media

I used to believe…

When I was in the 4th grade, my father bought me a program for my C-64 called "Little Computer People". It created a house on your screen with a little occupant that you could feed and care for; essentially, a forerunner of the virtual pet craze in the '90s. The premise printed on the packaging was that your computer really *was* run by tiny people, and that the software simply installed a tiny house to lure one of them to move in. My father assured me it was absolutely true. I believed him for a couple of years!

I firmly believed that laser and phaser guns, as well as the Jupiter II and the U.S.S. Enterprise were real on "Lost in Space" and "Star Trek". I figured they were just filming actual events.
"Batman" as well. I realize now how gullible I was, but at least I was only 4 or 5 and not a 41 year old going to Star Trek conventions, which is an embarrassment for the human race.

I used to think that if you stood next to the television and looked into and past the edges of the screen, you would be able to see more of the picture, much like you can when looking into a mirror.

I used to believe…

My friend, James, use to belive that if you bought a new telly it would show programmes from the very start of television history. His theory fell apart when I asked him how both out tellies had the same program on at the same time. "Our mums must have bought them at the same time!"

tehe.

I used to believe…

Patch from Santa Clause The Movie was real.

I used to believe…

When I was a boy, I believed that the television stations kept track of everything you bought, and would stop sending commercials to your house advertising those products you already had.

I used to believe…

When I was a wee lad a popular radio station I listened to changed frequency. On their last day broadcasting on the old freq they played a looped recording informing listeners of the change. Due to the fact I didn't understand looped recordings I couldn't believe they found someone who was prepared to sit there for 24 hours announcing this fact over and over, and how did they manage to make it sound the same each time?

I used to believe…

One day I discovered the truth that the TV stations had giant banks of lights at the studio, each light was connected to different TV sets in peoples homes. When you turned your TV on and set it to their channel, your light would come on at the studio, that's how they knew you were watching and that's how TV station ratings worked! I spent one slow Saturday morning turning our TV on and off for hours in order to mess up their statistics, however the only outcome was that our TV blew up in a spectacular way. I was convinced that the TV station had done this to our set because I was being silly and messing with their lights, I vowed revenge for week and then forgot about it.

I used to believe that Rolf Harris and Timmy Mallet were one and the same... I have absolutely no idea why...

I thought Han Solo was Hans Olo. Who ever heard of someone named "Han" anyway?

I used to think that the bands were playing live at the radio station. They'd set up, play one song then go home.

I used to believe that movies were made in the exact order shown on screen.
I used to think it would take years and years to make films that way.
I thought that one scene was filmed then everyone packed up and moved to another location or whatever to film the next scene.
It wasn't until I saw a 'behind the scenes' programme on telly showing that they filmed all their scenes at the one location and then moved on.
Then it clicked.
Sadly this wasn't till in my teens.

I thought that all the people on the TV lived inside it and when you looked at the lit-up valves at the back it seemed like a little metropolis where the performers' houses were.

I used to believe that whenever I heard a song on the radio, the band or singer was actuallly in the studio performing live.

I used to believe…

When quizzed about what each of the characters in Wizard of Oz had wanted (e.g. scarecrow wanted a heart, I think), my younger brother insisted the lion wanted curry (instead of courage).

I watched a TV version of "Jane Eyre" when I was about 6 and it really confused me. I thought a mad woman lived in out attic for about 3 years.