Capitalizing on people's insecurity isn't wrong...right?

This week we've decided to review the commercials for the "male enhancement" pill called Extenze. Its spelled with a "z," so you know it's legitimate. Chances are, if you've watched television at all recently (especially say, Comedy Central past ten o clock at night), you've seen a commercial for this product. What it claims to do is enlarge, "that certain part of the male body" (undoubtedly a medical term) and do things like increase sexual performance and satisfaction.

What this product seems like to me is a glorified erectile dysfunction pill. It falls under the category of a dietary supplement, so it has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that the makers of Extenze can get away with claiming some pretty outlandish things without getting sued. Of course, the fine print at the end of the commercial that flashes by too quickly to fully read informs viewers of this. After all, not informing people would be irresponsible.

The ads also say that they'll mail you a week's supply of their product for free, all you have to do is pay for postage. Wait, so you have to pay money for this product? Wouldn't that make it...not free? The answer to that question is yes. The makers of Extenze also claim that over one billion pills have been sold to men across the country. Notice the phrasing: "have been sold to", or "have been taken by" are the words used. The phrase "has worked for" is conspicuously absent. They have no actual scientific proof of the effectiveness of this product. The only reason that the product has sold so many units, if it even has, is that the majority of male consumers in the United States are insecure about their size and sexual performance, and are once again looking for any "magic bullet" that will solve their problems. I'll post the advertisement below and you can decide for yourself: