Infomercial king, Ron Popeil, dies at 86

[BetteDavisEyes]

Infomercial king Ron Popeil dies at 86 (nbcnews.com)

Ronco's Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ, and Popeil's late-night infomercials pitching it, helped inscribe the phrase "set it and forget it" into the American lexicon.

Ron Popeil, the inventor and infomercial icon whose kitchen and direct-to-consumer products generated billions of dollars in U.S. sales, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 86.

Popeil "lived his life to the fullest and passed in the loving arms of his family," a statement from his spokesperson said.

No cause of death was provided...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Pitchman and innovator Ron Popeil dies at 86 (detroitnews.com)

Los Angeles – Ron Popeil, the quintessential TV pitchman and inventor known to generations of viewers for hawking products including the Veg-O-Matic, the Pocket Fisherman, Mr. Microphone and the Showtime Rotisserie and BBQ, has died, his family said.

Popeil died “suddenly and peacefully” Wednesday at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his family said in a statement. He was 86. No cause of death was given.

Popeil essentially invented the popular image of the American television pitchman, whose novel products solved frustrating problems viewers didn’t know they had. He popularized much of the vernacular of late-night TV ads and infomercials, with lines like “Now how much would you pay?” and “Set it and forget it.”...

 

[teedie2]

He was so persuasive. I still have my Showtime Rotisserie (packed away in its box). I never could get any meat or chicken on that spit in rthe proper way. I wonder if the meat he dealt with was partially frozen? I will say this, the bone-in turkey breasts we cooked in that machine were FABULOUS! I used to love watching him. He had the nicest smile, and always looked happy. R.I.P. Mr. Popeil.