Meme Me Up, Scotty

 

The word meme is defined in the wikipedia as a unit of cultural information that is self-replicating, that seemingly has a life of its own because of the manner in which it repeats itself in a culture. The term was created in the 1970’s and was designed to sound similar to the word gene, perhaps to underscore the concept of a means of natural replication, transmission, and selection of information with an existence beyond its original source.

Radio in the bathtub is one such entity. It has found a home in both fiction and reality. It is instilled early on in our lives as a cautionary tale. It is widely seen in books and movies. It is a mimicked method of murder. It is seen in serious discussion and offhand remarks. It is a source of gruesome humor. It is so pervasive it seems like a fixture in the culture.

As an aside, the title of this entry, is such an obvious word combination (at least to Star Trek fans) that it is in itself a meme, even if dependent on another original meme, and it can be found all over the web itself.

illustration: http://www.uss-defiant.de/startrek/ufp-logo.jpg

“We’ve been a bit busy over here at NASA…”

Since we are ingrained with the radio in the bathtub scenario in early childhood, is it any wonder that children worry about it? But children are often clever at trying to avoid the consequences of poor choices, using every resource at their disposal to construct an escape route. Here, on a science website where scientists answer children’s questions, one scientist tries to address these concerns. Well, it is always a good strategy to start with the obvious, and then move on from there, isn’t it?

Re: How might someone survive electrocution after a radio falls in his bathtub?

Eric,

Sorry for the delay, we’ve been a bit busy here at NASA the past few weeks.

First of all, I’d like to state that under normal circumstances with a
standard outlet, it would be quite probable that the person would die.

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/aug2001/997366923.Ph.r.html

Remarking on Mars

Another sign that a phrase has been become a part of the culture is that it is used in casual off hand remarks, like this one used as a suicide reference at the end of a review of a bad movie.

 

I guess John Carpenter is going to have to be the man to deliver a cool MARS film, because so far…. they’ve been fair at best. Take care and stay away from this one unless you’re desperate. And then it might only lead to a radio in the bathtub night.

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=7435

Bride of Chucky

You know a phrase is part of the mainstream culture when its concept is used as a standard device in multiple horror movies. Even Chucky knows this one.

 

1998-USA-Horror Comedy
After an escape, Chucky electrocutes Tiffany by pushing a radio into the bathtub, delivering a chant that puts the spirit of Tiffany into a bridal figurine.

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=173556

Texas Tub Tempest Termination

For those doing research for nefarious purposes, please take note of the conclusion of the Texas story. While he got off remarkably easy, he did not get off unscathed.

The man accused of trying to kill his wife during a romantic bubble bath has plead guilty to a lesser charge. 34 year old William Joseph Wolfe was indicted back in July of 2004 for allegedly pushing a radio into his wife’s bubble bath in May. Wolfe’s wife was able to catch the radio before it hit the water and wasn’t hurt.

William Wolfe was sentenced to eight years probation. 

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11197669/

image: http://www.theus50.com/images/state-flags/texas-flag.jpg

Floating Duck Radio

In some circumstances a radio in the bathtub isn’t dangerous, or at least doesn’t have to be. Maybe part of the fun is that this is the exception to the rule.

For pool, spa and patio use, this marvelous Floating Duck Radio is also a digital thermometer. The head rotates for on/off volume control. The AM/FM switch is on the topside, and the tail twists for full bandwidth station selection. A side panel LCD display, with a selection button, shows either Fahrenheit or Celsius temperature. The Floating Duck operates on three AAA batteries (not included) and features a waterproof body and speaker.

http://www.rhtubs.com/store/toys.htm#dr

The Shocking Truth

The reality of the aftermath of a violent death is grisly — there's nothing to be romanticized, nothing even slightly amusing.

In this note, a forensic expert answers a writer's query on the details of murder by bathtub… 

If a body if found sitting slumped in a bathtub for example, upon examination one would expect to find pronounced lividity in the back, buttocks, rear thighs and heels of the feet. If this is not present, or lividity if present in areas that are not in contact with the bathtub, it would give rise to the notion that the body may have been placed there after the fact.

WARNING: the details in the post below are explicit and not for the squeamish…

http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=172938

illustration: DanseMacabre flower from http://www.huntington.org/BotanicalDiv

Power to You

Power companies may be most responsible for ensuring that the radio in the bathtub concept is never forgotten.

Never mix water and electricity. That means do not allow a hair dryer, radio or other electronic device to be used around water – expecially the bathtub.

http://www.cpi.coop/safety/home_safety.php

What’s in a Name?

One of the most difficult tasks we face as human beings is naming something (and especially someone). Each name candidate should be carefully considered, because the implications can be far-reaching.

He also asked about technique, inquiring of at least a couple of his fellow Marines whether it was true you could electrocute someone by lobbing a TV or radio into the bathtub with him, witnesses said.
But the key piece of evidence, exhibit 19A, is a 5 1/4 inch floppy disk on which Russell stored a file labeled “Murder.” 

http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/11.53.html

Current Avenger

The Avengers, the popular British TV show from the 1960’s, always featured bizarre villains. In one of the earliest episodes they used the radio in the bathtub device.  This was not their only flirtation with electrocution by any means, but does seem to be the only one involving a bathtub.

When Steed closes in on the man, whose M.O. is to electrocute his victims by throwing a radio into a bathtub, he finds the man has eloped with a young woman in possession of a large cache of diamonds.
 

http://theavengers.tv/forever/keel-12.htm 

Texas Too: Man Charged In Bathtub Electrocution Try

You have to admit that the bubble bath and candles were a nice touch.  But extension cords in the bathroom should be a red flag for anyone considering a bath, bubble bath or candles notwithstanding. If you see a cord, be sure to look for the radio. 

Suspicious, Theresa later examined the couple’s home computer and discovered–surely to her shock–that William had been surfing the web looking at sites about “bathtub electrocution.” And then she found out about William recently taking out a life insurance policy on her.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0504045tub1.html

 

French Singer

It’s good to sing in the bathroom –  you always sound better with the acoustics there. Just don’t sing along with the radio.

Many a French singer has taken an English song and not only done a remix in French, but changed the whole meaning of the song. One of the most famous was a singer named Claude Francois. Unfortunately, he is dead (he dropped a radio in his bathtub while taking a bath) but he has the same kind of aura about him as Elvis Prestly (without the impersonators).

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2004/03/listening_to.html

Eureka!

Would you really have the time to shout out your discovery, if a radio dropped into the bathtub?

EUREKA by William Diehl (Recorded Books, 6-hour abridgement, Read by Cotter Smith).

EUREKA by William Diehl (Reviewed by George Easter) In 1941 Los Angeles Zeke Bannon, a police detective, investigates the death of Verna Wilensky, a middle-aged woman found in her bathtub. The first police on the scene believe that she accidentally knocked the radio into the bathtub and electrocuted herself.

http://www.deadlypleasures.com/ROTW63.htm

It’s Nice to be Interrupted

Is the radio in the bathtub scenario the reason why people invented the GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter) outlet? If you don’t know what one is, and you have an electrical outlet in the bathroom, you should read on. 

  

GFI’s are required by the electrical code for receptacles in bathrooms, some kitchen receptacles, some outside receptacles, and receptacles near swimming pools. The horror story scenarios which led to these code requirements are things like dropping a hair dryer or a portable radio into a bathtub with a person, causing electrocution. A typical circuit breaker interrupts the ciruit at 20 amperes, but it takes only about 100 milliamperes to electrocute a person in such a scenario. The GFI is designed to detect currents of a few milliamperes and trip a breaker at the receptacle or at the breaker panel to remove the shock hazard.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/gfi.html

Shock Fiction

Have there been more real deaths from radios in bathtubs than from fictional deaths from radios in bathtubs? George Baxt was a prodigious mystery (and film horror) writer who used this particular device more than once.

 

GEORGE BAXT A Queer Kind of Death: An Inner Sanctum Mystery (1966)

Murder-by-radio-tossed-into-bathtub. Ben Bently, a young actor/model, is found dead in this bath. Set in Manhattan subculture. Features black, gay police detective Pharoah Love.                

GEORGE BAXT Swing Low, Sweet Harriet (1967)

Murder (accident?)-by-radio-tossed-into-bathtub. Story: Four women rose to stardom in the Hollywood musicals of the 30s, but their careers were ruined with the murder of their producer, movie mogul Barclay Mill. 33 years later, Mill’s unsolved murder crops up again when one of the women, making a come-back through television, hires Seth Piro to ghost write her autobiography. Pharoah Love, a New York detective and Seth’s friend, gets the impression that the murderer is alive and well and part of the Mill circle in Manhattan.

http://www.webrary.org/rs/flbklists/toaster.html