🎧 My ER Trip to Grey's Anatomy: Gen Z
What Rob Long's hot stroke doctors taught him about TV
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This week, Rob wakes up spinning — literally — and ends up in the ER being evaluated by what appears to be the cast of Grey’s Anatomy: Gen Z. It wasn’t a stroke (spoiler), just vertigo, but that doesn’t stop Rob from noticing these physicians seemed to behave a little too much like TV doctors from ER, House or Chicago Hope — all of which gave Rob his own hope: TV really does still matter.
Transcript here.
As you discovered in that hospital bed, the power of television to lure the young 'uns into following a particular career path can be a good thing -- but like most swords, it cuts both ways. When he was a teenager looking for direction, my nephew became infatuated with "LA Law" and what he saw as a dramatic, meaningful, and lucrative lifestyle. So after college, off to law school he went, and a few years later came his first job as a lawyer ... which he hated. Still, he worked hard and began the career climb from one bad job to the next, each of which paid better than the last -- but was also more odious. Now, thirty years later, his income is at least five times what I ever made during my career in Hollywood -- the law has provided him a good life -- but he hates his current job more than all the previous jobs combined.
The journey from idealistic young person to working professional is often a Faustian Bargain, but that can be hard to see until you've put in a lot of time and hard work. You don't know 'til you know ... and then you know.
Good story, well told. I'm glad your vertigo turned out to be transitory, as -- in the fullness of time -- are we all.