Smart. Sexy. Fun.
Even if you didn't know Billy Mays's name, you probably knew the products he sold. The TV pitchman — who died suddenly on Saturday at age 50 — recorded infomercials and commercials for OxiClean, Orange Glo, Mighty Putty, and many more. He not only turned up time after time on basic cable at 3 a.m., he also pitched on the Home Shopping Network and even scored his own Discovery Channel series, Read more
My favorite weird product spokesman, Billy Mays, passed away over the weekend. Known for his droll yet manic introductions ("Billy Mays here with another faan-tastic product"), this guy could pitch anything. Here he is going on and on about super-cleaner Kaboom, and if you're in an irreverent mood and believe that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, this hilarious send-up/homage proves Read more
I read about President Obama answering more questions from the nonmainstream media, but I had no idea how far nonmainstream he was going. Of course, infomercial king Billy Mays here has some faaan-tastic products for the beleaguered prez. . . Get Flash to see this player. var so2987430 = new Read more
It’s “Billy Mays” again, and he might even be funnier this time around. After watching this commercial, I realize I need me some Kaboom. Somebody decided to eat spaghetti in the shower — again! Aaargh. I hate when that happens. Read more
I had never seen the original Billy Mays Mighty Putty commercial for this putty stuff that can supposedly fix anything, but after this parody, I really don't need to. "Don't use this shit, you know it doesn't work," says the bored voice of other products. But Mighty Putty? "F*cking Optimus Prime can't tear this shit off." (Why can't commercials really sound like this?!) Read more
There was so much action on the Oscars red carpet and during the Billy Crystal-hosted show. Backstage and in the audience, though, is where the fun really went down. Angelina Jolie took a last-minute chance to rehearse her presenter's lines ahead of handing out the best screenplay awards. George Clooney and Stacy Keibler chatted with his Descendants' costars Judy Greer and Shailene Woodley, and Read more
Billy Crystal took on hosting duties for this year's Oscars, and the seasoned vet (this was his ninth time as emcee) seemed comfortable being back on stage. As I'd hoped, Crystal brought back his trademarks, like the opening montage spoofing the nominees, along with his song-and-dance medley that skewered stars and movies alike (sample lyric: "George is cracking up because his wife is shackin' Read more
After a string of absurdly silly flicks like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler showed us his softer side in The Wedding Singer. When Robbie's shallow girlfriend leaves him at the altar, the struggling wedding singer meets the bright-eyed and adorable Julia (Drew Barrymore) who is unfortunately engaged to a jerk. Throughout the movie, Robbie and Julia try to make sense of their Read more
We shared our picks for the best and worst Fall TV shows. The Academy Awards may be months away, but the show already made news this week when Eddie Murphy bowed out as Oscar host and Billy Crystal emerged as the new host. If you're as excited about The Muppets as we are, then you'll definitely want to check out our interview with Jason Segel Read more
Making an uplifting sports film is easy. Making an uplifting sports film about a baseball team that doesn't even make it to the World Series? Now that's a challenge. Moneyball tells the true story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane, who is determined to build a winning baseball team without paying for one, and in doing so, changes the way his colleagues look at the logistics of the sport. Read more
