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Since I started blogging I find that I constantly think about stuff to write about. Some of my writing makes the grade while some is almost pre-destined to remain strictly in the unread pages of my countless filled journals.
As I lay in bed this morning, an ephemeral thought flitted across my sluggish mind: color TV. Don’t ask me why but I thought back to the first time I saw Superman in color.
Oh. My. God.
I couldn’t peel my eyes off the screen.
By today’s standards, the quality of the picture absolutely sucked; green on the bottom of the screen and indigo caressing the top. Cool beans.
It was ridiculously simple but amazingly sufficient.
Granted, there were only three channels that came in and if the President was on your night was screwed but it didn’t seem to matter.
My father installed one of those antenna rotation devices on the roof, controlled by a big oversized brown box that sat on top of the TV.
You turned the hockey puck sized dial to turn the antenna and hopefully improve reception. After two years the antenna rusted out inside the base rendering it useless. You could hear the thing trying to turn but all you could hear was tick, tick, tick; so much for the technology of the early sixties.
Although television back then was relatively unsophisticated, it had a genuine humility to it unlike the programming these days.
I don’t watch much of the boobtube these days by choice.
I’ve had it with reality shows that choose to highlight the morose and ugly side of the human condition. I’m done with Springer, Nanny 911, Wife Swap and any show that features those out of touch douchebags in Hollywood.
I can hear you asking, “Is there anything you do like, Michael?”
It’s a fairly short list but here it is:
- House
- All in the Family
- 24
- Taxi
- Three Stooges (obviously, I’ve yet to reach pooberty—like Screech from “Saved by the Bell”. He really needs a nail gun to the junk.)
The real paradox is in the technology, the more “real” it appears, the more “unreal” it seems to become. So, the next time you want to knock a few points off the old IQ turn on that TV. As that great comedian Gallagher once said, “It’s just that easy.”
Ps. Go Taylor Hix…
~m
TVs were still clunky in the early 1970s, along with the stereos. Remember the Rookies, Emergency 51, and Happy Days? Those were my favorite shows when I was very young.
Deb:
The only show I remember from what you mention is “Happy Days”. The casting was brilliant. I wasn’t a huge fan but certainly saw enough episodes.
TV just makes me feel like I’m wasting time. Ya know?
If someone were to break into my house and said to me, “We want to steal your TV,” I’d say, let me hold the door for you…
~m
I’m with you on that one. My husband likes Survivor, so I’ll watch that with him. The Apprentice and Amazing Race (my two favorite shows) just ended. So, there is really nothing to watch. Occasionally, we’ll find a very interesting documentary. But I’d just as soon sit in front of my computer and surf or write.
Yeah, I’ve had about enough of reality TV. I’ve never gotten into it. ER is still my favorite show. Then Big Love and Sopranos on HBO. Network TV is just lame.
I am almost afraid to comment, as it seems every time I voice a fondness for a TV show, it gets cancelled LOL
Our TV is always on, but there are few programs that I really, truly care about. House is fabulous (she whispered LOL) I like Lost, but I am not following every little scrap of a clue like many fans. I got burned b-a-d with Carnivale’ on HBO…hunted down information about good and evil avatars and reams of data about the Knights Templar, only to see the show get cancelled without ever answering ANY of its mysteries (tone down the bitterness Marti – it’s over LOL)
I am flat-out tired of the reality shows (except Amazing Race)
She whispers “Go Taylor” though, since we watch AI, even though I’m not a huge fan and have never voted LOL
I can’t stand most sit-coms. Lots of times we rent a movie to torment…errr…educate the children about LOL
I am trying to make it through the ol’ blogroll before I head out for the weekend – I hope you have a lovely holiday!
Soul Patrol, Soul Patrol!!
Though I’m not an avid AI watcher I’m still bummed that Kelly Pickler is gone. It’s 9:30pm here and I’m going to bed. I’ll find out in the morning who the winner is. Another season gone poof…
Thanks Deb, Lass, Marti and Fuzz for your comments.
Turn off that TV and read a book!
~m
To this day I can remember the first family in the neighborhood who had a color TV, and, yes, the colors were awful. I think the first show I saw was Bonanza. I also remember spotting an ad in the back of some junky magazine (an old ’60′s movie mag, probably) for something you could buy that would transform your B&W TV into color. It was with the ads for X-ray glasses and bust enhancers and “sea monkeys.” I wanted it so badly and couldn’t understand why everyone didn’t order one. I later found out that all it was was a square of cellophane that was red at the top, yellow in the middle, and blue on the bottom. You stuck it over the picture tube and sure enough–color TV. Except that everyone had red faces and blue legs.
My only regular show now is The Sopranos. I’m finally weaning myself off the crime shows I’ve been addicted to–not CSI but the real stuff on Court TV and A&E. I think I’ve seen every episode of Forensic Files, American Justice, and Body of Evidence. I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with growing up Catholic…
HDTV…LCD….Plasma…..Projection HD….Does it come with the new Texas Instrument Chip? I remember watching the Reds/Redsox World Series in a 19″ black and white! No remote control!!! Had to get up from my sofa to change the channel!! No wonder I was thiner back then!
DebP-
Thanks for bringing back “seamonkeys”. I used to be fascinated with the idea. They looked Seussish, didn’t they?
I think someone told me they were actually brine shrimp.
Eliud-
Didn’t the Red Sox look cool in black and white?
God, I remember saturday afternoons when I was a little boy (only a few years ago…not!) sitting with my father and grandfather watching the Sox as the sizzling summer sun burned outside. Oooh, great memories. Thanks for the visit, dude!
funny I woke up this morning thinking about myocardial infarction. How do you spell that?