That was done up for the show. Notice that on many of the "good" products, they still gave it numerous tries to make it work (i.e. the shower cleaner stuff). On the mighty putty example with the boat, they admitted that the also used rivets on the boat paddles... Also, the Awesome Auger one is VERY deceptive - they aug loose potting soil/wood chips! Try using that pos in real dirt...

My tax dollars funding illegal wars is much more of a pressing issue to me than the death of some shmohawk who schlubbed the Awesome Auger.

@MyPetFly: That's exactly what I said, out loud.

It was in poor taste, but so funny.

@Trai_Dep: I was just trying to determine the motivation for you contempt. From your posts, you hold unions and government dear and entrepreneurism and industry in disdain.

I'll stop. Your nightmare is over and MustyBuckets, EinhornIsAMan!, FlyersFan, Julius_Seizure can stop rending their clothes and gnashing their teeth over your horrible mistreatment.

He's got an infectious enthusiasm, a great sense of humor, and a talent to win people over with his charm.

I watched "Pitchmen" in his honor last night. Crazy thick beard, but he seemed like a genuinely nice person.

I've never been a fan of his commercials, or even hated most of them, but for some reason, find myself quite saddened by his passing. RIP Billy Mays.

My day was ruined when I heard that he died. I'm already tired of all of the MJ stuff.

WHYYYY MR BILLY MAYS, WHYYYYY
TAKE THE SHAMWOW GUY, HE CAN CLEAN YOUR SPILLS

...At least billy didn't get caught with a sadomasacist hooker..

@BeefSupreme: @MyPetFly: I found that comment to be in extremely bad taste, and regret coming to Consumerist today. I've been a member of this site for over three years, since you had to get an invitation to be able to post, and this is the first time I've ever considered not visiting anymore.

I WOULD HAVE TYPED THIS ENTIRE COMMENT IN ALL CAPS IF I THOUGHT I COULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT.

Billy wasn't ill and, to our knowledge, wasn't using drugs. Hell, he doesn't even look 50.

@Righteous:

I, too, oddly find the loss of Billy Mays more shocking then Michael Jackson. Can't really explain why.

Respect? Why? For all we know, he hung himself on a Hurcules Hook. Maybe all those Big Shitty Sliders he ate caused the Mighty Putty like cholesterol to clog his arteries? Or when he was trying to wash down all that food, maybe he got Orange Glo mixed up with Tropicana... That OxiClean stuff releases bubbles of crap into the air, maybe he died from inhalation?

FAA retracted its statement that he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. Bags fell and hit him. He's basically a victim of US Airways being too cheap to let you check a bag for free. May Doug Parker rot in hell...drunk a.$hole (yes, the CEO of US Airways has a few dui's under his belt)

Here's the plane. It wasn't just a blown tire...the entire landing gear collapsed.

@EinhornIsAMan!: Your intellect is staggering. I guess insults is the best you can do? The Internet makes people so brave.

All these incidents with younger people not feeling well before bed and dying in their sleep are frightening. The Levi Yitzchak Wolowik case in Cedarhurst a few months ago; it was like SIDS except in a 9-year-old. Truly awful for the families. The human head is deceptively fragile.

@clicketyclack: I wonder if Vince will attend the funeral?

@Xanaxian: If this is true, I see a brand new market for the Sorbeez.
"Have you ever been in a situation where you might hit your head and die, and wearing a helmet would have just looked silly? Introducing the Sorbeez Head cushion. Just place it on your head, and secure with the patented hook and loop fastening strip. It allows your head to breathe, while wicking up moisture, and it is machine washable. The Sorbeez Head Cushion provides protection against head impacts up to 0.4Gs. Order Now!"

@Kitteridge: I don't know how long he was sitting on the plane but perhaps he developed deep vein thrombosis I think which is caused by the lack of movement and tight quarters allowing blood clots to form ?

Now I'm seeing where he didn't feel good before he went to bed ?

Might have something there .

Like the dues-paying members of NAMBLA, Gary Glitter, and L. Ron Hubbard.

On a side note, with all the action this week, I can't wait to see if South Park makes a sequel to Satan's Luau!
"Are we going to the Hukilau?
The Huki Huki Huki Huki Hukilau?
Everybody loves a hukilau!"

"Billy Mays here for Satan's Luau!"

Of course I don't know if that was the cause of Mays' death, but there does seem to be some sort of connection.

@Righteous: In many respects I agree because Billy Mays demise was in the prime of his career if not life. Unlike all the other deceased over the last few weeks Mays was the only one who's time in the sun was cut short for what ever reason .

All the others had their 15 minutes,had or had a fortune and numerous chances at comebacks . Jackson & Carridine blew their chances with eccentric behavior . McMahon lost his fortune but at least had family and friends as did Faucet . But Billy Mays was in prime time he wasn't an up and comer or a has been he was in PRIME TIME with his star still rising . That's the truely sad thing .

Is it urban myth that celeberty deaths happen in cluster of at least 3 . This is one of the longest streaks of celeberty or pop culture deaths I can remember.

@EinhornIsAMan!: You're free to criticize me and call me names. And you are free to defend poor widdle Trai_Dep, too.

I'm simply pointing out that it is rather despicable to take joy in someone else's demise so that you don't have to risk suffering through one of their infomercials. But if that's what gets Trai_Dep off, then "Yay, HIM/HER!"

If you think that is self righteous, then you and I don't understand the term the same way.

I'm right, by the way.

@silver-bolt:

Funny, I was up most of the night last night with my back & neck killing me & saw a bit of "The Pitchmen" (they were having trouble with getting some wiper blade ("the gator" I think they called it?) thing to work properly for filming) and a bit later the infomercial for the dual saw with him. It didn't change my opinion, but I didn't see it all and am a rather jaded person when it come to capitalism's commercial/marketing aspects, and generaly "mean & surly".

Trai Dep you are my hero. If people cant take a joke...

Looks like we'll have to become celebrities to fill the gap. :)

I loved watching Pitchmen and I have no clue what Discovery is going to do now. I was never a fan of Billy Mays till I started watching the show. I always thought he was pitching junk but he was not. He was pitching things that actually work.

Until Pitchmen came along I thought he was an annoying asshole. I was proven wrong. He was a very kind and loving person and it took him twenty years to reach the level he was at. I'll miss him shouting from my speakers and I wish his family the best.

And you realize you're refuting nothing by saying it's like the pot calling the kettle black right?

@Trai_Dep: you're a freakin dick

@EinhornIsAMan!: What makes you so qualified to lecture me and others? There's a saying about two kitchen implements you might want to keep in mind.

I'm afraid to refresh my browser!

@Sheogorath: It would have been great if he was Smilin Bob, Well Yellin Bob. I loved Billy Mays because of Pitchman because the show made him human. Most the contact anyone has from him is the commercials.
But I would have loved to hear:
Hi Billy Mays Here with a great new product. You penis not big enough? Are you like most my products and are quick to use? Well have I got something for you...

=\

Really, were you planning on fooling anyone with that?

I noticed this same thing when Steve Irwin died. People on various message boards I visit were making fun of his death because they thought he was stupid and it just wasn't cool.

Maybe stuff you didnt NEED, but it did do what he said it would do, even the more strange ones like Mighty Putty (which btw worked great in modeling, which given it was a decent epoxy putty was not surprising)

He put the Orange glow in my day.

(Are people really mad at you because you didn't want to see an infomercials, and figure with the death of the pitchmen the playtime of them will drop to nothing? Or did you say something about tap dancing on his grave that just isn't displaying on my computer?)

does any1 else see the trend here?

Annoying or not, his commercials were MEMORABLE which is the goal of marketing. They want you to remember that commercial you saw, consciously or subconsciously. You say Billy Mays.. I say Oxiclean. You say Billy Mays.. I say OrangeGlo. In that respect, eveyone one of his pitches was a complete success and he made serious money for the people who sell the products.

@Wolzard:

Now who's going to pitch the shamwow2, the cloth for your teabag?

No one is putting on a black veil and quietly sobbing, but they're also not doing a Nelson Muntz and pointing at the grave and going "ha-hah!" about it, except it seems you.

Believe it or not, some people manage to respect the recently departed's family's feelings even when the person who died is not their friend or someone they know.

I wouldn't fly US Air.

@Trai_Dep: You're right, I've never met Mays. Or Michael Jackson, or Farah Fawcet, or Ed McMahon or any other celebrity that died this week. And I'm not going to light a candle for any of them.

But I'm not going to ridicule those that mourn their deaths (whether they met them, or not). I'll leave that to judgemental people like you.

You appear harbor a bit of resentment for this Mr. Mays. Perhaps you have met him despite never having had to endure one of his informercials?

Or is it because he was a self made man who earned his fortune without the help of the government or unions?

It's a real loss, especially because he was so young and recently he and his wife had a young daughter. It's a shame.

@Benguin: What, someone that worked themselves to a high position can't be a hero of sorts?

Lots and LOTS of cats!

@Benguin: Better Billy than MJ.

Never like this BM much. But it sucks to die that way - getting hit in the head - if that turns out to be the case.

DOWn, baby, DOWn!

So you are saying that you don't love his nuts?

Good riddance Billy. The world will be much better off without you and the companies you represent ripping off the public.

Methinks you need better heroes.

I'll just toss a quote in here..

"By the way, if anyone here is in advertising or marketing, kill yourself... No really, there's no rationalization for what you do, and you are Satan's little helpers, OK? Kill yourselves, seriously. You're the ruin-er of all things good. Seriously, no, this is not a joke." -- Bill Hicks

@Radi0logy:

Because did ya everthing there may be someone whos reading this that actualy DID KNOW HIM personally, as in have family that knows his mother back home McKees Rocks, PA, whent to the same school as him, ect. because guess what shitbird

I DO

...and said to himself one last time, "but wait, there's more!"

OK...now that I've finished laughing I have to say just how wrong that is.....funny as hell....but wrong.

One of my employees died the day AFTER his 50th birthday while jogging with his kid. He'd been given a clean bill of health the week before by the doc. He ate like a vegetarian (that liked tuna fish). Man, he was so great.

Stupid jokes THE DAY somebody dies? Not cool.

Wether you like him or not he was good at what he did and if you ever saw the show Pitchmen you'll see how professional he was giving his all for any product he sold . I never saw him preach politics or get melicious with anyone . He was of those people that seemingly went through life doing their legal thing without messing with anyone else .

I'd rather have Billy Mays sell me something rather than a pimply faced kid at Best Buy or 1000 dollar suit wearing used car salesman . Selling is part of capitalism which helps enable stuff like free speech because you have choices to ponder .

I wouldn't buy most stuff from an informercial period . Nor would I buy a car to the get the girl in the slinky dress or bikini that they will supposedly attract . You are sold all the time in a capitalist economy . And especially with a TV infomercial you have that choice to change the channel,turn it off or turn the page in a magazine .

This isn't about who was more important,famous or infamous it's about Billy Mays . At least Billy Mays wasn't sleeping with strange children or going into foreclosure AFTER making MILLIONS . Nor did Billy Mays walk away from an obvious meal ticket early in his career . Yeah there are crooks and liars in capitalism but you were not asked to sign away your life for a house or to apply for a credit card just for a bottle of soda .

Hell, that first line Carey wrote sounds like something Mays would have wrote himself.

It's actually estimated that 150,000 people die a day.

Poor Billy will miss him. He shouted a lot but I always chalked that up to enthusiasm.

Although if it was and you saw one of his commercials, you would have to kill yourself and start over. Maybe at the nearest Save Point?

@supercereal: Who's crying? I'm just pointing out that Trai_Dep made a jackass comment. Perhaps you see the Internet as somewhere to lose all of your inhibitions and civility. I don't. I try my best to be respectful of everyone in this forum regardless of how I feel about their views. But, I reserve the right to call out a really dumbass comment when I see it.

I don't miss any commercials

And while we're on the topic of decency, that intro was just inappropriate.

But now I'm just being anal retentive. *sigh* What a crummy week.

@seamer:

Carradine - I still can't believe his family kept his death in the news with their conspiracy stuff: they ended up outing his death as being due to autoerotic hanging, they should have just left that detail stay private.

Sad and quite the shame, but I doubt he had any significant impact on any of your lives. Stop pretending he did. Almost 10,000 other people will die today -- why aren't you crying over them too?

People die everyday. Quit pretending you feel bad for someone you had no connection to, without giving though to the thousands of other people who will die today that you also had no connection to.

That said, it's a shame for anyone to die that early in life.

The guy was a salesmen, plain and simple. He was also a great person to independent inventors.

@Trai_Dep: Yes, now that the man has died, I suspect the number of his infomercials running on TV will drop off dramatically and you will have little difficulty keeping your streak going.

This may be the most idiotic comments you have ever made. I hope you have the decency to retract it.

Kung Fu
70's postergirl
Pop
Sidekick
Barker
News

That's a lot of Kings. Enough for now, please.

I echo the "win" statement. It's very sweet.

I never quite understood this thing we have about those that have past on and our feelings towards them, meaning the whole respect for the dead/family thing. I've always thought & said the same about someone when dead as alive, not that anyone should go out of their way to take a particular opportunity in the death to bash the departed unecessarily. I'm not really a fan of anyone who makes their living hawking products to generally less savy consumers that would otherwise not buy the product if more fully informed of costs (S&H, additional seperate S&H, etc.), alternatives, and drawbacks (to me a lack of full disclosure & twisted stats/statements are lies). I guess I'm just not enough of a capitalist to appreciate this sort of marketing.

@Kaiser-Homerhead: You'll have the cleanest curb on the block.

@lvixen: Yeah, but this makes four (famous people)this week.

I can't speak for him, but personally I hope my funeral is more like a keg party than.. well.. a funeral. With explicit instructions to kick everyone out that displays "shock and contempt!" at the lack of respect for the dead.

Everyone forgets Carradine is in the cadre of recently deceased celebrities -

Carradine
Fawcett
Jackson
McMahon
Mays

Nearly -
Cronkite

Sometimes it's alright to joke about someones death. In case anyone is wondering, the day of is too soon.

Now, Billy's going to make a killing selling Oxy-Clean to keep the Angel's robes sparkling white, and Orange-Glo to keep those halos polished to perfection. Going for the big close.

God bless his family, too.

It's a shame. My condolences to the family

Unless of course he meant that Billy's death significantly lowers the odds that he'll ever see one of his commercials, in which case, yeah, that's a bit insensitive.

I have to wonder if the already existing commercials will be played by those companies or if they will drop them out of some sort of respect.

@Sheogorath: I'm of the same opinion - one of the more tolerable personalities .

Alot of people can't stand him but I hate the informercials withOUT him especially . He did his job and drew attention to the products he pitched . He seemed like a more sincere pitchman .

And unlike recent celeberty deaths (not taking anything away from them) but here's a guy with a family who was taken out of life at THE PRIME of his active career which was still going higher . I just saw him on the Tonight show last week and have seen his show Pitchmen .

Rest In Peace Billy Mays

THEY'RE DROPPING LIKE FLIES!!!!!

TMZ is reporting that he'd hit his head hard during a rough airplane landing the previous day, because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt, and so may have died of a subdural hematoma. If true, I'm sorry, ghost of Billy, but that was just dumb of you.

Maybe now Michael Jackson will be relegated to page 2.

[twitter.com]

And he's never told me that "THOUSANDS OF MEN AVOID SEXUAL INTIMACY BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE IN BED" at least once a night.

R.I.P

Oh, SNAP!

HI BILLY MAYS HERE WITH ANOTHER FANTASTIC PRODUCT..

I'm gonna miss that =/