Being around a television at work most of the day, I usually see enough infomercials to want to gouge my eyes out. Most infomercials go in one ear and out the other, barely registering in my mind. Some, however, linger. I haven’t seen this infomercial in at least a month, but when I saw it air on ESPN for the first time, I had to laugh at the banality. I give you: the Freedom Tray.
From the Freedom Tray website:
Made and assembled in America using 100% recyclable materials, the Freedom Tray is the revolutionary food and beverage tray. Whether you’re in your car, watching TV, boating, camping, at the game or serving up the burgers at the tailgate party, the Freedom Tray will make your life easier. Simply pop it open, lock it in place and, instantly, you have a portable and versatile table to meet your needs.
Useful product I suppose. What struck me about the infomercial, though, was the blatant and undisguised jingoism something right out of 2002. Even the name evokes a somewhat embarrassing episode in the excessively anti-non-American era that came post-9/11. Watching the infomercial, I wasn’t sure if I should take this product seriously or if I should file it under ‘f’ for “farce.”
And I’m pretty sure I saw their tagline “Made in America, Used Everywhere” describing democracy on one of those giant, poorly-designed banners behind President Bush.
