This post is part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst in Money 2008 feature.

Does it say something about American society when we consider the broad acceptance of the infomercial? At the very least, it says quick-hit, impulse item merchandising is alive and doing well. It also tells us that potential snake oil salesmen will always find their marks. What was once a marketing style reserved for county fairs and roadside stands is now considered to be mainstream business as usual.

Which of the following infomercial offerings made you sit up and take notice this past year? Did PedEggs get you up on your feet? Did you give in to a ShamWow craving and find yourself all wet, or did you buy some Aqua Globes and find yourself a bit dried out? Did Green Bags make you green behind the gills, wishing you had kept your greenbacks to your self? In the video marketing temple of Billy Mays On High, we must be careful whence our consumerist tithes may flow.

There are a few things about these product offerings that I want to know. Such as, why does that ShamWow barker have a head set on anyway? Who are we supposed to believe that he's talking to? Why would I need a PedEgg to accomplish what a little sandpaper can do? Wouldn't letting the ethylene gas from a banana escape into the atmosphere preserve the fruit just as long as sucking that gas into the interior of a Green Bag? How does an Aqua Globe measure the percentage of water in the soil that surrounds it?

Continue reading Best & Worst in Money 2008: As-seen-on-TV product

Best & Worst in Money 2008: As-seen-on-TV product originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst in Money 2008 feature.

I am not familiar with Vince Offer so this is not a fair ranking; however, based on who got the biggest 15 minutes of fame and is most likely to fade from memory the most permanently, here's my ranking of the most notable 15 minutes of fame:

1. "Joe the Plumber" (Sam Wurzelbach) -- a "representative of the middle class" frequently referenced by Senator McCain late in the 2008 presidential campaign
2. the Reverend Jeremiah Wright -- excerpts of this former pastor's sermons received intense media scrutiny during the presidential campaign
3. Vince Offer -- ShamWow pitchman who has been compared to renowned pitchmen Billy Mays and Ron Popeil
4. Ashley Alexandra Dupre -- the high-priced call girl at the center of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal
5. Katy Perry -- the singer-songwriter whose "I Kissed a Girl" became a controversial worldwide hit

I think Ashley and Katy are not going to fade from memory because they'll still be around. Ashley will probably come out with a book and try to sell her music, and Katy has other popular songs -- like "Hot 'N Cold" -- that will keep her on the radio. Joe the Plumber will be history and so will Reverend Wright -- both share a distinction of being props in the failed Republican effort to demonize Barack Obama this year.

Do you agree?

Share the reasons for your pick in the comments, or let us know about any contenders we overlooked. Also be sure to see the rest of the Best & Worst in Money 2008.

Best & Worst in Money 2008: Most notable 15 minutes of fame in 2008 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst in Money 2008 feature.

The digital revolution? The frugalista movement? Social networking? Or As-seen-on-TV products? 2008 has changed the landscape of how we recreate, communicate, shop, and dream. What product would you consider the Best Breakout Product of 2008?

Amazon Kindle

Amazon's (NASDAQ: AMZN) Kindle is not the first attempt to replace the paper book with an electronic reader, but it has succeeded (and how -- even now, over a year since its launch, the wait time for a new unit is a couple of months) where others failed for several reasons. The first is the reading experience. The Kindle's cutting-edge electronic paper technology provides crisp, clean print in any light conditions. The device is thin and light enough to carry anywhere, and can store hundreds of books at your fingertips.

The second reason for its success is the access to a huge library of literature, which can be accessed via a built-in wireless link (no computer needed) through the Sprint cell phone system. Virtually all new books are available in Kindle format, and many, many others (190,000 and counting). Top newspapers such as the New York Times also offer Kindle subscriptions, and schools are beginning to adopt it as the platform for electronic versions of textbooks. In the race to lead the transition to electronic books, Amazon's Kindle has broken free of the pack.

Continue reading Best & Worst in Money 2008: Breakout product of the year

Best & Worst in Money 2008: Breakout product of the year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.