And for reasons of my odd mind, Macbeth's famous words immediately popped into my head after reading the last line of your verse.
a television—
telling its mournful tale.
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Shakespeare was great at capturing the feeling of meaningless, especially in Macbeth. Good to hear from you @dbooster!