RIP - Ron Popeil

[easysurfer]

The inventor of the Pocket Fisherman and other stuff passed away.

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.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/2414396/ron-popeil-inventor-and-king-of-tv-pitchmen-dies-at-86.html

I did get one of those "set it and forget it" rotisserie cookers. Was fun seeing the chicken cook but was more like set it, fun to watch, but think about all the clean up work.

 

[jazz4cash]

RIP
I bet many readers here are just now learning the origin of “set it and forget it”.

 

[Montecfo]

He was an amazing pioneer in the art of selling!

 

[ERD50]

RIP
I bet many readers here are just now learning the origin of “set it and forget it”.

I (and DW) did not know that! To me, it sounds like a term that would have been around a long time.

And this line from wiki cracked me up"

Veg-O-Matic ("Slice a tomato so thin it only has one side.")

Only a few posts so far, I guess these TV pitchmen don't get the same love as Rock Stars?

More stuff I didn't know, from wiki:

At age 17 in 1952, he went with his grandparents to work for his father, Samuel Popeil, at his company's (Popeil Brothers) manufacturing facility in Chicago. ...

He was a past member of the board of directors Mirage Resorts where he served for 22 years under Steve Wynn as well as a past member of the board of directors of MGM Hotels for seven years under Kirk Kerkorian. ...

In August 2005, he sold his company, Ronco, to Fi-Tek VII, a Denver holding company, for US$55 million, ...

RIP

-ERD50

 

[Montecfo]

...but wait, there's more!

 

[CardsFan]

Veg-O-Matic ("Slice a tomato so thin it only has one side.")

Not to be confused with Bass-o-matic touted by Dan Aykroyd on SNL 45 years ago.

 

[jazz4cash]

I (and DW) did not know that! To me, it sounds like a term that would have been around a long time.









RIP



-ERD50

Ok you made me look. I just assumed Ron originated the term. He certainly popularized it. Google the term and several results credit the phrase to Ron’s rotisserie infomercial.

 

[CindyBlue]

I have two of the Pocket Fisherman fishing rods...they are great for keeping in my kayak for a quick cast!
RIP