They’ve Got You Covered

The twentieth century had more than it’s share of dubious “innovations”; atomic weapons, the wonder bra and (of course) new Coke. The worst of the bunch, though, has to be twenty-four-seven wall-to-wall news coverage.
In the early days of television — when most of the sets were still pedal-powered — there were only three networks [...]

Hazardous Duty

When it comes to selecting a tough and dangerous occupation, there are plenty to choose from; snow plow driver in Alaska, nuclear plant safety inspector, and the salesclerk in charge of convincing size twenty-four women that a size eight dress won’t stretch that much no matter how long they hold their breath. There’s one risky [...]

Fear of Commitment

It’s gotten so that I’m afraid to turn on the TV.  Every time I do, they’re waiting for me; enticing me with promises of new and interesting relationships, exotic locations, and complicated plots.  I’m speaking, of course, of the new Fall TV line-up and I just can’t get involved in another series right now.
When I [...]

Vidiots

Big brother is watching you.  And so is big sister.  Uncle Henry’s in on the act, too.  It’s getting hard to go anywhere without running into a nut with a video camera of some sort.
A typical daycare music recital looks more like a press conference than a kid’s program.  The presidential candidates would give up [...]

…But I Play One On TV

The real problem with television isn’t violence, or inappropriate content, or news stories which appear to have been invented just before the cameras rolled.  The real problem is that kids are imitating the stuff they see between the commercials.
Kids grow up watching ER (now airing its fifty-first “episode that changes everything”) and they’re just dying [...]