Reality Show
On June 12 2009, after 60 years, finally the American television changed from analog to digital its transmission system. Those with older TV sets had to buy a converter little box, or else, with a few minor exceptions, all the local and national TV channels were, or maybe still are, on those so well known grey dots, making a lot of noise pollution.
Under these circumstances, at least one bachelor TV fan addicted to years of analog routine came back home from work and mostly undisturbed proceeded to relax routinely, as usual. Namely, he set aside his briefcase, washed his hands, changed into more comfortable house garb, he unfolded and set up the TV table and went to the kitchen to prepare his evening meal. Meanwhile, he made a few phone calls and once the meal was ready to his satisfaction, he placed it on the waiting TV table. One more task and he added his favorite bottle of red wine and one of cold sparkling water, given that he prepared to eat a good grilled stake done in the oven-grill.
Satisfied, he finally sat on the sofa, adjusted the TV table to his comfort and used the remote to turn on his beloved TV which lit in seconds. He tried several channels but they were all showing flickering only grey dots. Hence, he decided to turn to his favorite channel that showed a greater intensity of the dots and noise than the others. Finally, he started to eat.
As he progressed eating while watching his preferred channel, our fan started to react as if watching various programs. At one point he would mumble some comments in between chewing his meal. Other times he would laugh his head off or be so deeply moved that he was ready to shed tears. In between, what could have been advertising or the news, he would change into an indifferent mode until the next entertaining program would follow, maybe with a sport game at which he would participate fully by chewing faster, shouting, or toasting with his wine glass. All in all, a very rewarding evening!
Content that he had a good meal and entertainment, he took his dishes to the kitchen sink, replaced the TV table at its hidden place behind a door and went to wash his teeth and prepare the bedding. This done, he returned for the usual after-meal aromatic liqueur drink, he poured a little in its special colored funny shaped crystal glass. In the process, he seemed to have remembered something and slapped his forehead with the other hand while grunting and mumbling his own admonition for not having remembered: apparently, he forgot that he had installed already the TV converter box but he didn’t turn it on!
He approached it. After trying to familiarize himself with it, he pressed its button and sat on the sofa while the TV channels flickered on, one by one, with their new digital processed programs. One could see on our television admirer‘s face the expectation that only miracles or new TV showcasing could provoke!
After watching one channel, he flipped to the others before settling on any of his favorite ones and even toasted with a welcome, shouted from his mouth. As he watched, and watched, he continued to sip his delightful liqueur that seemed to appease his growing impatience.
He switched from one channel to another as if inspecting that they all work. They did. But, apparently, nothing could catch his interest at the level of entertainment he enjoyed all these years without the digital converter box! In addition, it was also the new season edging in and neither of the new shows caught his interest. He watched a few minutes more the detective movie ones, the talk shows and a couple of so called reality shows, but they all seemed to be cut the same old familiar formats.
Ultimately, greatly disappointed and mumbling all kind of derogatory comments addressed to the new digital era, he finally turned the TV off!
Slowly, he returned to the kitchen, washed the liqueur colored glass, and went to bed leaving us with the impression and the dilemma as to whether, the next time, he would choose which kind of TV system to watch: the digital or the few remaining analog Mexican stations, unclear as they may be?
Let’s wait, and…shall we bet?
Innuendos – Vol I ©by Ray Arco
Editing: Ileana Matac Arco
Hollywood, California
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by Ray Arco 7/13/2009 |
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