Ah, for the days of the Public Service Announcement (PSA)… I recall that our local independent station used to run some of them so frequently that must have ingrained themselves on my DNA. Along with “Popeye Meets Sindbad the Sailor”, of course.

PSAs weren’t always the most clever or technically perfect spots that you’d see on the tube, but they undeniably often had a neat “hook” in them somewhere that would stick with you long after they stopped running… it’s a rare TV viewer from the 60s that doesn’t have a jolt of memory at some of the following tag lines:

“Kick the habit. Join the “unhooked” generation”.

“All I wanted was one cigarette. Just one… just one.. just one!”

“Buckle up.”

“Only you can prevent forest fires.”

“Trick or Treat for UNICEF!”

“Give a hoot, don’t pollute.”

And of course, the title of this essay, which our friends from Mystery Science Theater like to dredge up every now and then.
As a TV archivist, I’m in a position that actually allows me to re-visit some of these immortal gems from time to time. I think I’ve seen all of the ones that I’ve listed above, but there are a few that have remained elusive so far:

1. An animated YMCA spot from the mid 60s that had a horrendously catchy tune that went like this: “If you like the water / then you really otter / learn how to swim at the YMCA…”

2. Another animated spot, this time for the American Dental Association, from about 1962-63. There’s a saxophone -driven “twist”-style tune in the background, and the visuals featured two young teenagers getting ready for a date, while an unseen announcer spouts awful couplets at them. The only ones I remember are: first, to the young man:

“Brush that hair down thick or thin / if it’s too long, get a trim / to make her dig you / (Kid): Yeah? / Brush your teeth!”

and then one that I only remember the last part of:

“…But if you want to hold her tight / at that dance on Saturday night / (Kid): Yeah?? / Brush your teeth!”

3. And finally, there was one that I’ve sadly forgotten the puchline to, but which I remember running about 1968, and had to do with the Federal Fair Housing Act… I only remember that it was animated, and featured a couple trying to rent a house or apartment, only to run afoul of some restriction that the owner has. As they’re leaving, the male half of the couple angrily tells the next guy in line “Hey buddy– are you _(**some trivial thing**)____?? Because if you are, forget it!” And the humor was in the fact that whatever he thought they were being refused for was obviously not the actual reason at all. (If anyone can refresh my memory about that spot, I’d surely appreciate it!)

As time has gone on, of course, you don’t see these sort of spots nearly as often– networks and indie stations are much more careful about selling all of the time possible in the shows they air; and when you do spot one these days, it’s much more likely to be some errant celebrity’s attempt at fulfilling a community service requirement, rather than a true dedication to a social cause. Which is a pity, really– I’ve often thought that there should be a little corner in some broadcast museum set aside for these unforgettable jewels. At their worst, they’re just forgettable, but at their best, they’ve proved to be as durable as any of the advertising spots they substituted for… and just maybe, managed to teach us to do the right thing every now and then, in the bargain.

Think about it.

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Who else remembers **your** favorite ad or PSA??? Why not click on the link over in the left-hand column, and sign up for the ACTV Forum? Hurry– operators are standing by!
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