Like it or not the Selfie Stick is now a “thing”.
After slipping into our society in 2014 the extendible telescopic gadget, which allows a person to take a smartphone photo portrait of themselves and friends – if they have any, has become an unstoppable part of mainstream culture. And now this has been confirmed by the world’s most famous model Derek Zoolander who has been seen snapping selfies with one in Paris to promote his next movie which will be released in 2016.
The pair, in full flamboyant character, went on a selfie spree taking in sights such as the Eiffel Tower and Derek was papped using a selfie stick for some close range self-inspections. We’re not sure if the look was ‘Magnum’ or ‘Blue Steel’ but it instantly boosted the cred of the selfie stick and made the extendable accessory “so hot right now”.
Despite its public arrival only recently the selfie stick can be dated back to around 30 years ago when Japanese company Minolta released a mounting stick for its Disc-7 camera in 1983. Now the idea has been updated for use with modern mobiles and the accessory costs around £15 to own. They fit a variety of fashionable smartphones from the Apple iPhone to Samsung Galaxy brands and you’d find it hard not to spot tourists or the insanely vain wielding one in public.
The use of a selfie stick is far from discrete though, and often seen as a nuisance to others. So much so that they have been banned from certain venues including Arsenal football club’s Emirates Stadium which regards the selfie stick as a potential weapon. They also look highly daft unless you have supermodel status like Zoolander!