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Who is Vince Offer and why is he saying those wonderful things about the ShamWow? And what exactly is a ShamWow?

The fast-talking Offer (real name Offer Shlomi) is a natural-born salesman and the reigning king of the late-night infomercial. Anyone watching TV past midnight is familiar with Offer's offbeat spot for the ShamWow, the synthetic miracle cloth that claims to absorb 20 times its weight. “You'll say ‘Wow' every time you use it,” enthuses Offer.

While the product itself isn't terribly exciting, Offer makes the spot work with his street-hustler salesmanship.

Sporting a headset microphone and faux hawk hairstyle, Offer points out the value of the product's $19.99 retail price. “Hey, you're gonna spend $20 a month on paper towels anyway,” he tells viewers with palms up.

In the best infomercial tradition, Offer puts the ShamWow through its paces – soaking up spills, absorbing cola from a carpet swatch – while peppering his sales pitch with peculiar asides, such as: “You following me, camera guy?” Offer also makes pointed reference to the ShamWow's country of origin: “Made in Germany,” he says. “You know the Germans always make good stuff.”

The ShamWow is, in fact, the brainchild of Offer, a 45-year-old entrepreneur who previously worked as a product demonstrator at swap meets.

Without releasing exact sales figures, Offer recently told CNBC that the ShamWow has sold “millions” since the spot began airing in late 2007. The product has also crossed over from the infomercial zone into mainstream popular culture – it has gone viral, showing up in YouTube parodies – the most creative featuring a clash between Offer and Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly – and as the butt of jokes on talk shows. “Did he just sell us a ShamWow?” asked The Daily Show's Jon Stewart after Barack Obama's own half-hour infomercial.

Prior to ShamWow, Offer's biggest claim to fame was writing, producing and directing the feature Underground Comedy Movie, described by the New York Times as “a monument to ineptitude and self-delusion” (Offer claims to have sold 50,000 copies of the DVD via infomercial).

Sticking to more bankable territory, Offer recently filmed another commercial for a kitchen utensil called the Slap Chop – a small rounded cylinder that slices and dices food. “This tuna looks boring. Stop having a boring tuna, stop having a boring life,” says Offer, demonstrating the device with a simple tap of the hand.

And whether by accident or providence, the pitchman reveals his passion for the product toward the end of spot, saying: “You're gonna love my nuts.”