Ron Popeil, the Ronco founder who all but created the late-night infomercial and pitched such durable — in memory if not quality — items as the Pocket Fisherman, the Veg-o-Matic, the Bedazzler and Mr. Microphone, died today at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a medical emergency. He was 86.
His death was confirmed in a press release approved by his family. According to the statement, Popeil “suddenly and peacefully passed away” surrounded by family.
Beginning in 1959 with a low-budget, minute-long black-and-white commercial for the Ronco Chop-o-Matic, Popeil (with then-partner Mel Korey) devised the rapid-fire pitches — consisting of a string of amazing! unbelievable! claims — that would make household names (literally) of items such as Hair in a Can Spray, the Popeil Pocket Fisherman, the Kitchen Magician, Mr. Dentist, the Smokeless Ashtray, the Inside-the-Egg Scrambler, a rhinestone stud setter popularized as a Bedazzler, the Cap Snaffler and the Buttoneer.
Remembered as much for...
His death was confirmed in a press release approved by his family. According to the statement, Popeil “suddenly and peacefully passed away” surrounded by family.
Beginning in 1959 with a low-budget, minute-long black-and-white commercial for the Ronco Chop-o-Matic, Popeil (with then-partner Mel Korey) devised the rapid-fire pitches — consisting of a string of amazing! unbelievable! claims — that would make household names (literally) of items such as Hair in a Can Spray, the Popeil Pocket Fisherman, the Kitchen Magician, Mr. Dentist, the Smokeless Ashtray, the Inside-the-Egg Scrambler, a rhinestone stud setter popularized as a Bedazzler, the Cap Snaffler and the Buttoneer.
Remembered as much for...
- 7/29/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Ron Popeil, the prolific infomercial spokesman behind “as seen on TV” products like the Showtime Rotisserie and Hair in a Can, has died. He was 86.
Popeil died early Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center following a “severe medical emergency” on Tuesday, Popeil’s family told TMZ.
Popeil was best known for the “Set it and forget it” catchphrase he used to sell the Showtime Rotisserie in late-night infomercials. The product shattered QVC records, selling over $1 billion worth of appliances, according to TMZ.
He is also often credited with popularizing the phrase, “But wait, there’s more!”
But Popeil was more than just a smiling face for hire, he pioneered the art of the infomercial and modern television advertising as a whole. In the 1950s, he and his partner, Mel Korey, produced the first minute long commercial for just $500, according to Popeil’s official website. The product? The Ronco Chop-o-Matic, a...
Popeil died early Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center following a “severe medical emergency” on Tuesday, Popeil’s family told TMZ.
Popeil was best known for the “Set it and forget it” catchphrase he used to sell the Showtime Rotisserie in late-night infomercials. The product shattered QVC records, selling over $1 billion worth of appliances, according to TMZ.
He is also often credited with popularizing the phrase, “But wait, there’s more!”
But Popeil was more than just a smiling face for hire, he pioneered the art of the infomercial and modern television advertising as a whole. In the 1950s, he and his partner, Mel Korey, produced the first minute long commercial for just $500, according to Popeil’s official website. The product? The Ronco Chop-o-Matic, a...
- 7/28/2021
- by Alex Noble
- The Wrap
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