Alex here,
It's been two and a half years since the advertising industry lost its most honest, straightforward, bearded ad figurehead--Billy Mays.
There was just something about him I trusted. Don't get me wrong; I hate commercials, but I hate being manipulated even more. Ol' Billy didn't try to manipulate me; he just yelled at me. I like that.
Of course, it's speculated that he died of heart trouble and hypertension ... Probably a side effect of all that yelling. But he really made a career out of it.
Billy yelled the exact prices and exactly what you'd get for the cost. There was no hidden background music trying to manipulate me into buying failing stock or drugs from porn-addicted CEOs.
There was just Billy and his impeccable pitch.
But he's long gone now, probably pitching Oxi-Clean to the owner and operator of the all-you-can-eat milk and honey buffet.
The era of Mays passed quietly ... and then there was Offer.
Vince Offer.
The Slap Chop guy. I'm pretty sure he had something to do with Billy's death. He was Billy's main competition, and he'd already been arrested the February before Billy died for punching a prostitute.
I trusted Billy Mays. I don't, however, trust Offer. He doesn't yell; he talks so quickly and so confusingly that you can't help but be manipulated into buying his useless products (he stole most of them from Billy Mays).
Anyway, I'll be back to the more cynical ad-related stuff next week. I just saw this video and thought ol' Billy deserved a shout-out.
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