WEBVTT

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[music]

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You know you want them.

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And it's not just because it's 3 a.m..

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How much would you pay for a knife
like this?

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Before you answer, listen.

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It even comes with a matching fork
to make carving up pleasure.

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Welcome to WatchMojo.com.

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And today we're counting down our picks
for the top ten best infomercial products.

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Now grow a whole collection of fun
with Chia teddy bears, puppies, kittens,

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rams, bulls, turtles, bunnies,
and a Chia tree to keep your pets company.

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For this list, we're looking
at those products that graced our TV

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screens and managed to pique our curiosity.

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While the infomercials themselves may
have been a little bit on the corny side,

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the products themselves

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either became commercially successful
or a notable part of pop culture.

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Either way, they're worth a mention.

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The Snuggie keeps you totally warm and
gives you the freedom to use your hands.

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So now you can work the remote or read
a book in total warmth and comfort.

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Number ten, Thighmaster.

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Like I've been saying,

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some people are born with great legs,
but the rest of us have to work at it.

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Thank goodness there's a Thighmaster.

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Even if you weren't in need of an inner
thigh workout, this classic 90s

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infomercial itself was pretty, 
um, interesting.

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Spread eagles and Spandex aside,

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Suzanne Somers
may have played a ditzy blond on TV,

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but she was a shrewd businesswoman
in reality.

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Remember, we may not have been born with
great legs, but now we can look we were.

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[clapping]

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She saw an opening in the market,
so to speak,

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and decided to help creator
Joshua Reynolds fill the hip adbuctor-

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specific exercise void,
and thus she bestowed upon the world

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a highly successful and surprisingly
versatile piece of exercise equipment.

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It's easy to squeeze, squeeze
your way to shapely hips and thighs.

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I thought I'd never fit into these
jeans again.

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Thank you, Thighmaster.

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Number nine, ShamWow!

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Hi. It's Vince with ShamWow.

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You’ll be saying wow
every time you use this towel.

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If the dude speaking enthusiastically
into the headset

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mic in the wee hours of the morning
didn't capture your attention,

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certainly the efficiency of this cleaning
tool should have.

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I can't live without it. I just love it.

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Oh my gosh,
I don't even buy paper towels anymore.

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If you're gonna wash your cars
or any kind of vehicle,

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you'd be out of your mind
not on one of these.

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All I can say is sham. Wow.

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You could basically clean up a two liter
bottle of soda

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and then towel your boat off
and still be able to soak up some more.

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Or something like that.
Doesn’t drip.

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Doesn’t make a mess.

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You ring it out, you wash it in
the washing machine. Made in Germany.

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You know,
the Germans always make good stuff.

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But it actually does hold ten times
its weight in liquid.

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They know. They've done tests.

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Either way, it looks like a good way
to conserve those expensive paper towel

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funds.

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You can spend $20 every month on paper
towels anyway. You’re throwing your money away.

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Number eight, Ginsu knives.

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The Ginsu can cut a slice of bread
so thin you can almost see through it.

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The Ginsu is so sharp,

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it can cut through a tin
can and still slice a tomato like this.

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It can chop wood
and still remain razor sharp.

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If you ever needed to cut through a can
and then immediately

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slice a tomato,
these are the knives to turn to.

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The more you use it, the better it cuts.

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How's that for sharp?

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That's what we call multifunctional.

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The genius behind the marketing
of this late 70s, early

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80s tool wasn't
that they were actually Japanese. It's

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the idea that they were foreign sounding
that made them much more appealing.

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In Japan, the foot can split wood,

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but it can't split a watermelon.

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This is Ginsu II,  a complete set of knives,
like this Ginsu chef's knife.

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That, combined with their innovative

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and groundbreaking hard sell
infomercial approach, seemed to work.

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The knifes sold like crazy, thanks in large
part to the impressive knife-

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wielding commercials.

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You get the Ginsu knife,
the matching carving fork, the versatile

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6-in-1 kitchen tool, a set of six steak
knives, and the spiral slicer.

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You get them all, guaranteed
in writing for 50 years for only $9.95.

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Number seven, The Clapper.
[song] Clap on, [clap, clap] clap off. [clap, clap]

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We love our simple conveniences.

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Like, instead of getting up
to turn off our lights,

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sometimes we'd like the ability
to just clap our hands together

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and get the job done.

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Just plug it in. Turns things on.
[clap, clap. radio comes on]

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Turns things off, [clap, clap]
just by clapping.

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First sold in 1986
with help from a clappy jingle,

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[song] Clap on [clap, clap], clap off.
[clap, clap]

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The Clapper is an ingenious invention,
not just for convenience sake, but

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also for individuals with limited mobility
who still want to conserve electricity.

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Plus, who wouldn't feel like nobility
entering their house

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and clapping their appliances on.
The Clapper Plus

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works from anywhere,
even through windows and walls.

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[song] Clap on! [clap, clap]
Or switch on. The Clapper and the Clapper

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Plus.
Number six, LifeCall.

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You just press this button and speak
into the air and “I'm having chest pain.”

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I'm calling paramedics
and your family, Mr.

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Miller.

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If you've ever fallen and couldn't get up,

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this handy
product would have been helpful.

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I’ve fallen! And I can't get up!

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We're sending help immediately,
Mrs. Fletcher.

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See?
For folks in their golden years

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and plenty of people

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in need of immediate medical care,

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this commercial wasn't just
an unintentionally comical product pitch.

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It was a godsend.

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Protect yourself with LifeCall

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and you're never alone.

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Having the ability to call for help
while you're stuck on the floor

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can save a life. Or at least a hip.

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Unfortunately,
it couldn't save this company,

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which went out of business, only
to be replaced by the similar Life Alert.

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But their ads are far less amusing.

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Help! Somebody please helpm!

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Number five, Bowflex.

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What happens between consenting adults
in the privacy of their own

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home is their business.

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Even if it's working out together
on a Bowflex home gym.

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Want to get ripped?

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Want to quit the gym
because you have social anxiety

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Or just don't like hearing gym rats
giving themselves hernias?

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Do you have an extra bedroom to dedicate
solely to the majesty that is the Bowflex?

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Then this company

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has got plenty of not so subtle
pieces of exercise equipment just for you.

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With ten simple exercises,
you can work your chest, abs,

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arms, legs, back, and more in no time.

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Launched in 1986, Bowflex
provided an alternative to bulky

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and heavy exercise machines,
as demonstrated in many commercials

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and infomercials.
With features like a built-in aerobic rowing exercise,

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convertible grips, and convenient
folding capabilities,

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it's easy to see why
a Bowflex was selected by Fitness Magazine

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as the best home gym for 1997.

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Of course, most of us
probably watch them while bingeing on

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sliders and cheese puffs,
but that's another story.

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Here I am, 50 and I can keep up
with my 24 year old daughter.

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I can even keep up with my
five-year-old granddaughter.

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Being

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healthy and fit is very important to me.

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And yes, I'll be fit all my life.

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Number four, Oxi Clean.

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It cleans, it brightens and eliminates
odors all at the same time.

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Don't just get it clean, get it Oxi Clean.

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It's always cool
when you find a cleaning product

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that's powered by the magic of oxygen,
because oxygen is magical.

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Watch how Oxi Clean unleashes
the power of oxygen,

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making tough stains disappear like magic

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without fading or bleeding the colors.

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Founded in 1997,
this invention was famously promoted

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by the ever enthused Billy Mays
until his 2009 death.

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Don't just clean it,

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Oxi Clean it.

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And Oxi Clean is not just laundry detergent
either.

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You could use it for almost anything.

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Actually, the most impressive aspect
of this infomercial product

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is its ability to remove stains,
including blood.

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Smeared on or dried up,
it doesn't matter.

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Oxi Clean lifts away
stains detergents can leave behind.

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Cause, you know, sometimes a crime scene
needs a good cleanup.

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It'll make your whites whiter.

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It'll make your brights brighter.

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As a stain remover,
it's the best. Grass stains.

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Clay stains.

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Long live your laundry.

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Oxi Clean, the stain specialist.

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Number three, Magic Bullet.

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But the bullet-fast magic that we like
best:

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Frozen drinks.

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Sometimes you just want a single-
serving of frozen margarita,

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not a whole pitcher.

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And if you're the type of individual
who doesn't want to make enough frozen

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margarita for their friends,
then this product is right up your alley.

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Now you can hoard all the delicious
beverages in your bedroom,

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making smoothies, guacamole,
and scrambling eggs all by your lonesome.

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Any chance of getting a real breakfast?
How about an omelet?

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Friends and family?

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What's that? It's the Magic Bullet.

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The personal, versatile
countertop magician.

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This single-sized blender-slash-food processor-

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slash-juicer is all you need for a party.

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Or apparently, the morning after.

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Good morning, Berman!

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God, not so loud.

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Hey, what about a bit of the hair
of the dog that bit you?

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Number two, Proactiv.

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Come on, let's be honest.

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When you're dealing with breakouts,
you don't just want clear skin.

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You want really great,
fabulous, amazing, perfect skin.

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And you deserve that.

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If you ever feel ashamed because your face
looks like it's exploding on

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itself, fret not, for you are not alone.

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I tried everything to get rid of my acne,
but nothing worked.

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Justin Bieber, acne riddled?
Jessica Simpson with pimples?

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Could it be? Apparently, yes.

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And they also apparently managed to get it
under control with this three-piece kit.

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Why make things harder than they need
to be?

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Problem: acne.

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Solution: Proactiv.

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It’s that's simple.

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Developed by dermatologists
and launched in 1995,

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Proactiv features benzoyl peroxide
and glycolic acid as active ingredients.

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This is a benzoyl peroxide product,
the same as the cleanser,

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which is benzoyl peroxide in fine
grains.

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Use it over the entire face every evening
and you'll stay clear.

00:10:05.371 --> 00:10:08.941
And while that's not spectacularly
different than many drugstore brands,

00:10:09.208 --> 00:10:13.112
the celebrity advertising has worked
like gangbusters, ensuring

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this company makes upwards of $850
million a year.

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There's some things that just
come with being a teenager.

00:10:20.486 --> 00:10:21.954
Feet grow like crazy.

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You can’t stop that.
Hormones kick in.

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I don't want to stop that.

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And then there's zits.

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I can stop that.

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That's why I use Proactiv.

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Because there's no way I'm going
to let a bunch of zits get in my way.

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Before we unveil our top pick,
here are a few honorable mentions

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It’s sweating time!

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[music] Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

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My blankets are okay,
but they can slip and slide.

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And when you need to reach for something,
your hands are trapped inside.

00:10:54.387 --> 00:10:57.890
Now there's the Snuggie,
the blanket that has sleeves.

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There's a new pet.
[song] Cha cha cha Chia!

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Chia Pet. The pottery that grows.

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Bending over to put your shoes on
is a back-breaking chore.

00:11:06.098 --> 00:11:07.133
One wrong step,

00:11:07.133 --> 00:11:12.271
you could end up on the floor, and
trying to get them off can hurt even more.

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Well, now the Shoe-dine,

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the world's first shoehorn
that lets

00:11:17.309 --> 00:11:20.613
you get your shoes on and off with ease.

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Number one, the George Foreman Grill.

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Knock out the fat with a George Foreman
lean,

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mean, fat-reducing grilling
machine. It has my name on it.

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It's a winner.

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This innovative, lean, mean, fat-
reducing grilling machine is a tabletop

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grill that allows the health conscious
and tons of college students

00:11:39.965 --> 00:11:43.703
to cook burgers in their bedrooms,
or whip up paninis in their office.

00:11:43.703 --> 00:11:45.838
Paninis? Easy. Salmon?

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My specialty. Vegetables? Naturally.

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Some frozen.

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You bet.

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Enjoy wider variety and reduce the fat
with a lean, mean, fat-reducing

00:11:54.213 --> 00:11:56.182
grilling machine from George Foreman.

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Foreman himself
became an ideal celebrity spokesman

00:11:58.951 --> 00:12:02.988
and even influenced the grill's design
after he regained the heavyweight

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title at age 45 and attributed his success
to healthy eating.

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That signature, George, tells us what?
I guarantee yes.

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Yeah.
You put your name on it,

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it better work.
While draining off the fat

00:12:15.067 --> 00:12:17.403
appealed to those looking to shed pounds,

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the ease of use and idiot-
proof design made it a no brainer

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for over 100 million
since its launch in 1994.

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It's really quality
and it makes you proud.

00:12:28.380 --> 00:12:32.685
And I've done many endorsements
of a lot of things, but never have I signed

00:12:32.685 --> 00:12:33.586
my name.

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[music]