To some, the selfie stick is a ridiculous tourist trend on par with the fanny pack. However, it’s quickly gaining popularity with the selfie-obsessed crowd, and it has already inspired a spinoff product called the “belfie stick.”
The ABC TV series Selfie was cancelled after just a few episodes, but this doesn’t mean that the selfie is dead — the show’s target demographic probably didn’t tune in because they were too busy snapping their own selfies and spending their free time on social media. It’s unfortunate that the series died before the selfie stick exploded and the belfie stick became a thing.
Mashable has already declared 2015 “the year the selfie stick took over ,” observing that smartphones on sticks could be seen everywhere at the Consumer Electronics Showcase in Las Vegas. Some people love theirs so much that they don’t remove them from their phones when they’re not using them to snap photos.
Selfie sticks are aplenty at #CES2015 http://t.co/XknoiNQ2IL pic.twitter.com/w3KO5O8gSS
— Mashable (@mashable) January 9, 2015
Selfie-Stick phone call. #CES2015 pic.twitter.com/sb9PoVWDFW
— Roberto Baldwin (@strngwys) January 7, 2015
According to the New York Post , the “ narcissticks ” first gained popularity in Asia. Now they’re slowly becoming must-have items for travelers from the United States — the awkward-looking rods make it much easier to snap vacation photos in front of tourist attractions. Now “ugly Americans” don’t have to worry about handing off their camera phones to annoyed strangers.
Selfie sticks are also becoming increasingly popular with the Hollywood crowd. According to Just Jared , Sean “ Diddy ” Combs was photographed wielding a selfie stick during his St. Barts vacation late last month. The photo of Diddy taking a photo was taken on Christmas Day, so perhaps someone gave him the helpful tool as a gift.
Yes, @iamdiddy has a selfie stick. #canteven http://t.co/u1DyXP5ihz pic.twitter.com/X1YnZan9ZW
— Yahoo Celebrity (@YahooCelebrity) January 8, 2015
Beyonce also found a creative way to use a selfie stick in her “7/11” music video — instead of simply snapping a photo, she used it to record a dizzying video clip. However, the selfie stick doesn’t need Beyonce to help make it just as hot as that KALE sweatshirt. The product is already so popular that the Selfie on a Stick company recorded 3,000 percent growth last November.
If a selfie stick is good enough for Beyonce, surely it’s good enough for Kim Kardashian. However, Kanye West might want to purchase a spinoff gadget for his wife: the belfie stick. According to CNET , the Belfie Stick is a special angled version of the selfie stick that helps users snap belfies (butt selfies). Cheaper selfie sticks require the use of camera phone timers, but the Belfie Stick comes with a Bluetooth shutter-trigger button. A testimonial on the website might give you an idea of who would want a Belfie Stick.
“I got my squat game down on lock, shooting belfies every day to check up on my progress! I am so totally in love with this product, my girlfriend agrees it’s totally bad ass!”
It seems like a must-have item for selfie queens who are obsessed with their rear views. Unfortunately, Kim Kardashian and Jen Selter will have to wait to test out the incredible new product — according to the Belfie Stick website, it’s already out of stock.
What do you think of selfie sticks and belfie sticks? Would you ever use one?
[Image credit: Belfie Stick website ]