December 12, 2006
But I Don't Pay Anything For Television!!!
Two nights ago, in the middle of dinner, I got one of those telemarketing calls from India offering me some great deal on dish television. I said, "not interested" and hung up.
Yesterday, the same company called again.
The poor fellow could not understand how I could possibly be happy not paying anything for television, when I could spend $24 a month (for the first year, and $34 after that), AND get all of this free equipment. All those channels!
Ah, yes, but would I also get a couple of extra hours per day to watch that television?
I don't understand.
Well, I watch enough television as it is. If I were to have all of these choices, why, to make them worthwhile I would have to watch more television, and there are only so many hours in a day! So, if you can give me an extra two or three hours per day, basically, if you can get me a 26 or 27 hour long day, then you can sign me up!
Sir, you have a wife and children who could watch. You must think about the hours of everyone in the house. There are educational channels and cartoon channels and...
But children shouldn't watch so much television.
What about your wife?
Well, she likes to read, as do I. So, really if we were going to spend an extra $24 a month, we would probably buy more books.
Sports! There are top American sports channels.
Do you think that we, as a society, overvalue sports, and that, perhaps it is a distraction from weightier matters that we neglect and ignore?
Oh, well, there are many types of sports.
Do you watch sports?
Yes, I enjoy watching sports.
Are you in India?
Yes.
How many channels do you have?
Me? Personally?
Yes.
Oh, I guess eighty. Or so.
Ah, so it is much like here, with all of these options.
Yes....Mr. Keilholtz if you are not interested, you could just say. I will not be offended.
Anyway, we had a good conversation, but I don't think that he is going to go out and start selling books.
What amazed me was the fact that it baffled him that I thought that my current situation was acceptable. The script was clearly trying to point out that people are spending too much money on television. Someone like me who spends nothing on television simply does not make a lick of sense in this system.
It is much like when people ask me what my cellphone number is, and I tell them that I don't have one (which is technically not true. We have a cell phone, but we don't use it, never have it on, and have no idea what the number is. Prepaid minutes are great, in that you don't have this feeling of "oh no, if I don't use this I am wasting money").
Instead, be content to know that Mr. Keilholtz is in a meeeting.
Or reading a book.
Posted by erik at December 12, 2006 10:05 AM