Ensign-isms

An ensignism is a story about Taylor, Alisa, Cassidy, Mckay, and Kelsey Ensign. These stories may be elaborate or mundane, but with the combined personalities of our little family, they are sure to be entertaining.

16 April 2010

"But Wait! There's More"

Have you ever found yourself fixated to the television watching an infomercial for a product you don't need, but trying to convince yourself that your life just couldn't go on without it? Growing up with never had cable or satellite TV, so if you stayed home sick from school, you could either watch Sesame Street, or Ron Popeil pitch his amazing Food Dehydrator.I honestly became fascinated by infomercials and their in-your-face sales pitch approach. "Act Now" "Limited time offer" "Now how much would you pay?" "But if you act now" were catch phrases that appeared in every infomercial I watched. It didn't matter if you watch Ron Popeil pitching his dehydrator, or Chef Tony selling his Miracle kitchen blades, or even Billy May's selling Oxy Clean, each had a formula, and for whatever reason...it fascinated me. They fascinated me enough that I was successful in pitching to my mother our need for a RonCo Food Dehydrator. I think we tried it about 3 times before it ended up in the storage room. Sorry Mom.

So why am I bringing up Infomercials today? The answer is simple,...they convinced my daughter Cassidy that we needed a new Vacuum! The other day I found Cassidy watching an infomercial for a vacuum. When it went to commercial she ran up to me and loudly proclaimed, "Dad! Dad! It sucks stuff up on Wood and on Carpet! You want to buy one?!" It should be noted that we have no hardwood floors in our house, but it didn't matter; their sales pitch worked on a 5 year old girl who was now convinced we needed a new vacuum.

After I quit laughing I remembered I was completely fascinated by a product called Brown & Crisp Bags. Let me take you back...the year was 1996 and I was hooked. Most recipes require you to cook at 300-400 degrees in conventional ovens, but takes time to cook and clean up. Brown & Crisp allows you to cook at oven temperatures faster than conventional ovens without the mess and added clean-up time.

It should also be noted that I had never assisted my mother with the cooking of family meals, so I am still unsure why I loved this product, but I did. In fact I remember watching the commercial multiple times. I loved the Brown & Crisp. In fact, I loved watching infomercials, and now I have a daughter who got sucked into one as well.

OK, I fessed up, now I want to hear how many of you enjoy a great infomercial, and if so, which one? Anyone purchased anything that you desperately needed, but now wonder what you were thinking? "Don't delay, time is running out!"

4 comments:

Kenny said...

Oh man, it was either between the Miracle Blade or the freakin' Snack Master! So hard to decide. I mean, did I want hot peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with more crispy crust than bread and molten jelly that would cause your mouth to blister? Or, a knife that cuts through concrete AND tomatoes? Sadly, my Mother got a Snack Master, and the above mentioned inferno jelly sandwich was the result. Who knows what joy the Miracle Blade could have brought to my youth?

The Cheatham Family said...

Just found out you have a blog. So fun! We are on too. I'd love to invite you to our blog. I don't have your email address. Here's ours.

cheathamfamily@yahoo.com

You got me thinking. Imfomercials I remember growing up. What about "Chia Pet" or "The Clapper" We actually used a clapper once. The "Chia Pet" got more laughs than anything.

Sally said...

i confess a few years ago (yes i was already an adult!) i got sucked into one... the spin spa. yes,yes, i brought the spa home to me... obviously to turn showering into a spa experience! and to cleanse my aging skin to reveal the youthful skin beneath.
yeah, i think i used it two or three times before a vital piece of plastic snapped off.
oh, and because i called within 10 minutes... i also got a satiny smooth spa robe... for only the mere $14.99 shipping and handling charges... yes, yes, an amazing deal for a free robe that feels like plastic! (i may have worn it for about 10 minutes just say i wore it once!)
gotta love those commercials... and the ordering was a blast too! their voice systems cannot understand utah addresses i learned. it was awesome.
yet, i still feel the need to order some.... luckily
bed bath and beyond and target end up carrying the tempting ones at some point.

the mortensen's said...

Wayne actually purchased miracle blades soon after we got married and we still use and love them. I like the magic bullet i think it's called. Basically it makes everything from nachos to pesto sauce. Whats really hilarious are the actors they get to play parts. It kills me every time.