TV People

The Guest Stars Of Life

by Jonathan David Harmon (jharmon@mtu.edu)
written 17 Feb 1995

This article is classified "Real"


In life, as in TV, there are many players.  There's the star (the person
whose life it is), the co-stars (the friends, relatives, employers, etc.
of the star), and then there are the rest; the people who seem to only
exist for a few "episodes" of life.  These are TV people.

TV people are often stereotypical in some vital way.  Examples of these
are the Perfect Woman, the Total Geek, and the Preppie Classmate.  The
Perfect Woman will often be encountered at a party, at which the star
will become completely smitten with her.  She is then (normally) never
seen again, and the star keeps her locked away in his mind somewhere,
hoping that perhaps she will appear again.  She doesn't definitely have
to be amazingly beautiful (although she typically is); she just happens
to be exactly what the star has always hoped for.  The Total Geek
generally has a smaller role.  They might exist in many "episodes,"
perhaps as the person in the back of the class who never really talks
much.  They tend to look very odd, dress funny, and carry large
quantities of books, as only seems to happen on TV.  These people could
be on the "show" for years as regular characters without ever being
given a name.  The Preppie Classmate is often similar, however he or
she tends to act more as a foil for the star, always making him feel
inferior in some way.  This person will generally look much older
than he or she actually is, have perfect skin, and drive a very
expensive car.  Again, this character doesn't need to ever be given
a name; he or she just exists.

"Special episodes" of life tend to be loaded with TV People.  A good
example of this is high school graduation.  I personally graduated with
at least twenty people who I'd never seen before in my life, quite a
feat since I'd supposedly been going to school with them for years.
Another such example would be the first day of school at a university;
many people could be encountered who one might never see again.  I have
personally lived with people all year who I've only seen a few times; I
know they're around, but I don't ever see them.  Any time when many
people are brought together, there is a potential for at least one TV
person to be introduced.

Many people live surrounded by TV people for many years without even
noticing.  When this term is first introduced, the person hearing it
for the first time tends to be sceptical.  After considering it for a
moment, however, the truth of the matter tends to show itself.

See also:
  • Harmon, Jonathan David

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