The Resume

(February 17, 1922-July 18, 2005)
Born in Canada
Swanson food company salesman
Credited with inventing the TV Dinner (1952)

Why he might be annoying:

Although he popularized it, he never ate a TV dinner (he was a gourmet cook).
Frozen food execs and employees have disputed that he 'invented' the TV dinner, noting that it had existed in some form for years prior.
A Los Angeles Times opinion piece labeling him 'a charlatan' prompted several newspapers to print retractions in his obituary.

Why he might not be annoying:

He disliked being called 'the father of the TV Dinner.'
He came up with the 'TV dinner' phrase after noting how the package resembled a TV set.
He contributed the recipe for the cornbread stuffing in the first TV Dinner package.
He was honored with a Walk of Fame handprint in Hollywood for an event honoring the TV Dinner's 45th anniversary (the slab would be later displayed at the Swanson company headquarters).
He once explained how he conceptualized the packaging as follows: 'I spent five years in the service, so I knew what a mess kit was. You could never tell what you were eating because it was all mixed together.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• BoyWiththeGreenHair’s Profiles [Series 16]
• Inventors
• Look at Me, I'm in the Kitchen
• Look at Me, I've Been Caught Eating
• Maxim's 50 Greatest Guys of the 20th Century (Ranked: 28)
• Profiles 47001-47250 (Ranked: 47116)
• We Died on the Same Day (Ranked: 20050718)

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 0% Annoying