MY IDEA FOR A NEW KIND OF TV SHOW

While I was seated at home one day,

I got an idea for a new type of TV show.

The storyline went as follows:

The media of such-and-such a country

has been taken over by one cold-hearted

“big brother.”

It saturates the populace with unquestioning

reverence towards authority large and small

under the guise of heartwarming “family values.”

In this such-and-such a country

The schoolyard bully, for example,

has become the virtuous hero

of the dramas, the comedies, the court shows, the news

and even of all three branches of government.

And the populace is completely enervated,

they have learned to enjoy seeing humiliation

(even their own)

on a daily basis.

Shouting matches are the tonic of the day.

No “warm and fuzzy” with the schoolchildren here!

Whippings, beatings, slams on the walls

and tests tests

and more more tests

win the day here.

Police ride roughshod over those who are “different,”

be it by race, nationality, religion, or some other immutable,

and are subject to medals, promotions and veneration,

especially if they overreact and kill or maim.

Why, the country’s own “caretaker”

is a schoolyard bully

come to extend the skills

learned on the playground

and extended to the city, county, state and nation

to the rest of the world

simply because “he can.”

Now of course there must be a few

opposed to all of this,

but they shall not win!

These, you see, are the new bad guys

who are traitors of this such-and-such country.

and BAD GUYS NEVER WIN!

All have learned to

LOVE THE PERPETRATOR.

(and to hell with the victims)

How’s that for a new type of TV show?

I sent the idea to the producers of programming.

Surely they can see the numbers multiplying in their heads.

A few weeks passed before I heard from them.

Finally the response from them came

in the form of an envelope.

And I got the shock of my life as I read:

“Dear sir,

we regret to inform you

that we have rejected your proposal

for lack of originality.

We suggest you develop an imagination

or perhaps become a journalist,

for your work, you see,

as written as is,

is nothing more than a simple diary

of a very routine day.”

© 2004 Garrett Murphy

SO…THEY ARE AFRAID OF

THE LITTLE BROWN MAN

The establishment and madmen

Were beside themselves,

For one of their best-known

And reliable suppliers

Has fallen into the hands

And populist control

Of a little brown man. (1)

Never was that done there!

“Now what should we do

to this little brown man?

That’s it!” they say.

“Say he’s just a crackpot!”

And so they all try

this approach on the folk.

But the folk didn’t buy it

And were not loath to reply:

“That’s what your Miami kin

tried with the elder brown man; (2)

and your dom pass(3) in Azania(4)

‘bout the elder black man.” (5)

And they laughed and jeered

At the notion’s absurdity.

The establishment and madmen

Could only slink away.

“Now what must be done

‘bout the little brown man?

Ah yes! The ole coup d’etat.

Hey, it worked on the first 9-1-1!”(6)

And so they pulled coup d’etat

On the little brown man.

“Hip-hip-hoo-RAY!

This land is OUR land!”

But Establishment and madmen

Had whooped and howled too soon,

For in barely two days

That coup was done couped.

“Now what can we do

with that little brown man?”

they wail in desperation.

“Oh yes! This HAS to work!”

So they cut off the imports

And call for a strike,

And insist the little brown man

Call early elections.

But the little brown man

Stands firm and unmoved.

For the people are with him

And, so is the law!

And meanwhile, just south

Of all the ado,

Another brown man (7)

Takes charge of a bigger land.

So the little brown man

Meets the new brown man,

And the elder brown man,

And declares an Axis of GOOD!

The establishment and madmen

Nearly tear their hair out.

“Next they’ll go and ally

with the elder black man!

“Oh what more CAN be done

with the little brown man?”

They look to see what’s left

In their bag of tricks

Which by now no longer pretends

To be half-full

Even with the back

Of the red white and blue bull,

They may have to emulate

Their Miami and Azania kin.

Namely,

Suffer.

© 2003 Garrett Murphy

(1)       Little Brown Man---Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela (1998-)

(2)       Elder Brown Man---Fidel Castro, Prime Minister of Cuba (1959-)

(3)    “Dom Pass”  --- Afrikaner term of resentment (“stupid passbook”) of the

                                 passbook system formerly utilized in apartheid South Africa.

(4)     Azania---Black African name for South Africa.

(5)       Elder Black Man---Nelson Mandela, South African leader and President (1994-98)

(6)     The first 9-1-1---referring to September 11, 1973, when the elected government of Chilean President Salvador         

         Allende was overthrown by U.S. backed forces.