NationStates Jolt Archive

So, I have found a new hobby that'll make me an even more awkwardly social outcast. Finding PSAs from the 50s and 60s, and making fun of them. It started when I read a Cracked.com article about PSAs from the 50s and 60s.

So far, my favorite PSA is "Duck and Cover". Not only for the fact that apparently people thought that by ducking and covering under our desk, or throwing yourself against a wall will protect you in an atomic blast was susspose to work, but the fact that the cartoon had a monkey and a tree getting destroyed by a stick of dynamite, and yet the turtle goes unscratched....amazing.

What's also funny is that people apparently thought atomic blast that can pretty much obliterate buildings and everything in it's path, will only give you a really bad sunburn....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0K_LZDXp0I

Anyone else taken up this weird hobby of making fun of old PSAs?

Ok, for those who actually lived through the scare of being attacked by an atomic bomb...did anyone really buy into this whole "Duck and cover" deal?

as much as some people might go "they think duck and cover will save them from a nuclear blast, morons!" the "duck and cover" is not that bad an idea.

Sure if you're in the blast radius, no amount of ducking and covering is going to do much of anything. But, then again, if you're that close to ground zero, you're probably not even going to have enough time to register the fact that a bomb went off before you're either cooked, blown to pieces, or crushed under the weight of the building that just collapsed on you.

If however you're in the outer rim of the explosion, and in a building, ducking and covering is actually pretty smart. First off, hiding under a desk, or in a door frame can protect you from falling debris. Second, in a nuclear explosion, by curling up, you expose less surface area of skin to incoming radiation. Sure you'll still suck up a lot of rads, but less than if you're standing.

So it's actually not that stupid an idea. In fact, if you're on the outer rim of a nuclear blast, crawling under whatever solid covering you can find and minimizing surface area of your skin is probably the smartest thing you can do. It probably won't make a difference, but it might.

Hey, to be fair, ducking and covering is a legitimate safety procedure, possibly even during an atomic attack, just not for the purposes commonly attached to it. No, it won't protect you from the explosion itself, but it will protect you from falling rubble if you're in a structure which is close enough to be damaged by the explosion though far enough away to avoid the blast itself. Also if in an earthquake, or attack by conventional weapons, or many other such situations where falling material can be avoided by placing some solid structure between you and it (Under your desk, for example).

Although I will admit that turtle just pisses me off.

Although I will admit that turtle just pisses me off.

lol, I laughed. So why did the turtle pissed you off?

Well also keep in mind, when you are talking large scale attack, the main concern is not "keep everyone alive", it's "keep as many people alive as possible". And if crawling under your desk into a little ball changes your rate of survival from 1% to 3%, while that might make much difference to the individual, it means tripling the number of survivors.

Cause I'm a member of the Civil Defense and honestly, no more than half of our members are that round....okay, maybe 2/3, but they carrry it well!

Well also keep in mind, when you are talking large scale attack, the main concern is not "keep everyone alive", it's "keep as many people alive as possible". And if crawling under your desk into a little ball changes your rate of survival from 1% to 3%, while that might make much difference to the individual, it means tripling the number of survivors.

Ok, so maybe if you're not in the inital blast zone then ducking and covering could make a difference. Honestly though, a newspaper? You won't get burned if you protect yourself with a newspaper....yea let's just think about that for a minute....

"Even a newspaper will protect you from a bad burn."

Consider people are finding lead in everything now-a-days, it just might.

Consider people are finding lead in everything now-a-days, it just might.

Yea...if I'm going to protect myself from a really bad burn, something that is usually used for kindling won't be the first thing I go to.

At the proper temperature you could use solid steel for kindling, it's all a matter of perspective.

At the proper temperature you could use solid steel for kindling, it's all a matter of perspective.

True.

Be cool and glamorous - smoke crack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en1i14U-pXY)

Be cool and glamorous - smoke crack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en1i14U-pXY)

ROFL! 10!

/thread

Well some people can get burnt from an atomic bomb, from the heat wave, and quite severely. I remember watching a documentary and this particular episode was about the nuclear testing that the US military, various members who were observing it to close did get burnt from the blast. And if we are talking about a radiation burn, then the paper may help it as well, after all if I covered myself with newspaper and went outside I know I wouldn't get sunburnt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFKaLfs68Sk

There was one PSA I saw last year back from the 50's and its message basically started off about Stranger Danger and pedophiles though that word wasn't used but the funny thing about it was the fact that the guy they had being the child abduction was gay. I remember the voice over saying it isn't his fault he has a mental disorder that makes him attracted to young boys, so beware of gay people. Something along those lines, I am unable to find it so I thought I would tell you instead.

Ok, for those who actually lived through the scare of being attacked by an atomic bomb...did anyone really buy into this whole "Duck and cover" deal?

Don't really remember that, was it an American thing? I remeber the 'three minute warning'. My dad said he'd take us all up to the park(it was on the top of a hill) and sit there and watch the end of the world.

Well I'm glad that never happend.

There was one PSA I saw last year back from the 50's and its message basically started off about Stranger Danger and pedophiles though that word wasn't used but the funny thing about it was the fact that the guy they had being the child abduction was gay. I remember the voice over saying it isn't his fault he has a mental disorder that makes him attracted to young boys, so beware of gay people. Something along those lines, I am unable to find it so I thought I would tell you instead. Yeah, I saw that too, it was pretty weird. Not as good as the 'video piracy funds terrorism' thing though.....

This is a good place for those old public information films and adverts to amuse you
http://www.archive.org/details/movies

The old school house rock Saturday morning clips were amusing--but I am not sure they count as a PSA.

I'm Just A Bill (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ)

They got the committee part right, but I don't know about Capitol Hill being responsible for traffic laws. They also omitted the role of lobbyists, PACs, and pork barrel funding, not to mention the premise of lawmakers being influenced by their voters to create a law seeming a bit suspect.

But all in all, a great way to indoctrinate the youth of the U.S. into believing the government works hard and for the people.:tongue:

Man, Duck and Cover. Instead of some sing-song pish with newspapers, here in the UK we had the PROTECT AND SURVIVE series, which is great. It gives you practical advice like making a fallout shelter in your understairs cupboard, and stockpiling doors to make other shelters. It's also exceptionally menacing :D

*edits* http://www.cracked.com/article_16767_6-most-unintentionally-hilarious-old-school-psas.html - Relevant and also excellent.

Man, Duck and Cover. Instead of some sing-song pish with newspapers, here in the UK we had the PROTECT AND SURVIVE series, which is great. It gives you practical advice like making a fallout shelter in your understairs cupboard, and stockpiling doors to make other shelters. It's also exceptionally menacing :D

*edits* http://www.cracked.com/article_16767_6-most-unintentionally-hilarious-old-school-psas.html - Relevant and also excellent. http://www.keepcalmandcarryon.com/products/keep-calm-and-carry-on-poster?gclid=CL_Qs-S9hpcCFQKVMAodDiGB9w Me and my girlfriend bought one of these a few months back. We also got a tea towel with the same design :)

We must also remember that in those days the US public had a lot of faith in the government. Almost all of us were scared of the "Red Threat" that we were told about.

Dark and lonely water is the scariest British one I can think of, a mini horror classic

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/films/1964to1979/filmpage_lonely.htm

There was a lot of stuff on our national TV channel at the beginning of this year about why Kosovo is Serbia. Scary stuff, lots of hate mongering toward the Albanians and stuff.

There was one PSA I saw last year back from the 50's and its message basically started off about Stranger Danger and pedophiles though that word wasn't used but the funny thing about it was the fact that the guy they had being the child abduction was gay. I remember the voice over saying it isn't his fault he has a mental disorder that makes him attracted to young boys, so beware of gay people. Something along those lines, I am unable to find it so I thought I would tell you instead.

Oh yeah. And it's set in a greengrocer's, but whatever mundane thing is asked for, such as tape, is for a sexually deviant or criminal practice. I think I'll be able to haul that one out.

There was one PSA I saw last year back from the 50's and its message basically started off about Stranger Danger and pedophiles though that word wasn't used but the funny thing about it was the fact that the guy they had being the child abduction was gay. I remember the voice over saying it isn't his fault he has a mental disorder that makes him attracted to young boys, so beware of gay people. Something along those lines, I am unable to find it so I thought I would tell you instead.

Yeah, I saw that too, it was pretty weird. Not as good as the 'video piracy funds terrorism' thing though.....

Oh yeah. And it's set in a greengrocer's, but whatever mundane thing is asked for, such as tape, is for a sexually deviant or criminal practice. I think I'll be able to haul that one out.


Is it this one - Boys beware
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p4enfUyGWSY

Is it this one - Boys beware
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p4enfUyGWSY

No, it's this one : http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3xT8B5VlWpQ&feature=related