Slate has a piece on Vince "The ShamWow Guy"

[LostInAnomie]

SalesjerkMeet the next great TV pitchman.
By Seth Stevenson
Posted Tuesday, May 13, 2008, at 12:01 PM ET

There are zillions of ads like this on late-night TV. A pitchman (or -woman) demonstrates a household product, then issues an aggressive "call to action" (as the marketing lingo goes). You're urged to "act now" and given a phone number or Web site through which you can order the product. Often, there's a time limit ("call in the next 20 minutes"), and you're promised free bonus items for beating the deadline. Ads of this ilk generally wash right over me. What makes the Shamwow ad different?

In part, it's the astonishing capabilities of the product. (Holds 20 times its weight in liquid! Instantly extracts cola spills from your carpet! Lasts for 10 years! I'm certain all of this is 100 percent true!) But lots of products make impressive claims. The real star here is Vince, who demonstrates an impressive and subtle mastery of the pitchman's art.

The first thing I notice is the physical grace. Vince puts the Shamwow through its paces with the fluid dexterity of a three-card monte dealer. Cleaning up spills appears not just effortless, but fun.

Can Vince become the next Billy Mays—a ubiquitous, mercenary pitchman hawking products up and down the TV dial? I don't see why not. If anything, the current moment's more suited to Vince's smooth-talking condescension than to Mays' earnest fervor. Jaded consumers expect to get snowed and almost distrust the very pretense of trustworthiness. As my friend who's been tempted by the Shamwow puts it: "What I think I like about Vince is that he is upfront and seemingly comfortable with his schtick. He appears to be saying, 'I am a carnie huckster, you know it and I know it, but that's OK because this product is that good.' "

http://www.slate.com/id/2190658/pagenum/all/

Pretty funny article.

[Left Is Write]

1. Vince is a big, fat liar.

"If you call right now, because we can't do this all day..."

Vince, you're a lying liar. Not only CAN you do this all day ("this" being making the offer of a "special" price), you DO do it all day. Every day. On every freaking channel.

So sell the ShamWOW, Vince, but quit being such a shameless liar.

And, by the way, Vince-o, I do NOT spend twenty bucks a month on paper towels. Not even close.

[LostInAnomie]

3. He's an unrepentant huckster.

But, he sells some damn towels.

[DS1]

2. wow that's an unusually bullshit ad

thanks! :rofl:

[EFerrari]

4. I love Vince. He's the greatest. He could make you sell your last dollar

for fifty cents.

lol

[WCGreen]

5. He looks like a half witted product of incest...

"I don't know, it sells itself..."

[HughBeaumont]

6. More than a few people are saying the ShamWow sucks ass. . .

http://www.infomercialratings.com/product/shamwow_reviews

[LostInAnomie]

7. Those people are obvious plants by the big paper towel corps.

I'll believe what Vince tells me!