An Example of Our Modern World Found... In the Twilight Zone

So, I am refusing to go to sleep because that's a trick. (I'm sure of it! I've been awake for days and they're not going to get me now!) Instead, I am watching an episode of the 1980s Twilight Zone called 'Button, Button.' Really weird freaking people, neither of whom are redeemable which is unusual--even Mr. Steward is rather unpleasant. This story/episode is apparently what some new film is based on, but I am, of course, inclined towards anything in its Twilight Zone format (even from the 1980s), and I don't like the looks of the film.

I first came across this episode looking at some background information about the various incarnations of The Twilight Zone. The ending to this episode sounded Rod Serling delightful, and it totally is. (It was not this fact that kept me reading the Wikipedia page, but instead the bit about Harlan Ellison and Nackles, which is so horrible it's hilarious.) And indeed, I vaguely wanted to see 'Button, Button,' but forgot until tonight (when I was fighting off the things that try to steal pieces of your soul while you sleep). There was also Richard Matheson (the original writer), apparently disapproving of the new ending. Though his is good, the one in the episode retains the Twilight Zone twist.

However, we must come to the point of the post! In this episode, I find a comment extremely representative of the times we live in. Mr. Steward, the creepy sender of the button, comes to explain about the device to the woman. He says that if she pushes the button someone will die and also, "You will receive $200,000, tax free." First of all, $200,000 is good, although today it would be a million probably. But secondly and most importantly, I find it highly amusing that he adds 'tax free.' This puts me in mind of the posts on Amazon.com during their 10th Anniversary Wishlist Sweepstakes. A good number of people were informing everyone that if they won, they would be forced to pay taxes on their winnings! Kill joys all, but most importantly symbolic of the capital obsessed populace, who even in the 1980s were on the look out for catches. (Aside from that whole 'Someone will die' thing... The husband was the one to worry about that between scowling at his Smeagol/Gollum wife, as a poster pointed out.)

In closing, Rod Serling, Richard Matheson, and Burgess Meredith are awesome.

Also, to the reader of the blog, some of these episodes sound damn creepy. Kentucky Rye, for example. We should add the 80s Twilight Zone to the list of things we ought to do a marathon of--whilst chomping on vegetables. (Maybe the promise of vegetables will get one of them off the ground.) (And also defend against the things from the darkness and the wizards who say bark.)