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My Dad used to call it “The Boob Tube” or “The Idiot Box.”
My Dad was in his mid thirties before television was even available to the average American. Most Americans did not own a television set. As shown in the above picture, Americans would gather around a shop window to get a look at this new, amazing, unbelievable technology.
Television had been around as a Scientific creation for years, but it was not until after WW II that Americans started buying TV sets. In a few short years TV ownership went from single digits to over 80%. Milton Berle was credited with getting Americans to go out and buy TV’s just to see his show.
This is an old Philco TV. This is the TV I grew up watching. Only black and white, color TV’s were not yet available. This TV was 2-1/2 feet high, 2 feet deep, it was all tubes and very heavy. It generated enough heat (see those big side vents) to warm yourself on a chilly night. Back then, we thought the picture quality was great. Today it would be considered horrible. It was truly a piece of furniture. A focal point in the living room.
When our family got a TV, we were only the third house on our block to have one. That increased guest traffic in our house by a factor of 15. In those days the set offered us 3 stations. CBS, NBC, and some local station that was mostly old movies and wrestling. Never heard of ABC.
I can’t remember, must have been over a year, but my parents decided to get the new COLOR version of television. This one (left) was the first color TV affordable and available to the public. We were the first to have color TV on our block and that created another and bigger rush of neighbors to our living room. Newer, better, in color. We were the Smiths surpassing the Jones. The “old” black and white TV set, was put downstairs, for us kids.
In a truly American trait, the television just got better and bigger, and families kept buying the newer models. American society seems to approach many appliances of comfort (cars, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, you name it) in that manner. Buying the newer, better model, even if there was nothing wrong with the old model.
On the high end, TV’s have always been a piece of furniture. The main piece in the room of the house, that entertained. Smaller TV’s allowed us to have one in any and every room.
This beautiful flat plasma screen is set in a handsome box, but you could just hang it above a fireplace.
These days TV’s can be a Dick Tracy wrist watch, or a 2-1/2 inch by 1-1/2 inch pocket size, which can also be a personal computer and telephone.
When I was a kid, I was outside all day. If I was not, my Mom asked if I felt sick. TV was an evening thing, with the family. I never sat and watched hours of TV by myself. When I moved out of my parents house, I did not own a TV for years. Then I got one of those 9″ B&W TV’s, just to watch the news. I did not own a color TV until I was over 40, even though, by this time TV’s were high quality and everyone had at least two.
Today I have a nice 36″ tube type (very heavy) color TV, it’s about 13 years old, but still gives a great picture. I keep my TV on ALL the time. I don’t watch it all the time, it’s just on whenever I’m home. I will cook, do house chores, work on the computer, whatever, it is always on. I tell the family I’m just waiting for the prices of flat screens to go down. Truth is, I’m totally happy with my TV, but I never thought I would have to pay to receive broadcast stations – another blog post.
As I get older, I sleep less. I would say, I have trouble falling asleep sometimes. When I do, I lay in front of the TV, and I’m asleep in minutes. Now the TV is on day and night. If my TV dies, I will drop everything, leave work, whatever, to make sure I can buy a new one, and have it plugged in by dinner time. Am I addicted? Oh yes. Is America addicted? Even worse than I am.
With all this retrospective on television, you might think I’m old. I’m not. Really, I’m not. That’s my delusion anyways. I choose to believe it that way.
My Dad used to call it “The Boob Tube” or “The Idiot Box.”
My Dad was in his mid thirties before television was even available to the average American. Most Americans did not own a television set. As shown in the above picture, Americans would gather around a shop window to get a look at this new, amazing, unbelievable technology.
Television had been around as a Scientific creation for years, but it was not until after WW II that Americans started buying TV sets. In a few short years TV ownership went from single digits to over 80%. Milton Berle was credited with getting Americans to go out and buy TV’s just to see his show.
This is an old Philco TV. This is the TV I grew up watching. Only black and white, color TV’s were not yet available. This TV was 2-1/2 feet high, 2 feet deep, it was all tubes and very heavy. It generated enough heat (see those big side vents) to warm yourself on a chilly night. Back then, we thought the picture quality was great. Today it would be considered horrible. It was truly a piece of furniture. A focal point in the living room.
When our family got a TV, we were only the third house on our block to have one. That increased guest traffic in our house by a factor of 15. In those days the set offered us 3 stations. CBS, NBC, and some local station that was mostly old movies and wrestling. Never heard of ABC.
I can’t remember, must have been over a year, but my parents decided to get the new COLOR version of television. This one (left) was the first color TV affordable and available to the public. We were the first to have color TV on our block and that created another and bigger rush of neighbors to our living room. Newer, better, in color. We were the Smiths surpassing the Jones. The “old” black and white TV set, was put downstairs, for us kids.
In a truly American trait, the television just got better and bigger, and families kept buying the newer models. American society seems to approach many appliances of comfort (cars, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, you name it) in that manner. Buying the newer, better model, even if there was nothing wrong with the old model.
On the high end, TV’s have always been a piece of furniture. The main piece in the room of the house, that entertained. Smaller TV’s allowed us to have one in any and every room.
This beautiful flat plasma screen is set in a handsome box, but you could just hang it above a fireplace.
These days TV’s can be a Dick Tracy wrist watch, or a 2-1/2 inch by 1-1/2 inch pocket size, which can also be a personal computer and telephone.
When I was a kid, I was outside all day. If I was not, my Mom asked if I felt sick. TV was an evening thing, with the family. I never sat and watched hours of TV by myself. When I moved out of my parents house, I did not own a TV for years. Then I got one of those 9″ B&W TV’s, just to watch the news. I did not own a color TV until I was over 40, even though, by this time TV’s were high quality and everyone had at least two.
Today I have a nice 36″ tube type (very heavy) color TV, it’s about 13 years old, but still gives a great picture. I keep my TV on ALL the time. I don’t watch it all the time, it’s just on whenever I’m home. I will cook, do house chores, work on the computer, whatever, it is always on. I tell the family I’m just waiting for the prices of flat screens to go down. Truth is, I’m totally happy with my TV, but I never thought I would have to pay to receive broadcast stations – another blog post.
As I get older, I sleep less. I would say, I have trouble falling asleep sometimes. When I do, I lay in front of the TV, and I’m asleep in minutes. Now the TV is on day and night. If my TV dies, I will drop everything, leave work, whatever, to make sure I can buy a new one, and have it plugged in by dinner time. Am I addicted? Oh yes. Is America addicted? Even worse than I am.
With all this retrospective on television, you might think I’m old. I’m not. Really, I’m not. That’s my delusion anyways. I choose to believe it that way.
TB could have made us an extraordinary country but instead we have become less than mediocre.
ReplyDeleteTV is nothing more but visual comic books and I happen to agree with what Bill Maher said about comic books. But TV is much more dangerous.
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