Deep within the strange but largely harmless bowels of the Internet, somewhere near furry forums and zit-popping subreddits, there exists the world of “unboxing videos.” Everyday people with terrifying amounts of free time videotape themselves unboxing stuff like video game consoles, Blu-ray players, smart phones, and just about anything that comes shrink-wrapped in a box. The thrilling results are uploaded to YouTube, where millions of eager consumers can drool over the myriad of twisty ties and Styrofoam cubes that come packaged with an iPad.
As silly as it all may seem, the thrill of opening a new high-priced, high-tech gadget is understandable—the thrill of opening a pair of tape measures, maybe less so. In a strangely hypnotic video uploaded to YouTube earlier this week, an anonymous tool and die enthusiast slowly opens a two-pack of Milwaukee measuring tapes. (A 25-footer bundled with a free 16-footer, to be exact.) The silent, 49-second clip features a pair of hands dutifully removing the Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp.—manufactured tape measures from their packaging, and…well, that’s about it. Watch it below, and ponder the mysteries of life, the universe, and affordable measurement tools made in the U.S.A. (and Brookfield) while you do so.