The Rise and Fall of Infomercials

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some sources:
asseenontv.pro/brief-history-... (brief history on who invented)
www.referenceforbusiness.com/... (history and figures)
tvamediagroup.com/the-economi... (silly products)
techjury.net/blog/cord-cuttin... (cable tv)
explodingtopics.com/blog/cord... (cable tv stats more)
www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitz... cable tv
priceonomics.com/the-economic...
www.npr.org/2013/11/30/247915...
watch/?v=382... kevin guy talking about todays landscape
infomercial.com/drtv-blog/the... current world of infomercials
www.inc.com/ariel-bogle/is-th...
When Was Colored TV Invented: www.thoughtco.com/color-tv-in...
blog.gitnux.com/infomercials-... absurd infomercial stats
blog.gitnux.com/infomercial-i....
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━CHAPTERS━
00:00 the rise and fall of infomercials
05:22 how did infomercials get invented
08:14 1984 tv advertising policy changes
13:49 the goal of infomercials
17:30 the infomercial formula
18:29 the modern day infomercial
27:35 poo poo pee pee (conclusion)
tags: #infomercials

[@notabear287]

the one thing i wish was mentioned is that a lot, and i mean A LOT, of these products were made with disabled people in mind. snuggies, egg cracking things, anything that made you go "who's actually that clumsy?" might've been made for disabled people. HOWEVER..... marketing them to everyone with the "look how convenient!" model means wider success in selling a product. snuggies were especially good for people in wheelchairs. i didn't make fun of infomercials the same way after learning that. there's still fun to poke, but there are some products that were made for people who struggle with mobility or precise motor functions!

[@jsas2047]

Even lowkey ridiculous products like that pee golfing club could have some use for elderly men who are struggling with holding their pee in. Especially because many elderly men love golfing and toilets can be far away when you're on the field. It seems disgusting and stupid at first, but if you really think about it, there may be an actual demographic and use for it, they just don't sell it like that.

[@MicahRion]

+

[@GlitchedVision]

it's not only the wider success aspect of it, it may simply be that the creators of these products wanted to make sure they were actually affordable to the people who need them instead of the items in question being priced at extreme markups to justify the costs. As an example of what I'm talking about, look up a program called Jaws for Windows. It's a screen reader which allows blind people to hear the text on screen instead of having to see it. The msrp of this one simple computer program is equivalent to the price of a mid range office pc. Snuggies were only loved by wheelchair users because they were affordable. If they were sold exclusively for disabled people then the price would have been doubled or even tripled just to justify the costs of production to investors. This is the downside of capitalism and chasing the ever growing bottom line instead of actually doing right by people.

[@Aster_Risk]

I legitimately don't think they were thinking of disabled people. That was just a side effect.

[@Salvador-wz7rw]

Rip, maybe they shouldn’t be disabled??😊

[@Badusername2000]

a lot of infomercial products with the whole "person cant do basic thing" setup are really for people with disabilities, but for some reason they never wanna advertise them that way, so they put the inept person the the commercial as a scapegoat

[@sadmermaid]

Yesssss! Idk why there's such a stigma about advertising to the many people that live with a disability, I mean c'mon capitalism, huge target audience you're ignoring here!

[@BDChupacabra]

See I noticed that as well. Mostly for elderly or handicapped people. But they never come out and say that’s who it’s for 😭 idk why

[@rat3015]

Well we can see why when we look at how Candace Owens responded to skims underwear line for disabled people that featured a disabled model

[@emmagammage8070]

Often these disability aid products are quite expensive because not many people need to buy them so they have to sell ot at a higher price. So to help reduce the price for the people who need it, some companies may also advertise it to non-disabled people to get more sales and allow people who actually need it to get it cheaper. But equally they should defo show examples of disabled ppl using it as well because often these products get ridiculed online for being useless when people don't realise how useful they are to people with limited mobility!!

[@patrickblakethesaint]

By not advertising to people with disabilities directly, we can laugh at them without feeling bad about it, which means the ads get more traction. Also Billy mays is a legend for all the right reasons and Vince Offer for all the wrong...

[@cherry_limead]

At one point when I was younger, I watched a whole infomercial just thinking it was a normal ad and an actual show would start. I was sitting there for three hours watching an infomercial for an airfryer.

[@FloraFairyOfNatureLymphea]

Goddamn!

[@darpanabai3967]

We've all been there 😅

[@gh0stpuppi333]

I just remember being 15, stoned out of my mind on my best friend’s couch, watching like a two-hour-long MyPillow infomercial while trying to eat string cheese. Good shit.

[@SolaceMcfly]

doing random stuff like this while high is the best thing ever

[@adrianbyrdie]

Astronaut radio noise Trying to get the good wide pull on the cheese

[@crotchwolf1929]

I had Dish TV before I switched to streaming and had to hide my remote if I decided to drink heavy or get stoned because I'd buy just the most random crap off of eBay and infomercials.

[@HeisenbergFam]

"are you a weak toddler" As an ex toddler, I can confirm toddlers being weak is 110% scientifically accurate

[@Kotai-Matrix69]

They can never outsmart boolit

[@moth.monster]

I used to be the youngest person on the planet!

[@allanpeter7700]

I mean they have pretty strong grip

[@KingOfGaymes]

They’re also incredibly stupid, can confirm as a former toddler

[@KingOfGaymes]

@@allanpeter7700 no babies have strong grip, them grabbing your hair is like a monkey at the zoo grabbing your arm

[@djpillarbox]

Dang Gabi balls makes good commercials

[@Jessica_._]

HELP 💀👏

[@BDChupacabra]

😭 lmfao

[@mollyryan5381]

Love gabi balls

[@_MissLoLo]

Whatever she's selling, I'm buying!

[@ryanhorton607]

Balls?...

[@nameramthgin6077]

The handy stitch was the best info-mecial I ever had the privilege watch. The tag line about how difficult it was to use a regular sewing machine to repair drapes was paired with a video of a woman holding a full sized sewing machine up to her curtains that where still hanging from the window. That clip still lives in my head rent free years later.

[@Polly-Esterismyname]

Haha! I remember that one as well. The ridiculousness of it was hysterical. Thanks for reminding me of that funny infomercial. 😂

[@XanderNotZander]

whenever i stay in a hotel, late night teleshopping channels are my comfort, i love it, not cus im interested in buying, its just the format and atmosphere is so good to feel cosy

[@KalafinaBTS]

Some of them, absolutely. The ones I've seen recently, however, feature extremely loud voices to grab people's attention, which is more headache inducing than anything

[@singingsamanthamonique5859]

I completely agree

[@LidzGaming]

as a kid I'd religiously watch the infomercial channel at night. How my parents didn't know I'm autistic is a mystery to me lmao

[@arianabrrrr]

Relatable content

[@oceanmango]

The informercial channel used to kind of freak me out and I don’t know why, but now I find it so nostalgic lmao

[@animatedaboutlife]

Same lol I loved watching infomercials

[@GroundedSolidarity]

We all did this 😂

[@sunshine72699]

SAME along with the freaking shopping channel (shoutout to QVC)

[@briannamcfarland5974]

OMG the squiggle zigzag paint lady... I completely forgot about her until now but I love her. She seems so excited about her paintings. I would be crushed if it was an exaggerated grift for money Edit: Good news, she's legit! There's a clip of her, Dee Gruenig, on HGTV showing off her art and home. Her passion isn't just for sponges, but for all art mediums and, like, life in general. Things she mentions she loves: photos organizing nooks and crannies colors drawers pens relaxing and unwinding 10-year journals I wish I was 1/4 as happy as this woman.

[@daydream5120]

She seems so genuine so I’m glad that she actually is

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

Your comment made me happy 🥰 I hope you have a good day, internet stranger!

[@fadeuhhway]

This makes me beyond happy

[@ChristopherSadlowski]

Aw! This is so sweet! I especially like that she enjoys "organizing nooks and crannies", because same, and simply "drawers". Anything specific about them? NO! Just drawers.

[@666_cthulhu]

she legitimately makes me want that wiggle-drawing shit wtf 😭 she seems absolutely delightful

[@WendlaBergmann]

rainbow art had me and my sister in a chokehold. the part of the commercial where they would say "it DRIIIIES instantly" with their fingers barely grazing the paper still makes me laugh 😂

[@sonicstar505]

7:35 I’m an Alaskan and I appreciate someone remembering we exist

[@GodHimself__]

How's the weather up there?

[@sonicstar505]

@@GodHimself__ it’s cold but very beautiful, also since we’re so far north the solstices are way more noticeable

[@murdermatics]

Hey, there you are.

[@itsaGRIFFIN]

When you said “no one bought from the actual commercial” all I could think about was my family frantically trying to get the number on the tv screen before it went away. We bought a LOT from infomercials over the years.

[@jobe-iden]

Lmao!

[@titaniastinkerings]

Pretty sure my grandmother bought dozens, and while one of my mom's probably didn't call the number, she certainly did come home with more than a few boxes labeled "as seen on tv" 🤣

[@Samzillah]

My parents never let me buy it, so I would just wait till the next week or two and then hit the As Seen On TV store

[@mr.pavone9719]

I bought something from an infomercial once and it led to some of the most fun I ever had skiing for years.

[@hardcorebusiness7990]

​@@mr.pavone9719what was the item?

[@kaitealbean142]

My grandma actually bought so much stuff from QVC and jewelry infomercials. She gifted a lot of jewelry from those to the rest of my family

[@deathsyth8888]

Sounds like that one South Park episode. Did she also happen to sell her gold for cash too?

[@dontgivetwothwips3615]

My grandmother ordered zoo books and several other month subscription educational things from infomercials in the 80s. I still have all the zoo books. Also have these articulating blocks that chain together.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

My grandmother just called me yesterday to ask my shoe size to order me some sneakers from something like HSN, lol. She unfortunately called at a terrible time when I was very busy at work and by the time I called her back, they'd sold out. But that's alright, I informed her to not worry about it. I've not bought new shoes in quite some time and I'm not 100% sure of my shoe size anymore. But I was appreciative of the offer regardless.

[@FuzzySixx]

You should see the amount of old people that bring in trays of loose "investment grade" nearly worthless gemstones into jewelry stores. More, often it's even the kids inheritance.

[@MiqelDotCom]

@@FuzzySixx Yeah, it's kinda sad. Back before the internet was everywhere it was televangelists and home-shopping tv that were the worst financial predators of old people.

[@Handington]

When I was little, I remember turning on the tv in early hours of the morning, and they had entire movies worth of length, like 2 hours for a serious look at stuff like vacuum cleaners. They'd do tons of tests, especially for Shark vacuum cleaners, and show huge sets where every room would be clean. It felt like it was a serious news report about a miracle product.

[@choipichiim]

I remember that. You would've thought it was it's own TV show with how much effort they put through to try to sell a vacuum/carpet cleaner/steamer

[@lackoliver55]

I was raised by infomercials. As a child I would wake up around 4am, but to not wake anyone else, I would tip toe down to the basement and turn the TV on. Being a lazy weak toddler, whatever the channel was, it remained. I had all the hot goss on the new vacuums, kitchen appliances, DYI fix-em-up kits, art supplies you name it. I was the talk of the town amongst all the neighborhood stay at home moms. Information is power, infomercials made me who I am today. And for the low, low price of 4 equal payments of $13.99.

[@thelittlecaravanner7748]

The Zoobooks infomercials were so impactful on me as a child that when I found out last year that the Girl Scouts were selling Zoobooks subscriptions, I IMMEDIATELY ordered a one year subscription for myself. I'm 27. I COULDN'T RESIST.

[@ChristopherSadlowski]

Did you get them, and were they everything you hoped they would be? Don't leave us hanging. There's serious information we need right now.

[@Grape-pg9iu]

I still remember the phone number

[@MegaManXPoweredUp]

Did you get The Tiger Poster™?

[@Slowplaymae]

This is the dream. Well done.

[@solitair601]

Did you get the poster?

[@Toxykiri]

gabi makes videos on the things people didnt want but really needed

[@salt-emoji]

Hey that's what the thing the video is about do

[@davidmhh9977]

Much like an infomercial itself

[@themug406]

Exactly no one "really needed" this

[@asinglefrenchfry]

12:14 The way she says “Facts” (plays an F note), and “Business logic” (plays a B note). Love Gabi’s attention to detail lolol

[@swwdxsama]

F and B could also stand for "fuck businesses"

[@MAjaLeahHB]

omg i was obsessed with infomercials when i was a child. i used to watch them when i couldn't sleep

[@gayvagina7353]

There’s now KZbin compilations of them, how nifty!

[@KarazolaX]

The way that I remember ads working as a child, was when they'd say THIS OFFER IS NOT IN STORES as though it was some exclusive thing. Like, they didn't WANT to be in stores, or something. So, if you saw one in a store, you'd think 'wow, they have this! I should get it here, instead of waiting for it at home.' Like most product ads, it relies on you forgetting you never even wanted it in the first place.

[@langleymneely]

Exactly! That shit worked so well! I remember that even though I knew what they were doing my 15yr old dumb ass still fell for it!

[@astrowolvez]

Oh! I just thought they weren’t sold in stores. I never saw any in stores so yeah.

[@willschryver]

I think they were trying to say, "We're selling this product at a discounted price not available in stores," in order to create a sense of urgency.

[@Samzillah]

My local mall has an As Seen On TV store where they basically just sell infomercial products. Id see an ad and since my parents never let me call in, id just anxiously wait for it to show up in the store.

[@john.glasscock]

I think the reason old commercials are so nostalgic is because we saw them so many times in a day. The shows we watched when we were kids we probably saw an episode one or two times while the infomercials we saw countless times

[@CuteCuteJames]

Also, there is zero chance I'm buying any of these products, so it's a safe, non-pressure environment. Honestly, great to zone out to or for sleep.

[@lilamontoya5609]

Lol @ myspace Tom photo

[@youlookbananas]

Me and my brother would quote the magic bullet infomercial to each other all the time growing up lol.

[@SnoopyReads]

I still remember watching infomercials all nite as a kid in the 90's. I wanted that NuFinish car polish and I was like 10 years old

[@hardygaming3454]

I probably wouldn’t skip KZbin adds if they were entertaining infomercials, there really isn’t anything quite like staying up a little later than usual and watching infomercials

[@Roxanne13579]

Here, on Dutch television, they would air American as well as German informercials and there are some that still live in my memory and will never quite go away. One was some kind of cooking product, I don't remember what it was, but it starred Mister T who would enter the set by kicking the door down and then they'd just proceed to cook and advertise for an hour. Another one was from Germany advertising a knife set and I just remember it for how chaotic it was. It was so bad to follow what was going on. One moment the guy is cutting a tomato, the next thing he's tossing the knife around on the floor to show how durable it is, then he's cutting an orange, and then he's showing you the deal you the knife block, and it just never slowed down. There was an announcer standing next to him too the entire time wearing a singular earring who then tried to go 'order now!' but the guy cooking interrupted him like 'no no no, wait, don't order yet, I'm not done talking about this knife!'

[@AlanQSmithee]

I saw infomercials in a whole new way when someone pointed out how many of the "goofy" products are actually adaptive aids for elderly/disabled people

[@NoSaysJo]

no one cares😊

[@pemanilnoob587]

@@NoSaysJoyour statement is literally factually incorrect Go back to school

[@angelamaryquitecontrary4609]

​@@NoSaysJoRude.

[@Michaela_c]

That scene from the Betty Crocker Bake-n-Fill commercial when they're listing all the possibilities and she goes "EVEN BAKED ALASKA" and the cake is literally on fire. That scene always enters my mind at the worst possible times and I end up in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Some jokes just write themselves.

[@dominicspier6917]

Baked Alaska is supposed to be on fire, they pour some alcohol on it and light it, it's a presentation thing back when that was impressive

[@Silverfirefly1]

​@dominicspier6917 I'm still impressed by flaming ice-cream.

[@ArcticNemo]

Baked Alaska is a frozen cake layer topped with ice cream and smothered in meringue. The meringue is baked hot and fast, with its fluffiness insulating the core... Simple, really.

[@ArtyCollectz]

KZbin did me a solid recommending your channel. This is S tier.

[@jk-jl2lo]

the zoo pals jingle pops into my head like once a month and just stays there for a few days before it goes away

[@BopperBippity]

So like a period but it’s a commercial jingle in your mind? Because that’s what you discribed

[@noraeable]

As someone who works nights 6 days a week, I'm up at night on my day off and can confirm that infomercials are alive and well. They tend to play on the free TV channels available to anyone with a TV and an antenna between 3 am and 6 am in half hour intervals.

[@DrumlineArchives]

I work graveyard shift at a local news channel and have to sit there at night monitoring the infomercials to make sure they are running properly. Infomercials now are way more obviously targeted at the elderly, and play to their fear of the world around them - lifelock insurance, home title insurance, supplemental health insurance, auto repair insurance…sensing a trend?

[@adamprice3466]

They are on KZbin ads for me, especially like those "financial secrets to get rich" ones.

[@KrapTacu1ar]

​@@DrumlineArchives Late Stage Capitalism...

[@murdermatics]

What kind of super advanced window cleaning tech are the pushing these days?

[@noraeable]

@@murdermatics Lol I couldn't say. The ones broadcast in my area are mostly for Lifelock and after market auto insurance like Endurance, or workout gear or interior home cleaning supplies for rug and floor cleaning.

[@phill7487]

my grandma actually bought a shit ton of infomercial products THROUGH tv, i’d have to hide the home phone from her because she’d be easily swayed by every infomercial and would call immediately… we still have some of the products she bought today, because she never used them

[@GrandDawggy]

Bro you should give those unused products to a charity shop so someone else can not use them.

[@mr.pavone9719]

My dad bought a house that was foreclosed on. He ended up renting a dump truck to take away hundreds of boxes from QVC. The previous owner had very poor impulse control and craved the attention of the QVC staff.

[@rachelblack3816]

My grandma used to love to watch QVS and other channels hawking stuff, and I asked my mom why she enjoyed doing that; mom said that Grandma grew up poor and was dazzled by all of the stuff for sale on TV. (She didn't actually buy stuff, but she loved to watch all of the stuff for sale.)

[@CircusFoxxo]

​@@rachelblack3816that's so cute omg

[@tank___]

I loved the slapchop infomercials because of the news story of the guy who did the informercial was so widespread. Also i genuinely thought the slapchop was a great idea and so useful and if i had money i wouldve bought one.

[@Brookelwaskow]

I was watching in the background while feeding my 7 month old son and when you started singing at the end he looked up, stopped and smiled fondly hahaha

[@ironcomics99]

i love that gabi is incorporating more music in her videos now, its super unique and fun!

[@mocapcow2933]

I hate that gabi is incorporating more music in her videos now, it’s super unoriginal and boring! (🐸)

[@pastelsheepy]

i hate that incorporate is musicing more gabi into its fun and unique! its now super videos!

[@matthew-h]

I like french fries.

[@isaacjosephh]

no joke i actually sobbed grieving for willy mays when he passed. i never even knew the guy, i just really liked the oxi-clean commercials and my tiny child brain was like “they cant make oxi clean commercials anymore he is irreplaceable” rip willy i still miss u man

[@anikajoy5739]

I thought it was Billy lol

[@emilyb.8219]

@@anikajoy5739 It is Billy lol, OP has been grieving the wrong name

[@bethanyherman8233]

It's Billy lol

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

That's funny, I thought Willy Mays was a name me and my brother made up 😅

[@Capstone2266]

For a second I thought your child brain thought they can't make anymore Oxi-Clean without Billy Mays like he withheld the secret formula

[@Squirrelrides]

A classmate's mom in middle school was addicted to buying things from infomercials, I remember my classmate telling me how much he hated seing packages arriving once a week and that they were now in debt because of her spending, I can't imagine what it would have been like if amazon was as big back then.

[@chrisgee2610]

I just discovered you and now i‘m doing a random „view everything from new creator“ thing. I love your way of presenting. Also every topic is interesting ❤

[@gabrielbutler9232]

I have a distinct memory of staying up late as a kid watching an entire infomercial literally just about a ladder.

[@cospaws8810]

Omg memory unlocked! My cousin had a house warming party and I was sat on the couch watching probably that same ladder commercial 😂

[@Curlyheart]

I would stay up after watching comedy central and they would play those adam & eve infomercials and I would watch them because I thought "haha funy sex toy" and plus there was nothing better on at night for me.

[@sqweeb6244]

That was me waking up early on weekends to see the Magic Bullet infomercials 😁 Even as a young adult, I can't tell you why seeing cheese being blended, microwaved, and poured on a quesadilla had such a hold on me.

[@14Mew]

That probably would have been the little giant ladder. I remember watching that one after Saturday morning cartoons

[@Nobody-gm9si]

I can confirm that elderly people are buying this stuff a bit today. I helped a family friend clean out this deceased lady's house and she had products from infomercials still in packages. I was told that she really couldn't do much and watching the infomercials and buying were what she mostly did.

[@josiahallenswife6899]

That's really sad.

[@Samzillah]

My Memè used to watch the shopping channel and buy tons of costume jewlery. She had multiple jewlery boxes, and bins of it at the time of her death. Honestly I can kind of relate to that because I used to buy so much crap off wish for no reason.

[@DallasCrane]

South Park made an episode where they made it clear they hate infomercials that target old people, especially with jewelry.

[@shawnacaffey9049]

My grandmothers kitchen looks like multiple infomercials playing all at once

[@kacheek9101]

This was, actually, such a good video essay. Your editing is on point. And all the throwback sound effects. Love it. Just everything, love it

[@Lynn17]

I remember just about every cooking tool infomercial. The BaconWave, the Super Chef knives, everything made by Ronco.

[@Emisslint]

I always found Infomercials hilarious for no apperent reason

[@garde544]

Wdym no apparent reason the reason is very clearly there

[@Skittenmeow]

It's a slippery slope. They're hilarious, and entertaining and very watchable. Utterly demanding mockery. But there's always a background subconscious temptation, some type of indoctrination. I somehow ended up with a shamwow no matter how cynical I was about what was sold on infomercials

[@vogelvrouw]

I really enjoyed watching them for some reason

[@jsas2047]

I'll admit I have a TV in my bedroom and i do sometimes use infomercials as background noise to sleep.

[@londonhughes5986]

Instead of buying all the products, my dad and I did the math and he made me feel smart about finding out the “scheme” behind the product; whether it was made cheaply and/or the hidden fees in the pricing.

[@insertianameia2224]

These are how I learned to always watch out for how many times they want you to pay that "low" price in big bright numbers and for the cost of shipping.

[@MoMo-rx4zr]

they would make a product overpriced and “throw in a second one for free”, so essentially chargin your for two and forcing you to buy two lol. That was a scheme for a lot of them and I caught on when pillow pets did it lol

[@JeffSkibz]

Mine is Ron Popeil . The showtime Rotisserie "Set it and Forget it!" "But wait, there's more". That guy!

[@certs743]

Fun video. I think one factor alot of people overlook for the success of infomercials was that at 2am and sleep deprived your reasoning skills are usually not great so what seems like a great idea in the middle of the night probably wouldn't during the light of day.

[@StarGazer.ExE21]

I gotta be honest, the fact that YT sponsors are, for all sake and purposes infomercials hits harder that anything else. thank you for this revelation and your contribution to consumer awareness

[@daydream5120]

Yeah, when she mentioned that, I was like: “holy crap, she’s right!”

[@MysticRhythmsYoga]

Raycon, Surfshark, Express vpn, Scentbird lmao

[@ariesearthdragon]

The nice thing about YT is you can easily skip those ads, and it's very noticeable where the ending is.

[@johnsnape1907]

The main reason for infomercials being everywhere was a court case where someone sued the producers of the Love Boat for having an extended commercial for the cruise line disguised as a TV show, and the Supreme Court ruled that it's a free speech issue, and suddenly there were hour-long commercials on TV and the shopping channels started up.

[@h.r.9563]

Omg it's the door commercial in Rick and Morty

[@Dave102693]

Was this in the 70s?

[@Beefy-Cheese]

​@@Dave102693 The love boat aired in the 70s, but i can't find any mention of a lawsuit about advertising.

[@nirajanghimire9825]

​

[@davidgroves9578]

I apologize up front, I thought this was going to be boring. I'm not a subscriber but you were on my recommended page. You proved me wrong. I found this incredibly fascinating! I didn't even really think about modern day adverts being an evolved form of the old school ones. This was great! You just earned a subscriber! :)

[@highkingthorgrimgrudgebear7468]

I asked myself this question last night and found this video had every thought I had. Awesome stuff.

[@premiersportingkc3443]

My brother and I convinced our parents to buy the original Big Mouth Billy Bass singing fish after seeing the infomercials. A quality buy that drove my parents slowly insane

[@chernobylcoleslaw6698]

😂😂

[@IsaiahPicks]

I swear Gabi makes the most random videos you never know what’s next with her

[@cesarb3431]

Gabi balls*

[@ellermg]

And the best thing is that they are always interesting! I'm really glad I found her channel

[@lloydmccullough5316]

@@ellermg im glad i found her also! her style or deep dive research analysis reminds me of Jenny Nicholson's channel

[@alexmart3931]

I regularly use "set it and forget it" and am quoting the rotissery chicken oven. Also, I love infomercials. We had really bad winter where I grew up and whenever we'd lose signal, infomercials were all I had. The vacume ones were always a classic, along with the blender ones. They developed my love for cooking in a way.

[@mrbubbies_]

Infomercials have a special place in my heart as a Caribbean person because that’s when I first realized the television we watched and the prices that were advertised weren’t local to everybody

[@BistrosHouse]

If I had money as a kid sooo many infomercials would have gotten me. My parents were always telling me they’re a scam and I refused to believe it lol. My friend’s parents would get him some stuff form infomercials and I was always so jealous. I wanted that dang coloring sponge (forgot what it’s called lol), the blow markers (something my friend got, they were fun for like 2 mins), and that Betty Crocker ice cream cake baker

[@ollie2111]

I will tell you as someone who got Floam as a kid (I think one of the only ones we got specifically because of watching an infomercial) that that one was partially a scam? Like, all but two of the different colors were unusable for some reason. Either too dry or too sticky or too messy. There was a stain on the bedroom carpet for probably close to a decade hahaha. But the two that did work were pretty fun. I guess modern version is all the different slime tutorials and now you can DIY your own Floam-like slimes.

[@LexiJay8446]

I had the blow markers. THEY WERE AMAZING. However I lost them when I moved to the city. I don't remeber what they were called, but I believe they were "chameleon blendys". They were sold at Michaels and Jo'Ann's I believe.

[@ProbablyBees]

Omg the blow pens! My family came across someone doing basically a live infomercial at he mall and my dad bought them. They were so good. I loved them

[@Onigiriedits]

to this day the fushigi is biggest betrayal of my childhood.....

[@TopaT0pa]

this says a lot about the way infomercials are structured

[@cowgirl5155]

When I was younger I watched an entire Shark Navigator vacuum infomerical, because I was curious how much info about a vacuum they had that they were taking up an entire hour. The amount of times I watched the lady say how maneuverable it was while swinging her arm to and fro to steer the vacuum around, and the bits where they used it to suck up like 7 bowling balls or whatever... Kept me entertained and made me want to watch more infomercials lol

[@melodyxwoonax7384]

I gave in after watching that commercial and they're not wrong! It is very maneuverable

[@cutecupcakebunnies]

They sucked up metal nuts with that. I had to have it !

[@edinthekitchen]

Your sound effects game is brilliant. Outstanding. I effin love it!

[@Vox96]

I legit used to watch QVC for fun, there's something so satisfying about infomercials

[@majortom331]

Hearing "Only $19.95 !" Takes me back. Billy mayes and the rotisserie chicken oven was everywhere. And even crazier shit like the Girls Gone Wild infomercials at midnight. Edit: Holy shit I remember more stuff like Chia Pets.

[@dragons_of_magicgirl368]

Ch-ch-ch-ch-chia!!

[@chocolateavian]

gabi is a national treasure

[@partydogg0]

international*

[@greenkoopa]

🇺🇸

[@daydaytheplantgay]

That’s why she’s the only account I follow on Lemon8

[@3cho_dimension285]

If she is how come Nicolas Cage hasn't hunted her down yet?🤣🤣🤣

[@schakalicious6023]

Lady nakey jakey. She rocks

[@thiagotrujilho3058]

fun fact about cable, i canceled my cable TV in 2019 due to Netflix, i watched all movies that i want, new "good stuff" comes to netflix all day, is amazing, and then, all companies starting removing their content from netflix, starting their own streaming service, they starting became more and more expensive, and then, one day, my internet company send me a message offering a cable package for very, VERY cheap, and i decided, i cancelled all my streaming services and go back to cable, and i very happy with it, in cable channels today i watch all thing that i want, and for exclusive streaming shows, i go back to good old torrent, so, congratulations streaming services, you guys ressurected Cable TV, and turn piracy strong again, and im not alone, a lot of friends of mine return to cable, and for the first time in 6 years, 2023 is the first year that cable TV numbers in Brazil rised...

[@SnailNick00]

I have your little patreon song stuck in my head all the time, so it makes me very happy whenever you end a video with it!

[@mordo1191]

My favorite infomercials as a kid were the Fushigi ball and those markers that transition into differnt colors or something? I remember really wanting them as a kid lol

[@layne7580]

My brother got a fushigi for Christmas one year. I don't think he ever learned how to use it because it's definitely harder than it looks.

[@mordo1191]

@@layne7580 Yeah I can remember getting to play with one when one of the neighborhood kids got one, it was definitely the most disappointing moments in my life when I realized it was basically a big fancy marble

[@wrenmassey6876]

Not to be a simp but have you seen Kurt's Conner's video on the fushigi? It's hilarious

[@Forbidden_Snacc]

i used to have those markers but i forgot what they were called :,)

[@mordo1191]

@@wrenmassey6876 I'm a proud member of Kurtis Town actually! I had a fun time with that video

[@itsmejejune128]

I think the best infomercial was the "now that's what I call music". The infomercial was how you knew a new CD was out and it would play a small clip of all the songs on it. It made everyone run out and buy the CD at Walmart.

[@catboy_official]

I miss those times 😔

[@cutecupcakebunnies]

I often got these as gifts from family as a kid. It was a good present since there were always at least a few songs I liked.

[@Nikibby]

I’m so happy I came across your channel. You’re now one of my faves 🥰

[@AidzWithAZ]

My simultaneous favorite and least favorite thing about this video is that I had it on in the background and genuinely couldn’t tell when an actual ad came on and when it was just part of the video

[@faint46]

The magic bullet blender. It portrays it as a family/friend gathering at a beach house where they just had a party last night and wake up to 2 infomercial host selling you a mini blender. But the part that stands out in my mind is when one of the hosts asks what is the most annoying thing about making dinner and this elderly woman with a cigarette ashing about an inch away in a deep voice says, "Choppin Garlic"

[@kelseydudarchik9167]

Magic Bullet infomercial was iconic

[@shoppertattoo]

Dude I used to sit there and watch the entire 2 hour ad for this. And I did it more than once 😂. Something about it was soothing to me idk why. It didn’t really make me want the blender I just loved that commercial

[@stev6963]

The Magic Bullet is the greatest informercial product and advertisement of ALL TIME. They made so many recipes with that thing and they all looked so delicious. I always got so hungry watching that damn thing.

[@plntpls]

My favourite infomercial. There's a character who is against everyone and doubting the product and it is so fucking hilarious.

[@coolliz21]

That one was one of my favorites too!

[@dragons_of_magicgirl368]

I have one, are they that great? No. Did I buy it for the nostalgia? Absolutely

[@jwenting]

infomercials are now called "sponsored segments" on youtube. They're also still on TV. Got 4 channels (out of about 25) that air them non-stop for at least 10 hours a day. Got to wonder who actually watches them. They get away with it by listing the commercials as, yes, "infotainment".

[@Nookiezilla]

I was sick in bed for a week in 2013 (norovirus), on the second day I watched a informecial channel from morning to night without interruption, I loved every second of it❤

[@graphosxp]

Cher deeply regretted doing infomercials and said something to the effect "I was considered cool and I lost that because of an infomercial.". It took a lot for her to regain her "cool" status!

[@Strange-Songs]

Does Cher believe in life after infomercials?

[@jacob26839]

when i had cable they ran infomercials all the time about cds with her live performances on them lol i’m guessing that she use to actually be a actress in them back in the day though huh

[@specialkay1375]

Somehow I literally always come across Gabi's newest video when I'm high and every time I'm like "somehow that is the exact perfect topic I want to hear about right now"

[@NatreWitch]

The flip and fold comes to mind because my mom actually bought it (probably in store) and it was used only a few times before she gave up on it. She always would fold laundry while sitting on the couch to stay comfortable and the thing required being on a large flat surface so it didn't last

[@catienoble3191]

a staple of my childhood was "it's a pillow. it's a pet! IT'S A PILLOW PET!!!!"

[@JBabyLeather]

For me it definitely has to be the magic bullet blender. They introduced in entire house party that morning. Like Hazel who says that dinner is always a production. Unforgettable. That should’ve been a show.

[@TheBoyjah]

I endure ads/in video blab blab ONLY when the videos are worth watching. And your videos are certainly worth enduring time wasting/I will never ever buy ad junk segments. These videos: Clever, intelligent, humorous, interesting, AND it is super cool when you sing...I am hooked!

[@riverine333]

As a child some of my favorite shows would be the longform unending infomercials. I would sit in front of the tv and watch them go over and over for hours. it was, and slightly still is, so interesting to me

[@user-hz3lc8gc7n]

fun video!! i remember making my mom buy me moon sand from an infomercial, and it was so disappointing that i never asked for any infomercial products again lol.

[@msjkramey]

My brother got so, so upset over that because "it said it didn't make a mess! Why did they lie??" He was maybe 4 years old and he was crushed lol

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

I remember that stuff 😂

[@mikel3510]

The magic bullet was the one that I remember most. A whole extended family of only adults sitting around a kitchen talking about the product, and the drunk uncle type guy with the hangover 😂

[@whfidjshdhfjfj5555]

One cannot forget the aunt with a [fake] cigarette hanging out of her mouth the entire time 😍😍

[@gumshake689]

​@@whfidjshdhfjfj5555fake cigarette? is that a thing?

[@PineNeedle-Supreme]

I remember as a kid Id watch infomercials thinking they where normal ads, and would just be waiting patiently for the actual show to start. Id always get so confused when it just, never showed and the "ad" kept going. Sometimes Id get really into it, but still be happy when I thought it was ending because that meant show time, only for the infomercial to keep going But I was too shy to ask my parents to change the channel so after a while Id just leave and go do something else

[@CrankyMama44]

First of your videos I've seen...and now I'm hooked on your energy and comedy. I'm subscribed and will probably be binging your videos for a while. 😅😊

[@yesssjake]

Proactiv targeting my teen self with their tactical assault "acne care" is what turned me off of infomercials forever. THANKS JESSICA SIMPSON! Gave me that pizza face, extra marinara.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

I remember sitting through this rotisserie cooker informercial that lasted one to two hours with the tagline "Set it and forget it!", waiting for Kids WB to begin so I could watch Yu-Gi-Oh! 😂 Also, while not an informercial, the Biggest Earworm Commercial Award goes to... "HEAD-ON! APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD!" "HEAD-ON! APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD!" "HEAD-ON! APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD!" And for those who blissfully never saw that commercial, it was a product that worked like a deodorant stick that you rubbed on your forehead...and it claimed it could get rid of headaches. They ended up releasing several other products that worked similarly for other parts of the body (I have no idea of their actual effectiveness) but none were as infamous as the one for Head-On (apply directly to the--aw, fuck, that shit gets stuck in your head quickly if you're not careful 😂)

[@teubks]

Part of this was the volume on that commercial was like 3x louder than the programming and all other commercials so you couldn’t miss it

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

@@teubks I went and rewatched the commercial where someone had uploaded it here and read comments mentioning the same thing. Also read that the product was pretty much psudoscience garbage and was pulled from stores, lol.

[@JosephMcC]

the art it took to make this video is amazing, you are a true editor!

[@toddfrazier845]

You are a wonderful presenter, quite the anthropologis . Thank you and look forward to more.

[@QuestionsIAskMyself]

I remember sneakily staying up late and waiting for the infomercial to end to watch cartoons but I would get increasingly more frustrated because I didnt know why the infomercial kept going.

[@zuglymonster]

When I was a kid I LOVED watching infomercials, I used to stay awake until my dad went to bed to get up and watch infomercials, I loved the cooking supplies and cleaning infomercials the best. Pump and Seal was my favorite but I hated the workout ones

[@cloudbrooks]

i relate to this :)

[@melissacooper8724]

The problem with the workout ones are that people buy them and never use them!

[@Ama-vh1iu]

Cord cutters are not subscribing to cable TV-- that's still a cord. We are on KZbin and streaming services, but also using over the air antenna reception. Over the air has both dedicated infomercial channels and infomercial products advertised during regular commercial breaks. There are dozens of free streaming apps that broadcast live programming with commercial breaks. Those advertise cars, prescription meds, personal services, etc, and a variety of infomercial products.

[@mirih5368]

My parents watched channels that showed a lot of compilation album infomercials. Like a lot. There was one that would play every February that was for a compilation album of romantic songs for Valentine's Day, and I'm pretty sure I can still recite it from memory.

[@shepbook]

RIP Billy Mays. I distinctly remember a time where me and my sleep deprived friend, during a sleepover/lan party thing, and then the magic bullet infomercial came on. In our loopy and tired state, it was the funniest thing we had ever seen. We still refer back to that night as "magic bullet time". 🤣

[@tweatification]

His son actually makes music under the name Infinite Third. I highly suggest checking it out.

[@Yoshifan22]

That Shirley Temple dvd box set thing. “Had the most crackers in my soup” or whatever she’s singing has lived in my head for the past 24 years. Also Lots and lots of trains

[@rosegoldhiips]

It was "animal crackers in my soup" but that's always sounded so gross to me so your version is definitely better 🤣🤣🤣

[@majortom331]

I remember that one too. They made a big deal of the whole set being in color. Looking back, it was a pretty good deal 😀

[@Yoshifan22]

@@rosegoldhiips that makes more and less sense at the same time. Who would put animal crackers in soup? Psycho behavior.

[@shelby5346]

​​@@rosegoldhiipsaybe it was a thing back in the day. They put cheese on top of apple pie back then gross.

[@melissacooper8724]

My mom puts a lot of crackers in her soup! So that makes more sense than putting animal crackers in it! 🤮

[@richborn6700]

In the late 90s early 2000s as a kid my grandmother seemed to have their bedroom TV permanently fixed on the QVC channel. It was the source of me ans my cousins Birthday/Christmas presents for about 10 years. Even more for my older cousins

[@chrisbuek]

I would love to see you do a video on the insane proliferation of commercials for collect call services in the late 90s. We were absolutely inundated with ads for 1-800-COLLECT and 1-800-CALL-ATT, and then, all at once, they just stopped.

[@tui4099]

Zoobooks were one of my favorite things when I was a kid. My mom got me a subscription for as a birthday present, I'm so sad I didn't keep any of them around.

[@hankwicklund2182]

...and the tiger poster!

[@SlapsOnMute]

I’m glad you mentioned that KZbinrs are often informercial hosts now. I would really love for someone who was once sponsored to be able to talk about why HelloFresh and ScentBird insist on making the creators make the loooongest ads in their videos, ScentBird seemingly insists on it being at the beginning too, from what I can tell. Ultimately, I just wish that KZbin treated creators better and paid more so that I didn’t have to see ads in every single video despite already paying for a premium subscription.

[@yurisei6732]

Best solution is honestly just to get one of the plugins that auto-skips through sponsored segments, and then flip a quid to the youtuber's patreon if you feel guilty about it, since £1 a year is far more than your viewing of their sponsored segments during that year would have been worth.

[@kashboxer]

when i was about 8, i had a phase where i was fixated on the shopping channel and watched nothing but it for a few weeks

[@JenBelogura]

Billy Meyes is the reason I buy OxiClean as an adult. I love that laundry product

[@kiahfarrington5861]

Gabi listing the stats is like me trying to find websites that match for a research paper 😭

[@georgelost2117]

Figuring out the time span of the buy 1 get 1 free was my biggest dilemma as a kid

[@GregTurismo]

As a kid I loved these so much. I still love them today but now it’s in a different appreciation because I’m a video editing college student. In videography 1 almost everyone made an infomercial for their commercial which says a lot on how easy it is. But I think this semester I want to do it as a passion project and how good I can make it.

[@kay0tica]

This video hit my nostalgia in a weird way, also, amazing singing voice at the end!

[@SieraLynJM]

I would watch infomercials on weekend mornings (I woke up before the good cartoons came on 😅) I literally wrote my parents an "essay" about why we needed the Magic Bullet. They never bought us one but I used my adult money to get one and is one of the best purchases I've ever made lmao 😂😂