When Billy Mays died last week it seemed there would be a void in late night infomercial programming which as you know is something that I enjoy a great deal. I didn't think they would keep showing Billy's infomercials. Well, not for the first time I was wrong. In fact, it appears that the continued airing of the infomercials not only have the blessing of his family but are getting the same response rate as before he died.
In the weeks leading up to his death Billy filmed two new infomercials. One started airing this week and one will begin airing in about two weeks. I still think it is kind of strange to buy something from someone who has died, but I also understand the companies who shot these infomercials spent a lot of money on them and probably don't want to reshoot them.
So far complaints have been minimal, although I guess CNBC did get some when they aired one this week. What do you think? Should they be taken off the air or are you ok with Billy selling from beyond the grave? I'm guessing he would have loved it.
I think it is fine. It'like watching movies after actors are dead. The talent lives on.
ReplyDeleteI loved Billy Mays and the show he had on the Discovery Channel with Anthony Sullivan. As long as his family is OK with airing the new commercials, I think it's fine.
ReplyDeleteHeck yeah! Keep on hawkin' in the afterlife, Billy!
ReplyDeletei think it's a good thing to carry on a legacy such as this.
ReplyDeletei mean, this guy was THE best at this. i don't think it's exploitive in any way and you're right enty, i agree he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
It's called "collecting residuals" as his family being next of kin, I am sure they want all that is due to them so keep them infomercials coming I say.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the difference between this, and using old footage of a founder of a company (Schnieders, I'm looking at you) and manipulating the video to make it look like he's promoting the brand? There is no difference, and people don't seem to mind the latter, so why is the former so awful?
ReplyDeleteTV is better with Billy Mays, so I say keep them going. I heard a joke about Billy Mays that although is kinda crude, I think he would've liked:
ReplyDeleteYou know how celebrities usually die in 3s? Leave it to Billy Mays to throw in a 4th for free!
Um, no, they should not be pulled from the air. Every time I telework and watch daytime TV, I see Johnny Cochran, so why not Billy Mays?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he wouldn't have it any other way.
ReplyDeleteI know this is a little different, but I remember how upset I was when someone decided it was a good idea to airbrush out images of the twin towers from old movies after 9/11. They were there, then - poof! - they were gone, just like in real life (although in real life it was a little more than a 'poof'.) Just because they were physically gone was no reason to remove them from film, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteBilly Mays is a little bit the same. Keep his commercials on the air. We all know he's gone, and it's kind of a tribute to his 'talents' to see him once in awhile.
They should stop playing MJ music too, on principle.
ReplyDeleteI agree, keep 'em on the air. He was good at it and apparently he loved doing them, so why not? Although I kind of got a little hiccup when I saw one just two days after he passed.
ReplyDeleteWhy not? Michael Jackson has been selling up a storm since his passing.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is, why were people buying stuff when he was alive? I hear that he was a nice man and whatever, but I turned the sound down or changed the channel every time he came on when he was alive. I don't buy things from people who scream at me. I was dumbfounded to hear that people liked that type of sales pitch to begin with. Nothing against the man personally.
ReplyDeleteIt's great. Keep hawking the crap, Billy.
ReplyDeleteI agree - if other dead celebs can still make money, then so can Billy. I'm sure he would want to provide for his family for as long as possible.
ReplyDeletebramblewitch: As Billy would say, he didn't shout at people, he just spoke clearly and waved his arms a lot! :-)
ReplyDeleteAs long as his family is OK with it, that's cool to show his commercials.
"You know how celebrities usually die in 3s? Leave it to Billy Mays to throw in a 4th for free!"
ReplyDeleteactually i think Billy would laugh at that, funny stuff.
I love that Billy Mays joke.
ReplyDeleteInfomercials are the best. They're more entertaining than most reality TV shows. Why take off some of the best infomercials just because the star has passed away? They could keep running his for the next year or two and I still wouldn't oppose. Rock on, Billy. Rock on.
leave 'em on. he started off hawking oxyclean, and it's a hell of a product.
ReplyDeleteand he's so much better than ron popeil and that german guy. as long as the family is okay with it, i'm okay with it.
i think it's a little creepy.
ReplyDeletei remember some years ago when robert urich died, he had done an infomercial for cybersonic. his family asked that the company cease using it, and it took a while for them to honor that request.
i wouldn't mind billy mays hawking from the beyond, but i think there should be an appropriate mourning period first. it's tacky, imho.
I agree w/ Pookie. I never liked his commercials (I'm one of the ones who turned the sound off or changed the channel when he came on) and seeing him on my t.v. so soon after he died is even worse. But I understand, his family needs to eat.
ReplyDeleteI say keep them coming. If Orville Redenbacher can sell popcorn when he's been dead since '95, I have no problem with Billy selling to me now.
ReplyDeleteI loved the man. He was the best at what he did, and there was just something about him. The first I heard one of his commercials after his death, it kind of freaked me out but it is nice to see him still even though he is gone.
ReplyDeleteUmm, how is this different from Heath Ledger's movies being released after he died? It's Billy's work. I'm POSITIVE if I died tonight, my company would use the work I've done recently. How's this really any different?
ReplyDeleteEnty, are you just trying to stir up some controversy? ;)
His death was so sudden, I think he'd be fine with it.
ReplyDeleteI first bought OxyClean because of Billy Mays' commercials and I've been buying it ever since. It's a great product.
ReplyDeleteI know there are mostly like residuals and all...but I think its exploitation through and through.
ReplyDeleteBefore the crocodile hunter died...he had an ad running on the boob tube for subway and to be honest I hated seeing it time and time again. The man was dead and the commercial just proved to be too sad to watch because of his death.
My parents died young. I think that if the family can get one last paycheck from Dad for work he already did. That is ok.
ReplyDeleteI'M BILLY MAYS AND THIS NEW PRODUCT IS SO EXCITING I HAD TO COME BACK FROM THE GRAVE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhy is his hand so white and the arm so tan and hairy? What the hell is in Oxyclean that it can do that?
ReplyDeleteAh, it's just Billy's way of saying goodbye to all his fans. Don't think I'll be buying if it gives you the MJ disease though. Yikers.
BILLY MAYS SAYS SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH! LOL!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, keep them running, you know that's what he would have wanted. RIP Billy, you always entertained me.