Infomercials And Other Dishonest Commercials Essay, Research Paper

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.