REPOST: This is a repost from December 31, 2017. But, still relevant as I’m watching the SyFy marathon and we move into 2022.
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I’m believing more and more that God sent our angel of truth Rod Serling as a profound messenger of our doom if we don’t get our moral compasses in check. That we as human beings indeed aren’t the only ones residing in this Universe. And, we will be conquered as we’ve already been conquering each other. I am convinced Serling was channeled through to deliver important messages and crystal ball moments of art imitating life. Talk about being obedient to one’s soul induced calling. Thank you Serling for being present to your gifts and being unafraid of being diagnosed with a huge case of the weirdos. Thank you for being a muse for me and all writers with inspiring to live, breathe, and bring to life the imagination of our SoulFULL Purpose.
I live each year for “The Twilight Zone” marathons, usually falling around New Years Eve (now on SyFy until Tuesday morning) and the 4th of July. The Definitive Collection is on my wish list (hint hint), especially since I hear the episodes airing on television are not all in their entirety due to making room for those pesky commercials. Sure the psychological thrillers are quite bizarre, quirky, and frightening yet entertaining, which makes the beauty of these touched by an amazingness collection of unexpected twists works of arts. However, there are two lessons of life, this series that came about in the ’60s teaches us even as we go into 2018. 1. Many of the episodes focus on a moral code. This based on how to treat people. How to respect and love one another. 2. That we better get our heads right as our world continues to experience catastrophic shifts in its structure and existence.
The serendipitous beauty is when I awaken with joy during the marathon at the uncovering of an episode I’ve yet to see. I woke this morning with my first episode being a new one for me. It was “A Piano in the House”. It’s about a sadistic and hated theater critic Fitzgerald Fortune, who buys a player piano that has the power to reveal the souls and innermost thoughts of all who hear it. He spoke profoundly about the “hidden faces” we all have. I also call it when we send “our representative” out. This is by hiding the vulnerabilities of our true character for fear of being anything but in control and in power. As it was revealed that Fitzgerald married his wife not for love, but to bully and humiliate her. Finding out later that he feared and envied people as he operated from the hurt little boy of his past. A painful and hurtful way that many operate not only damaging self, but also the spirits of those we claim we love. Another new one I just saw is “The Mirror”. It’s about a leader who’s a tyrant. Yeah! Reality as we live and breathe today.
Rod Serling is a genius with his creation and writing of the majority of the series. And, being easy on the eyes, with his almost clenched mouth narrative delivery is purposeful and perfect. He was a young 50 years old when he transitioned in 1975. To think he was 35-40 years of age when he was the writer and narrator for “The Twilight Zone”. It is noted that “Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen, and helped form television industry standards. He was known as the “angry young man” of Hollywood, clashing with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues, including censorship, racism, and war.” –Wikipedia. Check out this cool Serling Interview. http://youtu.be/q8sT6nz7VUM
Two other profound episodes I love and can also be seen on Hulu or YouTube:
“The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” In 2009, Time named it one of the 10 best Twilight Zone episodes. It showed how easily, when in a panic, we can turn on each other rather than support and ban together. The aliens saw this and created paranoia and panic by turning off the electricity, and concluded that the easiest way to conquer the planet is to let the people become their own worst enemies as they turned on each other. They also discussed the fact that the Earth is “full of Maple Streets” and the aliens plan to move from one to the next creating havoc and destruction.
“The Midnight Sun” is how the Earth falls off its orbit and starts moving closer to the sun. In Serling’s opening narration he says “And all of man’s little devices to stir up the air are now no longer luxuries – they happen to be pitiful and panicky keys to survival.” Ending with the closing narrative of “The poles of fear, the extremes of how the Earth might conceivably be doomed. Minor exercise in the care and feeding of a nightmare, respectfully submitted by all the thermometer-watchers in the Twilight Zone.” In this episode, there is no more nighttime, people are fleeing NYC to Canada, and it’s the hottest day EVER! And, while seemingly all a dream, later in the episode the earth has changed its orbit and now there is no more sun, it’s snowing, people are fleeing to Miami and they are pending a freeze-out. HELLO!!! GLOBAL WARMING!!! HELLO!!! You see the similarities. This was also captured in the episode “Third From the Sun”. Imagine seeing both of these doomed filled episodes back to back. Even Serling was in touch with the Earth’s pending doom if we don’t heed the signs. Floodings, earthquakes, tsunamis, ice melting in the coldest corners of the earth, losing track of our seasons. Global warming is real.
Mood shift! What’s so cool to see is celebrities (we’ve known and loved, young, handsome, and beautiful). Although I always feel for William Shatner when he’s being terrorized by the pug-nosed monster on the wing of the plane on “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”. He really should have taken that sedative. And, when “Talky Tina” went gangsta and pushed Telly Savalas down the stairs… DAYUM Kojak! Other actors like Burt Reynolds, Robert Duvall, and Robert Redford looking like he was no more than 20.
Yet, even with all 156 (Serling wrote 92 of them.) episodes which were created from 1959-1964, (Real talk alert.) I’m reminded that Black representation is extremely rare. And, on the rare occasion when a Black actor pops up on the screen, it’s an “OOOHHH! AAAHHH!” treat. Although I read that Rod Serling was a champion for diversity and wanted to include Black actors more. But not surprising that the network powers that be at CBS would control Mr. Serling in this regard. “I Am the Night-Color Me Black” is about one morning where a man is about to hang for the killing of one of his bigoted neighbors. And, the townspeople find themselves thrown into an unending night.
Well, whether you’re a fan or not of TZ, my prayer is that as we move into 2018 we can all LIVE coming from a space of who we truly are and not from what we want others to see or perceive ourselves to be. Succumbing and LIVING our truths and purpose. Operating with love, compassion, and respect. Understanding that the healing of past wounds is important to reviving a loving and exuberant spirit. This all includes me with being courageous and risking in living a transparent, authentic, and loving life. With the importance of cultivating safe spaces for a pure and wonderful existence, whether with those I create for myself and others to BE! DO! LOVE! Wishing you all and me peace, clarity, love, and joy in 2018 and beyond. Namaste! ONWARD! #BeDoLove #FindYourZen #BirthAndLiveYourSOULfullPurpose #HealingEqualsFreedom #SuperSoulSunday #SupportTheArts #TheTwilightZone
Chat About Black Actors in TZ – http://twilightzonewor.fr.yuku.com/topic/3793/Black-Folks-On-TZs
A Piano in the House – https://youtu.be/NBEza8h2qm8
“The Mirror” – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mirror_(The_Twilight_Zone)
Full Episode – https://youtu.be/OxRpfV9oKXQ
“Living Doll” about Talky Tina – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Doll_(The_Twilight_Zone)
Full Episode – https://youtu.be/YMf7D6tl5Y0
“The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street
Full Episode – http://youtu.be/jlHSD6uo7Mk
“The Midnight Sun” – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midnight_Sun
Full Episode – http://youtu.be/BetX2wfnRJs
“Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightmare_at_20,000_Feet
Full Episode – https://youtu.be/LYVqMVXd1ak
“I Am the Night-Color Me Black” – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_the_Night—Color_Me_Black
Full Episode: https://youtu.be/W93Y9s9Wz-Y
BeDoLove 