Father's Day gifts: It could be worse than a bad tie

Komodo dragon: a gift for the dad who has everything

(CNN) -- Father's Day gifts range from the mundane to the bizarre -- and sometimes even dangerous.

Take, for example, San Francisco Chronicle Executive Editor Phil Bronstein, who is recovering from an early Father's Day gift presented by his wife, Hollywood star Sharon Stone.

Stone arranged for Bronstein to realize a longtime dream -- an up-close and personal visit with a Komodo dragon at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Unfortunately, the 10-foot monitor lizard, an endangered Indonesian species, took exception to Bronstein's behind-the-scenes tour and clamped serrated teeth onto the editor's foot, a serious injury that required surgery.

Of course, most of the rest of us can't afford a one-on-one with a Komodo dragon (and probably don't want to anyway) but there are a lot more choices.

One group of dads, though, was perhaps longing for the dragon when they protested -- tongue-in-cheek of course -- the standard Father's Day fare.

Moms watched the protest at a mall in Los Angeles, undoubtedly thinking, "You poor saps," because they know nothing can stem the tide of boxers, socks and ties children regularly hand over to their dads. (We won't even mention the sometimes garish designs that were likely the true focus of the dads' protest).

But seriously, now, dads: Would you rather have a Superman tie or a toy soldier? A toy soldier's not bad ... take him to work, call him a desktop soldier and use him to help out with corporate infighting.

Fake things could do the trick ... a fake fish, or maybe one of those fake birds -- the kind you can talk to and it repeats what you say over and over. Kids could use this to their own advantage by pre-recording a message before delivering the gift. The message could say something like "Can I have some money, Dad? Can I have some money, Dad? Can I have some money, Dad?"

There are of course more serious gifts, and even more practical ones, hard as that is to believe. But when you're 2 years old -- and not sure where to go to find that perfect set of custom-made tools -- boxers, ties and socks may be just the right thing.

It'll start a habit hard to break, but there are definitely worse gifts. Just ask Phil Bronstein, who got a hospital stay and surgery.

Still, though, he did get to see the dragon close-up. Dads without the free pass to the depths of the zoo will get their own close-ups: a beaming face saying, "I love you."

CNN Correspondent Anne McDermott contributed to this report.