If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what famous people add to their carts. Not the JAR brooch and Louis XV chair, but the hand sanitizer and the electric toothbrush. We asked Tommy Chong — whose latest film, Color Out of Space, opens in theaters today — about the dog treats, Sharpie markers, and kombucha he can’t live without.
As soon as kombucha came out, I immediately got into it. I like watermelon and mango flavors the best. I’ll pick one up anywhere that carries it: Erewhon, Whole Foods, or wherever. I think I’m part of the reason the trend grew so fast, because I started collecting the bottles — the smaller ones make perfect little bongs. I love the shape of those smaller bottles and have made quite a few bongs out of them. Maybe 1,000? It’s very very simple, but that’s for another conversation.
I’m a dog grandpa; I share two dogs with my son. They get dumped at my house all the time, which is a way to get me out of the house to do some walking. They’re mixed breeds and I joke about them a lot: I call them Shitsalotta and Yapsalotta. The Greenies help with their teeth but they also help with their stool. Because when you’re walking the dog, part of the joy is being able to put your hand in a plastic bag and pick up nice warm poop. Greenies give their poop a little texture and color.
I had an old-fashioned iPad that I tried to resuscitate to no avail. So I went and bought the latest. Now, it’s my life’s work trying to figure out how to use it. I take notes on it more than anything. I write notes using my phone, too, but I ended up with so many that I got an iPad so I can write them on there. I also use the iPad to practice my art. There’s an app on that I use — my wife is an artist and she put it on there for me. But right now I am trying to remember my password.
I’m a hairbrush collector for sure: I buy foldable ones with a mirror whenever I get a chance because I’m always losing them. And then I find them all together in a drawer where the maid throws everything I buy that I don’t need. So I’ve got a lot of hairbrushes. Not that much hair — though it’s not bad if I move it around the right way to cover the necessary areas.
I have to sign autographs all the time, and one of the worst things is to be caught without a Sharpie. Because, you know, people hand you a little ballpoint pen and that doesn’t work. So if someone gives me a Sharpie, I keep it. I collect them; by now, I’ve got quite a Sharpie collection. That’s part of the cost of doing business with me.
Celery! The food everybody should eat. I just read that, of all the foods, celery is the most aerobic because you burn calories by just digesting it. Plus, it gives you the crunch effect. The reason potato chips are so popular is because they’re salty and crunchy. And when you crunch, you activate the taste glands in your mouth. Celery does the same thing, except it’s healthier and more refreshing. It’s basically just fiber and water and a lot of good vitamins. Sometimes people put a little cheese on their celery, or dip it in salsa or something, but that’s kind of defeating the purpose. I like it straight up.
I was in the Army cadets for many years. We used to march for 30, 40 miles a day, and the most important thing was your boots. So I’m very fussy when it comes to what I wear on my feet. I’ve been that way most of my life. Not so much the look of the shoes, but the comfort. It’s all about comfort. I love Skechers. For some reason they are light and they just feel good. They feel really really really good. This is the pair I wear to play golf.
Seeing people who know how to draw and paint and create something seemingly out of nothing has always been fascinating to me. When I made some money, I started to go to hobby shops and art stores to buy art supplies and books on how to draw certain things. At this point, I have a lot of them — how to draw figures, how to draw everything. I love that artist with the hair, you know, Bob Ross. He talks real quiet: “You’ve got a mountain over here, and we’ll put some trees over here, some happy little trees.” He is fascinating, fascinating! I love his books, I love his show, I love him so much. I saw a comedian do a bit on him once where he talked all quiet, and then all of a sudden, he swore. It was pretty funny.
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