The Free TV
When we first came to this country everything was new to us. Our way of life in Tehran and how things were here differed vastly. One of the things that struck me was how things were advertised on television. In the Middle East, for instance, it would be considered in very poor taste to advertise intimate feminine products. It showed great lack of modesty. Here, they constantly flashed them on the screen and asked you to buy the various brands. That made me feel a bit uncomfortable, especially when children were present. I did not think it was proper to advertise such immodest things on daytime television. There such a short pocket of time for a child to be a child. Somehow, I felt, it stole away from their innocence. I still feel that way. Why hurry childhood away?
Another thing that was quite disconcerting to me was the way the news was constantly interrupted to insert advertisements in between. In Iran we took the news quite seriously. Everyone, whatever their station in life, sat quietly and listened to the news. We mainly listened to world news, not news about about rapes, murders and some such things interspersed by a sprinkling of serious news. The news here felt very fluffy. It took quite a while before we found a station that offered serious world news. We had fled Iran in the middle of the revolution and were eager to glean as much information about what was happening there as we could.
Our children, on the other hand were fascinated by the advertisements and all they temptingly offered. When we came here, they were ten years old and eleven and a half. We had only one television in the house. That’s all we needed. We all watched together. My children discovered very quickly that kids in other households had their very own televisions in their own bedroom. They asked for one, but they were denied. Have a television in their bedrooms? Unheard of frivolity! They argued that all their friends had one. The response was that if all the other kids jumped off the rooftops, would they think it was such a great idea? No matter how hard they begged, the answer was still a definite no! They were mesmerized by the advertising and all the dazzling products that were offered, if only their hard hearted unfeeling parents would allow them a tv! They were fascinated by all daytime television presented, especially my son. It scared me. Sometimes when we spoke to him, he was so absorbed by what was on the screen, it seemed as if he did not even realize he was being spoken to.
One day they saw an advertisement on tv that said that if listened to some kind of presentation, they would receive a free tv! Aha! That msolved their problem. They could get their own tv! Unbeknownst to us, they called and made an appointment for the presentation. How they managed to do that without us being aware of what they were up to, I cannot imagine. The fact remains that they did. After the presentation they gleefully and impatiently awaited the arrival of their very own television, one they had attained with their own initiative.
However, that’s not what happened. One morning, after the children left for school and hubby for work, the telephone rang. I had just finished tidying up in the kitchen. I picked up the phone.
A strange female voice asked, ‘’Mrs. M?’’
‘’Speaking?’’
‘’This is Tina from XYZ Company. Were you satisfied with the presentation you and your husband were given last week? Would you be interested in purchasing our product?’’
I was puzzled. How did she know my name? What presentation was she talking about? ‘’There seems to be some mistake. My husband and I did not listen to any presentation.’’
‘’Oh no, I am not mistaken. Do you not live on Seventy Fifth Avenue?’’
Now I was even more mystified. How did she know my name, address and telephone number. ‘’Yes?’’ I answered hesitantly.
‘’We advertised a free television if you would listen to our presentation!’’ she reminded me.
A sudden a light flashed in my head! Of course! My kids! They wanted a television so badly, they were the ones who called!
‘’You made a presentation to my kids? They are young! You advertised a free television and they called on it!’’ I asked, outraged.
‘’That’s highly irregular! We shall sue you!’’ she said angrily.
I was even more annoyed. ’YOU
are going to sue ME!’’ I replied indignantly. ’’Your représentative entered OUR home and stupidly and WITHOUT our knowledge made a presentation to two young children who thought they could get a free tv. What kind of idiot was the person you sent over? Do they not know …
After that I made it my business to look for their advertisement on tv. I found it. Very soon, however, they pulled it off the air. I smiled to myself. ‘’This is all because of my rambunctious kids,’’ I thought to myself with amusement. ‘’They are some daring kids, full of spunk and sharp as could be!’’
Or could other children also called them, enticed by their free television offer? Whatever it was, there were no further televisions being temptingly offered.
My children are in their fifties now. If they read this, they will probably groan inwardly, ‘’Oh Mum!’’ But mum is chuckling as she remembers that escapade. Yup, these were my kids alright!