Essay/Term paper: Infomercials and other dishonest commercials

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Literary Essays

Infomercials and Other Dishonest Commercials


The other night I was sitting in front of the television watching a late
night show, when a commercial break came on, I instinctively clicked on the
remote to flip through the channels to see what else was on. As I surfed through
the channels I came across dozens of info-mercials, a commercial for getting a
college degree at home, and a few psychic hotline advertisements. I stopped
clicking the remote after a while to see what the commercials were selling, and
to see how cheep the products were. There were advertisements for how to get a
better body, the "fountain of youth" make-up, and the charcoal-less grill. It is
amazing what they come up with nowadays. As I continued surfing I came across
Sally Struthers trying to sell an "earn your college degree at home" commercial,
honestly, how good can that kind of degree be? Then as I kept flipping, I came
across the "psychic network of friends" advertisement, just as they were
offering a "free psychic reading to first time callers" all that was required
was that a certain 1-800 number be dialed and a person could get a reading.
Then to show that the reading was accurate, they had people come on and say that
their experience with the psychic was "life changing," and that "it was so real…
the psychic knew everything." It is amazing what people will fall for in this
day and age.
Info-mercials are basically half hour commercials that attempt to sell
products to watchers. The products that most info-mercials offer are things that
are said to "improve someone's life" but in most cases the products are rip-offs
and are an easy way for the manufacturer's to make money. Some of the products
include the "AB-flex," a simple rocking seat that is supposed to hold this
unearthly power to flatten a persons stomach. The "AB-flex" guarantees to "make
it easier to develop stomach muscles, without the assistance of any other
machine, in just thirty days" they also claim that "this piece of equipment can
make you feel younger and give you more energy." There is also an info-mercial
for "the fountain of youth" make-up, the make-up is said to make skin appear
younger than it actually is; this product plays off the idea of women hating to
grow old. The make-up is said to "make your skin look and feel like it is twenty
year olds" and that "it is formulated from an ancient Chinese secret." Most of
the products are over-charged and do not even do what the claim that they do;
they are basically a big joke. The main idea behind info-mercials is to
glamorize a product so that they can sell it in more quantity to people gullible
enough to buy something that they have not had a chance to check out to see if
it is worth buying. It is amazing to think that a person would spend money on
something that they are primarily tricked into buying. Then to think that a
person would actually feel good about selling a cheep product to an innocent
viewer, just so that the salesperson would make money. The things that people
will do for money.
"Get your specialized degree" that's what Susan Struthers always says in
those "earn a degree in the convience of your home" advertisements. The idea is
to trick people into spending money to earn a degree that in actuality is
nothing more than a piece of paper with writing on it. The degree carries
nothing of importance behind it, or any sign of work used to get it. People are
lead to believe that this "degree" will improve their life. They claim that
"this is the chance that you have always been waiting for…to earn your degree at
your own speed". The main course of study for this degree is just reading out of
books, no tests, no papers, just reading, and unless the "student" is able to
learn that way…the course is just a waste of money. It is strange how people
actually fall for this gimmick, some people actually believe that they can make
it in the world if they get a degree and to them it does not matter where they
get it from, as long as they have one; And for some people they do not have
enough money for college, so this is the closest thing they can get to a real
degree.
I have always been curious about those psychic hotlines, they always
make it seem like if I were to call, they would be able to tell me my future.
Everyone wants to know what is going to happen to them in their lives; They want
to know if they are going to be rich , famous, and if they are ever going to
find the love of their life. That is why these hotlines are so popular, they
offer a "window into your life" and that they can "give you your lucky numbers
so that you can have a better chance at winning the lottery." That is what they
want people to believe, but in reality, the "psychics" give the caller a general
"reading" about themselves that could actually fit anyone's lifestyle. Psychic
hotlines, are addicting when a person starts calling them. The hotlines depend
on people calling back and spending time on the phone, so that the "psychics"
can lie to the callers and rob them of money. Once the caller becomes reliant on
"their own personal psychic" for information about their future life, there is
almost no turning back. These hotlines, I have to admit, are a really good money
maker. Who would not want to know what is going to happen to themselves in the
future? It would tempt even the most rational person to call up the number to
get a glimpse into their future.
The world is not longer filled with honest people. All that people are
out for nowadays is money, and they will do anything to get it, even if it means
lying, deceiving, and bribing people into things; They will stop at nothing.
Salespeople reason this by that if the people that are watching are gullible
enough to buy or call, then they deserve to be ripped-off. Honesty in sales no
longer exists, it has been replaced by lying and cheating. Consumers are no
longer safe from these deceivers, instead they must arm themselves with
knowledge and common-sense. For some people this may be a challenge, they have
already been drawn into the trap of these liars, and it is difficult for them to
escape the trap, but if we are to survive in this new world of dishonest people,
then we must be armed.