Seeing NHK as a Rival!? A Delusional Theater on a Humid Night #26
On a humid night, what my husband is engrossed in with the remote in his hand is his recent favorite, NHK.
From news to documentaries, he is so enthusiastic that I almost want to ask, 'Are you an NHK employee?'
If that were all, it would be one thing, but he even goes so far as to seriously declare, 'NHK is my ultimate rival!'
It makes me chuckle a bit, but in that delusional-looking back of his, I can also see the earnestness and hope unique to a fledgling creator.
End of August (a humid night)
A night where the humidity clings to you. Even though the cool air from the air conditioner should be reaching us, the air feels heavy—perhaps it's not just because of the temperature. In the corner of the living room, my husband is watching NHK again. It's his latest obsession. No, 'obsession' might be too light a word. It's almost like an addiction.
Starting with the news, then documentaries, and even educational programs, the channel is almost exclusively NHK. Before I knew it, he even wryly admitted, 'I feel like I've only been watching NHK lately.' He seems to be self-deprecatingly suspecting it's a sign of aging, but no, no, if you think about it calmly, NHK is actually quite interesting. Reliable information, careful explanations, and a certain comforting aesthetic beauty. I feel like 'maturity' is a better fit than 'aging.' ...I'll keep that to myself, though, because if I told him, he'd surely get a big head.
Still, I had to laugh at the sight of him seriously reading aloud the 'NHK programming policy.' General: providing reliable information; Educational: supporting learning; and BS: a theme park where you can encounter a variety of surprises and excitement. He takes notes like a student cramming for an entrance exam, muttering, 'Hmm, I see, that makes sense.' Who else in the world would try to imitate NHK's philosophy to apply it to their own home digital content production? Even in this wide world, it's probably just my husband.
Before long, he started saying things like, 'NHK is serious, so I'll support them,' and then acting like a critic, adding, 'But because they're serious, they're super cautious. That's exactly why they're amazing, though...' No, no, I thought to myself, instead of worrying about NHK, what about your own digital content creation? But I didn't say it out loud. I feel like it would be a waste to pour cold water on him while he's so absorbed.
Come to think of it, today he muttered, 'NHK isn't just broadcasting; they're moving into the internet, too. They're a huge rival!' No, no, the fact that he sees the mighty NHK as a rival shows he has completely lost sight of the scale of things. But that leap in logic is, in a way, very him. In the end, he was seriously agonizing over, 'Should I let them swallow me up? Should I try to cozy up to them???' and I had to struggle to hold back my laughter.
But you know, I think the time he spends building up these seemingly outlandish delusions is very important to him. Even if he never gets swallowed up by NHK, by envisioning that 'I should be able to create something more interesting, too,' he takes a small step forward. Watching his back, that's what I feel.
It's okay. You won't be crushed by NHK. In fact, there is surely someone out there looking forward to the unique flavor that only your 'fledgling content' can provide.
Now then, I wonder what kind of 'earnest theater' will unfold tomorrow. I'm actually starting to look forward to it a little bit.