Museum of Failures shows Google Glass, a Barbie doll that grows breasts and self-destructing DVDs

For every successful product that hits the market, there are several others that fail, and an exhibit showcasing more than 159 of these failed innovations opened Friday in New York City.

The Museum of FailuresLocated in Brooklyn, it features more than 159 failed products and services like Google Glass Glasses, a Barbie doll that grows breasts, and self-destructing DVDs.

Founder Samuel West said he created the exhibit to help the public learn from failure, which is “an essential aspect of progress and innovation.”

The showroom features items from big tech names like Apple, Google and Microsoft, but there are also food products like Crystal Pepsi and fat-free Pringles that missed the mark on the market.

DailyMail.com has selected seven of the strangest failed items on display.

The Fallas Museum has opened in Industry City and will be on display through May 14.

The venue, located within Industry City, is between 33rd and 34th streets at 900 Third Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232.

Jim Somoza, CEO of Industry City, said in a statement: ‘Industry City represents a diverse community of forward-thinking companies built on the idea of ​​innovation and experimentation, much like the Museum of Failure.

‘Thinking outside the box and risking failure is often the only path to success. We look forward to welcoming this exhibit back to the US.’

growth pattern

Mattel released Barbie’s little sister in 1975, but it came with some growing pains that weren’t welcomed by the parents who bought the doll for their child.

Skipper growing up was designed to bloom when you rotated her left arm clockwise, causing breasts to sprout from her rubber chest and her waste to expand an inch.

The catchphrase was “Two dolls in one for double the fun”, but Mattel saw it as a toy and was considered perverted by the media.

A coalition of Connecticut women’s groups protested the doll, urging manufacturers to stop advertising a doll that “matures” when its arm is sprained.

“It is destructive to the image of women,” said the Connecticut Feminist Committees Media Reform in 1975.

Growing Up Skipper was discontinued in 1977.

google glass

Google Glass was publicly revealed in April 2012 to much fanfare as ‘smart glasses’ that could display information along with what the wearer sees using a head-mounted optical display.

A prototype version became available in April 2013 for a limited period before further becoming available in May 2014 for $1,500.

However, Google Glass soon became a lightning rod for criticism, particularly regarding privacy, legal and security issues.

The criticism, along with other issues that hampered the product, such as a high price and software issues, led Google to end consumer sales in January 2015.

In 2019, Google released a $999 pair of business smart glasses that look like a pair of traditional specs, rather than a futuristic helmet.

DVD Flexplay

Launched in 2003, Flexplay opened its disposable DVDs that would revolutionize the way people watch movies.

The company developed ‘self-destructing’ video discs that would turn from red to black within 48 hours of being removed from the packaging.

The DVDs were ‘made with a special glue that is sensitive to oxygen. Once the record is exposed to air, a chemical reaction causes the glue to darken. TIME reports.

The discs were $7 each, which was more than a BlockBuster rental at the time, and while it was cheaper than buying a traditional DVD, FlexPlay was unusable after two days.

Not only did it fail with consumers, but environmental groups weren’t fans of the disposable disc either.

And in 2008, FlexPlay took its ‘innovation’ off the market for good.

Hawaiian chair

The Hawaii chair launched in 2007 and promised users a slimmer waste by forcing them to hula while seated.

According to the Perfect USA website, the Hawaii chair “combines the ancient art of the hula of the Hawaiians with a fun and easy-to-use exercise machine.”

The users hips rotate as the seat rotates clockwise and counterclockwise at the desired speed.

The website states that ‘Hawaii chair exercises hit the waist, buttocks, and thighs hard to thaw and loosen redundant fat.

‘After using the Hawaii Chair, you will have a narrow and well-defined waist.’

The power chair offers nine speeds that do the job for users, “without strenuous exercise, for anyone who wants to achieve a nice waistline and maintain a fit body.”

The $350 device skyrocketed in popularity when it appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in early 2008, but slowly lost market share as consumers realized it wasn’t the fitness marvel it claimed to be.

It is unknown when Perfect USA discontinued their chair, but they are no longer available for purchase.

Nintendo Power Gauntlet

The Power Glove, released in 1989 for $100, was a virtual reality game controller for the Entertainment System (NES).

The device detected the tilt of the wrist and the movements of the fingers that were transformed into action in a video game.

It gained popularity when it was shown in the 1989 movie ‘Wizard’, which hit theaters just before Christmas.

Shortly after the launch, Mattel reported that it sold 100,000 units, a huge win for the company.

However, problems arose when players realized that the Power Glove was not working.

Consumers found it difficult to control and connect to the game console.

And just five months after launch, the Power Glove was no more.

Rejuvenating face mask

Rejuvenique Face Mask, launched in 1999, conforms to the head and tightens facial muscles using electrical stimulation.

The company said users should wear the mask for 15 minutes at least three times a week and that it is “clinically proven” to improve skin elasticity, reduce crow’s feet, wrinkles and give you a beautiful skin tone in only 12 weeks.

The Rejuvenique face mask required a nine-volt battery and came with a VHS owner’s manual. It sold for around $400.

However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared the mask unsafe in 2000 and, a year after its release, declared that without FDA approval, “Marking Rejuvenique is a violation of the law.” ‘.

The ‘specially designed gold-plated facial cushions’ were purported to provide a workout for all 12 ‘facial zones’ to give you a youthful appearance.

glass pepsi

Crystal Pepsi, which tastes like regular Pepsi but has no caramel color, debuted in test markets on April 13, 1992 before being released nationwide in December of that year.

It came at a time when food and beverage companies were thinking outside the box to outsmart the competition.

The colorless soft drink was developed with the help of a food scientist named Surinder Kumar, who was behind Nacho Cheese Doritos.

Pepsi did a soft launch in select US cities, including Denver and Sacrament, and received positive reviews for the new soft drink.

Crystal Pepsi raked in around $474 million in the first season and Coca-Cola retaliated with Tab the following year.

Coca-Cola has admitted that it made Tab to kill Crystal Pepsi, but the Pepsi product itself was removed.

People weren’t interested once they found out that it tasted like the original dark soda, but not nearly enough like Pepsi.

Crystal Pepsi was discontinued a year later, at the end of 1993.