Ridiculous Infomercial Review Blog

Back in 2006, Richard Simmons decided to launch a new product. This time Simmons was going to promote a steam cooker called “Steam Heat.”

Richard Simmons even taped an infomercial to promote the Steam Heat steamer. I’m not sure if the infomercial ever aired on TV but until recently the clips were available on the official Richard Simmons website.

Here are two clips from the infomercial. These clips aren’t that interesting in themselves, but they do prove that Steam Heat was a real product that Richard Simmons was serious about marketing—it was not a “gag” product he made up for his appearance on Letterman:

Then in one of the least financially fruitful appearances anyone has ever made on a national talk show this happened:

If you watch this video closely, it is clear what occurred: Letterman set up Richard Simmons. The tray (which is not a “go-go kart”) that perplexed Simmons had been rigged to make it look like the steam cooker was malfunctioning. When the tray started to emit steam Simmons suddenly realized what was happening (“Oh, this is funny…This is why.”) However, he was still genuinely startled by the explosion. (You can see that Letterman, who took it all in stride, knew what was coming.)

Soon after this incident first happened I vaguely remember seeing a clip of it somewhere, and I wasn’t sure if it was all a set up or if the steamer genuinely malfunctioned. Now, after having watched the clip twice—the second time closely—it is obvious the Steam Heat product did not malfunction. But I’m sure that the majority of people who just saw this scene once on TV or caught the video on the Web will think the steamer really did explode. And Richard’s target market of middle-aged Quacker Factory-wearing QVC viewers are the least likely to understand that it was a prank; they will definitely not buy such a “dangerous” product, even if their favorite fitness guru is endorsing it.

Now Steam Heat is no longer featured on Richard Simmons’ own website. Most likely it flopped in sales and I’m sure the Letterman incident is a big reason why. The Letterman prank on Richard Simmons may have been one of the most financially costly practical jokes of all time.