Billy Mays is dead!

[Ramesh]

What the heck is going on?! This has been a crazy week, week and a half.

[iCafe]

TMZ has confirmed TV pitchman Billy Mays was found dead today in his home in Tampa, Florida early this morning.

According to the Tampa PD, the 50-year-old TV pitchman was found unresponsive by his wife Deborah at 7:45 AM.

TMZ has learned Mays' body has already been removed from his home.

Mays had just returned from Philadelphia, where he shot a new OxiClean commercial. He was a passenger aboard a plane that suffered a blown front tire upon landing. He told a local TV station, "All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping. It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."

We're told Mays was at his home around 6:00 PM last night, and according to a source Mays was "acting fine and normal ... he was talking business with his father-in-law."

According to cops, there are no signs of forced entry to the residence and no foul play is suspected.

The Medical Examiner's office is expected to complete the autopsy by tomorrow afternoon.

Billy's wife Deborah just released the following statement:

Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days. Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times.

Story developing ...

RIP

[iCafe]

RIP to...
David Carradine
Ed McMahon
Farrah Fawcett
Michael Jackson
Billy Mays
.....

[ZR_Yancy]

RIP to...
Ed McMahon
Farrah Fawcett
Michael Jackson
Billy Mays
.....


You forgot David Carradine.

Somebody's collecting, I tell ya!!

[Youngbinks]

My friend said this earlier but I didn't believe him.

I love the Billy Mays infomercials. The dude made me want to buy absolutely everything. I remember being 10 and thinking OxiClean was the coolest thing ever. Also, I can't believe he lived in Tampa this whole time and I didn't know.

[JoeT]

So much for my dream commercial with Billy Mays hawking iPhones...

[Ramesh]

My friend said this earlier but I didn't believe him.

I love the Billy Mays infomercials. The dude made me want to buy absolutely everything. I remember being 10 and thinking OxiClean was the coolest thing ever. Also, I can't believe he lived in Tampa this whole time and I didn't know.

Really? MJ would talk about him all the time...

[Youngbinks]

Really? MJ would talk about him all the time...

Dang, really? Gosh, sometimes I miss the most obvious things.

[psylichon]

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9895/bmh.jpg

I loved Billy Mays. I will definitely miss him...

[KabaModern]

I loved Billy as well. And I just started watching Pitchmen starring Billy Mays and Sully. He will be missed, dearly. My heart goes out to his family.

RIP Billy Mays.

[acosmichippo]

How can you "miss" an infomercial pitchman?

No disrespect to the guy or anything... He was good at his job. Just don't expect me to watch awesome auger reruns for nostalgia.

[rarity]

I don't want to be rude, but his yelling was annoying. May he RIP.

[Hondamaker]

Yeah, his voice was annoying! I used to impersonate his voice, kinda making fun of him. I won't any more. RIP.

[psylichon]

How can you "miss" an infomercial pitchman?

I often fall asleep with the TV on, so I've often woken up to his voice yelling a pitch. And while, yes, that's quite annoying, there's just something about that guy that always made me laugh every time I saw him, even coming out of a sound sleep in the middle of the night...

"oh, it's just Billy again... lol..."

I will miss that.

[psylichon]

Oh yeah, completely forgot I uploaded this to Youtube last night. I hadn't ever seen this commercial, and it aired on Saturday night (caught it on DVR)... cracked me up!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1Jht5-O8ns

[TarekElsakka]

RIP Billy Mays, this has been a horrible week.

[Alexander]

RIP. This one is a classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOmvdeNa67E

[Londonrockz568]

More celebs have died, I forget. These past weeks have just been death after death.


Dont be famous. You'll die.

[Ramesh]

More celebs have died, I forget. These past weeks have just been death after death.


Dont be famous. You'll die.

heh. That's what I named the topic in chat... or did you know that already?

[Londonrockz568]

heh. That's what I named the topic in chat... or did you know that already?

I didnt know that!! how crazy lol.

Twice from 2 diff ppl...maybe its an omen.

[Kuntry]

Yeah, his voice was annoying! I used to impersonate his voice, kinda making fun of him. I won't any more. RIP.
HAHA +1 "HI! BILLY MAYS HERE FOR OXYCLEAN"

They say celebrities die in threes....I guess Mays was a freebie/bonus? That guy had a championship beard!

[WetNsmelly]

i bet some heroic soldiers died today, RIP.

not sure why we make such a big deal about celebrity deaths????

[glsda]

i bet some heroic soldiers died today, RIP.

not sure why we make such a big deal about celebrity deaths????


Unfortunately it's the American Way. Thanks for thinking of the troops.

[Hondamaker]

i bet some heroic soldiers died today, RIP.

not sure why we make such a big deal about celebrity deaths????Good point! Sweet avatar!

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

More celebs have died, I forget. These past weeks have just been death after death.


Dont be famous. You'll die.

You don't have to be famous to die:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070100939.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[Luckykelleyk]

That is a good point that you are making. People feel comfotable in their "bubble" and they are freaked out when 4 celebrities die of natural causes (except maybe MJ). I am "freaked out" but the incredible number of people and animals who suffer and die every day from neglect, starvation, rampant disease, torture, murder, and war. It's not just in other countries either, neglect is a huge problem in the US. People should try to be less ignorant. Celebrities are not more important or deserving of life than anyone else.

[coasts]

I'll take an unpopular position here and say that most people expect soldiers to die. It's a probability in their line if work. People don't expect young celebrities to die, so it's a bit more news worthy. That doesn't make a soldiers death less important, just less interesting.

[Europa]

I'll take an unpopular position here and say that most people expect soldiers to die. It's a probability in their line if work. People don't expect young celebrities to die, so it's a bit more news worthy. That doesn't make a soldiers death less important, just less interesting.
It's not that people expect soldiers to die and therefore don't care. I think their stories can sadden people just as much as a celebrity that dies. But you hit the nail on the head when you said, " just less interesting". Everyone knows who Michael Jackson was. The degrees of how much they liked/disliked him vary drastically, but the point is that we all know he was. Many of us grew up with him in a sense and witnessed the changes he made in music world and the changes he himself went through as he aged. That is why it is [I]more important than a soldiers death as far as the media is concerned. They just give us what they already know we'll be interested in. His death isn't really more important though, the soldiers life was just as valuable. We just don't know or relate to the soldier, so if the media had a hayday with it, people would wonder, "who was this guy, I've never heard of him"

[Londonrockz568]

That is a good point that you are making. People feel comfotable in their "bubble" and they are freaked out when 4 celebrities die of natural causes (except maybe MJ). I am "freaked out" but the incredible number of people and animals who suffer and die every day from neglect, starvation, rampant disease, torture, murder, and war. It's not just in other countries either, neglect is a huge problem in the US. People should try to be less ignorant. Celebrities are not more important or deserving of life than anyone else.


Welcome to Humanity Circa est. 200,000 years.

I think that when a public figure dies its more of a shock to other people. Someone who held teh same beliefs/ideas or was just relatable to people.

When soldiers die its a miserable topic, one of sadness or one of heroics but when it comes down to it War/fighting/soldiers are a very dark topic and im pretty sure countries dont want to daily name their death toll.

[psylichon]

Good point, Coasts.

London, what are you on about?

[Londonrockz568]

What im saying is solders dying isnt such a wonderful topic to make a media sensation out of. You see the media and MJ's death however we dont see the same for Soldiers that have died. IF people kept seeing and hearing about how many soldiers died and it became a media fixation people would not want to serve.

[psylichon]

Well, when you go back and add a bit to

"Welcome to Humanity Circa est. 200,000 years."

it has a little more context. I suppose...? Still don't really get that.

[Londonrockz568]

Humans are barbaric. Always have been since est. 200,000 years ago.

[Luckykelleyk]

Well, when you go back and add a bit to

"Welcome to Humanity Circa est. 200,000 years."

it has a little more context. I suppose...? Still don't really get that.

Right.... I want to respond but I can't even make sense what you are saying (London) are you saying that Michael Jackson is more "relatable" to people than normal children, siblings, and grandparents? Don't be so naieve to think that soldiers enlist because they don't consider the fact that they can die. Of course they know that. They don't publicize it because the government wants people to be supportive of the war. People feel more comfortable focusing on celebrities because it is safer, and if you dont think about all of the people in the world that could be helped, you don't have to feel all of the bad feelings or like you should personally be doing something.

[Luckykelleyk]

The attitude "that's just the way things are" that everyone has is the reason why things never get better. If it were you or someone you loved, you would probably feel differently

[Londonrockz568]

They don't publicize it because the government wants people to be supportive of the war. People feel more comfortable focusing on celebrities because it is safer, and if you dont think about all of the people in the world that could be helped, you don't have to feel all of the bad feelings or like you should personally be doing something.

What i was getting at^^^^

[Londonrockz568]

Forgive me lol, im all written out. All these entrance exam essays are getting to me.

[LuvKeane]

HAHA +1 "HI! BILLY MAYS HERE FOR OXYCLEAN"

They say celebrities die in threes....I guess Mays was a freebie/bonus? That guy had a championship beard!
I told asked one of my roommates if she heard about his death (even though I posted it on Facebook a few minutes after the news came out and I was shocked and devastated!) and yeah, they generally go in threes but he was the 4th freebie...

http://sportskate.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/peeps7.jpg


there he is in the telly!

[iCafe]

What im saying is solders dying isnt such a wonderful topic to make a media sensation out of. You see the media and MJ's death however we dont see the same for Soldiers that have died. IF people kept seeing and hearing about how many soldiers died and it became a media fixation people would not want to serve.

Anyone with half a brain knows if you enter the military you have a high chance of not coming back home, the ones who chose to do it look past that and they have their own personal reasons for joining. Anyway no one cares about regular people dying it happens a million times a day .. celeberties are looked at as more important on every aspect of their life, and death

[Hondamaker]

Anyone with half a brain knows if you enter the military you have a high chance of not coming back home, the ones who chose to do it look past that and they have their own personal reasons for joining. Anyway no one cares about regular people dying it happens a million times a day .. celeberties are looked at as more important on every aspect of their life, and deathI care about regular people dying. My friends and family are regular people. Are you being a horse's ass again, or am I misunderstanding you?

[iCafe]

I care about regular people dying. My friends and family are regular people. Are you being a horse's ass again, or am I misunderstanding you?

what i meant to say is that, the general public is not going to make a big deal about everyones death
of course i care about regular people dying that i love over celebs
but if some truck driver died in china rite now im not going to expect to see a funeral and parade in his honor on the news

[Hondamaker]

what i meant to say is that, the general public is not going to make a big deal about everyones death
of course i care about regular people dying that i love over celebs
but if some truck driver died in china rite now im not going to expect to see a funeral and parade in his honor on the news
OK, I gotcha. My bad!

[glsda]

This poem by Angela Goodwin pertains to all that serve and have served.


A Soldier

There is discipline in A Soldier
you can see it when he walks,
There is honor in A Soldier
you hear it when he talks.
There is courage in A Soldier
you can see it in his eyes,
There is loyalty in A Soldier
that he will not compromise.
There is something in A Soldier
that makes him stand apart,
There is strength in A Soldier
that beats from his heart.
A Soldier isn't a title any man
can be hired to do,
A Soldier is the soul of that man
buried deep inside of you.
A Soldier's job isn't finished after
an 8 hour day or a 40 hour week,
A Soldier is always A Soldier
even while he sleeps.
A Soldier serves his country first
and his life is left behind,
A Soldier has to sacrifice what
comes first in a civilian's mind.
If you are civilian -
I am saying this to you.....
next time you see A Soldier
remember what they do.
A Soldier is the reason our land
is 'Home of the free',
A Soldier is the one that is brave
protecting you and me.
If you are A Soldier -
I am saying this to you.....
Thank God for EVERY SOLDIER
Thank God for what YOU do!

Angela Goodwin