how I got cured from watching too much TV back in the 1950's america

how I got cured from watching too much TV back in the 1950's america

fiction
edward w pritchard

When I was five my Dad was at work, Mom slept a lot, our other kids were babies and I got to watch a lot of TV.  My favorite show was local programming originating from Cleveland about 45 miles north of our house there in Tallmadge, Ohio.

Captain Penny was host of a local TV show sometimes on twice a day. I watched the show religiously. Keeping a running commentary of folksy humor and old time advice Captain Penny would announce an episode of the little rascals or three stooges and now and then a cartoon. I watched the show five days per week for two years before I started to school.

Once as a treat for me, my Mother took me by bus downtown Akron to the O'Neil's department store to see the Celebrity Captain Penny in person. Turns out Captain Penny was different in real life than he was on TV.

We waited a longtime in a long line to see Captain Penny and our bus, the last of the evening  was leaving in a few minutes so my Mom and I jumped line to see the Captain up close. Ignoring my Mom and without missing a beat with the kid he was talking to in the front of the long line the Captain looked down at me and said "back of the line Kid. He said it mean like with an unfamiliar glint in his eye.

That's how I got cured from watching too much TV back in the 1950's america.

To this day I don't watch any more children's TV and I don't quite trust authority figures.