Kilroy Says: Don’t Forget Billy!
As it so often seems to be the case, multiple celebrities have passed away this past week. But what is really unfortunate is that everyone seems to be concentrating on a moonwalking, face-lifted weirdo from Indiana, rather than a real American hero.
I’m talking about Billy Mays.
I know that Billy couldn’t sing. He never moonwalked, or tried to buy the elephant man’s bones. I don’t think he ever had a pet monkey. He probably did sleep with children — his own no doubt, to comfort them during storms and things. When he wasn’t on the road working to support his family.
Billy also was never married to the Six Million Dollar Man, nor Ryan Oneal. He did allow cameras into his private life though — in the form of his show “Pitchmen” on the Discovery Channel (which is having a marathon of Billy today).
Through “Pitchmen,” Americans got to see a different side of Billy Mays — more than just two-minute direct sales commercials, or half-hour infomercials. We got to see that behind all those cool products, that he really did stand behind, was a hard-working guy.
I’m sure that Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and even Ed McMahon were hardworking. And who wouldn’t have loved for Ed McMahon to bring a giant check of free money to their door? But Billy Mays was different. He was a regular Joe like the rest of us. Sure, he drove a Mercedes and lived in a big house in Florida, but the guy worked his ass off to get there.
On one particular episode of “Pitchmen,” Billy even got choked up talking about how he had missed a lot of his family life in his first marriage, precisely because he was out on the road, working hard. How many times did we see Ed McMahon or Michael Jackson cry because work kept them from something they loved?
People might laugh at all the “As-Seen-On-TV” stuff Billy Mays hawked. But have you used any of his products? “Pitchmen” revealed that both he and partner Anthony Sullivan are adamant that the products they represent really work. And who can deny the effectiveness of Orange Glow, Oxy Clean or Mighty Putty? Billy Mays might not have invented those products, but he put his personal stamp of approval on them, guaranteeing they worked, and were fairly priced.
Billy Mays commercials will still air for awhile. We’ll still see his face on all those great products in the stores, for awhile. Even his show will linger in reruns, for awhile. But eventually, Bill will be consigned to the history books. Which is a darn shame.
Billy Mays never got accused of molesting children, or using drugs. I can’t recall a single story of him going on mad, million-dollar spending sprees, or having to file bankruptcy and sell his overly-priced estate.
We should remember Billy Mays because he was a regular Joe, who worked hard, lived as best he could, and achieved the American Dream, bringing joy (and cool products) to millions. If that’s not a hero worth remembering, I don’t know what is.
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Okay, clearly folks aren’t getting this thread…
Not one single comment, yet we have raging arguments over on the Michael Jackson hero-worship threads.
Cmon, folks! Billy Mays worked hard and was successful. THAT is what the American Dream is all about! He did it without getting arrested, sued or accused of heinous crimes! Let’s talk Billy!
Billy Mays has always been a hero to me. I guess it was back when I used to like the Yankees. But, now I’m a Red Sox fan, so being a Billy Mays fan is almost as bad as being a Bambino fan…
Wait…
I was thinking of someone else
You are right, Trog. Billy Mays was and is a “blue-collar” hero. Comparing him to MJ or Farrah is like apples and oranges. I mean, BM was not one who commanded the world’s attention, and yet he was a great example of how we should be.
That said, because he wasn’t as famous, his life has not been dissected like the others in question.
But, I’m with you. People should still care.
Again, you Trog, should be considered a beacon of light in this dark world, too. It’s just that only a few people really have been exposed to you.
That’s sad, and I get it. Because, you are a great man.
No sarcasm intended.
Well, I hate to ruin your day. I won’t discount what you said about Billy’s other life in front of the camera. I’m not qualified to make a judgment there, as I’ve never seen him in anything other than those incredibly annoying commercials/infomercials. I wanted to pull my freaking hair out every time….and I still do. Instead snatching myself bald, I just hit mute or change the damned channel. Apparently, though, enough of you whom I respect thought Billy was a swell guy, so it’s probably true. Still, I don’t know if I’ll ever get over those super loud commercials pushing Oxyclean.
Ron- you dropped a word, I’m a great BIG man. Let’s not diminish those who have achieved by daring to put me in the same category.
Chad- I too am a hater of commercials, and normally skip past them on the old DVR, but you have to admire the technical magic of the direct marketing adds. They have it down to a science. Watching “Pitchmen” really hammers home how much work goes into it. And in Billy Mays case, they don’t sell some of the crap others do. They wisely chose to push quality and value, instead of quantity and flash.
And Oxyclean REALLY works! (Unless you leave the top off and let it sit for ages in the closet, then it isn’t much better than sand. Like food, it needs to be kept fresh)