Monday, June 29, 2009

Remembering Billy Mays: Tribute to a Household Hero

Wow. Last week was a tough one.

The world lost a number of legends, with Ed McMahon & Farrah Fawcett losing their long and heroic battles with cancer, and of course, the unexpected death of music icon Michael Jackson. (Visit our YouTube page to see The Simpsons cast reflect on having Michael guest star on the show.)


For me, the breaking point was when news came that beloved pitchman Billy Mays passed away unexpectedly.


Yes, Billy Mays. That bearded, boisterous, guy on t.v. who, with his elevated voice and unstoppable energy, could almost convince you to buy almost anything. C'mon admit it...you've been tempted to play with a little Mighty Putty or a Mighty Mend It? For me, it was Oxi Clean.

One hot summer afternoon I opened the fridge at my mom's house for a drink. There was a fresh pitcher of red something, so I reached in, grabbed it, and WHOOSHHHH-the pitcher of red something that had once looked like an oasis now looked like a red nightmare, all over the kitchen floor, and worse, onto the (cream colored) living room carpet. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Then I ran to the sink.

I quickly grabbed the blue spray bottle, went to work, and within minutes, the panic had been relieved, and the red night mare was gone. I kid you not, after laughing at myself a little, the words "god bless you Billy Mays" came out of my parched mouth.

To this day, my mom still has no idea. Well, until she reads this. Hi mom.

So this one's for you, Billy. Thank you for saving my life that day. Thank you for keeping our whites whiter, our bathrooms brighter, and our Saturday mornings lighter with your jolly infomercials. You will be missed.





1 comment:

ace said...

Another "celebrity" who was 50 just died. He had a lot going for him.

May Billy Mays rest in peace despite some of the negative things people say.