No joke – the legendary Johnny Cash hit, “Ring of Fire,” might be hitting a surprising new note. A Florida TV production company is seriously pitching Preparation H and similar hemorrhoid-relief products for a commercial campaign featuring the iconic country tune, “Ring of Fire.”
The idea struck Merle Kilgore, the song’s co-writer alongside June Carter Cash, as hilariously ironic. Kilgore, a country music veteran himself, used to incorporate a cheeky hemorrhoid joke into his stage introduction for “Ring of Fire.” He shared, “I’d say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I want to give credit where credit is due. I dedicate this song to the makers of Preparation H,’ And they would just fall out!” Upon hearing about the commercial pitch, Kilgore exclaimed, “I can’t believe it!”
Sula Miller of Big Grin Productions in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is the TV producer behind this unexpected pairing. Her inspiration sparked during a personal encounter with, shall we say, a burning sensation. Hearing “Ring of Fire” on the radio, the lyric “burns, burns, burns” resonated with a relatable, albeit uncomfortable, familiarity.
Miller’s envisioned commercial opens with a sunrise, soundtracked by Kilgore’s rendition of “Ring of Fire.” The camera then pans across a cityscape, zooming into an apartment where a briefcase and shoes are strewn haphazardly on the floor. The bathroom door opens, and a woman in business attire emerges, visibly relieved. The camera then focuses on a tube of Preparation H resting in the bathroom.
Currently, the TV production company and the song’s publisher are in negotiations to finalize the deal. Whether “Johnny Cash Ring Of Fire Song” will indeed become the jingle for hemorrhoid relief remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the song’s fiery metaphor is about to take on a whole new, and rather literal, meaning.
