SlumWow! Bill Maher Brings You The Latest Craze In Infomercials (VIDEO)

Bill Maher opened his show last night with an homage to Snuggies, ShamWows and child slavery. The infomercial parody begins with a voice-over saying, "You love your Snuggie, you love your ShamWow, and you really love your SnugWow--the Snuggie made from the ShamWow material," setting you up to believe this is just your basic Snuggie parody that we've all come to know and love.

But no, this one takes it one step further saying, "But if the doorbell rings you've still got to get up. What you need is your own Slumdog from India! Introducing the SlumWow!" If you act now they'll double your order: "Mumbai one, get one free."

It's pretty darn creepy, partially because of the fact that one of the father's of a "Slumdog Millionaire" star was recently accused of trying to sell her and partially because Maher's put on a pretty convincing show.


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Comments

[david in austin]

Ahahahahaha!!! Hilarious!

And after reading some of the other posts, are we getting just a little overly-sensitive? Are we required to have a slew of Debbie Downers policing everything that makes people smile?

[RRoadrunner]

Maher is getting a tad full of himself. His show is predictable and the canned humor by his writters less and less funnier. I found this skit to be a bit over the top. Without using the kids the skit was funny and their use unecessary.

"New Rules" ? Nah same "Old Rules" Make as much money as you can before doing shows in Vegas...

[wietog]

Well, it's funny and it's hardcore satire, but it's really sad when you think about the real orphans.

Life is so very cruel to so many on this planet.

[mredder4]

LOL. "This offer will not be reincarnated."

Hehe, that was a brilliant ending.

[SanDigHuff]

Is this funny?

[humbird]

Bill Maher's heart may be in the right place but it's pretty stupid to put up 'humor' that requires special skills and sensibilities to understand. Most people who see this — myself included — are not as clever as Mr Maher's super-smart viewers. We don't get it, and we just feel plain pukey at seeing a little Indian kid jumping around doing exactly the sort of thing little Indian kids are in reality made to do by so many callous adults. The movie open the veil on some of those adults. Bill Maher, with his compassion and oh-so-subtle humor, just added himself to that list.

And by the way, I live and work in Mumbai.

[UncleJimbo]

People,people if you don't understand the humour don't write a critique! 'K!

[JoeBlows]

Personally, this skit did not amuse me.
Later in the show, his teasing of a guest about what it was like to have his fingernails ripped out made me cringe. Not Bill's finest moment, to be sure.
He does edgy political comedy, and thus sometimes fails. The times he succeeds make it worth watching, though.

[GhostNyc]

By using comedy, Maher is attempting to bring the blunt truth of many situations to his viewers. Having someone who has endured actual torture speak on it is more valuable than 100 simulations done to writers/jo­urnalists. Not that their efforts are less honorable, however the reality is always harsher. For example- frequent guest Christopher Hichens underwent waterboarding for an article for Vanity Fair- he also filmed it. It was horrible experience, but mild in comparison to the truth. How many people watch a movie like slum dog and are still completely oblivious to the reality of the children suffering in Mumbai?

In the long run- thank the Maher's of the world for keeping that spotlight on the truth, regardless of how painful it may be. P.S Realize that in discussing Maher, we are discussing the real problem.

[ramal]

Quite biting. Americans need to get off the couch, turn off the television, burn their Snuggies and stop wasting their money on Sham-Wows.

[Bulbul]

Well, not funny, but Bill Maher is an equal opertunity offender, so gets a pass !

[armacas]

Bill is holding a mirror to your face - if you can't see the joke, you need to step out of your bul...bul...bubble! No offense...

[southwindow]

wait, i don't get why people are offended? can they not take a joke?
or do they not realize the computer they are using, the clothes they are wearing, most of the things they have ever owned or eaten were produced through this same sort of forced labor? Is ok when you don't have to see it, when it isn't in your living room wearing a snuggie?

[Grada3784]

Of course it's ok when you don't see it. That's why we have don't ask, don't tell.

Can't have people the oh so holy ones tell us are dangerous hanging about and us knowing it. But it is ok, if we don't have to acknowledge it.

Funny, but if someone is dangerous to me, I'd rather know about it. If something is produced by forced labor, I'd rather know, so I can find alternatives.

[BannedInBoston]

Hayuk, hayuk, hayuk.

[SachinDev]

I enjoyed the joke, to criticise Bill Maher without understanding his motive, is wrong, I feel he is more concerned about these children(at least he knows they exist) than the common street Joe. All jokes are OK if the intention is not to demean the subject.

[David Powers]

Even if the subject is actually demeaned? Intent counts for something, but result counts, too.

[SachinDev]

Got it. If that's the case(which might be the case here, I don't know), then it's a bad joke.

[imsixftsix]

Bill is making fun of lazy Americans, not Indian children...Easy does it!

[politrix]

The joke is about the slum dog millionaire's actress' father who recently got caught trying to sell her daughter due to her fame in the movie. If you didn't catch that news then this probably seems more offensive than it's meant to be.