RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Who buys this stuff? Infomercials are a terrible way to move products, but they are often unintentionally hilarious. Usually there are three main figures in these productions: a spokesperson who resembles a preacher more than an salesperson; a supposedly uninitiated, often younger colleague who "interviews" the spokesperson; and of course a whole congregation of converts eager to testify to how the product changed their lives. As a teenager, I loved Tom Vu's long descriptions of his get-rich-quick real-estate seminars, featuring his relentless hectoring of his audience: "I was an immigrant, a poor man, a losah like you sitting on the couch, dreaming of being rich in America ... I learn a little secret once that help me to become very wealthy, which I now share with you, as I stand in front of my mansion ... " Vu was one of the great tacky tributes to '80s greed. There's a current infomercial that I find hilarious for very different reasons. The "Dual Action Cleanse" guy is less sympathetic than Tom Vu, but just as unintentionally funny. A John Waters lookalike with a pained expression (possibly from straining too much at the toilet), the host swears that increasing your bowel movements will make you lose weight, give you more energy, prevent cancer, whatever ... It's painfully funny to me to see a guy with a crap-colored mustache reassure his obese customers: "You are not fat, you are just carrying around ten pounds of fecal build-up in your intestines." Infomercial comedy at its best.

these people get waaaaay to excited about kitchen ware and cleaning devices. like the guy that always screams at you about that orange stuff.

set it...AND FORGET IT!!!!!!!!! this type of advertising doesn't work on my (or hasn't yet), but I don't doubt that it does on a lot of people. Sometimes I watch just to see a good salesperson in action. A lot of these guys really are good...

Strangely enticing at the time (probably has a lot to do with insomnia, too), but I've still never fell for one of those* yet.

*edited for spelling, again. I'm seriously striking out tonight with the typos.