The More Things Change, The More the Attacks are the same...

In the early fifties, tv was perceived as a potential threat to Hollywood.  Though the broadcast networks had worked very well with Hollywood for a generation of radio, tv was more problematic, because it had a visual element that radio did not.  So Hollywood went on the offensive, with movies like Murder by Television, and also generally found ingenious ways to put the "little guy down."  I emphasize little here because tv is what made Hollywood fully invest in widescreen technology and color film: with movies bigger and brighter than ever, the studios thought they would remain the number one form of entertainment.  Indeed, one slogan of the era was "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment.  (Of course, that slogan didn't last; look at the acronym created by it.)

Without question, the most brilliant attack on tv was careated by Frank Tashlin for his Madison Avenue and stardom sendup, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?  Here's the scene, where Tony Randall steps out from behind a curtain to announce a "tv" break.

(Kids have grampa explain why the little tv set was doing funny stuff. they all did back in the days before cable.) 

Now, Flash-forward some sixty years.  It is the Emmys, and Neil Patrick Harris of How I Met Your Mother -- and also the internet sensation Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog -- is hosting.  And suddenly, as we are about to have the voting tabulation process explained....

Yes. What goes around comes around.