Augureye Express September 5 2013
Of the various distinctions the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation has, perhaps the most significant is that we were the first generation to grow up with a television set in the house. The American public became familiar with television during the 1939 worlds fair; although mass production wasn’t possible until after WWII. In America, the first regular commercial TV programming began in 1948, and in many instances television became like a third parent; as an awful lot of our early impressions about the world, and how to act in it came from that magic box with the moving pictures. Back then we neither knew or cared that the impressions we got were of a make believe world that didn’t really exist, because it was an escape from a terminally boring world of conformity and growing consumerism all around us.
Just like thousands of other baby boomer children I spent many an hour glued to the television, following the exploits of Sky King, and The Lone Ranger, not to mention everything from Walt Disney. Before you knew it, TV was as American as apple pie, and there was no looking back; or questioning, we simply embraced it wholeheartedly, never dreaming it would become a primary tool used to desensitize and program us into docile consumer sheep. Many years would pass before it was revealed that even back in the early days of TV, “they” were actually embedding subliminal messages that only the subconscious mind could see. They used subliminal messages during advertisements for products to increase profits, and even in the national anthem, to increase patriotism. Even after we learned of these things, did we indignantly demand accountability? Nope, we just kept right on watching as if nothing was wrong.
