As an exciting second installment of last week’s blast from the past theme, this week will focus on a classic of classics: The Clapper! 

Clap on! Clap off! It’s that simple to operate an electrical appliance in your bedroom, kitchen, living room or anywhere else you choose. Straight out of the 80s, this clap-tastic contraption is the embodiment of convenience. The original 1984 Clapper commercial was a low-budget 30-second ad that got straight to the point: You don’t need to get out of your way to turn an appliance on or off; simply give it a few claps, and the job is done.

Released in the mid-1980s, this product has been unforgettable for almost 30 years. Its ease of use has made it a handy staple for people with disabilities, the elderly or anyone who happens to be painfully far away from a light switch in the dark.

This gadget is a white rectangular box that has two outlets in it. To make it work, you simply plug it into an electrical outlet in the wall and plug your appliance into the Clapper. This appliance could be a lamp, a TV, a radio, a blender or anything else you can imagine.

One day, I dream of secretly bringing several Clappers into a large room and plugging a number of lamps into them. I’ll hold a public event in that room, and when people applaud, they will get the surprise of their lives once the lights frantically flicker on and off. Now that would be memorable.

But there is one slight flaw with this mischievous plan. The risk of an electrical incident will skyrocket, most likely sending sparks everywhere, causing chaos and screaming people, and potentially triggering some sort of lawsuit. On second thought, this doesn’t seem like such a good idea after all.

Anyway, my point is that this item should be used with care, because according to a number of Amazon reviews, it can be an electrical hazard. A couple of users even saw smoke or sparks after having used their Clapper.

Generally, this as-seen-on-TV item has had mixed reviews. There are some users who have loved it and recommend it to anyone with hands, and there are others who were so disappointed with their Clapper that they have banished it to the bottom of some forgotten drawer. The main theme of the negative reviews is its sensitivity (or sometimes lack thereof). Either the device doesn’t hear you clap at all or it turns on and off to the beat of a loud nearby conversation.

But it seems like these dissatisfied people failed to notice one important feature of the Clapper: the fact that you can, in fact, manually set the sensitivity on the device. If it seems to go off too easily, there are settings that you can change to make it less sensitive, and vice versa. So let that be a lesson to all of you: Before posting a bad review online, do everyone a favor and read the instructions beforehand to see if you’re actually using the thing correctly.

Even in this day and age, this product continues to be a pop culture icon. Still today, it is sold in the tens of thousands, according to a Clapper analysis article on howstuffworks.com. Apparently people do not tire of such luxurious convenience.

So the next time you find yourself in bed and ready to go to sleep, but you notice that the lights are still on, don’t worry. Invest in a Clapper to make your life just that much easier. It can do so much while being so humble. Everyone, put your hands together for the famous Clapper!