What do light bulbs, golf clubs, mobile phones and a 5m garden hose have in common? All have been blended by internet sensation Tom Dickson as part of his viral Will It Blend? campaign.
The American inventor has amassed nearly half a billion YouTube views by shredding everyday items (coffee beans, ice, pens) and the bizarre (Barbie Dolls, pigs feet, hearing aids) through his industrial-strength processor.
What started as a private experiment with a box of matches has in five years turned Dickson into a world-renowned millionaire, sales of his Blendtec range soaring as fans clamour to see what YouTube's most senior celebrity will obliterate next.
"We have literally hundreds of thousands of suggestions (from viewers) so we just pick something and go with it," Dickson said during a stop in Sydney recently.
"We have no idea what the outcome will be. I just put crazy things in blenders."
In Australia to launch his Blendtec range, Dickson made a dramatic impact this week when an extreme blending demonstration caused a power cut at the ABC Sydney studios.
He regularly makes dust of rake handles and light work of iPhones, the late Steve Jobs once putting his phone through the mixer, and says corporations from Nike to Nestle badger him to destroy their products.
"What originally started as a marketing idea now makes me money," says Dickson.
"I can get more viewers than they (companies) can ever get and for a lot less money."
A series of nose-turning recipes have emerged from the show, including 'cochicken' - coca cola and roast chicken - a three-course Christmas dinner, and a can of chicken soup condensed tin and all.
Not all experiments have been successful though; a handful of lighters left Dickson engulfed in a ball of flames, while a hundred razor blades tore though the casing, forcing the scientist to run from the room.
"That was nasty, those things could have gone right through my heart," Dickson says.
"I thought I've got to be not so stupid next time."
- AAP
Sponsored links
Comments
Big three's new era in game consoles
Some US utilities under constant cyber attack
Microsoft unveils the Xbox One
Gadget raises privacy considerations
When sexting is not pornography
Telecom aims to boost business over smartphone
High-tech guns could be disabled remotely
Chinese hackers got data from Google
Teen develops algorithm to diagnose leukaemia
NRL star distances himself from assault claims
Watling ruled out, Vettori likely for second test
Runaway millionaire's appeal fails
Tiger calls fried chicken jibe 'wrong, hurtful'
'Fake' hammed-up wedding photo real
Your views on Kiwi booze culture
Garcia sorry for Tiger 'fried chicken' quip
Fan bombarded actress with 18,000 tweets
Draw hands Phoenix a tough start to season
'I did too much drug damage' - Pitt
The wrong way to use your head
Are you happy with the Facebook News Feed redesign?
