# I pit be pseudoscience in commercials **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 25, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170 "2016-01-25T13:06:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/1 "2016-01-25T13:06:52Z")
Two recent examples: #1) Commercial for a cleaning product that explains that oil and water don’t mix so oily dirt accumulates but it works by making “water wetter” so it can mix with the oil to remove the dirt. Bonus point off for stating that it “works good”. #2) Pillow commercial that says that it will increase “deep restorative REM sleep”. ETA: also pit iPhone for autocorrecting thread title to make me look stoopid. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/2 "2016-01-25T13:14:12Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > Two recent examples: > > #1) Commercial for a cleaning product that explains that oil and water don’t mix so oily dirt accumulates but it works by making “water wetter” so it can mix with the oil to remove the dirt. Bonus point off for stating that it “works good”. > > #2) Pillow commercial that says that it will increase “deep restorative REM sleep”. > > ETA: also pit iPhone for autocorrecting thread title to make me look stoopid. Not to excuse pseudoscience (or bad grammar), but I could see someone explaining how a detergent works by acting as a surfactant to lower surface tension, therefore, arguably, “making water wetter”. Of course, all detergents work this way to remove dirt and oil, so it’s not anything special about this product, but advertising is all about the spin. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/3 "2016-01-25T15:52:21Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > #1) Commercial for a cleaning product that explains that oil and water don’t mix so oily dirt accumulates but it works by making “water wetter” so it can mix with the oil to remove the dirt. Bonus point off for stating that it “works good”. There actually is something called “wet water” but as far as I know, it’s only used for fighting fires. Something is added to the water to reduce surface tension. Maybe somebody figured out how to use it for cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/4 "2016-01-25T16:01:33Z")
Nobody can come remotely close to [Nutribullet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78eAPxoJtHs) for unscientific claims in advertising. At least since tobacco companies stopped advertising cigarettes as cough suppressants. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/5 "2016-01-25T16:17:32Z")
Then there’s this hair product that touts the benefits of royal jelly, on the grounds that it makes queen bees live longer than workers. I’m not sure it’s the jelly that does that but what does that have to do with it’s usefulness as a hair product? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/6 "2016-01-25T17:11:50Z")
Zicam is a leader in presenting pseudoscience in ads, touting “homeopathic” products as “proven” to shorten duration of colds, when the products in question are either not truly homeopathic and/or haven’t been proven to have any significant clinical effect. Still, it’s better than when they were selling a zinc product that was linked to permanent loss of people’s sense of smell. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/7 "2016-01-25T17:18:31Z")
Not technically a commercial, but a product on Amazon. I’m not sure if this one is satire or not: [Salt Pink Himalayan No Chemicals Non-gmo Organic Halall Kosher Fine Grind](http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Himalayan-Chemicals-Non-gmo-Organic/dp/B007V8A34M) Be sure to read the FAQs and comments. Example–someone was concerned because NaCl is a chemical. Customer review: > [@](#): > > I was in the market for an organic salt such as sodium tosylate or pyridinium chloride in order to complete my evil science experiments to disprove the Gaia hypothesis. When I saw this product, I nearly jumped for joy! I thought it was a bit weird that the sellers don’t specify which organic salt they’re selling, but I figured it was a sort of grab-bag or mystery box-type deal. When my product arrived, the first thing I did was to get an IR spectrum to see which organic salt I had received. My smile quickly turned upside down as I saw that there was not a single peak in my spectrum! After several more failed IR’s I performed a crude analysis with my tongue which confirmed that this product is actually sodium chloride, AN INORGANIC SALT! And these sellers have the gall to label their product “organic”? This is a clear case of false advertising. WOULD NOT BUY AGAIN. But good thing it’s gluten and GMO-free! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/8 "2016-01-25T17:32:27Z")
You really don’t know if that’s satire? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/9 "2016-01-25T17:36:11Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Not technically a commercial, but a product on Amazon. I’m not sure if this one is satire or not: > > [Salt Pink Himalayan No Chemicals Non-gmo Organic Halall Kosher Fine Grind](http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Himalayan-Chemicals-Non-gmo-Organic/dp/B007V8A34M) > > Be sure to read the FAQs and comments. Example–someone was concerned because NaCl is a chemical. > > Customer review: > But good thing it’s gluten and GMO-free! Also free of DHMO. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/10 "2016-01-25T18:02:23Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Then there’s this hair product that touts the benefits of royal jelly, on the grounds that it makes queen bees live longer than workers. I’m not sure it’s the jelly that does that but what does that have to do with it’s usefulness as a hair product? Bees that nest in your hair live longer? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/11 "2016-01-25T18:20:02Z")
I liked the old shampoo commercials: hair is mostly protein, so protein in shampoos. It’s like the human body is mostly water so it makes sense to consume nothing but water. Or the caveman diets, that overlooked cavemen’s probable lifespan. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/12 "2016-01-25T18:31:31Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Bees that nest in your hair live longer? [Former baseball pitcher Darren Oliver had that problem.](http://www.thebookofmike.blogspot.com/2005/03/attack-of-killer-bees-interrupts.html?m=1) Although to be technically accurate, they were attracted to the coconut oil in his hair gel. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/13 "2016-01-25T18:32:40Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I liked the old shampoo commercials: hair is mostly protein, so protein in shampoos. It’s like the human body is mostly water so it makes sense to consume nothing but water. Or the caveman diets, that overlooked cavemen’s probable lifespan. Or the shampoos with VITAMINS! Sorry, folks. Hair is DEAD. It’s not going to be improved by topical vitamins or protein. You have to actually ingest those things so the hair can get them while it’s still alive and growing. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/14 "2016-01-25T21:54:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You really don’t know if that’s satire? What’s your take **RNATB**? Masterful satire or idiots on the interwebs? And I’m sure most Dopers have seen shit as stupid as this–hence the OP. I’m not wasting a lot of time on this, but it seems to be a real product sold on Amazon at first glance (and I’m not really bothering to take a deeper look). What I want to know–is it radioactive!!! ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/15 "2016-01-25T22:03:44Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > What’s your take **RNATB**? > > Masterful satire or idiots on the interwebs? And I’m sure most Dopers have seen shit as stupid as this–hence the OP. > > I’m not wasting a lot of time on this, but it seems to be a real product sold on Amazon at first glance (and I’m not really bothering to take a deeper look). > > What I want to know–is it radioactive!!! I went through the first steps of buying it on my Amazon account, so unless there’s some surprise when you check out, this may be a real product. If the seller is doing this a satire–props for the investment. I’m also looking for dihydrogen monoxide on the site. But, I hear that may be a dangerous compound! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/16 "2016-01-25T22:10:50Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > What’s your take **RNATB**? … it’s a joke. The question responses and reviews are from random people on Amazon, not the manufacturer/seller. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/17 "2016-01-25T22:13:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Not to excuse pseudoscience (or bad grammar), but I could see someone explaining how a detergent works by acting as a surfactant to lower surface tension, therefore, arguably, “making water wetter”. Of course, all detergents work this way to remove dirt and oil, so it’s not anything special about this product, but advertising is all about the spin. Same with the pillow thing: anything that makes you more comfortable when sleeping will increase the amount of REM sleep you get. And too little REM sleep can cause sleepiness problems. It sounds like both are taking real scientific principles and making it sound like it’s some special thing for their product. Not quite pseudoscience, but annoying nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/18 "2016-01-25T22:26:55Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > … it’s a joke. The question responses and reviews are from random people on Amazon, not the manufacturer/seller. So are the reviews real? If I was to create a satirical product on Amazon, I would love these responses. Do you think the product itself is a satirical item? I want to sell my Flux Capacitor on Amazon–it’s what makes time travel possible! Can I get a good review! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/19 "2016-01-25T22:28:26Z")
The reviews are “real” in that they were posted by real people. But they’re just trying to be funny. You seem them on most silly products. The product is real; there’s a substantial subset of the woo/New Age community that holds that pink Himalayan salt is better for you than regular table salt (or perhaps just tastes better). ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170/20 "2016-01-25T22:46:35Z")
Wouldn’t decreasing surface tension lessen one of the essential characteristics of water thereby making it “less wet”? And REM sleep is one of the lightest stages of sleep whether or not it is “restorative”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-be-pseudoscience-in-commercials/744170.md?page=2)