Talk:Boob tube

"Boob Tube" is definitely a slang word for Television in California English.

Edit war in the making
The labelling of this page has gone back and forth a few times between a stub and a disambiguation page. We ought to make up our mind which it's going to be.

Moreover, disambiguation pages are supposed to link to more specific pages. For a while this linked to Tube top, but then this was screwed up as that just redirected back here. Now it redirects to Shirt, which is hardly adequate. My inclination is that, if this is going to be a disambiguation page, Tube top should be either deleted for the time being or made into a worthwhile article in its own right. That way, we can sensibly put the link back here and it will appear in the appropriate colour for once. -- Smjg 16:31, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

If this isn't a disambiguation page, I'm not sure what it is. As Wikipedia is not a dictionary, it may be necessary to move this page to Wiktionary. -Acjelen 21:29, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)


 * I am leaning toward "disambiguation." Joyous 01:57, May 20, 2005 (UTC)
 * This page was useful in clearing up a misunderstanding. It is undeniably disambiguation however one of the items, (TV meaning) has no scope for expansion, wheras the other does. I think this should be a stub with a little blue disambiguation bit at the top, stating "This article is about the garment boob tube, for the american english meaning see television"86.128.121.119 21:12, 8 September 2006 (UTC)
 * But both meanings already have articles: Tube top and Television. Any expansion on the non-American English meaning should be made to Tube top. -Acjelen 18:58, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

Old Cleanup Archive

 * Taken from the old Cleanup entry…Archived by HopeSeekr of xMule (Talk) 00:51, 9 August 2005 (UTC).


 * Boob tube - currently a dictionary definition that thinks it's a disambiguation page.


 * A disambiguation page is supposed to link to other, more specific pages, not just act as a dictionary definition. As such, it is silly to have Tube top just linking to here.  Moreover, Wikipedia is not a dictionary.
 * Three possible solutions:
 * If someone's in a position to create an adequate Tube top article, by all means do it, and then put back the link to it back on Boob tube.
 * Delete Tube top - then the link can be put back and Boob tube will be that little bit more like a dab page again
 * Delete Boob tube - it's already got a Wiktionary entry (though not a very good one) anyway.
 * -- Smjg 16:19, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * I tried my hand at improving this. I moved the redirect of Tube top to Shirt as there seems to be no disagreement about what a tube top is.  It still may need, however, to be transfered to Wiktionary. -65.66.103.43 14:46, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC) (I'm sorry that my computer seems to be logging me out).

"Boob tube" and television
Apparently this is something that's been lost over the years, but my copy of RHD2 describes "boob tube" as slang for television, dating back to 1965-1970 (as in "a thing for foolish people to occupy themselves with"). As for myself, I hadn't heard, but wasn't really surprised at, it being a slang reference to tube tops -- learn something every day... .

For anyone obsessing on it, here's a link to an online reference to this usage. --NapoliRoma (talk) 04:37, 28 December 2007 (UTC)


 * People were referred to as boobs if they were foolish decades before the tube top and soap operas came out. The reference “boob tube” had nothing to do with breasts, tube tops, or soap operas. This article is horribly incorrect. 108.31.61.96 (talk) 02:12, 4 September 2023 (UTC)

Mikkalai: reversion of edits for WP:MOSDAB compliance
Hi Mikkalai, Here are the current issues that I'm trying to repair on this dab page:

First entry:
 * "boob tube" should not be bold
 * There's a citation, which should go somewhere besides on a dab page
 * there are two navigable links -- should only be one. "television" makes the most sense at this point, but see below.

Second entry:
 * "boob tube" should not be bold

I'm currently working to find a home for the cite; social aspects of television is my target at this point, which would then become the link target for the first entry.

At this point I'm unclear what your objections are to this; anything you can share? Regards,--NapoliRoma (talk) 06:48, 31 December 2007 (UTC)


 * My major objection was removal of the link. The first and foremost rule of wikipedia is WP:VERIFIABILITY. The article television does not explain the term. Normally I object putting sland into DAB pages altogether. But this one is a special case, due to Am/En distinctly different meaning of the expression. After looking into some sources, I started thinking that this expression deserves an article. Or may be not. `'Míkka>t 07:58, 31 December 2007 (UTC)


 * Agreed on the verifiability, and thanks for keeping me honest: the target of dab entry, if it isn't actually related to the name, should have some mention of the dab topic.
 * ...but the place for the citation isn't on the dab page itself, which should have no external links; the citation should be in the target article.
 * In this case, I don't see any way that "boob tube" as in television should get its own article, but it should be mentioned somewhere. The place I found that makes the most sense to me is social aspects of television, and it now has a home there. (only problem now is that it's an article with lots of problems of its own...)--NapoliRoma (talk) 03:23, 2 January 2008 (UTC)