According to Hofmann: Welcome to the Tommy-verse
I鈥檝e been seeing more and more advertising for people to enter virtual reality platforms to virtually interact and virtually socialize with virtual people in virtual places virtually, and I have some major concerns.
First, where and how people will go to the bathroom in such an environment?
My second concern as we boldly jump, stumble or fall into this brave new virtual world, is reminding everyone in real life as in virtual life, things aren鈥檛 always what they seem鈥nd that there鈥檚 a slight chance we鈥檙e all part of the imagination of an autistic boy in the 1980s.
I鈥檓, of course, talking about the Tommy Westphall Universe.
Maybe I should explain? Yeah, good idea.
Back in the 80s, there was this show called 鈥淪t. Elsewhere,鈥� a hospital drama that ran for six seasons. Its final episode made a mark in TV history. As scenes showed everything that happened on 鈥淪t. Elsewhere,鈥� some viewers were left with the belief that the drama was all imagined by an autistic boy named Tommy Westphall.
As you might have guessed, TV audiences were confused, appalled and outraged by the it-was-all-a-dream ending.
For the record, I think that鈥檚 an awesome ending. I remember the famous finale of 鈥淣ewhart鈥� where Bob Newhart wakes up in a dark bedroom from a bad dream and the lamp turns on next to him and, instead of his wife on 鈥淣ewhart,鈥� he鈥檚 lying next to Suzanne Pleshette, who played his wife on 鈥淭he Bob Newhart Show.鈥�
Bob tells Pleshette about a dream he had 鈥� and it鈥檚 a summary of the show 鈥淣ewhart.鈥� And what a dream it was! That show lasted eight seasons. He must have slept for 79 hours (88 hours if you include the commercials).
Anyway, after the dust settled from the 鈥淪t. Elsewhere鈥� finale, life went on 鈥� and then the internet took hold of Tommy Whestphall.
You see, whoever came up with the idea of the Tommy Westphall ending didn鈥檛 take into account characters crossing over onto other TV shows during the 鈥淪t. Elsewhere鈥� run.
For example, during an episode in 鈥淪t. Elsewhere,鈥� a few characters stopped into a bar for a few drinks before performing surgery. That bar was 鈥淐heers鈥� (my all-time favorite TV show), and there was interaction with characters from 鈥淐heers鈥� like Carla, Norm and Cliff.
Because of that episode and some other crossover appearances from 鈥淪t. Elsewhere,鈥� someone theorized that if all the characters from 鈥淪t. Elsewhere鈥� are from Tommy Westphall鈥檚 imagination, then everyone on 鈥淐heers鈥� would also have to be from his imagination because those characters exist and interact in the same world.
Then, characters from 鈥淐heers鈥� appeared on different shows like 鈥淲ings鈥� and had spinoffs like 鈥淔rasier,鈥� and characters from those shows appeared on other shows and so on and so forth.
It wasn鈥檛 long until people with way too much time on their hands started making connections from other TV crossovers to find out that Tommy Westphall imagined over 400 television shows from 鈥淭he X-Files鈥� and 鈥淒r. Who鈥� to 鈥淭he Andy Griffith Show鈥� and 鈥淢arried鈥ith Children.鈥�
Some connections, however, take Olympic-esque mental gymnastics to stick the landing. For example, one connection was the meth smoke from 鈥淏reaking Bad鈥� was also in 鈥淭he Walking Dead.鈥�
Yeah, I know it鈥檚 just one of those harmless and fun fan theories to check out and enjoy, but something did tend to nag at me a bit.
With the show 鈥淐heers,鈥� for example, I recall some episodes where real-life sports figures, politicians and celebrities played themselves in cameos on the show.
While the 鈥渞ules鈥� on the website that has all the television show connections state that cameos do not count, it was also that same website that directly linked a crime drama about a chemistry teacher becoming a drug lord to a horror show about the zombie apocalypse because of smoke.
Just goes to show, if you play loose with the rules, eventually you鈥檒l be tagged. I don鈥檛 even know what that means, but it sounded deep.
Anyway, it kind of begs the question: did real life cross over to Tommy Wesphall鈥檚 imagination, or did Tommy鈥檚 Westphall鈥檚 imagination cross over to real life?
Sure, I suppose Tommy heard his dad groaning about politicians or sports and inserted those folks into his imaginary world because there would be no way he invented real-life celebrities, which would extend his universe to, well, our universe.
Then you have to say to yourself that it鈥檚 ridiculous to think such a thing would happen in real life. Then you have to ask yourself if real life would still be just that when we plug into whatever metaverse is available to us to interact with others. And then, you have to decide what鈥檚 real or not.
I don鈥檛 want you to worry about it too much or you鈥檙e going to lose sleep or wake up screaming in a cold sweat.
Of course, if you do and Bob Newhart鈥檚 TV wife asks you what鈥檚 wrong, then begin to worry.
According to Hofmann is written by staff reporter Mark Hofmann of Rostraver Township. His books, 鈥淕ood Mourning! A Guide to Biting the Big One 鈥� and Dying, Too鈥� and 鈥淪tupid Brain,鈥� are available on Amazon.com.