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As Seen On TV
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Posted by runktrun z7a MA (My Page) on Wed, Apr 1, 09 at 18:58
In 1977 when we were in the throws of a recession the classic planter"Chia Pet" was first introduced and some how this silly planter became an American icon. I am not sure at all what it was about this fury animal that encouraged folks during slim times no less to spend there hard earned cash. Whatever marketing ploy caused so many Americans with an interest in plants to decorate their windowsills terracotta animals painted in sprouts seems to have made a come back with the new tomato planter "Topsy Turvy".
Recently I found myself at a gathering where I was completely out of my element, I didn’t know a sole, the artwork was not only stunning but each piece had some family story tied to it, and I was trapped in a corner with a LD who kept eyeing the door, my nervous small talk somehow brought up the As Seen On Tv Tomato Tree – Topsy Turvy. Naively I thought surely this item would be considered by anyone interested in the plant world as a silly item of folly that no sane person would spend their money on, well I am here to say that peoples ears perked and their eyes brightened at the mention of Topsy Turvy. Honestly I am not totally adverse to As Seen On TV items as a matter of fact I not only own but rave about the "Noodlehead Sprinkler", but I just simply don’t understand the benefit of growing tomatoes upside down. Help me out here and share with me why you are buying your Topsy Turvy. Also would you be willing to break your back and plant a tomato in the soil for a controlled study? What other As Seen On TV garden related items do you own? Has anyone purchased the "Mosquito Repeller Watchband"? Why do you think there is a real rise in appeal of these items during recessions?
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: As Seen On TV
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| All I can say is ... LOL. These are the items that finally made me insist to my sisters that we were too old to exchange Christmas gifts. Call me a snob, but a perfectly good item with a label "as seen on tv" has all the appeal of a long novel that's "now a major motion picture." I'm anxiously waiting to hear about the topsy turvy - if an LA says it's good, it must be wonderful! But I do have to ask, why DO they have to advertise it on tv, if it's really great? The answer was obvious with the chia pet, not so much with this. |
RE: As Seen On TV
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| I don't get it either. But I have to add that just the other day I was talking to some friends about an elderly Italian man we all knew who has recently died. He was a great gardener and a great cook. He grew all his own tomatoes (and much else) and made the best sauce you ever tasted. One of my friends said that in his last years, he had started growing tomato plants upside-down. It was the talk of his neighborhood. None of my friends had ever heard of this but I have seen in it garden magazines, tho not on TV. So I guess if it was good enough for a master gardener and cook like him, it must be worth a second look. |
RE: As Seen On TV
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| I can give you several reasons: There is the sheer novelty factor. "Gee, I didn't know you could do that. Let's try it." Related to that is the conversation piece factor. "Look, Susie! Granny is growing tomatoes upside down." Then there is limited space factor. If you live in an apartment and have only a small balcony, the chance to grow a hanging veggie is a plus. I have been in this situation in the past. In most cases though, I think it is the novelty/something-cheap-to-try-for-fun factor. I am starting 55+ items from seed this year. Unfortunately I find it hard to ruthlessly pinch off and compost extra seedlings. So I always run into the question of where to put all these plants. So I always have a shortage of cultivated places to put things. I always grow more tomatoes plants than I am supposed to and so I threw one of these into my cart, thinking I could put one of my extra tomatoes in it. I can't imagine that there would be any horticultural advantage to doing so, but it means I don't have to toss a plant I have fostered into the compost pile. |
RE: As Seen On TV
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| LD? LA? Who are these people??? |
RE: As Seen On TV
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| I've bought some cool novel kids' toys that were big hits, push brooms, aqua globe plant ornaments/waterers, and various tools, all advertised on tv, and been happy with the purchases. But I can tell you my tomatoes grow right side up! |
RE: As Seen On TV
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I don't get it. What is wrong with advertising on tv?
kathy |
RE: As Seen On TV
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Kathy,
Nothing wrong with advertising on TV but the As Seen On TV trade marked line of products have a reputation for rarely living up to the hype that they pitch in their ads. In the case of Topsy Turvy I not only would suggest that the buyer should beware but frankly I just don't understand the benefits of growing tomatoes and other vegetables upside down. Although asarums point about hanging your veggies for lack of space is a good one...but still why upside down. kt
Now I might just be convinced that the As Seen On TV Hollywood Chocolate Chip Cookie Diet really works if I lose ten pounds after I finish my bag of Chips Ahoy. |
Here is a link that might be useful: As Seen On TV
As Seen On TV
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| A lot of it is of questionable value, but there are useful and desirable items too. The keyword is "novelty." I'm happy with my aqua globes and other stuff I've bought over the years (kids' toys, tools, housewares.) Sort of like the dollar store .. isles of worthless junk but a few useful things for cheap if you pick through it all. |
RE: As Seen On TV
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| Hi, I'd do a "google" search on this product for reviews from people who have purchased these (but not reviews from the product's website). I've had mixed luck from the "as seen on TV" and recently was interested in the $19.95 soil cutivator (use with any drill, comes with 2 or 3 attachments and they'd send you a free drill for S&H). After looking at the reviews, which averaged about 1 1/2 out of 5 I was glad I didn't buy one. Most people had really bad experiences with the product. Hope this helps. |
RE: As Seen On TV
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| If you really want an answer to all this business of "as seen on tv" type things, you have to know a little about human psychology. I have stopped buying things sold at places like shopping channels decades ago and I would not go for "as seen on tv" gimmick. But admit that I tried planting an upside-down
tomato just last year. I found it fun, entertainig and an experiment. If I were a tomato farmer I would never entertain the idea of planting my tomatoes upside down. But as an amature, city dwelling week end gardener I tried to grow an upside down tomato and put it in my resume'.
I did it, without buying anything from anybody. I just bought the idea, and it was free of charge. So, my answer, is: It is OK to grow an upside down tomato, or that topsy - tupsy. As humans we have many needs beyond bread and butter. |
RE: As Seen On TV
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| Fun thread! While I've never bought any of these items, garden-related or not, I will admit to many a night laying in bed falling asleep after reading, and wishing to the high heavens that I had a clapper! That way I wouldn't have to get out of bed to shut off the light, which I didn't think would be a problem initially, because I wasn't expecting to fall asleep, and of course, once I get up to turn it off, I'm awake again so I read more, and the cycle just never ends! Oh, for a clapper! Katy, PLEASE let me know the results of your Chips Ahoy and the chocolate chip cookie diet. I am very interested in your research... :)
Dee |
RE: As Seen On TV
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Dee,
Years ago one of my daughters was given the Clapper as a gift and as I recall it was minimally successful, I suspect the frustration you might feel from clapping your hands raw may keep you from falling asleep.
I am still heavily involved in my Hollywood Chocolate Chip Cookie Diet research, but regardless of the outcome I have decided my next project should be researching the Hollywood Oatmeal Cookie Diet |
Here is a link that might be useful: Hollywood Oatmeal Cookie Diet
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