Requiem for a Pitch Man

Billy Mays is dead. The brash, loud television pitchman was found dead by his wife in his home yesterday morning. Billy certainly wasn't a cultural icon the way Michael Jackson was or even Farrah Fawcett. Nor was he a television staple as long as Ed McMahon who with his boss Johnny Carson was part of what may arguably be thought of as the most famous 2 shot in the history of TV. No, Billy was just a guy promoting Orange Glo and OxiClean on commercials. And yet, I feel really sad that we won't be seeing him anymore (unless his estate has the ghoulish idea of continuing to run his spots). For one thing, I really didn't mind the intrusion Billy made on my television viewing because he was just plain entertaining. He was a hawker who didn't make any pretence that he was trying to get you to buy his product and got in your face to do so. In many ways, he was a throw back to the old informercial stars of yesteryear (Ron Popeil must be shedding a tear) but in Billy's case, he was saying this is my style, I don't care if I'm too loud because I really believe in the products I sell. (One of the funny stories I read in one of his obituaries is that he gave all the guests at his wedding samples of OxiClean and did his pitch on the dance floor). This was a guy who loved what he did for a living. And if he really didn't, then he was a better actor than we can give him credit for. Billy Mays was as everyman as you can get, an anti-star and yet an icon in his own way for advertising and I'll miss his over the top 30 seconds of hawking.