The beginning of the demise of TV is when...
- Thread starter john w
- Start date
SaulToPaul 2
Well-known member
As you well know, saint john, the beginning of the end was when Andy began spending too much time hob knobbing with the high fluting types at the Esquire Club, playing golf, and vacationing in Northern Virginia. This led him to adopt a northern accent, which spelled his Mayberry ruin.
This trend snowballed into Mr Brady going disco, Rerun moving out of Watts, Mr Drummond adopting two black inner city kids.
This trend snowballed into Mr Brady going disco, Rerun moving out of Watts, Mr Drummond adopting two black inner city kids.
...the zenith being when "Happy Days" went from canned laughter, to a studio audience, characterized by "The Fonze" going from being cool, to overacting/reacting.
Coming up, I knew a guy like Fonzi.
Drove an MG, could out drink anyone, smoked unfiltered Camels; played cards with the best of them, fit in with all sorts of people, played a mean Basketball game, always had girls around him, and all sorts of rival gang bangers knew him.
He was ever aloof, though; somehow distant.
One day he pulls up in his ride half drunk, says lets go for a drive. We were all college age by then, but some of us had remained in touch..
Any way, at some point he begins to tell me he's gotten another girl pregnant but has decided to do the right thing; no more abortions...as he could no longer live with himself about that. And that he would be going away with the girl...
It was odd, getting to know that side of him. Sometimes a few of us would end up at one Jazz club or another. He was always the aloof one.
What he told me that day somehow humanized him. At the same time; talk about screwed up values: he lost some of his cool that day.
We never saw him again after that day.
I miss the guy; we had some wild times together.
Anyway, that's what Winkler did with the Fonz; he let us in on way too much of his business, and with that Fonzie became, for me at least; Richie's old card board cut out brother, Chuck - just as boring; just as predictable.
But Fonzi was truly a unique character in the annals of Television history; as memorable, as enduring, as Chaplin's "Little Tramp" in "the funny pictures."
Good times...every generation has them...
Drove an MG, could out drink anyone, smoked unfiltered Camels; played cards with the best of them, fit in with all sorts of people, played a mean Basketball game, always had girls around him, and all sorts of rival gang bangers knew him.
He was ever aloof, though; somehow distant.
One day he pulls up in his ride half drunk, says lets go for a drive. We were all college age by then, but some of us had remained in touch..
Any way, at some point he begins to tell me he's gotten another girl pregnant but has decided to do the right thing; no more abortions...as he could no longer live with himself about that. And that he would be going away with the girl...
It was odd, getting to know that side of him. Sometimes a few of us would end up at one Jazz club or another. He was always the aloof one.
What he told me that day somehow humanized him. At the same time; talk about screwed up values: he lost some of his cool that day.
We never saw him again after that day.
I miss the guy; we had some wild times together.
Anyway, that's what Winkler did with the Fonz; he let us in on way too much of his business, and with that Fonzie became, for me at least; Richie's old card board cut out brother, Chuck - just as boring; just as predictable.
But Fonzi was truly a unique character in the annals of Television history; as memorable, as enduring, as Chaplin's "Little Tramp" in "the funny pictures."
Good times...every generation has them...
You knew me, D?
Nah, if that had been you, your wording would have been a wry "You know me, D..."
I never did master the guy's ability to blow cigarette smoke rings through his smoke rings...
You're up there John; you're up there...
Lol - I suspect its what Tel can't stand about you; you're too well liked, though seemingly undeserving of it in his eyes...
...Mike Brady went "mod," from....
....to...
I reckon Mayor STP thinks that this is an indication that "The Great Trib" is nearer than we think.
Discuss.
Well, he was "in the closet". I think that explains it.
Lol, you must not be Mid-Acts - note the "things that differ..."
Television brought the Vietnam War into living rooms all across the world. The world being able to see the atrocity of so many young American lives wasted because our government continued to close an eye to it all.
Television allowed the whole world to see the plight of African Americans down South.
Television gave pre-schoolers the various great pre-school educational programs back when such programs were non-existent.
An episode in one of the old Hospital dramas set in motion a movement that resulted in greater rights for women at work all over the U.S.A.
Television resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars raised for the victims of Hurricane Katrina; so emotionally heart wrenching was the footage of all those lives lost - in the very moment they were being lost!
Where were you when so many of us were reminded throughout the world on 911 that we are one?
The list is endless...
I was(quit smoking 3 years ago) a master in blowing smoke rings. Once, in my fraternity, I blew one that "encompassed" the bottle neck of a glass bottle of beer.
PureX
Well-known member
Ah! But all those holes of enlightenment have been successfully plugged. You aren't going to see american soldiers die on TV anymore. You aren't going to see black people humiliated and forced to live in poverty by brutal white racists, anymore, because they don't do it overtly, like that (well, except for the police). Now it's done with laws and policies like the "war on drugs". The war on drugs is the new war on young black men. And what did all that Katrina good will get anyone? Most of the people chased out of New Orleans by Katrina have still not returned. Because their homes are gone and no one cares. No one wants them back. No one wanted them there to begin with. No one wants them, anywhere.
TV is great at creating the impression that we care, and that we know things, and that something is being done, when we only care for a few minutes, and then we forget about it because we assume someone else is doing something.
Sure, moments of enlightenment slip through the cracks of the big money media machine, but not so's anyone would really notice. Or care. Because the media is all about keeping us numb, and stupid, and making sure we keep buying the crap. All the while creating the illusion that we are really feeling and doing things.
Andy blew it way back when he called coke, pop!
My old buddy would do someting where the smoke ring would land on the top of a beer bottle and then float all the way down to the table and then fan out and dissipate. Never did figure out how he was able to do that. But, I gave up the squares long ago, so I guess there goes that hope, lol
I heard that Aunt "watch it sucka..thou shalt not get drunketh with wine" Esther later hooked up with Julio, and later Grady.
Oh, Glory Hallejuah!!
PureX
Well-known member
Shouldn't it have been a "sodey pop" in Appalachia (or thereabouts)?
I only did that once-I reckon it was because I had a few MD 20/20's!
Of course, if you really wanted to get wasted - and severely regret it the next day - nothing beat a brick of Richard's - man o man the migraines the next day, lol - I feel a migraine coming on just thinking about that.
Hah, a contact headache :rotfl: