According to Hofmann: Welcome to the Tommy-verse
I’ve 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’t always what they seem…and that thereĢƵ a slight chance we’re all part of the imagination of an autistic boy in the 1980s.
I’m, of course, talking about the Tommy Westphall Universe.
Maybe I should explain? Yeah, good idea.
Back in the 80s, there was this show called “St. Elsewhere,” a hospital drama that ran for six seasons. Its final episode made a mark in TV history. As scenes showed everything that happened on “St. Elsewhere,” 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 thatĢƵ an awesome ending. I remember the famous finale of “Newhart” 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 “Newhart,” heĢƵ lying next to Suzanne Pleshette, who played his wife on “The Bob Newhart Show.”
Bob tells Pleshette about a dream he had — and itĢƵ a summary of the show “Newhart.” 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 “St. Elsewhere” finale, life went on … and then the internet took hold of Tommy Whestphall.
You see, whoever came up with the idea of the Tommy Westphall ending didn’t take into account characters crossing over onto other TV shows during the “St. Elsewhere” run.
For example, during an episode in “St. Elsewhere,” a few characters stopped into a bar for a few drinks before performing surgery. That bar was “Cheers” (my all-time favorite TV show), and there was interaction with characters from “Cheers” like Carla, Norm and Cliff.
Because of that episode and some other crossover appearances from “St. Elsewhere,” someone theorized that if all the characters from “St. Elsewhere” are from Tommy WestphallĢƵ imagination, then everyone on “Cheers” would also have to be from his imagination because those characters exist and interact in the same world.
Then, characters from “Cheers” appeared on different shows like “Wings” and had spinoffs like “Frasier,” and characters from those shows appeared on other shows and so on and so forth.
It wasn’t 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 “The X-Files” and “Dr. Who” to “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Married…With Children.”
Some connections, however, take Olympic-esque mental gymnastics to stick the landing. For example, one connection was the meth smoke from “Breaking Bad” was also in “The Walking Dead.”
Yeah, I know itĢƵ 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 “Cheers,” for example, I recall some episodes where real-life sports figures, politicians and celebrities played themselves in cameos on the show.
While the “rules” 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’ll be tagged. I don’t even know what that means, but it sounded deep.
Anyway, it kind of begs the question: did real life cross over to Tommy WesphallĢƵ imagination, or did TommyĢƵ WestphallĢƵ 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 itĢƵ 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 whatĢƵ real or not.
I don’t want you to worry about it too much or you’re going to lose sleep or wake up screaming in a cold sweat.
Of course, if you do and Bob NewhartĢƵ TV wife asks you whatĢƵ wrong, then begin to worry.
According to Hofmann is written by staff reporter Mark Hofmann of Rostraver Township. His books, “Good Mourning! A Guide to Biting the Big One … and Dying, Too” and “Stupid Brain,” are available on Amazon.com.