Trust Me - I'm on Television

The other night I tore myself away from the computer and found myself watching television and switching between the Dudley Moore movie Arthur and the Michael Keaton Batman (with Jack Nicholson as, as Warren described him, the boring Joker). During one of the breaks I was assualted by a pitchman wanting to sell me something called a Jupiter Jack. One slight problem. The pitchman, one Billy Mays, has been taking the eternal dirt nap for at least a couple of months, now.

It was in all the papers.

Apparently there are three compelling reasons as to why I recieved a plea to purchase a cell phone accessory from a dead man:
1.) The company is still selling the snot out of the things because they really work.
2.) Mays' widow or his estate have approved and are still recieving royalties, or,
3.) Most importantly, there is the "I saw it on TV - It must be true" mentality.

There are lots of people, trusting people, willing to accept as truth anything sold to them on the TV. Or for that matter, they are willing to accept as truth anything coming over the internet or over any medium. Need proof? Well, there was Orson Wells' Mercury Theater production of War of the Worlds way back in 1938, or Fox News, or Michael Moore, or Glenn Beck and a veritable parade of radio/TV commentators. The list goes on and on.

In the first or second season of Saturday Night Live there appeared an ad parody for something called "The Meat Wagon Action Adventure Set" involving slot cars crashing into each other, complete with a slot car ambulance ready to race to the scene in order to haul away the unfortunates. Well, wouldn't you know it, someone wrote a letter to the editor of the Chillicothe Gazette complaining about the availability of and the inappropriateness of the "...Adventure Set" shown on TV!

That was what, 35 years ago? No wonder Billy Mays is still selling Jupiter Jack from beyond this mortal coil. Trust me - I'm on Television!

Stopping and thinking about it, there's a great potential for harm were the power of Television were to happen into the wrong hands. Too late, its already happened. There are (among others) preachers, newscasters, and commenators regularly abusing those trusting enough to accept what is spoon-fed them through the media. If one can be sold a Chia Pet or a Jupiter Jack, one can be just as easily sold an ideology or a political stance for good or for ill.

We need to be careful.

While it is relatively easy to test the claims made by the late Mr. Mays concerning a Jupiter Jack, claims made by those wanting to influence may be harder to seperate truth from fiction. Reach and frequency add credibility as was observed by Joseph Goebbles, chicken farmer turned Nazi. To paraphrase, "A lie told often enough and convincingly enough eventually assumes an aura of truth."

In a free society, messengers have an obligation to police themselves in order to protect their right to free speech. While it is perfectly legal in the free speech sense to yell "FIRE!!!" in a crowded theater, it's not really a good idea as it would cause panic and possible injury to a number of people. There are some who are literally doing the same thing on a daily basis on radio and on Television to the detriment of the country they claim to love, just to promote their own agendas... their own ideologies. I could mention names, but I don't believe that I have to. They've gotten too used to having their way with our guarantee of free speech. One peep about possibly policing their abuse of the system brings up red flags and a legion of loyal followers who are unaware that they are being duped.

That's right, duped. "Sold a bill of goods".

Trust me, I'm on Television is only as good a phrase as the person asking for the trust. If trust includes an option to verify what's being sold from a second source, that much the better. The reality in this situation is for the buyer to beware. Look at what's being sold from several angles before buying into an idea. Investigate before you invest. You will be the winner in the long run.

Trust me. I've been on Television!

Be Seeing You!