"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:45:00 -0400, George >
> wrote:
>
>>Not only his audience. Marketing works. A great majority of people need
>>to be told what to buy, where to eat, what to think about politicians etc.
>
> Oh, come on George. He was a caricature of the pitchmen at county
> fairs and they sell a lot of product.
>
>
I don't know about county fairs. I do remember the old days of television
where the host of a show had to pitch a product or have someone else pitch a
product. (Think of Lucy's old skit about Vitameatavegamin gag.)

I watched a bunch of Alfred Hitchcock films Saturday on a classic movie
channel. Before they started the show they had an interview with Hitchcock
and Dick Cavett from the early 60's. At one point Cavett had to hold up a
box of something (who knows now what it was) and say, "And now a word from
our sponsor". Pitches have been a part of radio and television advertising
for decades. It's not going to stop any time soon.

Sad to hear about Billy Mays, though. I never bought Oxiclean but I'll bet
a lot of people did.

Jill