The Empty Soda Can

Anna and I have been re-watching The X-Files from the beginning, in preparation for the new “season” (yes, it’s only six episodes, but it’s still a season). In so doing, I’ve noticed a phenomenon that she and I have discussed before, but is still fascinating: our age in comparison to the ages of those we see on television. For the casual reader, I must explain that I am 40 years old, and that’s really quite okay with me. Forty is a good age: I’ve been around long enough to have a bit of wisdom under my belt; I’m far enough into my career that I can provide a reasonable living for my family; yet I’m still young enough that my body isn’t completely falling apart, an issue I’m sure I’ll have to deal with in the next decade or two. In short, forty is nice. It’s a shame I can’t stay here for a while. What’s weird is that, when I watch TV shows, the people on them—who are almost always quite a bit younger than forty—still seem to be older than I. Perhaps it’s because the shows we watch t...

One of the weirdest things about Netflix is how my children are able to dredge up old TV shows that are off the air for a reason. Case in point: Hanna-Barbera’s Godzilla . For those who are mercifully unaware of this show, You can check the Wikipedia page , but I’ll give you my summary of the first episode. The show seems to revolve around the crew of a small ship, consisting of the following: a white man, who is, of course, in charge. If his white maleness weren’t enough to tip you off to this fact, his name is—seriously—Captain Majors. a white woman named Quinn, which, given the next character, should be particularly humorous to fans of Sealab 2021 . a black man whose name I didn’t catch, but who is obviously intelligent because he wears glasses. a white boy, probably about ten years old, with roughly the same haircut as Velma Dinkley . a small, flying, green dinosaur named Godzooky, who seems to serve the same purpose as Scrappy-Doo , i.e. comic relief peppered wit...