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Billy Mays Dead

imhomerjay said:
vchimpanzee said:
I saw Billy in a commercial over the weekend. Is this legal?

Why would it be illegal?

Obviously it's not illegal. Considering Mays did commercials for dozens of products and their aired 24/7, it's understandable that they some of them are still out there and haven't been pulled yet.

What I find indescribably tacky are the commercials that use clips of long dead celebrities like Sinatra or John Wayne, or (worse) the commercials that CGI the dead celebrities directly into the commercial.

You know its the celebrities' surviving family members trying to make some money by licensing the use of their dear old dad, grandpa, or whatever
 
Agree it's not illegal, just trying to understand the point of the poster's question, such as if they thought there was actually some regulation in play.

On the long-dead celebs...meh, if the family is making money, such is the way of the world (and it may be that they really can use the money, not just greed at work).
 
Jackie Gleason, The Little Rascals, Fred Gwynne, Lucy, John Ritter, Liz Montgomery, Gene Autry, Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and hundreds of dead movie stars still work (on tv) every day, even though they are all dead. It's legal.

Why would a program be any different than an ad?
 
Prais said:
Jackie Gleason, The Little Rascals, Fred Gwynne, Lucy, John Ritter, Liz Montgomery, Gene Autry, Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and hundreds of dead movie stars still work (on tv) every day, even though they are all dead. It's legal.

Why would a program be any different than an ad?

The difference is: those celebrities were alive when the acted in those programs, and did them of their own free will. Obviously, they did not freely choose to be de facto spokespeople for a commercial products after their deaths.

I didn't say it's illegal - just that it's tacky.
 
dhett said:
Mays plugged a competing product to ShamWow: Zorbeez. Consumer Reports tested the two head-to-head (link: http://consumerist.com/5163584/sham+wow-and-zorbeez-tested-on-attack-of-the-show) and apparently wasn't impressed with either, but ShamWow performed better than Zorbeez.

I have a box of Zorbeez that was given to me, and it is truly a worthless product. Take the cheapest kids blanket you can find off the WalMart shelf and wash it 175 times, and the end result will be about what you have in your hand when you open a box of Zorbees.

So who is going to pick up the lion's share of Billy's work? ShamWow Vince? Antony Sullivan? Or are we going to have a reality show that searches for America's new top pitchman?
 
FreddyE1977 said:
dhett said:
Mays plugged a competing product to ShamWow: Zorbeez. Consumer Reports tested the two head-to-head (link: http://consumerist.com/5163584/sham+wow-and-zorbeez-tested-on-attack-of-the-show) and apparently wasn't impressed with either, but ShamWow performed better than Zorbeez.

I have a box of Zorbeez that was given to me, and it is truly a worthless product. Take the cheapest kids blanket you can find off the WalMart shelf and wash it 175 times, and the end result will be about what you have in your hand when you open a box of Zorbees.

So who is going to pick up the lion's share of Billy's work? ShamWow Vince? Antony Sullivan? Or are we going to have a reality show that searches for America's new top pitchman?

Oh no! DON'T give them any ideas. You know there's some idiot out there reading this that just said "EUREKA" THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO! I'm willing to open up a po0l as to when this "America's new top pitchman" will show up on tv. I have mid August. ;)
 
mimo said:
FreddyE1977 said:
dhett said:
Mays plugged a competing product to ShamWow: Zorbeez. Consumer Reports tested the two head-to-head (link: http://consumerist.com/5163584/sham+wow-and-zorbeez-tested-on-attack-of-the-show) and apparently wasn't impressed with either, but ShamWow performed better than Zorbeez.

I have a box of Zorbeez that was given to me, and it is truly a worthless product. Take the cheapest kids blanket you can find off the WalMart shelf and wash it 175 times, and the end result will be about what you have in your hand when you open a box of Zorbees.

So who is going to pick up the lion's share of Billy's work? ShamWow Vince? Antony Sullivan? Or are we going to have a reality show that searches for America's new top pitchman?

Oh no! DON'T give them any ideas. You know there's some idiot out there reading this that just said "EUREKA" THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO! I'm willing to open up a po0l as to when this "America's new top pitchman" will show up on tv. I have mid August. ;)


It looks like such a sweet gig, I think I may have to start showing up at the Pittsburgh Home Show
every year myself. ;)
 
ixnay said:
WMC2006 said:
Not to be too morbid, but as I (and maybe someone else) mentioned in either the Michael Jackson or Farrah thread, bad stuff happens in threes (Ed, Michael, and Farrah).

Or sometimes sixes (Mays, Malden, and McNair [football became showbiz long ago so he counts; dunno if Steve was mentioned previously on this thread]).

And these celebrities would actually be a six-pack of "M"-named celebrities at one point or another: Mays, Malden and McNair, plus Michael, McMahon and the former Farrah Fawcett-Majors!

Mmmmmmmm...
 
The tacky ones that got me were the ones that digitally brought the stars back to life- like that short lived new "Ed Sullivan Show" with a virtual Ed on stage. Even when Natalie Cole remade "Unforgettable" with father Nat's voice mixed in was pretty morbid, especially since it was his song to begin with & when she got a Grammy for it she never even thanked dad.
I've mentioned this in another thread, but the most macabre & disturbing ad resurrecting a dead person is the late Heather O' Rourke ad for Direc TV with Craig T. Nelson talking back & forth with Carrie Anne in front of the t.v.
Just something about the " They're heeeere" and him still alive & well rolling over in bed saying "No, honey, they're not here" just gives me the virtual creeps & I'm not one to get the creeps much.
 
Interestingly Enough -
We had a fly problem at my work, and I said ,
We should use the latest thing Billy Mays was pitching!
-My co-worker, 1/2 paying attn, (thought i was making a morbid
joke, about flies - on a dead body)*which I was not* as I quickly
explained to him; but in fact the "Latest" info-mercial he recorded,
Prior to his sudden passing ( All Respects, Mr Mays) was in fact
an ad for catching flies...

COMMENTARY:
I personally believe and think it was AWESOME for the stations to continue
to sponsor his advertiserments. Not for the dollars/cents of the business
( some one paying for the spot), and not "out of respect" but,
after some one passes, all you have left is what you have left,
in a personal collection - say, old movies. The first viewing you are
in awe, that you are watching a "memory" Second/next time you watch it,
the . . . . . . . . is not there - and you hold to the treasured memories you have;

However, when you find some thing *new* it releases a glimpse of hope that
you have some thing "alive" again and even if for a brief moment, you are viewing
something for the first time, and it is special.
*EXCEPT in the case* When a musician dies, and "suddenly" a new album is discovered,
and then a double album, and then seemingly, 'new' material surfaces, etc...

but, i Know the first time i read about the commercial on line (source:yahoo),
i stopped what I was doing, and watched the spot, Closer.
-It didnt help, I became attached to Mr. Mays, when he was on a recent MSNBC
one hour segment explaining the "paid program" business, from *his* side of it -
He stated, one flop away from being out of work; he can't shave the beard, that
is the trademark (etc)... it is ashame to lose this talented actor, not an early age,
but at any age.

PS:
did any one see his second/other commercial ?
ALSO: what a great sport (no pun), he was to pitch a mock-spot for ESPN.
 
I just saw one for a thing you attach to your cellphone and I could swear it was called The Fly but I guess I could be wrong. Basically, it allowed for hands free driving.

Funny thing, in the commercial, his agent (or someone from his office) calls him while he's driving and asks him to come to the office. He talks to her as LOUDLY as he talks to us. :D
 
Over the weekend I heard commercials for Oxi-Clean and KaBoom. They both had a pleasant female voice with at least some emotion, but I wouldn't say they were as effective.

Of course, Bob Garfield defines effective as selling the product.
 
I also saw Orange-Glo re-edited with a female VO. You only see Billy's shoes when he scuffs the floor and then uses the product.
 
Our 8 year old recognized the newly-dubbed Orange Glo commercial and said "That should be Billy Mays doing that commercial."
Without any prodding, and I have never heard the topic talked about in our house.
 
I have seen the "Gopher" still on display at Wal-Mart with Billy's mug on the box, but I haven't seen anything by him on television since he died.

For those of you who may not know, the "Gopher" is the contraption that helps you retrieve items from high shelves, etc. If you are tall like me, you may not have much use for that! ;D
 
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