He was one of the last old-time Atlantic City Boardwalk pitchmen. He was a pro at selling shit, and the yelling obviously worked.

This is just a shame.

Hardly. If this means I don't have to hear his obnoxious yelling 5,732 times every time I turn on the TV, Mays kicking the bucket is 100% WIN for me and much of the viewing audience.

Score one for civilization.

reprobate

New Orleans, LA

December 2002

JUN 28, 2009 08:15 PM

Mr_Matt_ said:
He was one of the last old-time Atlantic City Boardwalk pitchmen.

I'm afraid that claim is pure salemanship. There is no such thing as an old-time Atlantic City Boardwalk pitchman. He worked trade shows and consumer shows and fairs, he wasn't hawking crap on the boardwalk. Guys like that are also hardly a dying breed. There are thousands of these guys out on the road right now selling everything from knife sharpeners to floating hats.

Thanatogenous

SUICIDEGIRL

USA

JUN 28, 2009 08:41 PM

His death is just surreal because he is piece of American nostalgia. Crazy

Cash

USA

OLD SKOOL

JUN 28, 2009 08:48 PM

do you REALLY care?

LimoWreck

I'm lost

October 2007

JUN 28, 2009 08:56 PM

AceT said:

Stevie_D said:

Ok, this made me chuckle.

Cassiel

Aurora, CO

September 2004

JUN 28, 2009 10:07 PM

Sung to the tune of Bob Dylan's "Lenny Bruce"

Billy Mays is dead but his ghost lives on and on
Never did get any Golden Globe award, but had a show with his friend Sullivan.
He was a pitchman, that's for sure,
More of a pitchman than you ever were.
Billy Mays is gone but his spirit's livin' on and on.

Maybe he had some problems, maybe some stains that he couldn't get out
But he sure was funny and he sure was loud and he knew what he was talkin'
about.
Never gave us bad products nor put crazy things in our heads,
He just talked on television and sold you stuff in your beds.
He's on some other shore, he won’t be selling anymore.

Billy Mays is dead but he didn't commit any crime
He just had the insight to sell us OxiClean before its time.
I bought Zorbeez from him once, only $14.99,
And they cleaned up everything so fine.
Billy Mays moved on and like the spills that he cleaned, gone.

They said that he was crazy 'cause he screamed like a fool
He just showed Vince ShamWow to be nothing more than a tool.
They hated him and derided him for every single shout,
He fought a war on a battlefield where every victory counts.
Billy Mays was bad, he was the baddest motherfucker in the land.

silversoul7

Portland, OR

January 2008

JUN 28, 2009 10:24 PM

Gringo

Spokane, WA

May 2006

JUN 28, 2009 11:05 PM

Stiles said:
Hardly. If this means I don't have to hear his obnoxious yelling 5,732 times every time I turn on the TV, Mays kicking the bucket is 100% WIN for me and much of the viewing audience.

Score one for civilization.

I dunno. For some reason, I am pretty sure his informercials will live on in reruns for quite some time.

TV is still not safe.

Stiles

Oakland, CA

November 2002

JUN 28, 2009 11:31 PM

Gringo said:
I dunno. For some reason, I am pretty sure his informercials will live on in reruns for quite some time.

TV is still not safe.

Yeah, his annoying TV presence will continue, but the good news is there won't be any new ones that haven't already been shot.

Gringo

Spokane, WA

May 2006

JUN 28, 2009 11:41 PM

Ha...true.

Spiffy

Calgary, AB

March 2007

JUN 29, 2009 09:25 AM

Stiles said:
Yeah, his annoying TV presence will continue, but the good news is there won't be any new ones that haven't already been shot.

A new commercial is being shot in heaven:

"Billy Mays here for Halo Shine! It not only gets rid of unsightly stains, it makes your halo look brand new! It also works great on wings and robes! So don't worry about those wine stains and bread crumbs ANY LONGER! Use Halo Shine!"

thefreak

NEWSWIRE

Gardner, MA

JUN 29, 2009 09:55 AM

Spiffy said:
A new commercial is being shot in heaven:

"Billy Mays here for Halo Shine! It not only gets rid of unsightly stains, it makes your halo look brand new! It also works great on wings and robes! So don't worry about those wine stains and bread crumbs ANY LONGER! Use Halo Shine!"

-TM

Spiffy

Calgary, AB

March 2007

JUN 29, 2009 10:28 AM

Well played, thefreak. Well played.

*slowclap*

ZetaMale

Tallahassee, FL

April 2006

JUN 29, 2009 06:30 PM

I feel really weird, because a week or two ago, for no good reason, I changed my minibar sentence to "ZetaMale unleashes the power of oxygen!"

Cash

USA

OLD SKOOL

JUN 29, 2009 07:03 PM

You know...I just saw a clip of him on the Tonight Show with Conan...and he seems to be a genuinely funny guy when he's not "on". Not that I'm going to cry or anything...but it's weird to see people like that...that you normally only see when they're "on". Like...I imagine Billy Mays was probably very calm & sensible when buying toilet paper at the supermarket.

Ridley

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

JUN 30, 2009 02:47 AM

Cash said:
You know...I just saw a clip of him on the Tonight Show with Conan...and he seems to be a genuinely funny guy when he's not "on". Not that I'm going to cry or anything...but it's weird to see people like that...that you normally only see when they're "on". Like...I imagine Billy Mays was probably very calm & sensible when buying toilet paper at the supermarket.

I take it you didn't see any of the Discovery Channel's show on him. It's very interesting watching him drop the act and go right into business, or joke around.

super_nova

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

JUN 30, 2009 10:59 AM

i think i saw him on there too. i liked that guy. My son saw a pic of Steve Carell on the cover of Little Miss Sunshine today and thought that he was Billy Mays (it was the beard) He got all sad and I had to reassure him that the guy that did the voice on Over the Hedge did not die.

mydogfarted

Oakland, NJ

June 2003

JUN 30, 2009 11:16 AM

Pip said:

SnakePlissken said:
Vince did it.

Everyone thinks that but if you watch 5 minutes of pitchmen you'll know it was Sully!

Would you blame him? Did you see the episode where Sully was testing the shark repellant and Billy was chumming the water without Sully's knowledge?

TeejWI

New Berlin, WI

September 2007

JUL 01, 2009 04:18 PM

Honestly, I was more bummed when we lost Don LaFontaine last year (The "In a world..." voiceover guy).

Remember seeing an interview with him where the guy asked if he got recognized by his voice when he goes places. Don piped up and said "Well, it's not something I can do 24-7...I mean..I can't just go into a store and say [voiceover voice] I'd like a can of PEAS please."