Skip to content

VHS blues - M. Kirkwood Callingham

Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002 In my grandparents' day they burned books. In my parents' era Beatles albums were all the rage. In the year of 2002, thousands of videotapes are being wiped out.
Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002

In my grandparents' day they burned books.

In my parents' era Beatles albums were all the rage. In the year of 2002, thousands of videotapes are being wiped out.

This time around artwork is being destroyed for the sake of money.

The largest video retail outlet in Canada is trashing most of its VHS stock to make room for DVDs. I guess it will be profitable in the long run if their customers can't purchase the old videos of films that may never see the light of DVD.

Some may say that freedom of choice is a pillar of capitalism but the more I look at this system; the more I see a perversion of democracy.

And y'know, it's all right. We the people no longer believe in neighbourhoods with front porches and apple pie. We demand big boxes in a sea of pavement with American Pie 2 on disc. The community is dead. Long live the corporation.

M. Kirkwood Callingham
Sudbury