I’ve decided to start a type of post called, “Reality Has Jumped The Shark.” For those of you who aren’t familiar with the phrase, here’s the Wikipedia entry.

Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment of downturn for a previously successful enterprise. The phrase was originally used to denote the point in a television program‘s history where the plot spins off into absurd story lines or unlikely characterizations. The expression was popularized in 1985 by Jonathan M. Hein, who would later create the web site jumptheshark.com (which now redirects to TVGuide.com). Hein explained the concept as follows: “It’s a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on…it’s all downhill.

This post, I present to you the cordless power grill brush.

I literally stood and stared in bemusement at this product for three minutes or so. Let’s just be clear here. Originally, humans cooked meat by barbecuing it in a large pit over coals. This involved: 1) catching a big animal and killing it; 2) digging a big hole with primitive hand tools; 3) chopping enough wood to line the hole; 4) making fire by hand. You can understand that was a lot of trouble to go to, so various improvements made the whole process more convenient. The invention of the barbecue grill. The invention of charcoal briquettes. But even briquettes were too much hassle, so propane was substituted. Meanwhile, on the whole, “procuring meat” front, industrial food production makes it possible to walk into the store and buy a big hunk of beast with no more trouble or inconvenience than wiping your ass.

And somewhere, someone at the end of this process looks at his or her dirty grill and thinks, “FUCK! MOVING MY ARM BACK AND FORTH WITH A BRUSH IN MY HAND? THAT’S FOR CHUMPS!!!

Reality has jumped the shark.