I received this email message from a reader named Jackbuilt.
Hi, Laurie. I saw this commercial and I was dumbfounded and wondered if anyone else had seen this.
I am so stupefied, I have nothing to say, but thought you might — you being all punk rock and witty and all. There is something fundamentally f***ed up about Billy Mays hawking OrangeGlo, the Big City Slider Station (what the…), and OxiClean (Wikipedia has a killer list of his advertisements). It would seem there is an OxiClean/Oxycontin joke here somewhere, but I just can’t see any humor in this.
Not that you need topics — I love your blog. I just thought you would enjoy this and maybe find it interesting.
Thanks for all the great reading!
Oh. My. Gawd. Jackbuilt, you are too kind. This commercial represents 19.99 reasons why I blog about workplace issues. Something is wrong with the world if Billy Mays is hawking low-priced health insurance and Easy Off Bam!
I will say that I’m totes impressed with the successful career of Mr. Mays. He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee all over late-night television. The guy can sell anything from a Bedazzler to Mighty Putty.
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I can’t find much information on I Can (Has Cheezburger) Health Insurance Company except that it doesn’t seem to be a health care company. It’s a club and a brokerage, like AAA, that gives you discount benefits when you pay a membership fee. Do you want a discounted root canal or discounted movie tickets? I Can Benefits will give you access to both!
Are there any punk rock readers out there who have more information about I Can Benefits and its crazy business platform and marketing strategies? Give us the inside scoop, yo.
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Welcome to the punk rock HR team, Jackbuilt. You are awesome and this is an excellent find!
How ’bouts we tie together both of this weekend’s posts: How much ‘desk rage’ would be caused at your work place if Billy Mays walked through your cubicles? If he came strolling down the hall hawking whatever product/service your company specializes in would you give up, because it’s apparent your marketing team has?
Why is he yelling at me? I already bought some Oxiclean!
@sikulas Billy Mays is loaded. He’s the new everyman in America. Maybe he’s your company’s new secret weapon?
@Rachl I don’t use oxiclean. I use Borax. ZOMG, the stuff works.
I don’t think I’ve ever used any product that Billy Mays has yelled about…
I cannot find anything else on iCan except that they are listed on the BBB’s site as a Reliability Program participant, which according to the BBB means they are a “credible online company.” iCan looks to have only been in business for three years, so I guess we’ll have to see how things pan out with claims. I still think its kinda creepy, but who knows, maybe this is a good fix for those who can afford it. I reserve judgement. Sort of.
Thanks for the welcome and the 15 minutes of fame Laurie!
Jackbuilt
Billy Mays is the Jack Welch of this generation [sarcasm]. First, he owns the cleaning products industry, then he own the puddy industry, now he’s trying to penetrate the health insurance business, after that, he’s to the housing crisis, then will buy the CW to get his own 24-hour network, and then find a discovery to cure cancer, and finally and most important, he will find alien life form out of space. Just wait when he and Joel Osteen team up together.
Anyway, I wonder he has own HR System and I wonder if SHRm is going to have him as a guest speaker to sell SHRM?
@Jackbuilt You are so awesome AND GO BUY A STICK UP LIGHT RIGHT NOW IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
@Tracy You know what, you don’t have to be sarcastic about Billy Mays because you are right about him. He’s a multi-leveled maverick who dabbles in shitty products and makes a fortune. He should buy the CW and have those Gossip Girls use nothing but Billy Mays products. CROSS PROMOTION! Also, I would pay money to hear him talk at SHRM. I’m writing a letter RIGHT NOW and lobbying for it. He would be more interesting than Patrick Lencioni.
I want to see Billy Mays and Wilford Brimley team up. Now THAT would be a good commercial.
Curing diabetes with shit made in China. BRILLIANT!
In all my 52 years on this planet, I have NEVER been so irritated by an infomercial as i am by Mays…good lord! If I wanted someone yelling at me about nothin’ worthwhile, I would reunite with my ex-husband!!!
I IMMEDIATELY press MUTE when he comes on, which seems to be more and more, lately, on more and more channels!!! The channel can’t change fast enough…
There’s been only a few times in my life when I’ve felt violence towards another human being…in his case, I want to reach thru the T.V. and smack his ugly face in!!! Seriously…someone needs to SHUT HIM UP, I swear to God. I keep thinking that it’s GOT to end one of these days, but, stupid peeps–evidently–keep buying his f’in products which keep him in biz, eh? AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Where can we complain, I ask you??? Good lord…save us from his foolishness, pleeeez!!!