Another part of my adolescence is gone. Here's the Dan Aykroyd SNL skit referred to in the Popeil obituary:
They had one called the "Whopper Chopper" on an episode of "Sanford & Son" where Fred tries to sell them off and winds up trying to do it on a television cooking show!
From the look of the commercial, I'd guess this was an 80's or early 90's thing. Which makes me wonder what the heck I was doing that I never saw this. Also, is this stuff still being made? I'm a little thin on top.
Where is Bob DiMucci with his complete commercialography?
It would be a very long one. If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Popeil was doing these "commercials" in one form or another for decades. Not a fan of the character, but I have to say I admire his chutzpah, a quality that is almost singularly American. Men like him got things done, good, bad or indifferent.
Up here in Kanadah we had a version of Popeil named Phillip Kives. He started the K-Tel empire. I think he was a Canadian distributor for some of Popeil's products, in fact.
I loved those K-Tel records as a kid. 20 Original Hits! 20 Original Stars!
I may have purchased some of that "hairspray" when I saw it on clearance at Target (stores) back in the day. Great if you're about to take photos, but no way to live an active life with that crap.
K-Tel had their U.S. headquarters just a couple miles from me. The street is still there (K-Tel Drive) and the building, but that's all that remains (to my knowledge) of the former K-Tel empire.
