Guy Lochhead, 11/09/10
American television salesperson known for his beard and old-school, shouty pitching style. He got his start in marketing selling ‘As Seen on TV’ products on the Atlantic City boardwalk. He started making infomercials in 1993, selling cleaning products like OxiClean. He enjoyed a minor celebrity, and appeared on the Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien shows. He was found dead in June 2009, aged 50, in unclear circumstances. An autopsy revealed he’d died of heart disease, contributed to by Mays’ secret cocaine addiction. There is a horrible thread of American capitalist opportunism that runs from the snake oil salesmen of the Old West to the present day that’s had a profound influence on Western consciousness. It’s brought a lot of trouble. This guy sounds like an idiot, really.