"or lived in an apartment without a dishwasher."

That sentence was doing fine until that moment, then clang. Edit in refrigerator instead of dishawasher, and I'm still with you, but I think you're overestimating the importance of a dishwasher far more than Sorkin overestimated the television.

I'm 36 years old and there's been a dishwasher available for about half that time. Whereas I can count the number of days without a television, refrigerator, or washing machine without breaking into triple digits.

Um, I think that was meant as a joke.

I agree. It was probably a joke along the line of "best invention since sliced bread". I don't know how much American people rely on dish washers, but in many other countries, including where I live, dish washers are an exception rather than a rule.

I hate dishwashers. I'm sure I'd feel different if I had a family, but as it is I think they suck and sometimes leave the dishes dirtier than the preliminary rinse gets them.