Have you caught this Undercover Boss show on CBS? For the unitiated, they take corporate head honchos and send them undercover at their own companies for a few day. To the skeptics (like yours truly), it always seems a little too packaged and contrived to be genuine, but some of the workers featured on the show say it’s the real deal. [More]
as seen on TV
Scarves With Microwaveable Heat Packs Recalled Due To Fire And Burn Hazard
By 3.10.10
The Therma Scarf, a polyester/cotton blend scarf with pockets and microwaveable heat packs marketed by infomercial powerhouse Telebrands, has been recalled. The scarf’s heat packs, made of flaxseeds, pose a fire and burn hazard to wearers. In a related story, someone actually thought it would be a good idea to make a microwaveable scarf with pockets. [More]
PajamaJeans Help You Pretend You're Wearing Jeans
By 2.18.10
Sometimes you need to leave the house, for instance to go to the supermarket or to attend a job interview, and let’s face it: that’s when the Snuggie fails you. Until they make the formal Snuggie, there’s at least PajamaJeans. They’re like sweatpants, but disguised as jeans. Sadly they’re only for the ladies right now, so guys will have to stick to sweatpants when they give up on life. [More]
The Necky: A Smaller, Stupider Snuggie For Your Neck
By 12.22.09
The Necky is apparently for the person who keeps strangling himself when he tries to tie his scarf. There’s nothing I can write about this that would make it more absurd than it is in real life, so just go watch the video if you haven’t already. [More]
Consumer Reporter Keeps Buying Things That Catch Fire
By 10.23.09
The Handy Switch, pitched in infomercials by the zombie late Billy Mays, is theoretically a cool product. It’s a wireless light switch that you can install and plug in anywhere. It would be very useful were it not for its unfortunate tendency to burst into flames.
Now You Too Can Dress Like a TV Newsperson
By 8.25.09
Looking for pants “custom made for a primary anchor in a top 5 market”? Or how about a sports suit worn on air “by a play-by-play announcer for a regional sports network”? Look no further.
Warning: Read The Fine Print Before Cashing An Unexpected Rebate Check
By 7.10.09
At first, it looks like a rebate check, but read the fine print. It says if you endorse and cash the check, you are signing up for a marketing service called “Great Fun.” Then, your credit card will be charged $149.99. That subscription will renew annually unless you cancel it with Great Fun.
Wearable Towel: Summer's Answer To The Snuggie
By 5.27.09
It’s too warm out now to use your Snuggie, but you just don’t look weird enough around the house. What to do? The alert trendspotters at Gawker brought this exciting new product to our attention. Meet the Wearable Towel! The towel with arm openings! There’s even a Snuggie-style commercial on the site, which, mercifully, I can’t embed here. Sorry, it’s on YouTube. I have to inflict it on you.
ShamWow Guy Arrested For Beating Up Prostitute
By 3.27.09
Slap chop to the face! Vince Shlomi, aka the ShamWow Guy, aka You’re Gonna Love My Nuts, was “arrested last month on a felony battery charge following a violent confrontation with a prostitute in his South Beach hotel room,” reports the Smoking Gun.
CNBC Taking Votes For Best "As Seen On TV" Product
By 1.19.09
Karla writes, “I thought this fun little tournament might interest Consumerist readers, especially the possibility of a Billy Mays vs. Vince from Shamwow showdown in the Sweet 16.” The contest will determine the “greatest ‘As Seen on TV’ product,” although with entries like Video Professor and Miss Cleo on there, “greatest” seems to be loosely defined.
Please Enjoy This Complimentary Billy Mays Remix Video, Our Gift To You With Each Order
By 1.9.09
What’s better than Billy Mays? Remixes of Billy Mays? We agree. And guess what? We’re tripling the offer inside. Yes. That’s right.* *These are all probably NSFW.
Gee Whiz, It Turns Out That Kinoki Foot Pads Are Not A Good Deal
By 8.19.08
The nice folks at NPR have done us all a favor and taken some used Kinoki foot pads to be tested to see if they’d drawn anything out of a guinea pig reporter’s body. Guess what? They didn’t. [More]
Is That Infomercial Stuff Any Good?
By 11.1.06
Say you replaced your brain with a head of cabbage. You decide gotta have the latest As Seen on TV kitchen knife and label maker combo.
