• Home
•  | 
• Login/Register
•  | 
• Help

In the early 1960's a TV remote was only available if you had children to change the channel or lower/raise the volume. All commercials were at a higher volume than the show, an annoyance usually tolerated because that was when you left the room. At this time Excedrin had a commercial that announced "PAIN, PAIN, PAIN…" over and over again for almost the full 60 seconds. Mom HATED that commercial.

During one of the many times when a family friends son, and his buddies from CIT (Capital Institute of Technology) were visiting she expressed her desire to 'shut that stupid commercial up!' The next day the guys went out to the electronic store and bought a bunch of stuff. Then they came home and got to work. They built a switch (a simple button in the center of a block of wood with a felt bottom) and ran a wire from it to the TV. They placed the switch next to Moms chair.

That evening when the commercial came on, they told her to push the button. She looked at them, looked at the button, and pushed it, and the room went silent. Immediately a grin of pure delight spread over Moms face. She looked back at the guys, and pressed the button again, filling the room with 'Pain, Pain', and she quickly pressed the button again, as she started to laugh.

I think she laughed for the next 3 months each time she pressed the button and 'blabbed off' the TV. There was such joy in 'having control'! She used to especially laugh at the Excedrin commercial, saying things like 'you may have pain, but I have a blab-off!'

You must be logged in to post a comment regarding this story.