I must confess to some fascination with these endlessly repeating, sometimes hourlong TV ads. The one I’m interested in right now is the one for the RevoStyler hair thingie. You can see the amazing deal at www.revostyler.com, but of course the television version is much more detailed. They almost had me talked into ordering one, but I am holding firm.
Somehow, almost anything for a cooking/kitchen product gets on my nerves, though. I think it’s because all the players are so overexcited and giddy about what they’re hawking. They become shrill and unbearable within seconds.
So then…Do you hate 'em all, or do you like a few?
I love all the TimeLife music ones.
I have most of them on tape.
Don’t have hundereds of dollars for the albums, but I can hear enough to make me remember the songs.
I have two current faves. The first is for Heinekin and the music playing is “Never My Love” by the Association. This guy’s on a date with a totally full-of-herself woman, and she’s checking out her makeup in her compact and ignoring the guy, he starts to say something and her cell phone rings and she cuts him off to answer and starts having this conversation with whoever called. Then while she’s talking she picks up her beer bottle, notices it’s empty, reaches over and takes HIS beer bottle, pours it in his glass. He stares at the empty bottle a second while she yammers away, then almost imperceptably catches the waiter’s eye and makes the “check” signal. (The tag line says “the last straw” but I don’t think it even needs it.) I think it stands out from a lot of commercials because the acting is really natural-seeming, like you’re actually watching this thing happen. So many commercials are so hammy and heavyhanded; this one is nearly a pleasure to watch.
My second current favorite is the new Chili’s commercial where the N*Sync guys are STILL on the island singing about Baby Back Ribs, but now the song is all lush and gooey and over-produced “Solid Gold” style. It cracks me up.
the best infomercial i’ve seen recently is this one i saw for some fancy schmancy pilates workout videos. until i saw that infomercial, i had been pronouncing “pilates” wrong (like pie-lates," when it’s supposed to be “pee-lattes”). i can truly say that it changed my life.
i hate that one where they have some man’s hairy back and they do this swipe of hair remover on it, and then SHOW you the hair they just removed that’s on the little towel thing. i am not prejudiced against hairy-backed men, it’s just that somehow, back hair is so much grosser when it’s all wet and on a little towel.
The one for OxiClean isn’t bad in terms of the product being hawked, but the guy doing the hawking really gets on my nerves. It’s his voice and delivery. What a turn-off.
Don “I started out in a one bedroom apt” Lapree drives me to the grave and back.
I always liked the one with make up artist Victoria Jackson. It made me want that make up kit so bad!!!
Of course, I just love playing with make up.
Whatever happened to Mike Levey?
(shuddering that I remember that name)
I just saw two more during last night’s Giants games that make me think this is going to be the golden year of commercials or something.
Jack in the Box has done it again with a spoof of big truck commercials right down to the schmaltzy “Like a Rock” style music in the background. (Burger falls into truck bed in slow motion from earthmover, truck sags under it’s weight, then beefy construction men strap it down while Jack saves a lost lamb in the rain – ROFL!)
New best commercial ever – Telemarketer calls a guy at 6AM on a saturday, chirping “It’s 8 here in Columbus!” Telemarketer contiunues to yammer away while guy drives across several states to his building, goes to his desk, yanks the phone console and smashes it into the ground. “Want a more satisfying crunch?” It’s for that crunchy Snickers bar, lol. (I also liked the one with the guy selling wind-up dolls that said things like “I love you, but I’m not IN love with you,” “I think your sister’s pretty,” and “It happens to a lot of guys” so people could crush them in disgust.)
As for informercials, I’ve always been partial to the old “Hand Hammered Chinese Wok” hosted by an Englishman named, I think, Wally. He’d always repeat throughout the program the “This is the authentic HAND HAMMERED Chinese Wok from the People’s Republic of Chiiiiina!”
An old classic
The very very worst one I ever remember seeing was only on once and I think the station got deluged with irate calls for it because it was so tacky and horrifying. It was for some stungun/tazer type thing and it told this “story” about how some woman went with her best friend went to go pick out her bridal veil or something and on the way back they were run off the road by drunken hillbillies. (I’m not kidding, they had these guys playing the most stereotypical backwoods, redneck, hillbillies you could ever come up with, pickup trucks and Jack Daniels, the whole bit.) Anyway, first they stand outside the gals car and act obscene for a while then they break the windows and drag them into the woods and do unspeakable things to them. Wait, it gets worse! They cut to a scene of the veil all trampled and bloody by the side of the road, and go on to say that the bride was so traumatized that…[cut to scene of a silhouetted woman hanging from a noose] AND the friend was so traumatized that she hasn’t spoken in years, is a near vegetable, and is cared for by her sister. Of course, all of this could’ve been prevented if they only had a Tazer, WHICH WE JUST HAPPEN TO SELL! Tazers – because you never know when you’re going to be gang-raped by hillbillies! EVIIIIIL!
(Just had to get in one more post, just so you knew I finally realised the thread was about INFOmercials, dur!)
I hate the cooker commercial hosted by The Mommies. It is SO obnoxious.
Now they do a weight loss commercial. Ick.
Worst infomercial: Jay Kordich “The Juiceman”. That guy scares the hell outa me.
Favorites…
I like the one with the old guy that has this machine capable of turning pretty much anything into beef jerky. There was another one several years ago about this special pillow filled with beans or some other hard substance that was supposed to be good for your neck. It was quite ridiculous.
Unfavorites…
Anything with that annoying British guy who always wears a red bowtie. I think I hate that man.
Sobakawa baby… feel the power of buckwheat hulls!
I love the OxyClean guy, he’s just so excited about cleaning! I do kinda question the power of the product, though, since he’s always using a scrubbie sponge to get the tough dirt off.
The Juiceman has 2 giant caterpillars instead of eyebrows, frightening :eek: No thanks, buddy, if juice gives me those things, I’ll stick with coffee.
The stupidest product was the closet hanger organizer thing many years ago. Basically a piece of plastic that you hang your hangers on, then drop down vertically. “It saves so much space” yeah, instead of just pressing your clothes together like a normal person? 30 cents worth of plastic for the low, low price of $29.99!
The buckwheat hull makura pillow was actually one of the best investments I ever made, though I didn’t see it on an infomercial. I got it through a catalog for less than 20 bucks, and it really does give great head and neck support, and stays cooler than a regular pillow. Hey, sometimes these things really work…
I really love the convertible dress one. They have one dress that can be worn a million ways if you tuck it up and wrap it and basically don’t move-lol.
$20 you say? NO! I will give you two of these remarkable buckwheat pillows- The ancient Chinese secret of neck support- for the low, low price of $19.95!!! Sorry, no CODs accepted.
Hmmm, if they are that good perhaps I should try them out. I liked the commercial, why shouldn’t I like the pillow as well?!
$20 you say? NO! I will give you two of these remakable buckwheat pillows- The ancient Chinese secret of neck support- for the low, low price of $19.95!!! Sorry, no CODs accepted.
Hmmm, if they are that good perhaps I should try them out. I liked the commercial, why shouldn’t I like the pillow as well?!
Whoops, stupid double post…