It was 1984—a year of big hair, synthpop, and even bigger ideas. Somewhere in a dusty suburban garage in Buffalo, New York, an eccentric inventor named Harold Taggart sat beneath a flickering fluorescent light, clapping his hands like a man possessed.
Clap!
The lamp stayed on.
Clap Clap!
The lamp turned off.
Harold’s eyes widened behind thick Coke-bottle glasses. It worked. After months of soldering, rewiring, and one minor electrical fire, he had done it. He’d created a device so brilliantly simple, it could only be known by one name: The Clapper.
Lights, Camera, Infomercial!
Fast forward to a TV studio in New Jersey. Harold, proudly holding his beige plastic box, stood before a skeptical team of marketing producers.
“So, it just turns things on and off… when you clap?” one asked.
“Exactly,” Harold grinned. “Think of the elderly! The forgetful! The people too lazy to get out of bed!”
They stared. Then someone said, “Let’s make it cheesy.”
And with that, one of the most memorable infomercials in TV history was born.
The Jingle Heard ‘Round the World
The commercial opened with a dimly lit bedroom. A weary woman in a pink robe struggled to reach her lamp.
“Tired of getting out of bed to turn off the light?” asked a voiceover with all the drama of a movie trailer.
Clap Clap!
The light shut off. Cue the jingle:
“Clap On! Clap Off! The Clapper!”
From there, America was hooked. The ad showed it all:
- A grandpa clapping during his soap operas
- A woman clapping while balancing a tray of meatloaf
- A dog barking and accidentally triggering the lights
The absurdity was irresistible.
A Late-Night Sensation
By Christmas 1984, over a million Clappers had been sold. It wasn’t just a gadget—it was a pop culture phenomenon. People bought them as gags, gifts, and genuinely useful tools. Living rooms echoed with rhythmic applause like audiences at a polite golf match.
And the best part? It worked. Kind of.
Infomercial Immortality
The Clapper became more than a quirky tech toy. It was spoofed by comedians, featured in sitcoms, and parodied on sketch shows. Yet, through it all, it stood proud—with its plastic shell and simple tech—as a symbol of the infomercial golden age.
As for Harold? He retired early. Moved to a cabin in Vermont. Rumor has it he still claps to turn off his lights.
Twice.
Have a favorite infomercial from the ’80s or ’90s? Drop it in the comments!
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