Are Late Night Infomercials Selling You a Dream or Reality?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the credibility and effectiveness of exercise devices and health products advertised in late-night infomercials. Participants share their opinions on various products, express skepticism about their claims, and highlight the absurdity of some advertisements.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the legitimacy of products like "The Bean," suggesting that it may not provide the promised benefits and is more of a gimmick.
  • There is a humorous critique of exercise products advertised by individuals who appear overly thin, implying that such endorsements are not credible.
  • One participant recalls a trend where programmers used giant Pilates balls instead of chairs, noting that while it looked ridiculous, they claimed it was more comfortable.
  • Several participants express admiration for a particular infomercial, describing it as a "masterpiece" and noting its outrageous claims about health and wealth.
  • There is mention of infomercials promoting real estate investment with no money down, raising skepticism about why successful individuals would need to sell such products.
  • Participants invite others to share additional products that make outrageous claims, indicating a shared interest in the absurdity of these advertisements.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express skepticism about the claims made in late-night infomercials, but there is no consensus on specific products or their effectiveness. Multiple competing views on the credibility of these advertisements remain present.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the effectiveness of products are based on personal anecdotes and subjective experiences, which may not be universally applicable. The discussion includes a mix of humor and skepticism, reflecting varying levels of belief in the advertised benefits.

edward
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Not wanting to steal the Bow flex thread, I thought it might be fun to post your favorite and and or "most ridiculous exercise device". Late night infomercials have and endless supply of nearly worthless devices...and a few good ones.

Gimme a break, is this one for real?



How about, The Bean? wow incredible.

http://www.bean.com/?UID=G_TR_PHRASE_the-bean-exercise&gclid=COuh9LvOpY4CFRvrYAodoSlOWA
 
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At one place I worked, it became a big fad for all the programmers to sit on those giant Pilates balls. It looked pretty ridiculous, but they swore they were more comfortable than chairs for long sitting.
 
this one has to be the single greatest informercial ever made, it's not an exercise machine but it's also a health product. I wish they had the entire thing on youtube, because it's truly a masterpiece, I've seen the unedited 30 minute version on TV at least twice. If you ever catch it, grab some popcorn, sit on your bean, and enjoy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SWQE79kwbKc

http://youtube.com/watch?v=floAReXsId0
 
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moe darklight said:
this one has to be the single greatest informercial ever made, it's not an exercise machine but it's also a health product. I wish they had the entire thing on youtube, because it's truly a masterpiece, I've seen the unedited 30 minute version on TV at least twice. If you ever catch it, grab some popcorn, sit on your bean, and enjoy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SWQE79kwbKc

http://youtube.com/watch?v=floAReXsId0

Great links moe darklight.:smile: I wonder how many cups of coffee I would need to make me talk that fast.


Everyone feel free to post any product making outrageous claims.
 
edward said:
Great links moe darklight.:smile: I wonder how many cups of coffee I would need to make me talk that fast.


Everyone feel free to post any product making outrageous claims.

haha, I know! I love that guy! the first time I saw it I thought it was an SNL skit or something. I couldn't believe it was for real... then it kept going and going and I realized I had finally stumbled upon the holy grail of infomercials.
It's a shame they didn't post the entire thing, it goes on to promise you not only superhuman health and age reversal, but that you'll make millions of dollars and never again have to work a day in your life.
 
Then we have the "buy real estate with no money down" which began about 20 years ago and now has a number of infomercials by various self made millionaires.

If they are millionaires why do they have to peddle their CD's in the middle of the night?

More recently the "cash flow system" and "make money at home" infomercials have hit the scene.



They all sound very convincing, but when it sounds too good to be true....It ends up something like this.

 
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