Friday, January 30, 2009

ShamWow? More like ShamWoe.

Go on, admit it: if you did not immediately order the ShamWow after seeing the infomercial ("Rated #1 Infomercial by CNBC!"), you thought about it.



In fact, you're probably thinking about ordering some ShamWows right about now. (Only $19.99, plus shipping and handling! Don't delay!)

But be warned late-night TV shoppers: While you may indeed say WOW! when you first use your neon orange chamois cloths, you'll be having sham woes after you wash them. Sure, technically, they are machine washable, but what comes out of the washer and dryer is just a woeful version of the original. Don't believe me? I give you, Exhibit A:

Makes me want to take a Ginsu knife to the thing and slice it to shreds.



UPDATED 2:00 P.M.: Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, the Terrible ShamWow! Click on the link to see a picture. Pretty funny.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

OK, first question is -- are you supposed to put then in the dryer? Forgive me for splitting hairs, but if they say they're machine washable, does that mean they're machine dryable? Maybe you'd get better results line drying them. After all isn't the whole point that you can wring out the liquid and use them right away? LOL.

I love that ShamWow Guy. Can't decide whether I like the ShamWow or the SlapChop better. :-) But neither enough to purchase (I've thought about it, though).

Anonymous said...

My favorite line, "they're made in Germany so you know they're great, Germans always make the best stuff"

Indy

Anonymous said...

You boulght something off late night TV? SUCKER!!!!

Dave S. said...

I am having trouble comprehending the picture, perhaps because it reminds me of one of Malevich's avante-garde works. It looks like a wrinkly Sham-Wow; what did it look like before it went into the wash?

Not that I haven't seen the commercial, which I really enjoy. I plead lack of coffee.

And Indy, that's my favorite line too. Sham-Wows are now on my list of Leading German Technology right behind armored vehicles and Beethoven, and just ahead of vigorous philosophy.

J. said...

Geez, everyone's a critic.

Okay, so I probably shouldn't have thrown them into the dryer. Who can remember these things? And it's not as though they came with a warning "DO NOT THROW SHAMWOWS IN DRYER," either in English or German. (Though I am not entirely sure about the latter.)

Re the picture, it is supposed to show how fuzzy and pilly the ShamWow becomes after a couple washings (and dryings). Guess that wasn't clear. But if you have an old beloved sweater that got pilly and fuzzy over the years, it's like that. Happy (and caffeinated) now, Dave?

Btw, if this week wasn't bad enough, what with the ice storm and a snow day and a snow delay, now the kid is sick -- with watery eyes and a very runny nose. And I am tempted to give her one of the ShamWows to soak up all that excess liquid. ; )

Dave S. said...

I am happy and caffeinated, and enlightened.

However marvelous the ShamWow's liquid capacity I bet it would not keep up with the output (ugh) of a child with a cold. They have a portal to a vast parallel universe of effluents.

Dave S. said...

When you check out the Terrible ShamWow, make sure to also click through to the visual analysis of the typical Steelers fan in Tampa.

EMM said...

Ow, my eyes hurt from seeing the icky Steelers Fan dude. I will still be pulling for them on Sunday.

J, sorry the Bambina is not feeling well. Have you put her & the family into a "Snuggie" to stay warm and ward off the chills? No?! Get thee to www.getsnuggie.com, you'll get a free reading light and look like a monk!!!

J. said...

Thanks EMM. The Bambina is MUCH better, even without a Snuggie. (Btw, you can get Snuggies at Bed Bath & Beyond now.)

Thanks for the Steelers fan alert, Dave. That was pretty funny. : )

Anonymous said...

the shamwow becomes fuzzy and pilly even if you dont machine wash and/or dry...they leave out the part where it leaves fuzz everywhere and fuzz/hair/schmutz gets all snarled in the shamwow's hairs