“What the hell, people?” Arthur screamed at his staff. “I’m an Oscar-winning set designer, for crissake. This movie is supposed to be a period piece set in the 1950s. What is this radio doing on the set?”
“But Arthur,” one of Arthur’s young assistants said, “that radio has the look and feel of radios from the Fifties. It’s quite authentic.”
“And you know that how, Ryan?” Arthur snapped back. “You were born in the Nineties. You wouldn’t know a 1950s authentic radio if it bit you on your stupid ass.”
“I Googled 1950s radios and this radio looks like a lot of the images I saw,” Ryan defensively said.
Arthur reach over and grabbed the radio off of the table and thrust it in front of Ryan’s face. “What do you see?” he screamed.
Ryan carefully read the words at the bottom of the radio dial. “Um, you mean where it says it’s an MP3 player?”
“Yes,” Arthur said. “That and the fact that above the dial there’s USB port and a slot for an SD card. None of that technology existed in the 1950s, you imbecile. I don’t want a replica. I don’t want something designed to look like a 1950s radio. I want a goddam authentic 1950s radio. Do you understand?”
“But sir,” Ryan said, “this radio will be on a table in the background. No one will see any of that detail.”
Arthur forcefully threw the radio onto the floor, smashing it to pieces. “I won a fucking Academy Award, you idiot,” he said, practically frothing at the mouth. “Attention to detail is my calling card. My professional reputation is on the line. I will not stand for bogus crap like this. Now you go out and get me an authentic 1950s-era radio or don’t bother coming back at all.”
“Yes sir, right away sir,” Ryan said as he ran from the movie set.
Written for the What Do You See? Prompt from Sadje at Keep It Alive. Photo credit: Shche- Team @ Unsplash.