Writer of Pop Culture

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This Day in Pop Culture

This Day in Pop Culture for May 3

The Veg-O-Matic inventor and a murder that was…ordained?

May 3, 2020

1–2 minutes

1935: Inventor of the Veg-O-Matic is Born

Super inventor Ron Popeil was born on this day in New York City in 1935.Over his lifetime, Popeil has created the Chop-O-Matic, the Veg-O-Matic, the Inside-The-Shell Egg Scrambler, Mr. Microphone and many other inventions.

Over the years, Popeil created numerous commercials for his many products coining the phrase, “But wait, there’s more!” In 2005, Popeil sold the company but many of his inventions are still selling today. However, not all of them were hits.

According to Entrepreneur.com, Popeil only had three product flops: The Inside Outside Window Washer (which was faulty), the adhesive Hold-Up (which didn’t) and a combination coffee pot/steam iron called the Prescolator!

1987: An Ordained Murder?

In what sounds like a soap opera plot, CBS aired the made-for-TV movie, Murder Ordained. Despite its tacky title, the movie was unfortunately based on actual events involving two murders in Emporia, Kansas four years earlier. It starred Keith Carradine, JoBeth Williams, Kathy Bates, M. Emmet Walsh, John Goodman and Johnny Galecki.

The story involved John Rule, a State Trooper, who followed his nose investigating Lutheran minister, Tom Bird who not only had an affair with one of his parishioners but also plotted the deaths of their spouses before running away to New Mexico.

A good portion of the movie was filmed in Emporia and dialogue was taken straight from court transcripts. The movie even received an Emmy Award nomination.