For half a century, Ronco products — like the Veg-O-Matic, the Beef Jerky Machine, and Mr. Microphone — have been filling cheap, late-night and mid-afternoon commercial space on American TVs. Now the company that introduced “But wait — there’s more!” to the world is hoping it can sell the public on investing in the company by offering discounts and free stuff as rewards. [More]
but wait there’s more
Pilgrim’s Pride Expands Recall Of Contaminated Chicken Products
By 5.9.16
If you’ve already checked the list of products affected by a recent Pilgrim’s Pride recall involving chicken items possibly contaminated with bits of plastic, metal, wood, and rubber, you might want to check it again. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety & Inspection service has expanded the nearly five million-pound recall list to include additional products. Check the full list here. [More]
Cable Channels Speed Up TV Shows To Cram In More Ads
By 2.19.15
Anyone who’s watched a syndicated TV show on basic cable is already familiar with some methods of trimming the fat off of shows — shorter opening credits, sped-up closing credits that may overlap on-screen ads or the next show — but what you may not have noticed is that some cable networks are actually speeding up shows and movies to squeeze in more commercials. [More]
Barnes & Noble Now Selling Electronics, Furniture, Rugs & Just About Everything Else
By 10.20.11
For years, Barnes & Noble’s website has been competing with Amazon for the online book market. The two companies even square off directly in the realm of ebooks, each selling its own proprietary eReader. But aside from dabbling in music and movies, B&N has let Amazon be the online superstore where you can buy almost anything. Until now. [More]
Check Us Out On 20/20's "Infomercial Nation" Special On May 20!
By 5.13.11
As we recently mentioned, Consumerist and Consumer Reports have teamed up with ABC News for an upcoming 20/20 special called “Infomercial Nation,” that will air next Friday, May 20. [More]
Report: Billy Mays Used Cocaine In His Last Days
By 8.7.09
The Hillsborough County, Florida medical examiner’s office reported this afternoon that toxicology results show boisterous master pitchman Billy Mays had used cocaine sometime in the days before his death. This may have contributed to his fatal heart attack.
