I couldn’t remember the url to this site about the new TOTO Washlet toilet, but I googled “toto ass face” and immediately found it. The above pic doesn’t do the site justice…We are talking about toilets here and a buncha smiley-face bums literally turn into smiling faces. Is that the most disturbing possible transition for a message about “clean?”

The site is the most horrifying cultish brain-washlet thing I have ever seen.

“welcome to clean is happy”
“the washlet elevates the process to a whole nutha level”
“what is ordinarily an ordinary activity is turned into an opportunity to refresh yourself, to restore yourself, to pamper yourself”
“I never thought my toilet could be an oasis of happiness.”
“clean is comfortable. clean is confident. clean is happy.”

Will they still be there watching you when you use the Washlet? That old dude is especially creepy…”How’s it goin?” he asks- and hold your mouse over him to see his Porky’s “I-can-see-girls-going-to -the-bathroom” leer…

I think the only way these people could be this “happy” about their toilet is that they stopped by their medicine cabinet before they sat down…

Interesting article by Gizmodo claiming a major design influence of Apple. There are some striking similarities between Dieter Rams’ work in the 60’s for Braun and some of the work coming from Jonathan Ive. However earlier assertions by Frog Design’s Luke Williams have been that the Apple influences were from bathroom fixtures and materials. These are nifty visual comparison games to play, and I’m not comfortable with saying that no ideas are new. Instead I see this as inspiration for designers to realize that great design ideas may come from outside of your industry and instead from things like a 1960’s speaker or a 1990’s toilet.