Just wondering if the current generation still makes a big deal of the evening "Roll 'em" in the Ready Room, or if that's sort of died off due to the myriad choices running on ship's TV around the clock, DVD players in staterooms, etc.
"Why, back in MY day" (sound of coughing and bones creaking) the Roll 'em was the social highlight of the deployment day. I was designated "Movie Officer" for my first whole cruise on CORAL SEA (1973). This was in the day of 16mm film and projectors and all that could go wrong with them (wrong reel, out of focus, burned out bulb, too much leader, SPAGHETTI!, not ready to roll when the Skipper's butt hit his chair, lights not going out simultaneous with projector going ON, etc., etc.). And rules abounded:
1. No one could make shadow puppets on, or say anything rude about "the CO's girl" (whoever he designated).
2. "XO's girl" was fair game for the worst kind of puerile behavior and comments...
3. Movies graded on a weighted system regarding how many of the following showed up and to what extent: body counts (AKA the mort count), T&A, trains, horses, bow ties, explosions, visible microphones in the scene, gladiators, yadda yadda yadda.
"Those were the days, my friend...we thought they'd never end..."
V/R, Spike (shadow puppeteer extraordinaire...)