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

[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.