Reminds me of that urban legend.
This young couple are going round all the electrical retailers in town looking for a TV for their new home. They’re not that bothered about size or price, but they have one vital requirement: it must have doors and a stand. Of course, none of the shops they visit have anything like that, and they get a lot of funny looks, and salesmen trying to sell them other things. Finally, they try the town’s old department store. The electrical department there is a bit small and a bit dated, and the old departmental manager, who the floor assistant passes their request on to, is very old school – shirt, tie, waistcoat and pocket watch on a chain. But he does know his stuff.
“Ah yes,” he replies, “we used to sell a lot of sets like that, back in the day, but nothing like that exists now. There were specialist models, for schools and the like, that had doors and stands, up until a few years ago I believe, but the new flat screen models have rendered even those obsolete. Of course, the idea was that the domestic television was supposed to stand as a piece of furniture on its own, and one could close the doors and pretend it wasn’t there. There was a lot of snobbery against ownership of televisions back then. That has all changed of course, and, in my opinion, not entirely for the worse. To my certain knowledge, though, no set like that has been available at retail for over thirty years.”
“Are you sure?”
“Quite positive. Why would you want such a device, if I might ask?”
The couple look embarrassed, and then, with a resigned look, the man admits, “Because if it’s got doors and a stand, it counts as furniture, and we can get Social Security to pay for it.”
Biting the hand that feeds IT
