Why is Someone Who is Lazy Called a Couch Potato?

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In this video:

If you want to call someone lazy, a time-honoured way to do so would be to call them a “couch potato”. But why is it we compare lazy people to potatoes and why on Earth did some random guy own the trademark rights to such a silly sounding expression?

Want the text version?: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/01/origin-trademarking-couch-potato/

Sources:

http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Official_Couch_Potato_Handbook.html?id=tWKCpSKjzZoC
http://imagehost.net/potatomuseum/exCouch.html
http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/tom-iacino-couch-potato
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ni-9jilJ4n0C&pg=PT95&lpg=PT95&dq=couch+potato+etymology&source=bl&ots=ukS0mzRqs3&sig=RDUddmbVfxwiIQM52mSzwDSA4c8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=14uxVLrpAqSu7AbSuIDACA&ved=0CCcQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=couch%20potato%20etymology&f=false
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4108964.stm
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XXQqCAWcZ8cC&pg=PA187&lpg=PA187&dq=1979+couch+potato+la+times&source=bl&ots=kNjZjsMc88&sig=-cHmNJSbXhfrtcLpxfVmb4D0lQc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HpGxVNGoAqe27Abfo4GIDA&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=1979%20couch%20potato%20la%20times&f=false
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=couch
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0198611129/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0198611129&linkCode=as2&tag=vicastingcom-20&linkId=B35VB6IWUCTIWQHI