Outside of losing another free market guy, always a downer in this world of left leaning loonies, I don't know as how I'll miss Mr. May anymore than I'll miss MJ.

However, I have a feeling that MJ is going to continue to plauge us for a lot longer than we'll care to suffer it.

Pointing out that Billy Mays sold some fairly superfluous stuff isn't "smug journalists not accepting capitalism", as Stossel opines. And the author doesn't seem to suggest that the products aren't useful – just that you wouldn't care that you didn't have it otherwise. The article itself calls Mays endearing and it's describing his style – not making an ideological statement.

And what's with this capitalized "Very Smart People"… you did a similar thing in an earlier post on Krugman. The author of this article is a PhD candidate. So? Why the back-handed compliment? Why the references to education as if it's suspect, or as if people who have a different opinion AND a high education are somehow snooty or smug? You have advanced degrees and disagree with people – is it legitimate for those who disagree with you to attribute what they perceive to be your wrong opinions as "he's just too smart for his own good"?

I hope there is a heaven, and I hope Billy Mays is there right now saying, “Yaweh, are you tired of sacrificing your only son to wash away all those stubborn sins?”

Vidyohs, Give John a Break! his "backhanded compliment" to the "very smart people." was no more backhanded than the grudging praise of Mr. Mays by the author of the article. Furthermore, if the value of an invention is determined by whether or not we knew we needed it, then airplanes, telephones, computers, antibiotics and many other things that most people didn't "know they needed" must not be very valuable either.

And one of the best guys at that job, Billy Mays, was over the top and funny to watch. Pointing that out and even saying that if people put a little more thought to it, they might not have bought everything from Mays that they did, isn't a repudiation of capitalism!

That wasn't Vidyohs who wrote that. It was just another poser. [/proofread for typos]

Wow, D Kuehn, why so touchy about the education? No need to be disingenuous about it. The CS Monitor author's tone isn't all too respectful to Billy Mays, and the writer attaches his education to the article as though we should give more weight to his thoughts because of it. Mr. Boudreaux is dismissing that. Really, I don't see this as insulting and don't see why you are so dense about it, except to drag out an argument and troll for pointless responses.

But when other people said he was annoying, I always thought I rather liked the guy. There are a few people who project a positive, excited, passionate spirit with confidence, gusto, and joy for life. I got that impression from him in half a commercial.

The world is now covered in the milquetoast, the equivocating, and the sneering sarcastic commenters with no cajones.

Goodnight sweet prince.

Haha. I'm not the one that mentions it so much in the posts – I'm not touchy at all. I'm curious why Don is. It's a perenial inclusion.

RE: "the writer attaches his education to the article as though we should give more weight to his thoughts because of it"

Ummm… you rarely see guest articles that DON'T have some professional affiliation of the author. Since this guy is a student that's his affiliation. Pick up any major newspaper – if it's not a regular columnist writing, they usually have their affiliation. It's not that big of a deal DKH.

Really, the author is saying the Mr Mays was taking advantage of us, and we were too stupid to recognize it. Save me from my own ignorance? He was selling something that took stains out better than other products. That is hardly an "esoteric problem", unless you have a maid to worry about that kind of thing.

Everyone sells superfluous stuff. We don't "need" 99% of things we purchase. Rather the vast majority of things we buy and sell are to make our lives a little easier or more pleasing to us. Claiming that Billy Mays somehow was trying to trick us into buying things we didn't need is singling him out for what is essentially the activity of all advertising and marketing.

Also, Oxyclean rocks. I used it to remove months old blood and chocolate sauce out of my appartment's carpet without a trace. So, apparently it corrected a problem I knew I had, but for which I lacked a solution.

I think you've got him confused with Smiling Bob.

Billy Mays made himself relevant by persuading people to buy the products he was pitching. He earned an honest living (as far as I can tell), and surely did quite well for himself, unlike politicians who are willing to throw our tax dollars at groups and people who want to use force because they are not relevant.

I have nothing bad to say about Billy Mays thus far, and he never got a bailout like the financial thugs who created a massive financial calamity whose painful spillovers are still being felt.

–Pingry

Did you even read the bits I quoted? "there he was to save us from our own ignorance" Hello? The author is not exactly being evenhanded when describing Billy or his customers, is he?