19 September 2009

selling channels

im new to digital t.v. up until a few months ago we only had four channels in our house, being ill and in bed most of the day ive switched the t.v on many a time.

of course ive heard about qvc, even know where the building is opposite battersea park, walked past this huge grey structure many times, used to belong to a newspaper group in the 80s, i can remember passing the building it used to belong to a newspaper group, i cant remember which.

the presenters are so nice and friendly. they seem to be on your side. now im a little better i can see why. the fool that i am, they want to sell, sell, sell. a catchphrase they use often, ' to be honest', i think usually dishonest people say this. i can while a way many an hour watching them sell awful products, bags,jumpers,trousers,hair products, christmas decorations,car wax,poles that you wiggle-for exercise. junk that no-one needs in a recession. they make you feel special. they have phone-callers, praising the goods, cynical me- do they really buy them or are they just their office workers pretending.

im sure there are lots of customers, but do we really need powdered yoghurt with its own handy shaker thing?


i can remember when i first came out of hospital, some nights i couldnt sleep and mum would come in and sit while we watched these easy viewing channels. i can remember one night where they were having a christmas weekend. jumpers emblazoned with sequined santa claus, gaudy colours that sparkled under the studio lights. we laughed when we imagined anyone buying and wearing these. sorry if you did, just our weird sense of humour.

and now they have easy payments, so you can spread the cost. anothers words lets help our viewers get into debt.

perhaps i was better off with only four channels. we are quite a behind family. i didnt get to see a video recorder until i was sixteen, all my friends had them when e.t came in i was around nine then.

the problem was my dad loved to travel so all the spare cash would go into that, and any material possessions, well there were none. i could direct you from calais to spain without a map, ask me about an electronic gadget i wouldnt have a clue!

5 comments:

diver said...

'... junk that no-one needs ... they make you feel special.'

Hi Alice, you've nailed it with that comment I think. What a sad reflection on our western culture it is, and sadder still that some folks are reduced 'in life' to taking comfort from this sort of thing.

Anonymous said...

Hi Alice,

I think your dad had the right idea. I'm sure your childhood was all the better for the travelling than for the latest technolgy. The latter is ever changing and redundant fairly quickly but memories of foreign places last forever.

All the best

Nechtan

em said...

hi diver

im glad im not a sucker and i can see the reasons behind the niceness. although i am dim in other areas!x

hi nechtan

too true. i can see that now. i can remember the favourite foods i tried, the hidden coves visited, ice cream flavours, sandy beaches, warm skin, boat rides. and like you say technology changes and then you see stacks of gadgets piled high at the tip waited to be crushed. mmmm i know what i would of preferred. thanks.x

Robert said...

I'm another exile from the consumer society. I don't buy anything I don't need, no matter how persuasive the sales/pr folk are.

You were lucky having a dad who gave you enjoyable experiences rather than park you in front of 200 channels of TV dross!

em said...

hi robert

cant agree with you more. i just dont get shopping. x