Television: Super Bowl

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Swanson introduced the frozen TV dinner in 1952, so that Americans could eat their dinner while watching television. Many American families still eat their dinner in front of the TV, on a TV tray. When I was a child, we had no TV, but our family did listen to some radio programs. The first time we had a TV in our house was 1955. My oldest brother brought one home with him when he was on leave from the Air Force. It was a tiny little TV that had a handle on the top and “rabbit ears.” He set it on the top of the piano and plugged it into the outlet. We were all fascinated. Then later, my father decided to purchase one and I loved watching “American Bandstand” when I got home from school. Early on, there were many who predicted that people would soon get tired of TV, but the opposite was true. By 1959, the year I got married, it was reported that the average family was watching TV about six hours a day. Some people I know, turn their TV on in the morning and leave it on all day and night, even if no one is watching it. The word, television, actually means “the art of distant seeing,” so I found out. I don’t know who coined that word, but “television” was first introduced at the World’s Fair in New York City, in 1939. And the strange part, of course, was that there were no programs to watch. There were no TV stations and no one was broadcasting anything to watch, but that didn’t last long. It was said that the FIRST program to actually attract a large audience was the World Series in 1947 and I can understand that. Today, a lot of people purchase bigger TVs just before the Super Bowl game. And this year, it would have definitely been worth it. What a game!! I was blown away!! I didn’t think the Patriots had a chance to win, after being so far behind, but I was wrong. It was an amazing come-back and an astounding finish. Unbelievable!!!!