The Age of Hucksterism

We are all selling snake oil now.

As a former journalist, I have always been drawn to old newspapers, including the vintage ads. The product claims were so charmingly over the top. I always wondered if our great-great-grandparents really believed all those outlandish promises, or if most people always realized they were crap.

Bottled remedies could resolve epilepsy or toothaches or gray hair. Being overweight was no problem; scores of products could help you lose weight easily. Other products promised to revive a man’s lost vitality or “relieve suppressed menstruation” in women. You could buy a “toilet mask” and strap it to your face overnight to become more beautiful. An electropathic harness belt would help anyone suffering from nervousness. A special horse-action saddle was a substitute for riding a real horse and would stimulate your liver and cure your gout, among many other amazing things.

Scroll through your social media feed and you’ll find many modern versions of these. Everybody is selling something nowadays, and it’s getting harder to attract attention and stand out from the crowd. Consequently, the claims have become more outlandish and the antics more shrill and demanding.

I’m a sucker for sleep aids. I’m always tired, and a sleep study showed I spend an abnormally short period of time in deep sleep, so anybody selling an essential oil or an electronic stimulator or a pill or a pillow or a mattress or sheets or a relaxation tape or a vitamin or a supplement or an herb or a white…