There’s A Sucker Born Every Minute … And I Gave Birth To One
by Jenners • 08/03/2009 • BB/The Little One, Lessons Learned • 31 Comments
So the Little One has recently started watching television commercials. The results have been both hilarious and a little alarming. He’s pretty much wanted everything he’s seen — including Progressive Car Insurance and Magic Johnson to live with us (even though Magic really only wanted us to get some stuff from Rent-A-Center). So in the interest of teaching the Little One that “not everything you see on TV is real,” we’ve been running a little experiment and letting him decide whether everything the commercials say is true.
Experiment 1: Skechers Hot Light Shoes
According to the Little One: “They light up the whole night and will make me run really fast.”
Results: The Little One claims he is “out of control fast” in them and the lights are “super cool.” His mother felt his speed was exactly the same as before wearing the sneakers — he certainly wasn’t $46.95 faster in them. The lights would cause epileptic fits if viewed in a small dark laundry room (as they were for testing purposes).
Note: The Little One needed sneakers anyway so we figured we might as well get him these ones so we can stop hearing how cool they were. And…ummm…they are pretty cool.
Why Did You Pull Me Over Officer? Was I Running Too Fast?
Experiment 2: Lucky Charms Cereal
According to the Little One: “They have marshmallows. I like marshmallows. I want to try this.”
Results: Little One sampled a small box and liked the cereal — although expressed concern that the marshmallows were not soft. His mother (who secretly loves Lucky Charms) was pleased and more than happy to buy a box for occasional eating.
Actual Halloween Costume You Can Buy.Am I The Only One Who Will Have Nightmares About This Guy?
Experiment 3: Airheads Candy
According to the Little One: “My head will turn into a balloon and I will fly up into the sky.”
Results: Despite Mr. Jenners’s offer to “strap him down so he doesn’t go up too high” and detailed discussions of how he would manage his landing, the Little One stayed firmly planted on the ground — and thought the candy was disgusting.
Despite One Whole Mouthful, The Little One’s Head Did Not Swell Up Like A Balloon and Cause Him To Fly Away — FALSE ADVERTISING!
Experiment 4: Swivel Sweeper G2
According to the Little One: “It has four brushes and can clean even little things you can’t see and even a 4-year-old can use it and you can clean stairs and even screws and nails and you need this Mommy — especially under my chair.”
Results: The Little One has watched this 30-minute infomercial at least twice in its entirety — he is completely fascinated by it and began an unrelenting campaign to get one — “I can help you clean, Mommy.” After watching the infomercial, we placed our order. After all, if we order now, we’ll get not one but TWO Swivel Sweepers with QuadBrush Technology (“the power of four”) and two little mini sweepers!!!!!!!! I guess there are suckers born every minute — and we got three of them in our house.
Our Soon-To-Arrive Latest Member of the HouseholdIf You Are As Good As You Seem, You’re My New Best Friend, Swivel Sweeper G2!
Don't you love it when the little ones are walking infomercials – repeating verbatim (and with the same enthusiasm) as the actual commercial? Princess Nagger does that – it cracks me up, and yes, I've fallen for a few of them…
If I buy Lucky Charms – she'll eat all the marshmallows and leave the cereal behind. She also wants those Sketchers…
Sucker.
Also: Lucky Charms? Really? Man, and people say ~I~ eat weird….
It is amazing how powerful TV commercials can be……on all of us, not just the kids. They are just a little more obvious about it.
hilarious- my kids always say: it only costs 19 dollars and 95 cents momma my hubbie told me he was gong to buy that sweeper thing for my birthday – my response – not if you want to sleep here any longer!
If it takes a swivel sweeper to fire up the Little One's enthusiasm for cleaning house, go for it. No doubt, Bob May's biography will be out soon. Might make great bedtime reading;)
Mmmm Lucky Charms! I have them for breakfast every morning
I have never seen this new Swiffer thing…..
He's a smart lad and I'm sure mom is very glad the shoes didn't make him any faster!
I love Lucky Charms – will he share?
my youngest is saving up his own money to buy a tempur-pedic mattress. it was the lady jumping on the mattress with the glass of red wine that sold him on it.
lol I WILL have nightmares over the leprechaun too
and air heads are gross :p
Swivel sweeper huh?
Hoot!
I have a swivel sweeper and LOVE IT!! It is well worth your money
I have a swivel sweeper and LOVE IT!! It is well worth your money
I'm always amused by what they pick up. Z sees these Nationwide Insurance commercials (Nationwide is on your side) on Sprout and always shouts back at the tv … "Sandy Garza! You are not in my side! And you are not nationwide!"
Luckily he mostly just falls for movie ads and wants to see every kid movie that ever comes out.
Your little boy is so cute! Can't wait to hear about how much he helps clean with the new sweeper.
Hey…reminds me of our latest JoAnn Fabrics advertisement. They send me an ad once a month. Normally, my six year old, who loves to bring in the mail, gets to read it first. This month's had a whole room done in Fancy Nancy purple fabrics. So of course, she wants the fabric and mommy to make her a quilt out of it. Only thing is, none of the stores around me have this material…never have had it. And my sister tried her superstore in Kansas City and they never got any either. So somehow, I am now the bad guy, b/c they had it in the ad, but mommy isn't making a quilt for her new fancy bunkbed. And she wants it to look Fancy Nancy. Aghhhh…advertising at its finest! I feel for ya! Really I do!
so awesome! My 6 yr old is the same with. Everythign they show in commercials – oh Momma – when are you going to buy me another present because I really want ____!
uh-huh.
Let me know how the swivel sweeper works eh?
My kids are the same way, although not with such practical items as your son lol. I rarely let Nick Jr on cuz all i hear, I want that. I want that. Can we get that. I want that.
Those skechers are cool! I would have nightmares about that lucky charms guy too! Funny post
Now that he's discovered TV commercials, wait until he tells you what he wants for Christmas – a good time to tell him that they use special film and camera angles to make toy cars ride farther and faster than they do in reality.
Nothing worse than a kid who whined for months for a toy, and have them be disappointed in a clunker.
that is just too funny! but hey at least you got help cleaning out of it.
I want one of them steamy sharky thingys. Maybe I should have your boy talk to my husband for me.
It takes one to raise one?
Oh, man. Your little guy is so lucky to have the Sketchers. Simon keeps freaking out about the commercial and stating that he wants Sketchers. They do look pretty cool, unfortunately we don't pay that much for shoes that get chewed up by the dogs within 3 day of purchase.
I can't believe you don't normally have Lucky Charms in your house. We have to get them every week, if nothing else but for my eating pleasure.
As far as Air Heads, I feel the blue or white are the only good ones. Did he try those?? They don't cause your head to balloon up but they are the better ones.
Have fun getting him to preform some manual labor with the new sweeper that's on it's way!!
That is HILARIOUS!
When he starts picking out winning stock market companies to invest in do tell because I am so on board with your little sucker…I mean, genius!
Enjoy the day, Jen!
Erin
P.S. I am having a giveaway! Come play!
So what does The Little One think about the infomercial for "Wen" the hair product because I'm this close to biting the bait.
OMG! This is both hilarious and so scary…what to do… television ban? thats worse…..I am so glad I did not have kid.
Haha… you've got your hands full missy!
And I'm very glad his head didn't turn into a giant balloon. He would no longer get to eat those yummy Lucky Charms.
*giggle*
SUCKA!
Ahh, a kid after my own heart. I love infomercials.
There are just a few kinds of ads that work on me – infomercial gadgets and food commercials. I noticed several of these were food related and one was an infomercial! This is one of the reasons we don't have TV!
This reminded me of my As Seen on TV week lol
I particularly liked "They have marshmallows. I like marshmallows. I want to try this." That's the same logic I use.
Haha! The power of advertising!