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As seen on TV
The other day, I saw an infomercial advertising these things called Green Bags which supposedly prolong the life of fruits and vegetables. The actor selling the product claimed that Green Bags absorb and remove the ethylene gas emitted by fruits and vegetables (this gas accelerates ripening, aging and rotting). Now, I’m not a gourmet cook, and don’t really have a pressing need to preserve fruits and vegetables for an extended period of time, but for a split second (or two) I entertained the idea of purchasing some Green Bags for myself. Why? Well, they sounded really…cool.
I’ve come to the realization that infomercials appeal to the innovative and hopeful spirit residing in many consumers. I guess I should add that they also appeal to the gullible among us, but I would be incriminating myself.
Case in point:When I was in high school, I was fascinated by infomercials advertising a product called the RevoStyler brush. This motorized, rotating hot air brush rotated a hundred times per minute in order to smooth hair out. With the RevoStyler, it supposedly only took minutes to dry and style one’s hair. What’s more, the combination of nylon and pure boar bristles allegedly helped add shine and texture to hair. Needless to say, I was intrigued by this contraption…so much so, that I asked my mom to buy it for me. She questioned its practicality: “What if it tangles your hair while it spins?” I reassured her that the RevoStyler makers had allayed viewers’ concerns about possible tangling.
Much to my joy, I acquired my very own RevoStyler. And well…as much as I hated to admit it, my mom’s concerns had been founded: the RevoStyler—with its spinning technology—tangled my hair. In fact, it tangled my hair so badly, that I quit using it after about two times. Sadly, the infomercial’s promise of shiny, smooth hair fell through for me. Go figure.
Even though this experience tempered my altruistic view of infomercials, it obviously failed to make me disillusioned with infomercials as a whole.
Deep down, I guess I want to believe that inventers are finding creative solutions to every-day problems. I want to live in a world in which Billy Mays’ OxiClean really does remove even the toughest stain. I want to believe that the Safe T Shield will indeed block the harmful electro-magnetic waves emitted by cell phones. I want to put my faith in the makers of the Smart Collar when they claim that this canine-friendly collar helps eliminate shedding.
So yes, I am a sucker when it comes to infomercials…
…but can you blame me for wanting to believe that ingenuity can lead to results?
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