Friday, December 18, 2009

A Republican By Osmosis

I think my parents have a secret plot to convert me into a Republican.

Or at least a Fox News watcher.

I was home for a few weeks while I finished my grad school applications and my little brother Ivan visited. While there are a lot of lovely things to say about Allentown, one thing I don’t like is how quiet it can get at my parent’s home. As you know, I live on Broad Street and so I am used to the background hum of traffic and ambulances and the occasional drunken screaming match to lull me to sleep.

In my old bedroom, however, all I can hear is the wind and the noises of wild nocturnal animals which I somehow don’t find relaxing or soothing or especially conducive to sleeping. So when I am home, I often fall asleep with the TV left on.

Well, the third or fourth morning I woke up and the TV was on the Fox News Network.

I know I didn’t go to bed watching that. In fact, I was pretty sure I went to bed watching an old episode of Law and Order and so how the TV magically switched to FNN is beyond my understanding. I surmised that maybe, MAYBE, at one time it was on FNN and in my sleep I hit the last button on the remote (that, yes, I fell asleep on top of) and that is how I ended up waking to Fox and Friends.

Though this seemed highly suspicious as I was pretty sure I was watching a movie before I switched on TNT, but nonetheless, I gave my parental units the benefit of the doubt.

That is until it happened again the next morning.

Seemingly, it would be even more likely that I accidentally switched back to this channel in my sleep as I obviously had recently watched it. But, I distinctly remembered the last channel I was watching before TNT the night before. It was one of the Showtimes. I remember because whatever movie I was watching was followed by some soft porn series and I was worried that one of my parents would come in to turn off my TV after I had fallen asleep and walk in on the porno. So, instead of facing that potentially very embarrassing situation, I sacrificed the end of the movie and drifted off to an episode of Bones instead.

The gig (or is it jig?) was definitely up the next day, when sitting in the living room with my mother she turned and asked, “doesn’t that worry you?”

I looked up from my book to see my mother, clearly troubled by something that she just heard reported on FNN. “Clearly, I’m not paying attention,” I responded. I then watched for a few moments as some man yelled and screamed and made me feel really stupid. I then looked over at my mother again and offered, “actually it makes me really proud of you and daddy that you aren’t living in a bomb shelter yet.”

She laughed. I returned to my book.

The next morning I woke up to Without a Trace.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I get daily emails from my mother-in-law (as does her son, Dear Hubby) with some rather "out there" accusations, bigoted claims, and general fear mongering...much worse that Fox and Friends.

We have politely asked to be dropped from her list for these things only to no avail. Our next option is to put her email address on block. It sounds as if you mother at leasts gets the hint.

SisterZip

Anonymous said...

I don't mind the Fox Network but that Fox and Friends is the worst show. It wouldn't convert anyone.