I have had my Amazon “Show” for several years now but I just tossed it into the trash. It was a familiar sight on the countertop next to the fridge. We bought it to take advantage of what was at the time a very affordable subscription to Amazon’s Premium music service.
Over time however we used it less and less. Amazon started clamping down on the old discounted subscriptions like ours, making it impossible to play albums, requiring that we pay double what we had been paying. So we ended our subscription and subscribed to Spotify instead and bought bookshelf speakers. Still we clung to the Show.
Amazon would also flash “news” and enticements to become involved with it interactively. Occassionally it would announce content on Fox News programs, which I tolerated.
But this morning was the last straw. When I glanced at it, coffee mug in hand, there, against a dark navy blue background, was a closeup of Laura Ingrahm staring straight at me, mouth open, with bold white text:
‘ Laura: “Everything Biden ran on was a lie” ’
My jaw dropped. Here was the merchant that I used regularly pushing unadulterated right wing propaganda directly into my home. At first I didn’t know what to do or say. I told my wife what happened. But that changed nothing. Then I unplugged it and walked away. Finally I asked myself why do I even need their crap on my counter? The only thing it was good for was it showed the temperature outside. So I tossed it into the trash.
I rely on that company a lot because it provides a unique service. But this situation is intolerable. I will try to rely more on independent retailers. Why no one else has come along to copy Amazon’s business model is a mystery to me.