In the history of holiday giving, there is no gift more quintessentially “dad” than the selfie stick. What else would you get for the man who tells dirty jokes about penguins, comes up with those lame jokes about celebrities that make you roll your eyes, and sends you emails reminiscing about pudding?
This year, dads everywhere got their hands on some selfie sticks, and the photos that wound up on Twitter could only be described as “peak dad.”
Some people consider the selfie stick a tool for capturing and distributing our vanity. Some call it a sign of humanity’s downfall. Many people on Twitter have deemed it the “narcissistick.” The selfie stick isn’t necessarily a new idea, but it’s only recently companies have figured out how to capitalize on our desire to take photos from the front. Origins of the selfie stick go as far back as 1926.
If you scroll through all the dad photos on social media, it’s clear they’re not using their elongated gifts because of some narcissistic drive to see what they look like and share photos across the Internet. Rather, their new devices are simply companions to their goofy behavior which can now be documented from a few feet away. They torment wives and take toilet selfies—it’s almost as if selfie sticks were made just for dads.
@selenalarson I got my dad one for Hanukkah. He fucking loves it pic.twitter.com/tXQbCgPLVQ
— Dave Smith (@redletterdave) December 26, 2014
Dad got a selfie stick for christmas… pic.twitter.com/V13h7c1WpI
— Haz (@HarryWilliams95) December 28, 2014
https://twitter.com/RajaaaaMarie/status/548272091561074688
My dad got a selfie stick….. pic.twitter.com/yAVWRE3ltb
— Quentyn Wessel (@quentynwessel) December 29, 2014
https://twitter.com/pauliebrucato/status/549266501648535552
https://twitter.com/taylor983648/status/549307418992455680
https://twitter.com/SammyAlbon/status/549162218546561024
Dad uses a selfie stick #scary pic.twitter.com/smrOwYuwXf
— Lucy (@shyiris3) December 27, 2014
Dad used the selfie stick to take a picture of his bald patch pic.twitter.com/nZyt5Rgnwq
— Coley🧸 (@nicoleherb) December 27, 2014
Dad testing out his new #selfie stick gift. I think it’s a hit! 📷🙌 #FrebergFamily #HomeForTheHolidays pic.twitter.com/oueUClDPZO
— Karen Freberg, Ph.D. (@kfreberg) December 28, 2014
https://twitter.com/david_willey/status/548944573431816192
my dad made a selfie stick out of an umbrella handle tru pic.twitter.com/n0aK8WOVXM
— ☆彡 (@sxcnukim) December 28, 2014
https://twitter.com/Azimiskandar/status/549501489807650816
Or dads of dads.
https://twitter.com/kwameopam/status/549617829365182464
The next time someone criticizes the selfie stick, ask them why it’s so egotistical. The aluminum rod is all about self-expression and quirkiness. And an excuse to take a photo of yourself on the toilet.
Photo by Michelle M.F./Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
