everything relates back to TV

It seems like everything in life relates back to something I've seen on television. I've mentioned before that don't own a television anymore, but I'm quite convinced that television burns things into memory like few other things can. I think part of it has to do with repetitiveness -- the sheer number of times one has watched something. Maybe this is why I, sadly, know so many 1980s TV show themes. Absolutely useless knowledge that makes me feel like a tool, but it's nearly impossible to unlearn something. It's not like I can clear the clutter out to make room for things that I'd prefer to remember.

Just to show you how bad it is for me, I spotted this gentleman and his clipper ship kite out on the grounds of the Washington Monument at the Smithsonian Kite Festival.



Well, the only real reason why I took this photo is because it reminded me of the old opening intro to Reading Rainbow, the PBS series for kids hosted by LeVar Burton. Check it out for yourself, in the classic opening titles below, courtesy of a YouTube user. Near the very end of the clip, a kid turns into Ben Franklin and pulls a clipper ship on a string.



There is some humor in this, but this is still a little disturbing isn't it? I figure if TV has such power to commit things into memory, maybe some of these PBS show producers are onto something about the whole educational television concept. I think there are definite limitations however: television doesn't seem like a good medium to provide depth and context and for some reason, certain things commit to memory and other things don't. For instance, I couldn't tell you the title of a single book featured on Reading Rainbow. But I know the opening credits. So what good does that do?

But you don't have to take my word for it…