I must admit that I was utterly shocked to hear the news of Billy’s untimely death. It seems that this last week has been a very bad one for celebrities. Now I know that most people will say that he was an annoying guy in a blue shirt, but to me he was proof that hard work and talent can get you anywhere.
I hate infomercials. I hate them with a passion. But I love a Billy May’s commercial. I think that magic behind them was his over the top personality, and the fact that what he was pushing is actually worth a damn. I can’t think of anyone I know that doesn’t have now, or at some point in the past, a bottle of OxiClean in their possession. I believed in Billy and that was the power of his commercials. You can’t ignore a man with that much passion for their product.
I had recently become a huge fan of his TV show on Discovery, Pitchmen. It showed that there was more to the yelling guy on TV, and the more I watched the bigger the fan I became. I love sales. I love the fact that nothing happens in life without it, and I love watching people that are good at it in action. Billy took what some consider an old and outdated way of selling, and turned it into a billion dollar business. Along the way he also taught everyone a lesson on the power of buiding a personal brand. Who would have thought that a yell, a beard, and a blue shirt could be worth so much money?
My heart goes out to his family, and especially to his little girl. A man with a personality that large will leave a gap in their lives. I, for one, will miss you and your commercials, Billy. I promise if I get the chance I will punch the ShamWow guy in the nuts for you. I hope you get a blue shirt in Heaven.
Mental Slavery 