For years, infomercials have used the power of the airwaves to sell products using direct response television marketing.  In the past, infomercials were often longer than typical commercials, though current trends sell As Seen On TV products on infomercial ads that are generally the same length as ordinary commercials.  However, a new film may just extend the infomercial beyond commercial length and beyond the television screen.

Think Like a Man is a romantic comedy directed by Tim Story (Barbershop, Fantastic Four, Fantastic 4:  Rise of the Silver Surfer) and starring Chris Brown, Gabrielle Union, and Kevin Hart.  The premise of the story is that four women who have nearly given up on their men have turned to a relationship book to help them get the men to do what they want.  When the men find out what they women have been up to, they try to turn the tables on their wives and girlfriends.

The relationship book the women use to manipulate the men in the story is the real bestseller Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by actor, comedian, and Family Feud host Steve Harvey.  While Harvey’s book is not the first relationship self-help book to inspire a movie (see: He’s Just Not That Into You), the film Think Like a Man is being criticized for being too heavy-handed in pushing Harvey’s book.  In fact, several reviewers have said the continued references to Harvey and his book take the film from being a romantic comedy to being an infomercial for Steve Harvey’s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.

Reviewer Alonso Duralde of Reuters writes, “If you don’t mind enduring the film’s infomercial aspects, “Think Like a Man” winds up being an entertaining romantic comedy covering the very familiar ground of the differences between men and women, and the strategies that women must employ to get men to put that ring on their finger. Once Harvey himself disappears about halfway through, the movie has an easier time finding its own voice.”  He seems to assert that the commercial approach detracts from what is otherwise an entertaining film.  He writes that the film is “saddled with an adaptation that’s constantly calling attention to the source material,” and contrasts it to He’s Just Not That Into You, “another adaptation of a non-fiction dating guide, albeit one where the authors were happy to remain off-screen.”

Of course, film versions of popular books are nothing new, and product placement is nothing new.  So what happens when you combine the two?  According to critics of Think Like a Man, you get a feature length infomercial at cinema pricing.

Have you seen Think Like a Man?  Do you agree with critics that it is more infomercial than movie, or did you enjoy the film?

If it weren’t enough trouble to try to figure out what to pack for my picky child’s lunch, I have to try to figure out how to keep that lunch cold and fresh and keep it from spoiling.  For the most part, that has led to an inordinate number of peanut butter sandwiches in the school lunch.  My son has an insulated lunch box, but it really just doesn’t keep food cold like I think it should, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t be a little suspicious of eating deli meat, milk, or yogurt that had been sitting at little better than room temperature for four hours or so?

I try putting ice packs or gel packs in the lunch box, but those can tend to squish the sandwich, they only keep the things directly in contact with them cold, and they don’t stay cold until lunch time–especially in warmer weather.  They also hog all the room I need for actual food.

I’ve been pretty unhappy with lunch box choices so far, but the As Seen On TV PackIt “go anywhere mini-fridge” may just be the answer to my lunch-packing prayers.

This As Seen On TV product is more than an insulated lunch bag.  In fact, the PackIt itself is the cooling pack.  Keep PackIt in your freezer, and when you are ready to pack your lunch, pull the cold bag out of your freezer and fill it with whatever you like.  The PackIt insulated bag has the cooling technology built-in.  The cold  completely surrounds your food, keeping it refrigerator-cold for up to 10 hours.  When you use the PackIt for taking lunch on the go, you can pack meats, cheeses, yogurt, milk, and even smoothies to keep them cold and fresh until lunch time . . . and beyond.

PackIt is also great for taking drinks and snacks to the park, the zoo, or the game.  Keep sports beverages ice cold on a hot day.

Another great use for PackIt is storing and transporting baby bottles.  I wish the PackIt had been around when I was a new mom.  I wouldn’t have to be paranoid about keeping milk cold, and it would be a great convenience for nursing moms who have to pump at work.  Simply and discreetly store bottles of milk to take home from the office.

Of course, these days people are looking for ways to live a “greener” lifestyle.  Reusable lunch bags are definitely one way to reduce waste.  PackIt is great for eco-conscious people who want to feed their families fresh, wholesome foods and who do not want to contribute to environmental waste through disposable bags.

It is not often that I get really excited about a product, but the PackIt insulated bag, with its promise of keeping food cold for ten hours, is something I can get behind.

What will you pack in your PackIt?

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the legendary Titanic.  On April 10, 1912, the RMS Titanic, billed as “virtually unsinkable,” set off on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York.  Four days later, the great ship struck an iceberg, sinking into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and killing 1,514 people.  Only 710 were rescued and taken to safety aboard the RMS Carpathia.  Designed to make history as one of the grandest, largest, and most opulent passenger liners, the Titanic instead made history as one of the world’s great tragedies.

Stories from the great ship and its disastrous end have captured the imagination of generations worldwide.  From “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” to the band that continued to play even as the ship went down, stories surrounding the Titanic only intensify the mystique of the sinking of the Titanic.

With the approach of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, interest has been renewed in the subject.  There are countless ways to commemorate the Titanic anniversary, including the re-release of the James Cameron film and countless televised history programs.  For 1,309 passengers aboard the MS Balmoral, the event is commemorated by a 12-night memorial cruise in which the ship retraces the scheduled route of the Titanic, pausing for a memorial service where the Titanic sank.  Passengers will dine on food designated in the original White Star Line menus.  The cost of the Titanic commemorative cruise is between £2,799 and £5,995 per person (or approximately $4,450 to $9,533 in U.S. dollars).

For those looking to commemorate the tragedy on a smaller scale, As Seen On TV collectibles may fit the bill quite nicely.  In fact, one such collectible is indeed a bill.  The Titanic Commemorative $2 Bill is genuine legal tender issued by the Merrick Mint that commemorates the maiden voyage and the sinking of the RMS Titanic.  These crisp, uncirculated bills feature striking images of the RMS Titanic, and your order includes replica memorabilia from the RMS Titanic and the White Star Line.

Another option is the Deep Romance pendant.  The stunning faux Ceylon sapphire pendant captures the romance and intrigue depicted by the “Heart of the Ocean” necklace featured in the blockbuster Titanic film by James Cameron.  Inspired by one of history’s most famous gemstones, the Deep Romance pendant is a lovely and romantic way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Whether you commemorate the event by watching The History Channel, taking a memorial cruise, or re-enacting the “king of the world” pose while listening to Celine Dion, there is no question that the sinking of the titanic is one of the world’s most enduring legends.

As Easter weekend approaches, I am beginning to dread the Boiling of the Eggs that occurs shortly before my family’s Egg Decorating Egg-stravaganza.  I always read about “how to perfectly boil eggs,” and although my personal method delivers relatively consistent results, I would not go so far as to say I get perfect eggs every time.

Now, I don’t really worry about it so much with the eggs we decorate, since after those have been hidden and hunted, I’m not too big on serving them.  But when it comes to making eggs to eat–whether soft boiled, hard boiled, sliced, deviled, or diced–I’d prefer it if the eggs were cooked the way I intended.  If you are going to be serving deviled eggs to your mother-in-law at Easter brunch, you don’t want to be serving a platter of runny undercooked eggs or dry, rubbery overcooked eggs.  And if you are serving a crowd, you sure don’t want to spend an entire afternoon peeling eggs only to have some persnickety cousin chomp into a crunchy bit of shell.

As with everything else, As Seen On TV products offer “egg-cellent” solutions to your egg cooking dilemmas.  Whether cooking or peeling is your nemesis, kitchen products from SeenOnTVExpress can simplify your egg prep.

If you need to leave the shell intact for decorating purposes, try steam cooking your eggs instead of boiling them with the Egg Genie Automatic Egg Cooker.  The Egg Genie steams up to seven eggs at a time, using sound and light indicators to let you know when your eggs are perfectly cooked, eliminating the guesswork.   No longer do you have to mess with large pots of boiling water–just fill the reservoir with water, set the timer, and enjoy “boiled” eggs in just minutes.

If you do not need the shell, or do not want to mess with peeling dozens of eggs, try Eggies instead.  With the Eggies hard-boiled egg system, you simply crack the eggs into the Eggies container and boil your eggs.  The special nonstick Eggies containers twist open, and your hard boiled eggs slide right out–no messy peeling involved.

Of course, these egg-straordinary solutions are not limited to boiled eggs alone.  For cracking raw eggs without getting shell in your food, try the EZ Cracker egg cracker.  The EZ Cracker neatly cracks your eggs without crushing the shell.  It is perfect for fried eggs, adding eggs to batter, separating the yolk from the white, and even peeling hard cooked eggs.

I continue to contend that whatever the problem, there is an As Seen On TV solution.  With not one but three options for easy egg cooking in our Seen On TV catalog, I rest my case.