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Operators Are Standing By: A Show About Infomercials

Mike Mozart
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flickr creative commons

The Thighmaster, the Chop-O-Matic, the George Foreman Grill, and the Clapper... products which are all part of American consumer culture and which were all introduced through infomercials. But as online shopping increases and traditional television watching decreases, are we beginning to see the end of these high-energy, late-night shows?

What will become of iconic pitchmen like Ron Popeil, Tony Little, and Richard Simmons in an age where consumerism is changing by the day?

This hour, we look back at some of the most memorable infomercials of all time and ask if they still have a place in our national media landscape.

GUESTS:

  • Kevin Harrington - The unofficial "King of Infomercials" and the author of Key Person of Influence: The Five-Step Method to Become One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your Industry
  • Ron Popeil - Inventor and iconic infomercial pitchman
  • Remy Stern - Author of But Wait… There's More! Tighten Your Abs, Make Millions, and Learn How the $100 Billion Infomercial Industry Sold Us Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Join the conversation on and .

Colin McEnroe, Lydia Brown, Ray Hardman, Greg Hill, Betsy Kaplan, Ross Levin, Jonathan McNicol, Stephanie Riefe, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired March 7, 2016.

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Josh was a producer for WNPR's talk shows. He has produced for Where We Live and was a producer for The Colin McEnroe Show until 2020.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

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