I did some research on the ShamWow guy, Vince.
His name is Offer "Vince" Schlomi and he is from Israel, originally. He also goes by the name of "Vince Offer."
Mr. Schlomi owns the rights to both the ShamWow towel and to the kitchen gadget, The Slap Chopper. Alongside the now, sadly, departed Billy Mays, he has brought the concept of the sales pitchman back into our consciousness. He has become wildly successful with both of these simple products, and his trademark pitch lines, "Call now, because we can't do this all day..." and "... your gonna love my nuts!"
Oddly, these products were a stopgap for Vince after he was ousted from the Church of Scientology. Vince sees himself as a writer, comedian and producer of cinematic film and has one credit to his name, "The Underground Comedy Movie"
But he fell afoul of and was discredited by the Scientolgists for his direct to DVD movie (marketed via infomercial, a la "Girls Gone Wild"). The film was not well received by anyone, least of all the cults leadership. They tried him in one of their kangaroo courts over it and booted him from the religion. This led to the loss of his Hollywood contacts within the Church and any funds from his supporters which he may have hoped for.
Vince filed a 2004 suit in retaliation, on a "quest to expose the human cruelty and destructive practices committed by the Church of Scientology." He ultimately dropped the case, later that year, but not after being responsible for many members of the Church leaving. Other law suits ensued from the making of the movie, none of which went anywhere for Vince.
He recently made news of another sort when he was arrested for punching a prostitute in February of 2009. It seems his "date," Sasha Harris, bit down on his tongue and wouldn't let go, so he resorted to a moment of painful reaction by slugging the girl. Both declined comment in the matter and neither he nor the "lady" were charged in the incident.
But, in the weird way that Life sometimes works, it is the last-ditch selling of home gadgets that has earned him his greatest notoriety. Love him or hate him, he is proof that persistence and a hook-line pitch can beat many odds. If he proves anything else, it is that there is still room in this increasingly homogenized world for eccentric, larger than life characters.
Go Vince! I for one am waiting to see what's for sale next. But please hurry, my friend. After all, I can't wait all day....