two decades. From his early days as an FM host and club DJ in the mid-90′s to his later experiences in political talk radio, he has always had a knack for combining topical news with his love for popular culture. Those experiences culminated in his position as executive producer for several radio shows featured in the TALKERS Heavy 100. Originally from New York, Fox has made the great pilgrimage down to sunny south Florida.

    Trending Now on Daily Surge

    Thanks for sharing!
    We invite you to become an insider. Sign up for our free email newsletter, and we'll make sure to keep you in the loop.

    Send this to a friend