90s Infomercials

The infomercial—a long-form paid television advertisement typically running 28 to 30 minutes—reached its commercial and cultural zenith in the 1990s, transforming late-night and weekend television into a marketplace for products ranging from the revolutionary to the absurd. The format thrived because of the era's abundance of inexpensive cable and broadcast airtime and the absence of internet shopping alternatives. Iconic infomercial products of the decade included the ThighMaster (endorsed by Suzanne Somers), the George Foreman Grill (which eventually sold over 100 million units), Ron Popeil's Showtime Rotisserie ('Set it and forget it!'), and the Ab Roller. The infomercial industry generated an estimated $250 billion in cumulative sales during the 1990s. Television personalities like Tony Little, Billy Mays, and Matthew Lesko became unlikely celebrities through their infomercial appearances. The format's influence extended to language and comedy, with infomercial tropes—the 'But wait, there's more!' call-to-action, the exaggerated demonstration of product need—becoming enduring objects of parody.