I would say prior to 2000....generally, if something came on via the radio, or TV....or was written in your local paper.....you felt it was 99-percent 'true'. Even if it was marginally true.....you had some idea in your head that things told....ought to be true.
So, in the past twenty years....something changed.
I think if you went to people with x-story and just said....the central five facts....do you believe them totally? You'd get this funny look and then the person would say something to 'balance' the situation. They would avoid saying all five were facts or true.
Then you go to your 10-year old kid, and ask about something....involving five facts at school over something....asking him if they were valid? He'd answer with 'well, some of this is just BS'.
Then you'd go to your 'church-associate' and ask over something relating to five facts....having nothing to do with the Bible or some preacher-chatter, asking him if the story facts were valid? He'd hesitate, and then answer that some parts are not fitting well.
Then you'd go to the neighbor and ask about some NCAA football stuff....involving five facts....asking if this were true? He'd ask for a beer first, then launch into a 3-minute talk that facts aren't facts anymore. He'd tell you.....you'd like to believe things, but can't bring yourself to believe much.
It's an odd evolution that we've wandered into, and can't seem to find a 'path' out.
Some things are going in a way to be like some WWE-wrestling scenario....where you think Joe Biden or the DeSantis-guy.....are like WWE-characters. Hunter Biden's woes? They might be just BS, or 50-percent true. You just don't know.
My question.....where does this lead us now? Can you trust the power company? Can you trust 'Cindy' who does the Channel 19 weather? Can you trust the Bud-Light management? Can you trust that clerk at Piggly Wiggly who seems to be rather dim-witted?
1950s, I grew-up on a farm.
ReplyDeleteMy four grandparents lived next door.
Prior to my chores, my Saturday mornings were reserved for Roy and Dale and Sky King, Paladin and Gene Autry and Lash LaRue.
Believing the script, I instantly adopted the 'reverse psychology' method of always conquering evil -- and ridiculous objections to my perfectly logical requests for a Hopalong dual-pistolero rig -- promoted by my hero Boston Blackie.
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A private investigator called in to assist those hapless dull-witted bumbling LawEnforcementOfficials after another brilliant criminal stymied them, Blackie always caught the crook using his impeccable 'reverse psychology'.
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Saturday evening, Granpa Jack and I shared the ottoman mere inches from the television set...
... thoroughly engrossed in prize fights and wrestling.
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Somehow, I honestly truly believed -- beyond a shadow of a doubt -- smacking my opponent with a folding-chair was a world-class move, the envy of my loyal fans everyplace, and sure to turn the tables if all my other secret tricks failed.
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Sitting with my family watching TheNews™, I noticed significant head-shaking and over-their-eyeglasses do-you-believe-they-expect-us-to-believe-that looks from the olden folks in the room.
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Sitting on the 2x8 balanced on the bucket outside the chicken coop, I asked Granpa Jack if I was seeing right... is televisionprogramming real?
He dropped the shovel on a snake crawling by, and explained:
* "It's all hollywood smoke and mirrors... nothing on televisionprogramming is real."
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My cherished Hopalong dual-pistolero rig fell to pieces after I emulated banging a nail into a tree to hold a 'Most Wanted' poster.
My pistols were plastic, not engineered for catching the criminally-intent by the best Town Marshall this territory ever saw.
Not any good for that, or much else.
No sir, not at all.