As is becoming a habit, I am interrupting my penetrating political observations for a moment to comment on what might be called the dross or less covered aspects of life in these United-one would hope-States. They are, I admit, unrelated because that requires more thought than I’m willing to give, and sometimes, like all the time, it’s good to provide a little diversion from the heaviosity of the last few months.
Real People Versus Actors
If you watch television, which I only do for the purposes of research, you come across some fairly idiotic statements. On a particular car commercial, we are given to understand that the people being shown are “real people” rather than actors.
Hmmm…
So, what are actors then? Are they aliens from beyond the moon? Robots? Hallucinations? CGI boogeymen (sorry, but boogey-people doesn’t work unless you’re still into disco, in which case the spelling is wrong)? That might be a stretch if it weren’t for the fact that we’re living in a heightened period of conspiracy theories.
I could say that actors are used because “real people” are bad actors and wouldn’t convey the proper mood or emotion needed to get us on our phone or computer to buy, buy, buy, but then I might get called out for dissing “real people.”
And we don’t want that.
The Football Team
As many of you know, the NFL team from Washington DC, though they play in neighboring Maryland, have changed their name to The Football Team (at least till they can come up with something exciting to replace it). One might think that as they’ve given up the name, Redskins, maybe it’s time to give up DC and become The Maryland Football Team, but that would put them in competition with the Baltimore Ravens and we can’t have that.
Personally, I think they should just stay The Football Team. Why? Because it just rolls off the tongue and produces big laughs, though possibly unintended. For instance:
“Today’s game, the Steelers versus The Football Team.”
“Another big win by The Football Team.”
“Raise your voices for our beloved home team, The football Team!”
“The quarterback really had a great game for The Football Team.”
“Jim’s Broiler, the official steakhouse of The Football Team.”
“The comeback win of the century for The Football Team.”
And on and on. Imagine if Jon Facenda, the great voice of all those old NFL films, replaced every reference to their former name with The Football Team.
Just so it’s clear, I’m not advocating for a return of the team’s longtime name; I’m glad it’s gone, but I find it amusing that the term The Football Team is used more than Washington when the team is referenced during its games this season.
The Need for Everything to be a Contest
Is it wrong to wonder if it’s a good thing to have kids compete against one another to decide who is the best kid baker? I mean they’re kids. Or is it just part of the human experience that subjugates and crushes our very spirit, that… sorry, I’m getting off track here. Perhaps everything we do is at its essence a competition for love, resources, survival, and I guess that explains something like the Bachelor or Bachelorette, where finding love is a contrived contest featuring actors–see above–doing their best to convince the audience and talent agencies that they have to chops to find real love, or become big time stars. I find it deeply stupid, but that’s just me.
Imagine, though, if it featured “real people”, you know, everyday people going through the same rigamarole rather than the beautiful people we’re all supposed to envy and emulate. Think about that the next time you’re at the mall, assuming you still go to the mall, and pick a group of “real people” to participate.
Might be interesting.
Then again, it might not.
Just an idea.
©2020 David William Pearce
David William Pearce, Writer 