The 'But Wait, There's More!' Meme: 5 Shocking Truths About The Infomercial Catchphrase That Never Dies

The "But Wait, There's More!" meme remains one of the internet's most enduring and versatile image macros, perfectly capturing the feeling of an unexpected, often overwhelming, bonus or complication. As of December 17, 2025, its continued relevance is a testament not just to its comedic value, but to its deep roots in a classic persuasion tactic that predates the internet by millennia. This deep-dive explores the surprising origin, the psychological power, and the shocking truth—including a major Mandela Effect—that keeps this meme fresh in the modern digital landscape.

The meme's visual representation is almost universally tied to the late, great infomercial king, Billy Mays, yet the phrase itself tells a more complex story. It is a cultural touchstone that defines an entire era of late-night television, a powerful rhetorical tool, and a constant source of online humor used in everything from political commentary to gaming reveals and social media thread cliffhangers.

The Surprising Biography of the Meme's Face: Billy Mays

The face of the "But Wait, There's More!" meme is William "Billy" Darrell Mays Jr., an iconic American television pitchman whose loud, energetic, and direct advertising style made him a household name. His career transformed the infomercial industry, turning late-night sales pitches into compelling television.

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• Full Name: William Darrell Mays Jr.
• Born: July 20, 1958, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
• Died: June 28, 2009, in Tampa, Florida, at the age of 50.
• Career Peak: Mid-2000s.
• Signature Look: Distinctive beard, blue shirt, and a headset microphone.
• Famous Products: OxiClean, Orange Glo, Kaboom, Zorbeez, and the Simoniz Fix-It product line.
• Legacy: Mays is remembered for his passionate, high-energy salesmanship and his association with the "As Seen On TV" brand.

Mays's death in 2009 cemented his legendary status, and his image quickly became a foundational element of internet meme culture. His enthusiastic delivery and trustworthiness made him the perfect visual anchor for a phrase that promises more value than the consumer initially expects.

The Shocking Mandela Effect: Did Billy Mays Really Say It?

One of the most fascinating aspects of the "But Wait, There's More!" meme is its deep connection to the Mandela Effect, the phenomenon where a large group of people share a false memory. For years, countless internet users have firmly believed that "But Wait, There's More!" was Billy Mays's signature catchphrase.

The Infomercial Truth

The shocking reality, often rediscovered by users on Reddit and other forums, is that Billy Mays rarely, if ever, used that exact phrase in his most famous commercials. Instead, his typical closing line was the slightly different, but equally persuasive, "But that's not all!" or "And we'll even double the offer!"

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So why is the meme so inextricably linked to him? The collective false memory is likely due to several factors:

• Ubiquity of the Trope: The phrase "But wait, there's more!" is a generic, ubiquitous infomercial trope used by countless pitchmen across decades.
• Cultural Association: Mays was the most famous and recognizable pitchman of his era, making him the default face for *all* infomercial clichés.
• The Power of the Meme: Once the image macro was created and went viral, the association became permanent, overriding actual memory.

This Mandela Effect angle is what continues to drive engagement with the meme today. Every time someone uses the template, a new person is likely to discover the truth, reigniting the curiosity and discussion—a perfect loop for topical authority.

The Ancient Psychology Behind the 'That's-Not-All' Technique

The enduring power of the "But Wait, There's More!" meme lies in its rhetorical effectiveness. The phrase is a pop culture shorthand for a powerful sales technique known in social psychology as the "That's-Not-All Technique" (TNA).

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How the TNA Technique Works

The That's-Not-All Technique is a two-step persuasion strategy that leverages the human desire for a good deal and the psychological principle of reciprocity.

1. Initial Offer (The Anchor): A product is presented at a high price, which serves as the anchoring point in the consumer's mind.
2. The Amplification/Bonus: Before the consumer can respond, the pitchman quickly *sweetens the deal* by adding extra products or lowering the price. This is the "But wait, there's more!" moment, which is a form of amplification developed by ancient Greek and Roman rhetoricians.

The psychological impact is twofold:

• Increased Value Perception: The consumer feels they are getting a much better deal than the initial anchor price suggested, increasing the perceived value of the entire package.
• Reciprocity Principle: The sudden, unrequested bonus makes the consumer feel a sense of obligation to reciprocate the seller's "generosity" by making the purchase.

This technique is not just limited to infomercials. It is a cornerstone of modern digital marketing, used in everything from software subscription tiers (e.g., "Sign up now and get a free e-book!") to video game reveals and social media contests. The meme is simply the humorous recognition of this constant, effective manipulation.

The Modern Evolution: Meme Usage in 2025

While the image macro featuring Billy Mays remains the classic template, the phrase "But Wait, There's More!" has evolved into a versatile linguistic tool across all major platforms in 2025. It functions as a digital bucket brigade—a transitional phrase that keeps the audience engaged and signals a pivot to a new, surprising piece of information.

Current Applications and Entities

The meme's usage today extends far beyond simple product sales, often used to comment on absurdity or complexity in modern life:

• The Social Media Thread: A common use is at the end of a long narrative thread on X (formerly Twitter) or a TikTok video to introduce a final, unexpected twist (the "kicker").
• Gaming and Tech Reveals: Used to mock companies that announce a product and then, to the dismay of the audience, announce an additional, often expensive, requirement or a microtransaction.
• Political Commentary: Applied to legislative bills or political scandals that start with one issue but have multiple, hidden, or ridiculous amendments attached.
• Pop Culture Crossovers: The phrase is frequently used in GIFs on platforms like Tenor and Imgflip to react to new content drops, such as surprise album releases or bonus episodes of popular streaming shows.

The meme’s enduring topical authority is reinforced by its association with other famous pitchmen and their catchphrases, such as Ron Popeil’s "Set it and forget it!" (for the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie) and Vince Offer’s intense salesmanship for the ShamWow. The Billy Mays meme, however, remains the gold standard, as it humorously encapsulates the entire, over-the-top, yet effective, genre of direct-response advertising.

In conclusion, the 'But Wait, There's More!' meme is far more than a funny picture. It is a cultural artifact that highlights a fascinating case of the Mandela Effect, serves as a powerful reminder of ancient rhetorical techniques like amplification and anchoring, and continues to be a perfectly relevant commentary on the constant push for upselling and value stacking in the digital age. Its ability to surprise and engage ensures that, like the infomercial products it represents, its influence is not going away anytime soon.