The New Snake Oil
Categories: LifeI was walking through the mall near my work, looking for a particular store, and I passed a kiosk with three fit he-men in black t-shirts standing around. (“Fit he-men” contrasts them from what I usually see working at mall kiosks: young females and skinny gay guys.) The kiosk was for something called “Energy Armor.” Interesting name and logo, but I was at that time pretty focused on getting my errand done, so I did no more than notice it.
Coincidentally, the store I was looking for turned out to be right above the Energy Armor kiosk, on the second level. When I walked out of the upstairs store, errand completed, I happen to look down over the railing and saw the three men, (two young, one my age), below with a customer. The customer, a young guy, had his arms outstretched to his sides, and he was hopping on one foot. Odd, that.
I gave the kiosk display a closer look. It had multiple images suggesting athleticism and fitness. The name, Energy Armor, made me think “exercise clothes,” but the packages filling the display didn’t look like any kind of clothing. I couldn’t tell what the product was from my upstairs distance.
I walked back to the escalator, rode it down, and as I approached the kiosk, to walk past, I decided to take a closer look at the product. The packages looked to hold watch bands. As I slowed my pace to take in the display, the older of the fit he-men in black t-shirts stepped toward me.
“Are you interested in Energy Armor,” he said, holding up a plastic wrist band. I noticed that he and the other two fit he-men in black t-shirts all wore one of these bands.
I stopped and turned to him. “What is it?” I asked. There was something just inconguent about the whole scene. Everything about the salesmen and kiosk display suggested health and fitness, but the product looks like a gelly band?
The salesman took my opening and stepped closer to me. “This is filled with a silicon-based gel designed to give you increased energy, balance, and strength.” He held up the gelly band, and pointed at the one he wore on his wrist.
He started to continue with an explanation of the “science” of the material, and I interrupted him.
“You just wear it?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered with a smile. “You just wear it.”
“Hmm,” I said, “okay. Thanks.” I turned and started walking away.
He said, “Thank you,” and let me go.
A wrist band to increase energy, balance, and strength? Really? Someone is trying to sell that? In 21st century America.
I don’t know if they’re actually selling any of the gimmicks, so I can’t comment on how gullible the general public may be. But the owners of the company obviously have a high estimate on American gullibility. In this day and age of wide-spread information, not just at our fingertips, but actually thrust into our faces whether we look for it or not, I tend to presume that people have been forewarned about silly “snake oil”-type products.
I did a search on Google for Energy Armor and found no company or product information. I guess that makes sense if the company are grifters and the product is snake oil. Just like in the old days: into town, give false promises, sell product, move on before anyone gets angry. I wonder how long that kiosk will stay in the mall. I may have to go back and check in a week, just out of curiosity.
See this follow-up post for how the demonstration goes:
The New Snake Oil Demonstration
Bullgrit
I was actually just searching on here for a site to order one of these. Last week, my girlfriend and I were on vacation in Disney and stopped at a big outlet down there and this kiosk was setup, at first i was skeptical about it but the guy actually showed me what its all about. I play sports year round and this band definitely helps for range of motion (not sure about “energy” wise) but he showed me a few things just by setting the band on my shoulder. The explanation I was given is that there are positive and negative “ions” in the body and this band counteracts it. For instance, he had me stand feet closer and pulled my arm downwards towards the ground (im 6’5/260lbs) and he pulled me off balance, he then placed the band on my shoulder and physically put everything he had into pulling my shoulder down again and I didn’t budge. That alone made me a believer. He also had me stand with my right arm out and turn my body (from the waist up) clock wise and marked where my right hand went, he then put the band on my shoulder and had me do it again and i was able to go about 8 inches past my previous mark. If anyone finds out where I can buy one online, please let me know!!
ive seen things like this on tv ads…CROCK OF SHI….i dont care what you say, its snake oil. there has been different versions of this going around for the last ten or so years…
btw bull…its about time you posted something…
I have to disagree with you. I have a balance problem as well as poor flexibility. I can never stand on one foot . With the band on I not only kept complete balance but he also
pushed on my outstretched arm and it did not throw me off balance. You have to have your feet together when you try it. I found there company as soon as I Googled it. I think before you can call something bs, you need to try it as it is supposed to be used and see if you see the difference. I didn’t read where you ever tried it, only where you called in snake oil and a jelly band. I also was able to turn my body much more when the band was on than when it was off. I don’t care how it works. All I know is I am using it for my yoga class because I am one of the few who can’t do the tree pose!
silly bandz for adults??
positive and negative ions? ions are atoms. everything has ions in it. it is the normal structure of everything in the universe.
My parents recently bought them and gave them to myself and my brothers. My father is severely diabetic and had lost most of the strength in his pinkies. By the end of the first day of wearing his band, he could operate his pinky more than 2 times what he could before. I am a server, and ever since I have been wearing my band, my feet and my back are not in pain after work and my balance has completely improved. I also have noticed that since I started wearing my band, no matter how much I have to drink, I do NOT wake up with even the slightest headache or hangover.
Lip and Bek: It’s a scam. Check out my follow-up post: http://www.totalbullgrit.com/2010/10/09/the-new-snake-oil-demonstrations/
If you didn’t actually try it, how can you determine if it works? Maybe before you make such a bold statement you should try and “prove” it wrong.
snake oil: Check out the link in my comment right above yours for my testing of the band. But some things don’t need to be tested to be known as bullshit. Would the bands make me able to fly? I guess I can’t say, because I didn’t actually jump off a building while wearing one.
My husband and I each got one as gifts. Skeptical I tried it and can tell you I noticed much better flexibility in my knees and neck which I injured in an accident. Did it eliminate all of my pain and make me super woman NO however I noticed great improvement. Not a joke no snake oil. Both my husband and I noticed great results with the energy armor bracelets. I don’t know about the other brands only Energy Armor
maybe if you would have let the sales man explain the science of the product you would understand how it works. Im a massage therapist so i know just about everything there is to know about the human body. The band makes sense, maybe if you knew anything about how the body reacts to ions you wouldnt be so fast to say it doesnt work. do some research first.
“maybe if you would have let the sales man explain the science of the product you would understand how it works.”
– I did let the salesperson explain the “science” of the product: http://www.totalbullgrit.com/2010/10/09/the-new-snake-oil-demonstrations/
“Im a massage therapist so i know just about everything there is to know about the human body.”
– LOL! I’m sorry. . . your study of the human body to receive your massage therapy certificate: was it measured in weeks or hours?
“The band makes sense, maybe if you knew anything about how the body reacts to ions you wouldnt be so fast to say it doesnt work.”
– Feel free to explain it, right here.
I work for energy armor and before i started working for them i tired the product out. Im a female i dnt work out or any of the above i am also pregnant. The eneergy armor really works. As for as my energy level has went up when i get off i dnt feel sleepy as i was. So it really works and no its not a mind thing. Also my feet dnt hurt. as for the bands renewi. i have never heard of them and have not useed them. so Energy Armor and Renewi is not the same product. There is a website for enegry armor just google it. Many NBA and NFL players wear energy armor.
Several people are coming here claiming “it really works,” but still no one has even hinted at any idea about *how* these miracle plastic bands supposedly work.
Until someone can step up and give an explanation on the science of it, I still call bullshit.
I am a skeptic… I have one (energy armor) a friend bought for me today as he bought 2 and one was free (wearing it now)
Does it work? I dunno
They did the balance tests and others tests that seemed interesting, and impressive, but could it have been a trick? Maybe…
I can say when I put it on initally I could feel a tingling sensation in my hand, it could be static electricity, again no clue!
If it does work, I just want to know the REAL SCIENCE on HOW IT WORKS! It seems no matter what website I visit (spent hours) I can find nothing that states how exactly a negative ion bracelet will provide these positive effects.
When I asked the salesman, he just said it is filled with Negative Ions and grounds your body like how a circuit is grounded or a battery. It shields us from the positive ions that computers and cell phones produce, that still doesn’t really explain how it works… I had him redo the test on me and when I slipped off the bracelet, he wiped his cell phone on my shirt to “fully remove” the negative ions. Seemed like a weird voodoo ritual LOL…
Meanwhile my buddy is going around to total strangers in the mall and supercenters have them do the balance test, LOL!!! They look at him like he is crazy but I can’t stop laughing :-D
(Picture this) Your shopping at Target and total stranger walks up and says hold your arms out, I want to show you something… Good times!
If anyone can show me a link on a COMPLETE analysis on how negative ion bracelets are supposed to work, I would like to see it!
Has any university or medical professionals actually hooked peope up to electrodes, blood tests, or any other machines to see if anything changes on the physiological or biological level? If they work in any way, shape, or form, that would show some change, even if very little…
I am still open that maybe there is something there, but want to see imperical data on it. At minimum I they sure produce lots of conversation and laughs (which is probably what the company wants)
I am not a huge gimmick fan – I call it as I see it. Don’t really care how things work, as long as they do. I drive a large truck and I have NO CLUE as to how things operate inside – but I know I gets me from point a to b…and I know I can tow a trailer or pull someone out of a ditch. How? Because they told me so. I haven’t test the “pulling someone out of a ditch part” but I have pulled a big trailer. So – after seeing this energy armor band in a magazine, and passing by kiosk – I decided to buy one for my mother and one for me. She has serious issues with her wrists from breaking them several years ago. I lack energy…always tired – have two very active young children and suffer from low iron. So – we put them on and ventured to Disney for 6 days. We did a park a day, all day long. I wasn’t exhausted…in fact, I wasn’t tired at all. I haven’t felt this much energy in years. I’m not questioning it, and I don’t care to know how it works. I just know, since putting it on – my energy has been 10 times better.
Ren,
I would, however, hope that the manufacturer of your truck was able to understand fully how the truck works. I have interviewed these people, and I assure you, they do not.
Right, Dave. And any decent truck salesperson should be able to explain how the vehicle works.
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I recently talked to someone who had one of these bands and decided to check it out. I have never been able to do lunges when I exercised and found that with the band I could!
I also woke up this morning without my back hurting….I’m pretty skeptical most of the time and I may wake up with a backache tomorrow but I want to give it a try and then try a few days without it….
My lower back has not hurt as much either…
For those putting the bands down and they have not tried one…I say…to each his own….we all have that right to our opinion.
J
Just purchased a band for my teenage basketball player who needs increased strength and balance. Will keep you posted on results.
Tony – Phoenix,AZ
TMan — Definitely let us know if there is any real performance increase with one of these bands.
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