Ed McMahon: Johnny Carson
Farrah Fawcett: Dad's Poster (strange, but I will explain)
Michael Jackson: Mowtown 25- Jackson's Moonwalk Moment
Billy Mays: Signature tag line, "Hi, Billy Mays here for ___."
On June 23, the world lost Ed McMahon. I will remember him mostly from being on "The Tonight Show," but we cannot forget "Star Search," "Bloopers & Practical Jokes," and that sweepstakes deal. While I do remember him for the aforementioned shows, he was not a huge part of my world. I am just too young to have a strong fondness for him. That also wasn't terribly surprising because he was not doing well for some time.
The morning of June 25 took Farrah Fawcett from us. I remember her almost like I do McMahon- "Charlie's Angels," but a little less, oddly enough. The one thing I remember most was age 13 or so and rummaging around in the attic looking through all of the boxes. I found all of these cool toys my father had a a child (especially the Civil War Army set- where is that Dad?) and suddenly saw a poster of this amazing woman with the biggest smile I had ever seen. The iconic poster had been in my attic for years and I had no idea. How funny is that? However, her passing was not surprising either. Her story had been chronicled as well over the last several months.
As it turned out, June 25 was more greedy that we had ever imagined. It became more monumental. Relaxing with my family in my in-laws' pool, I hear the unforgettable news that Michael Jackson was no longer with us as well. That guy, I remember! Now I am getting personally affected by the week's events. I now stop playing with Gabriel in the pool because I want to be clear that what I am seeing is true. Unbelievable. The tortured man that had morphed from a pop icon into a strange Howard Hughes-like figure. By this stage of his life, I believe that he was known more for merely being Michael Jackson than the pop icon I knew as a child.
The MJ I knew blasted out the greatest record of all-time when I was an impressionable youth. Virtually all of "Thriller" was nothing more than hit after hit after hit. Completely different sounding material throughout, but collectively, set the stage for all music since its release. He was the Elvis and Beatles of my generation and shaped our culture in ways no one would have ever imagined. He was also the first black artist to be played on MTV. I can distinctly remember the videos for "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Thriller," "Bad," and several others perfectly like there is a VHS tape in my mind. Jen and I had just introduced Gabriel to him a couple of weeks ago...
It's always amazing to see people come out of the woodwork when someone like him dies. All of these athletes and celebrities paying homage, saying that he was one of their favorites and have all of his records, and the like. I call B.S. I do not believe it for a moment. All of his records? Seriously? Don't disgrace him and don't play me for a fool. His past few records were mere blips on the radar. Most of these people would not have been caught in public rocking his material for fear of an image crisis.
Now, it's in fashion to be a Michael Jackson fan. Last week, many would have said he was a freak and see him more as an alleged child molester. I have always seen him as a person with an amazing gift, never with the chance to enjoy his youth, and now living to recapture all that he never experienced. Most who know me know that I believe that he was living in a world where he could be an 8-year-old. If you listened to him speak and truly listened to his thoughts, he saw the world differently than we do as adults. He thought it was okay to have little kids sleep over in his house and in his own bed? He loved climbing trees? This guy was the ultimate Peter Pan. He named his estate Neverland Ranch! He was a boy trapped in a 50-year-old body and incarcerated by his own fame. It is quite a depressing story if you really think about it.
Today, I wake up to the news that Billy Mays has passed away. I think I have had just about enough. At this point, I am in a state of shock. I loved that guy. He was freaking awesome. He was the Elvis, Beatles, and MJ of the TV pitch! This guy was absolutely amazing to watch. I was always wanting to buy something this guy was hocking whenever I saw him on TV. That is, until I got a Tivo and could fast forward past him.
Then I saw commercials for the show "Pitchmen," starring Mays and Anthony Sullivan. They would find an item to pitch, complete production, and tell the inventor whether it was a success. That was a show I had to watch. These guys were awesome to watch. Their interactions were to great and both of them had little quirks about them that gave them a personal connection to their audience. The show is absolutely remarkable and I am looking forward to buying several of the products I see on the show.
There is a new episode of "Pitchmen" on my TV recorded this morning. It's going to have to wait a while...
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