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Good to see ya, Don Lapre True confessions: Don Lapre haunts me. If you don’t know him, perhaps you’ve never found yourself awake at 3 a.m., your face ashen in the glow of the television screen, listening to him hyperventilate about how you—yes, YOU!—can make thousands upon thousands of dollars by doing … well, that was the rub, really. I could never really figure out what his infomercials, which were huge on the airwaves a few years back, were about. Something to do with placing “tiny little ads” in newspapers to sell miscellaneous products, and the confusion over just what he was talking about only made it harder to turn away, especially when his boyish enthusiasm was barely containable within the confines of the TV screen (see the video here by scrolling down). I’ve wondered what ever happened to him. Maybe he was enjoying the millions he said he’d earned. Or (and this seemed more likely), maybe he was cooling his heels at Club Fed, dreaming up his next scheme while his lawyers negotiated the terms of his release. All I know is, now he’s back, and in primetime on one of my local cable channels. The pitch about the “tiny little ads” is gone, replaced by a come-on about how you can make thou-sands just by getting peo-ple to trrryyyy, “The Greatest Vitamin in the World.” Welcome back, Don. It’s probably a good thing that by and large I’m sleeping better these days. —Posted by Catharine P. Taylor

November 10, 2005 | Permalink

Comments

Covert shilling for a friend? Isn't that against the Blogger rules somewhere?

As a generic consumer of (cheap) vitamins, however, I just had to see how much these cost. I must say - not as much as I had expected.

$47 for 30 day supply (including shipping and presuming that is the ongoing price, too) isn't out of line with what I could get them for at the local GNC.

However, since I've been covertly shilled, it's unlikely I can buy in good conscience...

Even with good 'ol "Bounce Off the Walls" Don

Posted by: DanO | Nov 10, 2005 5:41:21 PM

How about them exclamation points, folks! Reminds me of Kevin Trudeau! In the good old days, they would take these guys out back, shoot them and sell their horse and wagon! His customers deserve what they get!

Posted by: Rick in Duxbury | Nov 12, 2005 5:32:03 PM

Not to mention his emphasis restated dozens of times, "Out of my ONE bedroom apartment!"

Posted by: Mike | Nov 13, 2005 12:25:58 PM

I JUST SAW A NEW INFOMERCIAL WHERE HE IS NOT SHOWN AT ALL, BUT THE VOICE, NO ONE WHO HAS BEEN UP AT 3 AM CAN FORGET THAT VOICE. HE IS NARRATING WITH THIS GOOD LOOKING WOMAN WHO CLAIMS THAT A 100% RISK FREE OFFER TO SELL $550 DOLLARS WORTH OF THEIR INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS AS AN INDEPENDANT CONTRACTOR OF THEIR COMPANY WORKING PART TIME..............WILL YEILD YOU UP TO 12,000. A MONTH. DUDE, WILL HE EVER STOP SCAMMING PEOPLE? C'MON NOW, WHO STILL LISTENS TO THIS STUFF AND CALLS?

Posted by: MIKE L | Jul 22, 2007 5:46:24 AM

I agree with Mike. I saw that informercial at 2:00 am. And I kept watching to see how incredible are they scamming on TV.
It is obviusly a Scam!. The only good there is the girl. What kind of morons do those people think we "the tvwatchers" are?
It's time to claim to the congress for creating federal laws against any kind of scams by TV in USA!

Posted by: daniel | Jul 26, 2007 10:11:08 AM

OMG, I Was 20 somthing when i first saw Mr Lapre poor ex carpet cleaner, on TV. selling his ' story how in a Tiny one bedroom apartment he placed tiny classified ads. and made millions, and for 79.00 i could have all the books and tapes to tell me how i could do the same. then came the Worlds greatest vitamin. for 47.00 a bottle!, comOn, i thought GNC was expensive. BTW i am 40 now.

Posted by: Scammed | Aug 18, 2007 9:36:15 AM

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