Flipping off the television

It's quite odd how television, which is responsible for forming so many of our ideas and impressions, has the gall to and is able to get away with presenting highly unrealistic situations as the norm.

Case in point is today's Daily Shirt.

I grew up literally 10 minutes from the elementary school that I attended in those formative years between 5 and 62. But I only went to that school up until the age of 13...long story about graduating from grade 8 that I won't bore you with. Anyway, the point is, I was lucky enough to be able to go home for lunch, and not have to worry about building schoolyard friendships that would last a lifetime. I had television.

And today's Daily Shirt was the father character on the show that I watched while having lunch, that portrayed 1950's midwest America and family life, that, not only had no basis in reality as it pertained to my life, but I also suspect that it had little basis in reality even when it was current programming. It was devastating to see that nothing bad happened anywhere. Was it me? Was my TV broken and only able to show the good, the happy, the idealised?

No, it's that TV, even in the 50's, was about selling illusions, skewing perspectives and generally misinforming people about the real and true deallio behind the visuals; whether it's a family situation, soap commercial or (and worst of all) current world event you were watching on the box.

So, screw you, blatantly idealised television situations. And screw you too, Ward!