Are You Serious?!?

Have you noticed the specific formula for almost every infomercial ever made?  First, there's the faceless, deep-voiced announcer who brings to your attention several problems in your life that you didn't know you had ("Tired of waiting 15 whole minutes for pasta to boil on the stove? ")  .  Then there's the expert who knows everything about the product and demonstrates how said product will solve your newly discovered problems ("Now you've got perfect  pasta in 8 seconds!") But the third important factor is the totally amazed person who JUST. CANNOT. BELIEVE IT!!! They start off quite incredulous but gradually, their skepticism melts into total amazement ("Wow! It's so easy, even I can do it!")  But first, they must repeat everything the expert says in the form of a question.

Tonight at a BBQ, I was seated next to a fellow who seemed to have wandered off the set of an infomercial and couldn't seem to break character.  Few people at the table were well antiquated, so there were plenty of getting-to-know-you questions flying back and forth.  But this guy reacted to each answer with an infomercial-like disbelief.  It went something like this:

Question Guy: "Where you from?"
Regular Guy: "St. George."
QG:"No way! You're from St. George?!"
RG:"Yeah.  Are you?"
QG: "No."
<awkward silence>

QG:"So, what do you do?"
Girl:"I'm a teacher."
QG:"Are you serious? You're a teacher?"
Girl:"Yeah. I teach 4th grade."
QG:"Whoa! You do?"
Girl:"Yeah." 
QG: "Really?"
<awkward silence>



Almost every interaction he attempted ended the same...with the conversation partner wondering why anybody would find their life so unbelievable.  For a moment I imagined--but didn't actually carry out because that would be rude--making up  stuff like....

QG:"What's your name?"
Me: "Faloola"
QG: "Really?"
Me: "Yep.  After my mother."
QG:"No way!"
Me: "Way!"
QG:"Are you serious?"
Me: "We come from a small island you've never heard of."
QG:"You do?"
Me: "And my uncle is the king and our entire economy is based on sea shells"
QG: "It is?"
Me: "Nope.  I'm from Brigham City."
<awkward silence>
QG:"You're from Brigham City?!?"
Me: *sigh*