Rhetorical Analysis Essay

The Backwards Robe Phenomenon

I believe almost everyone in the United States, and even other countries, have heard about the Snuggie (http://www.mysnuggiestore.com/). The Snuggie epidemic is definitely contagious, myself admitting that I even own one. Infomercials have been around for decades, but the Snuggie was definitely a game-changer in that world. From the many commercials that give most of us a few laughs, to seeing almost every living room with a Snuggie draped over their couch or recliner. It's safe to say that the Snuggie is one of the most successful infomercials today, acquiring around $400 million dollars in sales and ranking number 8 on the best seller list. The backwards robe does an amazing job in the commercial for advertisement, showing you that you can go anywhere in your Snuggie and you're able to keep your arms warm and functional, but is it really that necessary of a product? I believe that the goofiness of the infomercial is part of what has made it so successful. The product itself is silly as well, which makes it more memorable than the Slap-Chop or the Ove Glove. The infomercial still uses logos in knowing that it is soft fleece, and does have a reasonable refund date along with a reasonable price. While watching the commercial over again on the internet, I almost feel like they take it too far and it ends up just being cheesy. It seems very outdated, even though it isn't more than 10 years old. The actors in the commercial aren't very convincing, but these reasons might be why the Snuggie infomercial is definitely a memorable one. As sad is it may be, this product is a perfect for targeting us U.S. citizens. Other infomercials are also convincing to the U.S. for targeting the larger persons to become healthy, but we're known around the world for mastering being lazy, which I believe is what most infomercials target. If we're unmotivated and overweight, of course we're going to love a product that keeps us on the couch.

Between a few work-out videos, the Chia Pet, and Herbalife, there are many different infomercials to claim that they were the first. We can, however, estimate that the very first infomercial came about sometime around the 70's. Being a viewer, I almost feel like a sucker knowing that these commercials still grab our attention after over 40 years. Sometimes they're known to make us laugh with their cheesy persuasive ways, but that might be what makes them so great. Using a regular can opener isn't that stressful, but when an infomercial makes it seem like a daunting task, you almost believe that it is. They may also state facts that these many products will make our lives easier, but that's just it. All these products do is make our lives a tiny bit easier, and that's why people still buy them.
I believe it is fairly obvious that the Snuggie has put an impact on our current generations. They may point out various logos, or facts, during their infomercial that might be persuasive enough to have you going home with a backwards robe. The wording of the infomercial itself uses various facts such as telling you it will keep you "Snuggly warm." I'm sure the Snuggie will keep you warm right away because of it being made out of fleece, but after a few washes fleece isn't the same. Another way that the Snuggie infomercial uses facts is that it is one size fits all. However, it doesn't say "one size fits all comfortably." If you're just laying down, the Snuggie might work for anyone comfortably. If you're 5"1' trying to walk to the kitchen, as advertised in the infomercial, you're probably slipping and tripping over your Snuggie train.
The Snuggie infomercial also has some credibility. For the idea of what it is, and its comparing products, it sells for around $15-$20. "Similar products sell for up to $60, but call now and you'll get the ultra-soft, ultra-warm Snuggie for only $14.95!" (youtube.com) For just a regular fleece blanket, or even buying the fabric yourself, it will exceed

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