'The Wizard' Made Me Long for a Wearable Future
The author reflects on the 1989 film 'The Wizard,' a Nintendo commercial disguised as a movie, and how its prominent display of the Power Glove ignited a childhood fascination with wearable technology. Despite the Power Glove being a commercially poor product, its appearance in the film, particularly used by the 'bad-boy' villain, made it an aspirational item that foreshadowed the future of wearables like Fitbits.
Why it matters
This article explores the cultural impact of early technology in media, demonstrating how fictional portrayals can inspire future innovation and consumer desire, even for products that were initially flawed.
The Power Glove’s one-minute-plus cameo in 1989’s The Wizard wasn’t the first time wearable tech made a splash in pop culture, but it’s the one that got me and countless others hooked on wearables nearly two decades before we ever bought our first Fitbits .
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