Of all the ways that companies try and shove their products down consumers throats, from junk mail to commercials to e-mails, there is one form of advertising that has always fascinated, baffled – and astounded me – both for the fact that this method of advertising is permissible – and that it actually works – the infomercial.

Nothing but a paid, thirty minute uninterrupted commercial, the infomercial is disguised as a half hour TV talk show starring an actor that can only get a job in an infomercial interviewing the inventor of the product they focus on for an entire half hour. After each segment, they take a “commercial” break – and coincidentally run only one commercial about the product they have been speaking about the entire time. Then they return to the “show” and talk about the same product again – all the while prompting the viewer to buy it.

From motivational tapes, to rotisserie ovens, to super stain removers – to pills that naturally enhance your breast size – these commercials offer consumers a twenty minute reason why they “have to have” this “unbelievable” product, show testimonials of “real customers” who say how “amazing” the product has been for them – and then tell the viewer that if they order “within the next ten minutes” – they will get either a break on the purposely inflated price – or a free gift that comes with the product anyway.

More then any other form of advertising, the infomercial disturbs me the most. For one thing, who wants to watch a thirty minute commercial full of paid actors playing the talk show host, the customers – and the overly excited audience that claps wildly any chance they get? Second, doesn’t it make you wonder why these products are only advertised on their own thirty minute commercial – and not during prime time or during the most popular shows on television? If the products on these infomercials are as good as they claim – then why not take out a thirty second commercial during say Friends instead of a half an hour commercial in the wee small hours of the morning? And third and most importantly – if the products were as “revolutionary”, “breakthrough” and “guaranteed foolproof” as they say – then why would they need to pay people to say how good they are and repeatedly purchase time on television stations to try and entice potential customers to buy them?

Personally, I find infomercials nothing but amusing television – but what I don’t find amusing is the fact that some people that watch these modern day versions of snake oil stands – are actually duped into buying these products.