Winky Dink

Take it apart

This could have been my sister and me on any given Saturday in the way back.   Our first  television was a Philco, nearly identical to the one shown.  Here, we're watching Winky Dink and You, the first interactive T.V. show.  The gimmick was you had to send in for the  "Official Winky Dink Kit" that cost 50¢.  What you got was an acetate sheet that would cling to the  television screen, and some magic crayons that allowed you to connect dots to provide Winky Dink with stuff like a rope to slide down.  But -- we did not have an "Official Winky Dink Kit," because mom said it was a foolish extravagance.  What we did was use wax paper.  I mean, we tried to use wax paper, but it wasn't transparent enough to see the instructions that the Winky Dink marketers cleverly made light enough to foil us cheaters.  BTW, the very first thing I watched on our new television was General MacArthur's ticker tape parade in New York after being fired by Truman.  The second thing I did with our new T.V. set was take the record player apart to find out how the changer worked.  I was about 6 years old.  Mom nearly went catatonic when she walked in and found parts all over.  Fortunately, I was able to put it back together, thus saving myself  a spanking when pop came home.  I think this guy is just like me.