Fans of infomercials and insomniacs alike know Ron Popeil, the inventor and informercial spokesman, as the person who brought the phrase “but wait, there’s more” into the American lexicon.
According to TMZ, Popeil died Wednesday morning in Los Angeles at 86.
Listen to your favorite music now on Audacy
Popeil’s enthusiasm for the products he was selling on late-night infomercials, from the Bedazzler to the Mr. Microphone, was contagious. Popeil’s catch-phrase for the Showtime Rotisserie, “set it and forget it,” helped to bring in over $1 billion alone for the kitchen appliance.
In 2000, Popeil set a QVC record during a one-hour live segment in which he sold approximately 150 units per minute of the Showtime Rotisserie.
But Popeil’s business acumen extended beyond showmanship. He founded the Ronco company in 1964, which sold products like the Veg-o-Matic and the Chop-o-Matic, created by Popeil’s father, and prior to that in the 1950s he produced the first modern minute-long black and white commercial.
Popeil, whose fan base called themselves “the Rontourage,” was parodied by Dan Aykroyd in a 1976 episode of “Saturday Night Live.”
He also appeared on a variety of programs as himself, including “The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill,” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” according to the New York Post.
Some of Popeil’s products are now on display in the Smithsonian Museum, including the Veg-O-Matic II, which can be found in the “Food: Transforming the American Table” exhibition in the National Museum of American History.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign up and follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram