Back in the day - Installment 2: Television

 

How far back should I go? Well, considering that this is a finite timeline (since the concept of consumer electronics does not go back further than a century), I will start at what I can remember from my childhood – about midway on that timeline. 

Our Black and White TV (in background) c. 1966

We had a black and white TV until a lightning strike hit our antenna in the mid 1970s and then my parents bought a 19” solid state, color TV. Turning on the TV was a conscious decision. If we wanted to know what was on TV, we consulted TV Guide, which had the projected programming – though it was sometimes wrong, and frustrating. We had one local TV station that we received quite well with the rabbit ear antenna that was on top of the TV. There were two stations in Vancouver B.C. (Canada) and two (well, maybe one and sometimes another… depending upon whether, or how viewers were positioned in the room) from Seattle. The reception from those distant stations was sketchy, at best. Sometimes, the images on screen were “ghosted” and at other times, they were garbled. Most of the time, we could at least get audio though. Suffice it to say, most of what we watched was our local station – KVOS (which doesn’t even exist anymore). If you didn’t like what was on TV, there was no changing the channel option. You either watched what was on or turned it off. It was that black and white TV in the wooden cabinet that we watched the live Apollo 11 moon landing and when President Nixon resigned. 

Our TV reception improved slightly when we upgraded from rabbit ears to a deluxe rooftop antenna that could rotate with a remote box with an orientation knob. One of the annoying frustrations was a neighbor who had an electric fence that would “zap” our picture every second. It was just one of the things we had to deal with.

In the vacuum tube generation, it was expected that users would service their own TVs and radios. If you didn’t know what you were doing (which applies to most people) you still gave it a try. You simply unplugged your TV (so you didn’t get electrocuted) and trying not to touch any of the wires that said “DANGER” on them, you carefully pulled out all of the glass vacuum tubes and packed them in a bag and brought them to the hardware store or even your local supermarket – most of which had a tube tester. You just followed the directions on which knobs to turn and what readings the meters and lights were supposed to be. If you found a tube that was faulty, you’d buy that tube and replace it, hoping it would solve the problem. If it didn’t solve the problem or if none of the tubes were faulty, THEN you called a repairman or brought it into the shop. It could take weeks… or months for you to get your TV back. It’s not that it really took that long to repair, but it just took that long for them to finally get to your TV – or they just held it that long to make it seem like the problem was more complex and involved than it really was. I used to work in an electronics repair shop and I can neither confirm nor deny that there were some hokey things that happened behind the scenes. 

In the age of solid-state electronics, nothing was considered “user” repairable – though many dads tried… and many dads either made matters worse or got shocked (or both) in the process. There were warning labels on the back of the TV to ensure that manufacturers were not held liable. The insides of the television set seemed more complicated and mysterious from that day forward – especially as more features were added and with the advent of color television. I remember one television set that was advertised on a TV commercial by Magnavox: “Works in a Drawer” where all the circuit boards were accessible by opening up a drawer, supposedly making it easier for repair personnel to do their job. I don’t think this concept caught on though because for the rest of us, who cares?

The fact of the matter still remained that there were only 13 channels on the dial. Well, technically not though. It started at 2 and went through 13, but between 13 and 2 was UHF. That was mysterious because with UHF, when you fine-tuned the UHF dial and there was just static/”snow” (at least in our location). It didn’t really matter though because there were only so many television stations in our local community.

Then everything changed. Cable television. This was both a good thing and not so good. For about ten bucks a month, we could get something like 30 premium channels in addition to local TV stations. For a few dollars more, we could get HBO and/or Showtime. This was the first time many of us had our innocence rocked by sneaking R-rated movies while our parents were shopping or on date night. The other thing that changed was that cable TV supplanted other relationships and activities. Where we used to ride bicycles, play ball games and work on tree forts with neighborhood kids, they were too busy watching their favorite shows. Backyard barbecues, gossiping over the fence and sense of community gave way to isolation and sedentary lifestyles. TV ruled almost every American household. Not too much afterward, came VCRs – with the war between Betamax and VHS, with VHS coming out the winner (not due to quality, but availability of movies on the platform). Everybody had a VCR and could buy or rent whatever they wanted. Then came DVDs and Blu-Ray… and now, streaming services.

Sadly, not much has changed since early Cable TV, except that there are seemingly unlimited channels now and with the addition of Smart TV and the Internet, we can watch anything and everything – quite literally. What HAS changed is that instead of a 19” tube-type TV with grainy picture, we now have flat screen, high definition TVs that can take up an entire wall, with booming 7.1 surround-sound. Every home can be a movie theater in this day of modern technology. Does anybody take their TV to the shop anymore? It’s virtually unheard of and I don’t know if there are any local shops that repair them. Mostly, by the time your warrantee expires, it’s time to upgrade to a new TV anyway and the old one gets thrown in the dumpster.

Back in the day - Installment 1: Mail Order

Probably as recent as about 20 years ago, when we had to order something (although most items you could find at a brick and mortar store before being decimated by big tech retailers), you could order from a printed catalog. Here is the process: 

1) You find what you wanted in the catalog and pull out the insert in the catalog with an envelope that you needed to fill out (it's usually toward the center or back of the catalog). 

2) Fill out the catalog number, the description and quantity and then you added up the subtotal.

3)There were a few states that required sales tax, so if you lived in one of those states, you calculated the sales tax and added that. 

4) Then, you chose the shipping method and added that to your subtotal. 

5) Once you have determined the total cost of the order, you have several payment options. Some companies (but not all) have the option to pay by credit card. Not everybody has a credit card and some people don't trust filling out their credit card information in unsecured mail. If you are daring enough to use a credit card, fill in the boxes (literally boxes) with your credit card number, expiration date and so forth. You then have to sign with your "John Hancock" (anyone who still knows what your "John Hancock is is certifiably old school). 

6) If you don't have a credit card (there weren't as many people 20+ years ago who had unsecured credit as there are now), you have to use an alternate method. Keep in mind there is no PayPal, or any other methods of online payment, since online shopping was still a new concept that many companies hadn't yet adopted. Go back a few more years and online anything didn't even exist... period. It was just standard practice to order through a catalog - and you used a check or money order. In this case, the choice determined how long it took for your order to be processed. A) If you used a personal check, the company had to wait for the check to clear, which my take up to a week or more. That meant that they had to contact the bank and ensure that you had enough money in your checking account for the purchase at the time to avoid an overdraft nightmare. B) The other option is to use a money order. You could go to your bank, the post office or Western Union (wherever that is - train depot, I guess?) and purchase a money order. The money order itself was a nominal fee (about 75 cents) in addition to the face value of the money order. This will speed up your order by a few days because they can process it upon receipt of your completed order (provided you did everything correctly - which, if not, they returned it to you).

7) Put your completed and signed order form, your check or money order in the envelope provided, write your return address on the envelope, put on a first class stamp and drop it in the mailbox. And wait... and wait... and wait...

8) If your order form was filled out correctly and you have sufficient funds in your account AND if the item you are ordering is in stock, they company processes the order. If there is a problem, they may send you a letter stating the problem. If there is a backorder, they may state that in a letter or you may call them with a toll-free 1-800 number and wait on hold for what seems like an eternity to inquire about your order. If there is something wrong with the order and it's your fault, they may just return your check and order form. If the item is out of stock indefinitely, they may offer a substitution - an option that may or may not be checked on the initial order form. Your order may take up to a month or more to be processed and sent. In those days, most orders were sent UPS or FedEx Ground, so you got there when it got there. There was no tracking number that was available for customers to track their orders. All this was perfectly normal and we rarely complained about it. I had one order that took several months... literally. I called several times to ask about the status and they acted like I was pestering them and I should "be patient and confident it would get there." That was 1997.

Fast forward to present day. 

1) Log on to Amazon, Wal-Mart, eBay or any number of online mass retailers. 

2) Click on what you want. 

3) Confirm your order. 

4) Package shows up at your doorstep a few days later... and hopefully you notice it's there before a "porch pirate" steals it.

The Oppressor's Greatest Fear

 One of the greatest fears of the alpha in a codependent relationship is for their partner to become independent and successful because their control over their partner is diminished. 

We tend to think of a codependent relationship as one between a narcissist/sociopath, and an over-accommodating or needy partner, but this form of toxicity extends beyond a personal relationship. A dysfunctional alliance can also be on a macro level - such as between an oligarchy and its citizenry; an employer and employees; landlord and tenants; or a corporatocracy and independent entrepreneurs or freelancers. 

Anytime the balance between the controller and the controlled tips in favor of their reciprocal dependent, they must take drastic measures to regain control and oppression. In a personal relationship, it may take the form of physical violence, threats, emotional abuse (which includes gaslighting), isolation and restricting essential resources. In instances where the underdog discovers that he or she can be independent or successful, it is almost always necessary to change the "rules" so that the alpha regains complete control and then it becomes even more difficult for the oppressed to prosper or escape subjugation. The scenario is almost identical where the relationship is on a macro level. 

Victims of oppression and abuse may not even recognize their role in a codependent relationship. It seems "normal" to them. Even when acknowledged, they may continue to rely on their oppressors and keep supporting or defending their empire because they feel "secure" in that relationship or don't feel like there are any other options. In many instances, there are no other options though. A healthy relationship (whether it is personal or on a macro level, as I've described) is a complementary partnership where every aspect is mutually beneficial and assets are shared - not where leftover crumbs are used as bargaining chips. 

Sometimes, all that is needed to level the playing field is for the truth to shine bright enough to penetrate the veil of illusion so that those who are oppressed can see a clear path for egress and to recognize their own potential - understanding that their own worth, their skills, their talents and their voice are every bit as valid as those of the elites and the powerful.