Do We Really Need... Clocks on Appliances?

I understand wanting to add features to your product in order to give you an edge up on your competition, but there has to be a moment of re-evaluation of old features, and maybe decide to try something different!  I believe the appliance manufacturers believe we consumers stand in amazement looking at an oven thinking: "Look, IT TELLS TIME!"

It took an intense drinking moment.

I was over my brother-in-laws house (do you hyphenate that?), drinking well beyond the point of inebriation, and I hit a crossroads.  Do I go to the restroom and make urine?  or Do I go to the kitchen and grab another beer?  The beer thought was the easy winner in a 30second TKO bout (that will be my last attempt at a boxing reference).  I headed toward the kitchen.

I couldn't believe I had never noticed it before.  There was approximately 10 clocks occupying a small 10x7 sq.ft. kitchen!!  Why?  The coffee maker, the stove, the microwave, the clock on the wall (weird right?), the toaster, the other toaster (they were probably the same toaster, I was really drunk), the refrigerator, the bread-maker, and finally the dishwasher.  I was shocked.  In my mind I tried to play out scenarios where I would absolutely need to know the time, that many times, in a short amount of time (that's a hard thought to mull through while intoxicated).  Here is the best part, they were not all telling the same time!  How useless!

In other beef.

What is up with the TV on the refrigerator?  Nice try, but, COME ON!  What can you really watch on a fridge-TV?  Who even sets up a room with a refrigerator in a fashion that would force focus ON the refrigerator!  It doesn't make any sense to me.  Even in a jam on Football Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday), if every TV in the house was occupied, I'd rather sit next to the fridge and watch Football on my smartphone.  Why?  So I don't have to miss a second from opening the damn fridge and grabbing another beer.

Back to it...  what can we do?

Demand more.  We, as consumers, are no longer impressed with clocks.  At this point, it would be more useful to display the date because I consider it a hassle to pull out my smartphone to check what the date is! However, that would be selfish of me to suggest, so let me make some more suggestions:  iPod docking station w/ speakers, built in coffee makers (huh?  Free up some counter-space), a bottle opener, an air freshener, a digital display with Scientology talking-points, hell - even a spice rack - JUST NO MORE CLOCKS!!

Final Analysis.

It is now time to work on patents for new features on appliances.  It made sense on a stove way-back-when.  You know, the days when people hung clocks on walls?  We are in new times... let's pox the clocks (does that work?)