I think this is an April Fool's joke. … It's gotta be.
My first reaction before realizing that this is most likely a hoax was the usual shudder I feel at the lopsided balance of fortune in our world, how ridiculous excesses and displays of wealth continue to be flaunted like a painted-up hooker in the face of war, poverty and natural-disaster recovery. I understand fine craftsmanship — but crap-manship?
But then I realized the date and said, "HELL, no!"
Here's the press release I received this morning:
"Munchkin Inc., designer and manufacturer of clever infant and toddler products, announced via press release the introduction of the world’s first luxury diaper disposal system, its Royal Diaper Pail™ .
"Cast from solid gold and studded with more than 5,000 rubies, sapphires, and diamonds, this first-of-its-kind product neutralizes diaper odors through a patented system that includes a salaried, 24-hour nursery attendant to help parents change their baby’s diapers [really, now?]. The company presented the first production model – truly fit for a king – to the royal couple in advance of their April 29 nuptials, in anticipation of the nappies of future royal offspring.
"At Munchkin, we’re dedicated to ridding the world of tired and mundane products by developing clever, innovative solutions that excite and delight families and help make parents’ lives easier,” said Steven Dunn, Chairman and CEO of Munchkin. 'Not only does The Royal Diaper Pail by Munchkin offer advanced odor control, it is the must-have accessory for parents looking to add the wow factor to their own little prince or princess’ nursery.'
"From its solid 24-karat gold outer shell to the 20,000 sparkling carats in the 5,000 precious stones, The Royal Diaper Pail by Munchkin will amaze parents from the moment it is hand-delivered to their home via white glove service, courtesy of Munchkin, Inc.. Timed in conjunction with baby’s arrival, parents will select a nursery attendant from Munchkin’s catalog of pre-screened child rearing professionals to begin diaper changing duty immediately. As part of the royal treatment, Munchkin will provide salary and accommodations for the nursery attendant for two years from the date of nanny selection.
"The Royal Diaper Pail by Munchkin is available by custom order online at diaperpail.com and retails for $1-million.
To commemorate the "launch" of the new pail, Munchkin will be giving away free samples of its existing Arm & Hammer™ Diaper Pail on its Facebook page today. Go to facebook.com/MunchkinInc for more information."
I just wish this were true, so the royal couple could auction it off, make quintuple its value and give the money to Japanese tsunami relief. … Now, that would be too good to be true.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2011.