A Reddit user this week shared a photo of an LG TV remote still wrapped in plastic. The caption: "Brand new TV and this is how my wife insists we have the remote 'to keep it looking good.'" The post carried the flair "I’m slightly vexed."
The post drew tens of thousands of upvotes and hundreds of comments, many sharing similar experiences. "Keep it looking good… for who?" one user wrote. "Do you have special guests where you bust out the nice china and take remotes out of their [plastic]?"
Commenters compared the remote to plastic-covered couches, laptops left in factory film, pots and pans too nice to cook with, and furniture that no one is allowed to sit on.
Many commenters joked about households where expensive items are treated as display pieces.
"Reminds me of people with couches covered in plastic covers," wrote one user. Another reflected on a well-worn couch that had served as the site of a first kiss, Star Wars viewings, pet cuddles, and moments of grief shared with a spouse. "I'll take that over having some pristine (…) landing strip that's never been a place of comfort because it's covered in plastic," they wrote. "What an absolute waste of everyone's time and effort."
Beyond the jokes, though, severa users noted that leaving protective film on a TV screen can actually cause damage. "The TV can overheat and break if you don't take the films off," warned a user. "It literally says to remove before using."
Another user added that the film can melt onto the screen and distort picture quality: "The screen is designed to look its best without the film."
One commenter shared a story from a former tech support job. There, a customer brought in a 2015 iMac slow in 2018, yet still wrapped in factory plastic, which had been covering the machine's air vents. "In their effort to keep their Mac looking 'perfect,' they were (…) damaging it."
Several commenters said the behavior appeared across multiple cultures and regions. Some others noted it was equally familiar in the Balkans.
Psychologically, though, the impulse may be rooted in a fear of depreciation. "It's not like it's preserving its value or anything," clarified a user. Another user wrote, "There's a whole generation I feel never used things because they were 'nice.' Sure, they stayed nice, but the person missed out on the benefits of why it was a nice thing in the first place." The post did manage to get one practical suggestion, too, which was to buy a second remote, keep it sealed in a display case with a plaque reading "The Original Remote, barely used," and use the other one freely!
As for the original poster, no update on whether the wrap has been removed or peace has been restored in the household.
