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?

A couple of weeks ago, the SeenOnTV Express blog discussed As Seen On TV kids products created to provide comfort and fun for children.  This week, we feature a special offer on an exciting children’s magazine series.  I’m pretty excited about SeenOnTV Express being able to offer Zoobooks magazines and its sister publications, Zoobies and Zootles.  Zoobooks (and Zoobies and Zootles) are children’s magazines that are all about animals.  They feature vibrant photographs and detailed, colorful illustrations that help a child to learn all about his or her favorite animals and to discover animals he or she never knew existed.  By appealing to a child’s natural love of animals, Zoobooks engages early readers and helps encourage a love of reading.

“Now, wait just a minute,” you may be saying to yourself.  ”Why is this blogger, who is so obsessed with Forever Lazy and the Instyler, getting all excited about a science magazine for kids?”

Well, let me tell you:

1. I’m an ex-librarian, so I totally dig reading.  Old librarians never die, you know . . . we just check out.
2. I’m the mom of a pre-schooler.  This may explain why I’m so enamored by the thought of an adult onesie and an easy way to fix my hair without resorting to a ponytail.  Again.

These two facets of my life have shown me how important reading is, and how critical it is to foster reading while children are still young.  In fact, my child is too young to read, but when he finds a book about something that appeals to him–animals, for example–he will sit and look at the pictures and talk about what he’s “reading” for quite a while.  In fact, books often hold his attention longer than movies or television, which just thrills my  little heart to no end.

Here is what I love about Zoobooks:

1. A magazine subscription allows a child to continually receive new reading material.  By the time your child loses his or her infatuation with one issue a new issue arrives.  Mail!  New animals!  New pictures!  New stories!  New games! What’s not to love?
2. Zoobooks are geared specifically toward young children and each publication is uniquely tailored for an appropriate age group.  Zoobies is for babies and toddlers aged 0-3; Zootles is for pre-readers and emerging readers aged 3-6; and Zoobooks is for school children aged 6-12.  These magazines are designed to reach children where they are, with text, illustrations, photography, and information appropriate for a child’s specific level of development.  Appealing to a child’s interests encourages a natural learning, without rules and rote memorization.  Children are naturally inquisitive, and Zoobooks satisfies that search for knowledge.
3. Reading with your child builds communication and involvement.  By questioning your child and commenting about what you are reading together, you build critical thinking skills:  ”Why do you think that kangaroo has a pouch?”  ”I wonder why that tarsier’s eyes are so big.”  ”How do you think it would feel to sleep upside down like a bat?”  By reading with your child, you will be actively engaged in his or her learning, thoughts, and ideas.  This type of communication can help strengthen your relationship with your child for when you have to ask more serious questions:  ”What will you do when someone offers you . . .”

As Seen On TV educational materials can be a valuable resource for your child, and I’m pleased that SeenOnTV Express can add Zoobooks, Zootles, and Zoobies magazines to our product catalog.  Other educational products we offer include Brainetics and Hooked on Phonics.

I have a little secret to share with you:  I used to be a librarian.  Shhhh!  One of the sad facts for a bibliophile like me is that books seem to be slowly disappearing.  Kindles, eReaders, e-books, and more are taking the place of actual, physical, paper and ink books.  This is especially true when it comes to encyclopedia sets.  Huge, multivolume sets have been replaced by online versions.  Remember plagiarizing World Book for all of your grade school reports?  Now copying the encyclopedia verbatim has become much easier by using the cut and paste features of your favorite word processing system.

My nostalgia for old-school learning brings us today’s Way Back Wednesday infomercial from 1992–the year I graduated from high school with no help from the internet whatsoever.  This advertisement for Encyclopedia Britannica is a bizarre conversation between a young man in Sally Jesse glasses, a voice over man who is not James Earl Jones, and a tv-watching child, whom I suspect is Annie Potts of Designing Women fame:

Now, this infomercial is intended to poke fun at televsion marketing, but it completely fails to sell the product in doing so.  There are no benefits listed, no examples provided–other than to show you that elephants are listed in volume 4, and that they are endangered.  Really, this commercial gives absolutely no incentive to buy the encyclopedia.

Compare the vintage Encyclopedia Britannica to a commercial for the all new Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read system.  This commercial outlines the educational benefits of the program, details what is included with the system, and uses interactivity to engage emerging readers.

Maybe the next generation of readers will revive the book.  Paper pages — how very retro-chic!

*Ten points to you if you got the Animal House reference in the title.