So I guess the days of wacky, entertaining, product spokespeople (Billie Mays, Ron Popeil, Shamwow guy, etc) selling you bullshit you don't need have ended, huh? I pity Gen Z as they will never know the pleasure....

Submitted by Bluest_waters t3_10y1es5 in television

Imagine sitting there watching basic cable, you volume at a normal average level, enjoying a late night Will And Grace rerun when suddenly AT VOLUME FUCKING 23 YOU HEAR "BILL MAYS HERE!"

And he is selling you some bullshit cleaning product you for sure 100% don't need and will never use and yet the longer Billy Mays yells at you the more convinced you are that your life may never be full and complete without it.

Or maybe its the shamwow guy. And you think to yourself "you know I would hope to never be trapped in an elevator with this creepy weirdo but by gosh that towel sure does seem to do the trick!"

Or maybe its that dipshit audience yelling "SET IT AND....FORGET IT!"

These crazy wacky douchebags helped us keep up on the latest cleaning and cooking technology and for that I appreciate everything they did

But Gen Z will never know, those days are gone, those brave infomercial warriors have now all passed and gone on to TV advertiser heaven.

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hawks-make-me-sad t1_j7vl9n6 wrote

Those guys have been replaced by influencers on youtube, tik tok and instagram.

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AttackedByRats69 t1_j7vlti4 wrote

One of them is fucking dead

Edit: two of them are six feet deep and sleeping

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pmo1985 t1_j7vhqfw wrote

Or those old Time Life music collections that “couldn’t be gotten anywhere else” until most people learned about ITunes or file sharing

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Bluest_waters OP t1_j7vi4d2 wrote

Michael Bolton intensifies

"How am I supposed to liiiiiiiive without you!"

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spinereader81 t1_j7wrgqi wrote

They had one a few years ago for a boxed set of early SNL episodes. I ended up watching the whole infomercial just because the clips were so good!

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EpitomeJim t1_j7vegmi wrote

So many nights watching Ron cut things.

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Bluest_waters OP t1_j7vf4pv wrote

God bless him for helping us all to cut vegetables and cook stuff

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AttackedByRats69 t1_j7vll0k wrote

Poor gen z and not having TV scammers influencing them to purchase bullshit products

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facebook57 t1_j7vfxyd wrote

They’ll never get to slap their troubles away with a Slap Chop

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speakermic t1_j7vnpzb wrote

Flex Seal /Tape doesn't seem that long ago.

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PositiveStress8888 t1_j7wkmky wrote

ahh the joy of falling asleep to your favorite show only to be awaken 4 hours later by a man screaming at you.

You may have your Elon Musk, we had Ron Popeil inventor of

Showtime Platinum Digital Rotisserie.

Showtime Modern Rotisserie

Showtime EZ-Store Rotisserie

5-Tray Classic Dehydrator

5-Tray Beef Jerky Machine.

Ronco Pocket Fisherman

and many more !!!!

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eflowb t1_j7vgjys wrote

Instead all that useless shit is just advertised on social media.

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Salem1691 t1_j7vlt8l wrote

To this day the Magic Bullet infomercial lives rent free in my head

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BlankiesteinsMonster t1_j7w0qzp wrote

The 'morning after a party' framing device of the Magic Bullet infomercial is such a weird choice. The older lady who rolls up looking all haggard in her nightie is my favourite character. I think she might be dangling a dart, too. Just great stuff.

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Latter_Feeling2656 t1_j7vgcmv wrote

Ron Popeil took me for a pasta maker.

Do we still have Hunter Ellis for The Atomic Flashlight?

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AlwaysOptimism t1_j7vlrcu wrote

There will always be a market to compel people to reflexively spend their money on some shiny trinket

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sweetpeapickle t1_j7vmvuk wrote

No, they are not gone. I guess you don't get up before 10am?

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anasui1 t1_j7vtjk1 wrote

Miracle blades, the knives that could cut anything from apples to potatoes

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mickeyflinn t1_j7w1yoy wrote

They are still out there man, Emeril Lagasse has half hour infomercials that pimp his various ovens and cookers.

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TheFlabbs t1_j81c5gf wrote

It worked on my dad. That thing sits on his counter dusty, dirty and entirely unused - all because it was marketed by Emeril Lagasse

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contrarian1970 t1_j7wdgyg wrote

Now there are a dozen home shopping networks playing 24/7. The best ones are jewelry or old coins with a $400.00 "retail value" that can be yours today for just $99.99! Supplies are limited! When these are gone you will NEVER find any at this price AGAIN. Call NOW!!!

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Chuck1705 t1_j7z7d43 wrote

Ever seen the Flex-Seal ads?...Same thing...

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speedycat2014 t1_j7vqcc0 wrote

Well always have /r/wheredidthesodago though

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gotpeace99 t1_j82jye5 wrote

There’s a guy I think that does this now, I don’t know his name and I think he promotes a cleaning product and when something is clean, he goes "WOOP!”. It still exists with that guy. His commercial comes on a few times.

And to be honest, influencers, Instagram ads, the Instagram shop is also selling us bullshit that we don’t need as well.

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Howie-Dowin t1_j7zmuan wrote

Are we really doing nostalgia for infomercial grifters selling junk on tv?

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TheFlabbs t1_j81bsbz wrote

There’s an entire YouTube channel for people like us who remember the little things - Dave’s Archives. Stay hating, hater

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