Written for RDP where bushboy asks us to
get creative with the word βengineβ.
Thanks, Brian! Hereβs where the prompts took me.
Tag: Television
Did You Know?
What was the first toy advertised on TV?
Continue reading “Did You Know?”Neon Gods
Written for dVerse Poetics: Itβs Noisy In Here!
Our host, Mish, is asking us to write a poem
of any style dealing with noise. Hereβs mine.
Friends
Written for Gerry & Sueβs Weekly Prompts
Wednesday Challenge (βscreechyβ).
This is my response.
Love Me Tender
Written for Jim Adamsβ Song Lyric Sunday post
‘Matching Song and Movie Titles’ where he asks us
to write about a song that was used as the
title of a movie. Here is my ‘matching title’.
A Show About Nothing: A Cinquain
Written for dVerse Poets where the
challenge is to write a poem based on
Favorite TV Shows. This is my Cinquain.
TV OR NOT TV

Just like the bighorn sheep of North America who shed their wool in the summer, Iβm about to do a bit of shedding of my own. Iβll be lightening the load, taking out the garbage, so to speak.
Does anyone else think thereβs a whole lot of crapola on TV these days? Seriously β what do people watch all damn day long? I have to be sick as a dog in bed to even think of putting the TV on during the day.

I know some people love to watch their game shows and others are hooked on the news. Thatβs fine. They can have it! I canβt take more than 30 seconds of that Mike Lindell guy screaming about his freaking awesome pillows or the endless stream of bobble heads on 24/7 news yelling at each other nonstop. Theyβre literally sitting two feet away from each other; why all the yelling?

And thatβs just daytime TV; prime time is even worse, especially if you have to put up with commercials. Why is it everyone on TV ads has βmoderate to severe plaque psoriasisβ or βsuffers from the embarrassment of IBSβ?

By now youβve probably figured out I donβt watch much TV; Iβd rather write stories, listen to music or work on my plants than sit in front of the TV while my brain cells shrivel up and die.
Now Iβm not talking about ball games or movies; they are the exception to the rule. I enjoy kicking back to a good move and will watch just about any baseball game that happens to be on but in my opinion everything else is garbagio.

I know nothing about Game of Thrones, The Good Doctor or La Brea. And what the hell is the point of Naked and Afraid? Why do the people have to be naked AND afraid? Canβt they just be afraid? I know I am!

Iβve never seen one minute of any reality show such as The Karadashians (gag me with a spoon!) or The Bachelorette (kill me now!). I watched about ten minutes of Jeopardy! with the new host whose name I canβt pronounce β¦ you know, the one who loves to tell anyone who will listen that she has a doctorate in neuroscience. Who gives a ratβs ass? Iβd rather watch Naked and Afraid.

Let me give you a rundown of the shows I watch:
- Days of Our Lives (which Bill and I record and watch in the evening)
- General Hospital (which Bill and I record and watch in the evening)
- Americaβs Got Talent (I like talent shows despite the over-the-top Terry Crews)
- Grantchester (a fantastic BBC show)
- All Creatures Great and Small (another fantastic BBC show)
- Outlander (yet another fantastic show from the UK with lots of men in kilts as a bonus)
NB β Quality shows like 4-6 usually take two years or more between seasons; why it takes that long to film 10 episodes is beyond me but we patiently wait for their return because they are bloody amazing shows. They’re also commercial free; gotta hand it to the Brits!

Thatβs all folks! Pretty short list, I know.
So, what did I mean about taking out the garbage? After way too many years of watching the mind-numbing Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, I have cut the “soap on a rope”. Why? Because they are stupid, insipid, a huge waste of time and an insult to my intelligence. My 13-year-old granddaughter could write better storylines. And you know what else? I wonβt even miss them.
GOOD RIDDANCE!

One thingβs for sure: in the world of soaps very little changes. If I decide to tune in to either of those soaps five or six years from now, Lulu will still be in a coma and somebody in Salem will be possessed β¦ again. Oy! Now thatβs just stupid!
NAR Β© 2022
THE BATTLE OF THE SEXISTS

βDebonair, sophisticated and charmingβ sighed Alice Carter. βCary Grant and David Niven are so good in that movie. I always loved βThe Bishopβs Wife’. They don’t make classy movies like that anymore, you know?β
βAnd that Loretta Young is some beauty, tooβ replied Aliceβs husband Ralph. βThose high cheekbones, full lips, tiny waist and long legs β a real looker, that one.β
βAnd so chic, too, Ralph. You always knew a real lady when you saw one. Well, I better start dinner. Iβm making your favorite β sausage and potato casserole.β
βI hope you made a lemon meringue pie for dessert.β
βOf course! I know what you like, Ralph.β
Returning to the den after starting dinner, Alice found Ralph was watching the news.
βWhy arenβt there more delightful men on the news, men like Peter Jennings?β
βBecause heβs deadβ replied Ralph.
βHow about Mike Wallace?β
βAlso deadβ Ralph reminded Alice.
βLook at this clown, Glenn Beck, wearing jeans and sneakers on a news program! Give him a beanie and heβd look just like one of those little rascal kids. What ever happened to that nice Matt Lauer?β
βFired for sexual misconductβ replied Ralph.
βGood Lord! I donβt believe it! Well, what about Bill OβReilly, Eric Bolling and Charlie Rose?β
βFired, fired and, oh yeah … fired. Alice, can I please have a moment of peace and quiet to watch the news?β
βWell, pardon me for living!β she sniffed. βIβm going to check on the sausage casserole.β
When she returned Alice stopped dead in her tracks. βOh my God, Ralph! What on earth are you watching now?β
βItβs still the news, Alice. In fact, it’s called ‘The News Channel’. I didnβt change the station.β
βThe βX Rated News Channelβ, you mean! No wonder those poor men got fired. What red-blooded guy could resist floozies like that showing off their goods on national tv? They look like hookers! And look at you sitting there in your underwear all bug-eyed. Iβm sure as soon as my back is turned youβll be jacking off to these little twats. Disgusting!β Alice harrumphed.
βTalk about disgusting! Since when do you talk like that, Alice? Just be quiet. You donβt have the slightest idea what youβre talking about. I bet you didnβt even know Russia has topless newscasters? These women are professionals. They’re lawyers, professors and judges, not bimbos with sketchy unspecified qualifications who just walked in off the street.β
βYeah, theyβre highly qualified alright … as teasers and flirts!β Alice snapped. βTake that one on the end with the blonde hair, fishnet stockings and spike heels. Look at how skimpy her dress is. Did they run out of fabric? Her boobs are straining to break loose from her top and the bottom is so short β if she uncrosses her legs weβll all find out if she’s a real blonde or not! Her other job is probably pole dancing!β
βWoah, woah, woah! Thatβs enough, Alice. Look, this here is Megyn Kelly. She has a law degree, is a journalist, an author and a world-famous political commentator as well as a news anchor. The dark-haired one on the end is Kimberly Guilfoyle. Sheβs a political analyst, an attorney and former First Lady of San Francisco. Now sheβs engaged to Donald Trump, Jr. Iβm sure their families are very proud. Besides being absolutely stunning, theyβre brilliant. Why donβt you just run back into the kitchen like a good girl and let me enjoy my one indulgence.β
βIndulgence??β Alice countered. βSo you admit itβs all about cheap thrills and nothing to do with the news. Youβre such a pig, Ralph!β
βWhatever. Howβs that sausage coming, anyway? Iβm hungry.β
Alice saw red. βHereβs an idea for you, Ralph. Get Kimberly whats-her-name to heat up your sausage. Iβm sure sheβs highly qualified!β
NAR Β© 2019