The fascinating story of a boy, his leather pants and eBay.
An original piece for The Independent (UK) newspaper.
Some of the more interesting media interference:
An Irish friend reports that he heard a reading on Ireland’s Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show.
An interview with BBC Scotland’s MacAulay & Co. Not bad considering I had to be up at 5:30am New York time.
Canada’s National Post comes a-calling. Reprints the listing and kindly offers a link to Banterist.
John in Dublin suggested creating a pointless but interesting readership map.
Over 2,000,000 served. Certainly enjoying the residual effects, and an unfathomable number of emails. And the interviews. And the writing projects. Couple that chaos with a feverish 14-month old and a wife in Europe for a wedding and you have the perfect recipe for a drinking problem. My 15 minutes is going swimmingly. Perhaps Wedding Dress Guy can offer me guidance.
Vitaly informs me that the listing has been translated – very well – into Russian and appeared as the pick of the day on the Russian humor site Anekdot.
After getting in Women’s Wear Daily, I’m now the only person I know who can say they’ve been in Women’s Wear Daily. Very nice article, and Donna Karan’s folks made the awesome PR move of suggesting they’d take me shopping. They didn’t, but I would’ve said the same thing.
TMFTML reports the UK’s Guardian printed the listing, albeit without any attribution. Says Guardian staffer Murray Armstrong: “[I]t was attributed as an eBay entry.”
Over 2,600,000 folks.
NY Post interviews me. Takes lots of pictures.
The NY Daily News has a story on regrettable purchases which mentions the pants. The photo of me they used in the print version makes me feel sad – they have me dreaming of a man in leather pants.
Now over 3 million.
An interview on Weekend America.
3.1 million.
Missed the chance to contribute a clever quote because I was in transit to Europe, but nonetheless appeared in various papers via the Associated Press. Ryan Pearson’s article “Auctions birth a genre: eBay lit” is a nice little piece, and my name is spelled correctly 33% of the time.
Media Clippage:
Women’s Wear Daily “Fool For Love” PDF
The Independent “The Wrong Trousers” PDF
Original eBay Listing PDF
Congrats! Your writings really do brighten my day. Whenever im -really- down at work or depressed. This website is my first spot to visit. Always a quick pick up!
Thanks for being.. well.. you!
I don’t know where I’ve been all my life. I just heard about your travelling pants yesterday, when some ladies in my email writers’ group sent around your ad. Thank you for truly brilliant entertainment. I read the ad to my hubby, who also says “no,” and now I’ve read him the story in the Independent. We’re laughed till we’ve cried, a great way to start the day.
I’m going to be a regular visitor to this site, too.
It is not the contents of the pants that maketh the man, but rather his willingness to realize that they were an unfortunate purchase. Well done.
Hi Brian,
Loved your article on the history of your pants. Loved the original as well. I am presenting on writing effective direct mail copy in Hinckly, Minnesota in a few weeks, can I possibly use your Ebay pants post and the article in my seminar as a demonstration piece?
Amy Fanter
Marketing Writer
I have to admit, this is one of those pieces I wish I wrote. You know you’ve now forced me to keep up with Bantrist.
As if I have nothing better to do sitting around all day waiting for agents to flood my mailbox with glamorous offers from Hollywood.
Damn you for being so funny. Damn you, I say!!
And damn you for having an original and funny website, too!
Your listing just hit my group of friends in Los Angeles…F*@#ing hilarious!! I was crying I laughed so hard. Good work.
I wonder why ‘The Independent’ omitted the comment about tattooed, pierced men? The comment – like the rest of the ad is quite funny.
Perhaps because The Independent is run by tattooed pierced men…?
Brian,
I just wanted to let you know that your pants made it all the way to Bulgaria. Here at the office, we had a great laugh, so thanks!
Cheers,
Steve
It’s not the first time I’ve laughed at someone’s trousers, but it’s certainly the most fun I’ve had at work. Congratulations on making it to The Independent and thanks for amusing a bunch of legal editors.
Dude, i read that and laughed, so hard people at work must of thought me crazy. I was having such a horrid day… day who am I kidding, no horrid week!!
after reading some articles, i now know where to go for a quick pick me up… good luck in any good fortune that happens to you because of these pants…
PS i would have had sex with you
but
1 i am not gay
2 I don’t own any leather pants
3 i am not french
4 my wife also said no
I just found your site from an e-mail as well. And here I thought BSACK was a joke too. Do you have a pair of assless chaps going up for sale soon? This really could take you places.
[ Let’s see… insult my name and make the umpteenth “assless chaps” reference. No soup for you. -B. ]
God, seeing your ad really brightened my day.
I had just come home from having my arm set, after falling from a chair in laughter over at the Ann Coulter website.
I have to admit – I wish I had written this AND I wish I knew the street value of these muscle relaxants as I’ll never use them all.
Sorry, when I saw the name on e-bay I did think it was a joke, then spent the rest of the day talking with my friend about what a great writer you are. Down from the original listing and description to your responses to comments, and finally the last crackup was your shipping abilities.
Made her husband jealous as he is a writer and we were gushing about you and she forwarded the entire thread to him lol.
Good job, also a fellow New Yorker (well burbs in NJ for me but a Yankee fan, and have worked in the city so that counts for something)
I also have a crazy lady neighbor. She likes to get drunk and then go to my garage door and throw up her dinner on my garage door handle. Any advice? :-P – Have a good evening, just FYI I have forwarded your very enjoyable blog to a couple of other bloggers who do blog rolls, hopefully you will get more traffic. And if those ribbon magnets are yours as well I just became your newest customer.
[ Ok, soup. -B. ]
JAMBALAYA!!
Glad the pants sold, and I certainly hope your newfound ‘fame’ does good things for you..
A friend in the UK just emailed the leather pants saga. I have a pair of leather pants hanging—rather forlornly, I might add—in my closet. I’m thinking of starting a home for leather bought on a whim. Had I seen the ebay listing, your stunners could have retired to a cozy closet in Pennsylvania. Thanks for the laugh.
annie
good stuff, good stuff! you are cracking me up!!!
Keep posting and I’ll keep reading…………
“The history of my pants” is a good name. Congratulations.
I loved the eBay ad, I sent it on to many people who also loved it. Alas, I didn’t get to enjoy your piece in The Independent. For some reason they want to sell it to me. I figure if I’m going to pay for a story when I’ve already read the eBay ad then they’d better throw in one of those 45 French thongs.
Hi Brian
The Independent have archived the full article and replaced it with a very short summary (you have to buy the full article!). Any chance of you posting the full article in the blog as it was so good? References to “my wife also says no” etc in the blog will be lost on anyone who didn’t read the article when it was there.
Cheers
Andy
[ Unfortunately that would be a breach of copyright, and as I’m not China, I have to respect it. -B.]
oh , other blogs have posts in them?
First I’d like to suggest that we add some additional categories such as “blogs” since technically I think web publications are fair game for media snobbery. Second, Banterist is an excellent and funny blog. I found it after reading this…
Wonderful writing. The banter in the eBay Q&A was great fun as well. Nice shipping comments.
If I could stop laughing long enough to think of something clever to say to you I would…but I can’t. Keep it up!
Just followed a link to the ebay page. The counter says 1,382,831.
Unbelievable!
My neice from Canada sent me your leather trouser ad … I live down under, in Australia. You must now have exposure all over the world. Hmm, on second thought, I don’t mean THAT kind of exposure. Keep up the good work, remember what a famous person (me, actually), once said “You’ve got to be a little crazy to stay sane.”
Loved your listing on Ebay, it was referred to on the Aussie boards, so dropped by to have a squiz. Think I found a new blog to read :-)
“I used to write commercials, but they’re hard to make funny because the people who make the final decisions are idiots”
I guffawed. Yup … guffawed. Haven’t done that in a while and it was wonderful.
Congratulations on finding someone who wanted to get into your pants.
The leather pants auction listing is now the standard againt which all other “funny stuff” I get forwarded to me will be measured.
Brilliant.
You got a funny name, you sold some trick pants, you wrote some funny stuff. Well, Mister Smarty, I just read it all for free. And careful with the Soup Nazi thing, topicality is the bane of cerebral humor. Ha Ha, Vance! I told you I could use ‘topicality’, ‘bane’ and ‘cerebral’ in the same post!
Bulgaria, Australia and Canada,ha! Your ebay site has now made it to Kansas. Oh yeah, you’re big time now. Really funny, keep up the good work.
I actually work (on the account side)in an advertising agency for one of the car companies in michigan. I loved the ebay leather plants ad and appreciate your dry humor. I can only imagine what some of the car ads would be like with you as the writer..Lets say sales would be up!
Oh my heck, my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. Are you married? I just gave up on men, then I read your ebay add. PS.The pants would have worked with me, or a kilt, whichever comes first.
[My wife says I’m married, but I’ll keep asking. -B.]
Brian,
Aloha from Hawaii! You are the next Carl Hiaasen or Dave Barry…I cannot tell you how much I look forward to your future work!
Thanks for a loud laugh at my very bleak job. I work in a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Your basic nut jobs. Being there (as an employee, not a patient) tends to give you a warped sense of humor and a rather twisted view on things, so I really appreciate truly witty satire. Thanks for making me laugh so hard I spit coffee on my computer monitor.
Quick Links (world series champ edition)
Wow, the White Sox have won. And I thought nobody would ever break Bobby Brown’s record for “Most Number Of Times Houston Gets Beat In One Week”.
For all of LA’s traffic problems, I’m still consistently impressed at th…
Thank you – Thank you – Thank You from deep in the heart of Texas! Your Ebay ad made the rounds at my office today. It was hysterical to listen to everyone as they read it. Now that I can breathe again and see my computer monitor, I must say I am tragically sad that your wife thinks you are married! I send her kudos for grabbing up the man of my dreams!
Sorry I missed the opportunity to get into your pants. I find humor to be the sexiest of traits. Lucky woman, your wife.
From the Q&A “Now I think he’s probably buried in someone’s tomato garden.” That was an aweful, but great movie. Such an obscure reference ;)
Today when I received an email about your hysterical ebay auction, I read it, enjoyed it very much, and then in shocked (and envious) disbelief, I noticed the counter was at 1,900,000; right before writing this, I checked again and it’s already well over 2 million hits. Bravo! Your superlative, witty, insightfully candid story has obviously struck a cord with people earthwide.
Thank you for your excellent post which validates all of our dubious, unworn yet still owned clothing choices (she says, eyeing an unworn 80’s “special occasion” red sequined dress with Ebay now in mind).
Brian, your ebay posting was the funniest thing I have ever read on there. Please sell more things to the public- if you made one bad purchase, there’s gotta be more in that closet! Thanks for the laugh!
Ok for the sake of my reputation i have to reply to the whole ad
seeing I wore leather pants on halloween night.
#1 Most party like rock stars people ALWAYS have leathers.
#2 He definatly has issues with his masculinity.
#3I am a member of a Rock Band (or was)
#4 I love harleys and been seen riding them often.
#5 I like rod stewards songs
#6 I love the French (sometimes)
#7 Cruise+transvestites+leather pants..oh come on now !
#8 My pants were not cheap either and from the looks of his picture
of his, they look cheap !
#9 I guess I’m tough and Famous, Hell I know I am :P
#10 I been on harleys and I been on stage
#11 Leather pants are for men that reek confidence and are sure of
their masculinity. Any man that lets someone talk them into buying
leathers has serious acceptance issues. You have to WANT them and
have the body to WEAR them. LOL looking a the photo they look like he
was a little big in the butt…not a rock star by my standards :-P
[ As eloquent as cat dander. -B.]
I dug out my leather pants, donned a nifty do-rag, and strode proudly into a party where everyone asked if I had bought your leather pants. Hmph…my pirate costume was a hit, otherwise.
Read this Ebay link from a BMW motorcycle chat site..Just hilarious. Will keep you in my favorites.
Hi,the ebay ad cracked me up,and then I figured,hey let me share this.Still trying to convince people that I do not have any leather pants and that those that were sold were not mine.Love the humor!
Oh and this is from UGANDA.
A big Bonjour from FRANCE (Yes you made it to this country of leather pants). You’ll be happy to know I have leather pants in my cupboard -tried to sell them 2 months ago in a garage sale – but no other French person would buy them ! mmm – Will have to try American Ebay -that is were you sold them isn’t it ? Loved your ad and am sending it on to all my French friends. Natalie
I saw the original and laughed really hard (much like everyone else). But I was a little disappointed that most of the important links link to only for-subscription articles. Open access for open humor!
don’t you think it curious that the posting is seeing a revival so long after it actually ran on eBay? I received the damn (by that I mean why aren’t I that funny) link 3 times in one week.
I wish I had seen your ad before the auction closed. Perhaps your unworn leather pants and my very seldom worn leather skirt of the same era could have made beautiful music together!
Have the pants enjoyed their popularity? I certainly hope so because this just hit Alabama and we are always the last to know. Hope it’s been a good ride!
Hi Brian
Your travelling pants story has just reached my desk here in the UK. Tiffany you can take pride in the fact that you were not the last to know. Absolutely fab, hysterically funny writing! Us girlies here in good old Blighty are v impressed to the point that the whole office has not stopped talking about you all day long. Keep them coming – funniest thing we have read in ages.
your fame has reached london, paris,and most importantly Istanbul!
Hi Brian (and fans)
The e-bay link got to me today (in Brisbane, Australia) as a Friday funny. It will continue to circulate for quite some time no doubt. Thanks for the giggle.
Hi Brian,
Just wanted to let your know your pants had two rooms of casino marketing folks giggling in Hinckley, Minnesota this week!
Thanks so much!
Amy Fanter
You have made it to South Dakota, fifty-five miles from the nearest traffic light. Great piece!
Your pants listing is now considered a classic. Thank you for the firmer stomach muscles, I laughed so hard! Being familiar with eBay, I checked out the feedback you left for others, and you have inspired me to never again leave a mundane “excellent communication, great ebayer” feedback. My favorite feedback of yours was, “I will be re-enacting this great transaction through interpretive dance. A+” You should list more items on eBay, because I would buy something just to get your feedback! The heck with pilates! I will never be able to look at eBay through the same eyes again…
Hilarious! Thanks for the laugh. 2,947,593 and counting. You’ve got a new fan in Canada.
Awesome! If you can sell those leather pants with satirical humour then surely I can sell my ex-boyfriend to a good home using the same….He’s good looking but has major bunny-boiler traits to the point of stalking…oh, and he shaves his whole body BUT doesn’t wear leather pants! Is he gay???
eBay: DKNY Men’s Leather Pants I Unfortunately Own
There is an explanation.
This has been a treat, you are a very good writer and a total babe, I bet you looked hot in those pants – for the five minutes you wore them.
Cheers and happy holidays.
Your traveling pants visited Japan several months ago.
I am happy that they keep racking up frequent flyer miles!
Those travelling pants gave me great time. you are very good at writing.
Brian, your pants are now very famous all over Russia!
Great post!
I’ve never laughed so hard!
Thanx a lot!
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More than three years later and the laughs go on…
Great stuff!
Bonjour, Polite to yoke you, I am Nancy