A Giant Leap for Mankind

True story. In 2010 I persuaded my wife to upgrade from a 55-inch Mitsubishi rear-projection HDTV to a 63-inch Samsung plasma. There was a helluva deal at BJS, and she was sick of the 28-inch-deep Mitsubishi “looking like a coffin” in the living room. The Samsung plasma in the box was enormous, and the TV itself weighed 134 pounds. A neighbor with a commercial cargo van was recruited to help. As my wife waited near the checkout, my friend and I obtained a 4-wheel handtruck to load up the TV. An astounding dynamic then unfolded.

The women in the checkout line unanimously folded their arms and glared at my wife. Then, one guy shouted, “Yes! One of us finally got to do it! You go, Boy! Go! Go!” Next thing I know, the chant of “Go! Go!” spread throughout the aisles of BJS as men everywhere instinctively responded to an electronics victory for our sometimes ludicrous and pathetic gender. The checkout staff were highly entertained. My wife fell over laughing, shook her head, and said, “Just get me out of here.”

Stuart Dickson / via email

Correction: Our Monitor Audio Bronze 200 speaker system test report in the February/ March 2021 issue listed inaccurate prices. The correct prices are: 200 tower ($995/pair), C150 Center ($325), FX surround ($550/pair), AMS Dolby Atmos Module ($550/pair), W10 subwoofer ($795). Total system price (as tested): $4,010.