RIP Ron Popeil

cb7893

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I'm sure that many of you have no idea who this guy is. For those of us of a certain age, who remember a time when there were 4 TV channels and no infomercials, Ron Popeil was the man. Decades ahead of the Flex Seal guy, he was an unabashed inventor/promoter/spokesman of a variety of products, most of which we laughed at. He knew we were laughing at Hair in a Can, but sold it and all the others with a gladness of heart.


He imbodied that unquantifiable spirit of can do optimism that defines this country and this country alone.
 
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Here's a quote from his Wiki page:
Popeil received the Ig Nobel Prize in Consumer Engineering in 1993. The awards committee described him as the "incessant inventor and perpetual pitchman of late night television"[6] and awarded the prize in recognition of his "redefining the industrial revolution" with his devices. 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. He became the recipient of the Electronic Retail Association's Lifetime Achievement award in 2001[7] and he is listed in the Direct Response Hall of Fame.
There's so much there to unpack: the Ig Nobel prize, Mirage Resorts BoD, and there's such a thing as the Direct Response Hall of Fame. The things you learn...
 
Never, I mean never, have I seen someone actually fishing with a Popeil's Pocket Fisherman.
That doesn't mean that it doesn't occupy a special place in my heart, though.

Thanks, Ron!

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Funny story. I actually HAVE seen someone fish with one of those things. But only one time.

When I was about 18 years old, two buddies I and I went on a fishing and camping trip in the Adirondacks. I’ve been fishing in the Adirondacks since I was a boy and fancy myself to be a real serious fisherman with “the best” equipment which, I recall was a Mitchell 300 and Garcia rod (both of which I still have.). One of my buddies came with nothing but a Popeil Pocket fisherman. We laughed and laughed. But of course, he had the last laugh when he caught a beautiful rainbow trout and we caught nothing. We were bottom fishing with bait from a boat.

P.S. - You can still find those things in excellent condition on eBay. Also, on Amazon. Maybe I should pick one up for my September trip to northern Maine!

P.P.S. - A product of Ron Popeil l that I could use even more now is hair in a can
 
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