Shine OnGold pills to make your poop shine — No really, it’s a thing
Are you stressing over what to get that special someone on your Christmas list? Here's a fun idea: why not buy them a couple of capsules filled with gold leaf that, once consumed, will turn their excrement into shiny nuggets of wealth? See, there really is something for everyone!
But seriously, these gold poop pills really exist, as reported in the Daily Mail. The online art retailer CITIZEN: Citizen is selling sets of 24kt gold pills for $425. The idea is that you eat the 2cm long pills and the gold flakes appear in your poo on the way out.
"Turn your innermost parts into chambers of wealth," coos the website.
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Now before you launch into a tirade about the inequities of wealth and starving children in Africa, know that these pills are actually an artistic tongue-in-cheek commentary on the complete pointlessness of many luxury goods.
The pills were created by designer Ken Courtney and the late Canadian born artist Tobi Wong as part of their "Indulgence" line back in 2005.
"Like an addict, all I want is more," writes Ken Courtney of the Indulgence collection. "Like celebrity and celebrity culture, demand for luxury items is completely created."
Other items in the collection include a gold plated McDonald's coffee stir stick and a gold plated Bic pen cap.
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The pills were are described on the website thusly: "Analogous to our culture's obsession with luxury and consumption, these 24K gold leaf capsules turn your innermost parts into chambers of wealth. Consume and digest."
They've been displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco and the Architecture Gallery in New York City.
There's no evidence that anyone has ever actually eaten these pills, aside from the fact that the website has listed them as "temporarily unavailable." But with people willing to shell out $750 for caviar masks and diamond exfoliations, perhaps these artists should admit there is actually a market for a product they intend as an ironic statement.
