Billy Mays: BUT WAIT--THERE'S MORE!

[furtech]

I don't know what this says about me, but the news this morning that pitchman Billy Mays has died is hitting me harder than any of the other big-name celebrity deaths. I loved Michel Jackson's music (but his private life intruded on my enjoyment of his music); Farah was the Britney Spears of her day (I was always more of a Jamie Lee Curtis or Adrienne Barbeau geek...); etc.

I guess it's all about how much we get "know" someone that affects how much their deaths affect us. I'm still not over the deaths of the Challenger astronauts or, particularly, Steve Irwin. I saw a lot of Billy Mays: waking up in front of the TV at 3am to find him SO ENTHUSIASTIC about some household appliance-- there was just something about his excitement that was contagious. I've seen enough of him off-commercial (Discovery Channel's "Pitchman" for instance) that I've come to be fond of him, shill that me might have been. He was a conundrum: fake, yet genuine.

Rest in peace, Billy!

Comments

KA-BOOM

[skiefire.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is really sad. He was just starting a new show too, and he looked like a really nice character judging from this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtYdDK1uTDI

[chuck-melville.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I feel far less sympathy for Mayes than I've had for any of the other recent celebrity deaths. I positively and absolutely despise his commercials and his whole loud, relentless hard-sell pitch. I dislike that approach to begin with, and it always sent waves of revulsion up and down my spine whenever one of his commercials would pop up -- at a volume level several notches above the regular programming. My personal prayer is that all of his spiels will now quickly fade away.

Nothing personal against the man, and I do feel sympathy for his family -- but I will not miss his presence on the television.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Chuck-- I think you need to socialize more--but avoid attending funerals.

If someone is expressing grief or sadness over an event (particularly about a death), it's insensitive and rude to shout out what a jerk you think the person who passed was.

[chuck-melville.livejournal.com]

And I apologize if I came across that way.

[xxbalaaxx.livejournal.com]

To be honest, his commercials always annoyed me..but you know..I would never wish him such an untimely end :/. Rest in peace. I was also never huge on MJ..and I think though I consider myself level headed and not to buy into media distortion or hype, I still did. His private life became a circus for the media..and really at the end of it all...it should have never been made our business. This 'private' life..he had none. At least Billy Mays did..one would hope anyway. May they both rest in peace.

[oats-a-plenty.livejournal.com]

Way too many deaths this month :

[lironess.livejournal.com]

I think this one hurts more because Billy was an "everyman" rather than a celebrity on a pedestal. He could have been a neighbor or a uncle instead of an icon. He seemed approachable and generally a nice guy.

I can't say that I will miss him all that much, but I am sad to see him go and in such a weird way.

The head injury thing has now killed two famous people that we know of. If you hit your head and get a really bad headache, please have it checked out people.

Now I have to wait for the other two shoes to drop.