Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle - io9 Comments

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

LicenseFarm — Sat, 03 May 2008 20:34:10 PDT

@Git Em SteveDave: Definitely the gorilla, bone phone, Ghostbuggy and sexy, sexy Futura with the purple skin. Mmm...

@Final: He might have been autistic, but he was somehow better adjusted than Keeyop on Battle of the Planets, who served much the same role. (Actually, in the Japanese original, Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman, Jinpei, that character, is so foul-mouthed that the first American version had no idea how to write for him, so they gave him to burbles to cover.)

LicenseFarm

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

geekgrrl — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:07:43 PDT

i'm crying just thinking of the Fensler PSAs. *namedropping alert* some friends of mine used to be friends with him.. we all got together at a rooftop gallery one time to watch a bunch of artsy fartsy shorts.. then he busted out these on us. god, i was dying.

geekgrrl

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

waytogeaux — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:48:22 PDT

@Priam: Pork Chop Sandwiches is the best one ever. Every time I see it I cry from laughing so hard.

waytogeaux

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

DSTRYA — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:05:39 PDT

off topic, i know, but the Office PSAs are pretty good too.

DSTRYA

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

rileyjam514 — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:51:30 PDT

1. Do a google search for "Don't put mustard on the cat!"

2. @Evil Tortie's Mom: Got news for you - I did IT work for NBC until a few months back. My office was on the ninth floor of 30 Rock and every time I worked a Saturday, which was quite often, the seventh, eighth and ninth floors all reeked of... well, various drugs, actually. You got used to the smell after a while.

rileyjam514

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

urukhaifive — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:26:41 PDT

@Zapp Brannigan's Girdle: When I've screened all of these for friends (yes, this has happened more than once, and once they started watching them, they were quite happy to oblige), I showed that one in the middle or about 3/4 of the way through, because it's so unexpected.

urukhaifive

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Priam — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:40:15 PDT

I actually looked up funny psa on youtube, this was the only better than decent one I could find.

Priam

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

urukhaifive — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:35:51 PDT

@BullfightsOnAcid: Most definitely the best one.

urukhaifive

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:12:34 PDT

Thanks for bringing up the Fensler stuff. Was tinkering with the idea of doing another update on scifi PSA spoofs because there are so many. "Don't forget your sandwiches...look at all your different colored hats" is the first Fensler I ever youtubed. But you gotta love the, "stop all the downloading."

Meredith Woerner

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Silver_Back — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:15:44 PDT

Love the Fensler stuff!

Silver_Back

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Wesman — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:39:37 PDT

I first learned about the heimlich maneuver from a PSA during an episode of Super Friends. I later used it to save a classmate who was choking during lunch. I got a letter from President Reagan. Who knew watching Batman squeeze Robin could be so educational?

Wesman

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Zapp Brannigan's Girdle — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:17:49 PDT

The best Fensler parody is the one with the kid just falling off a cliff.

Zapp Brannigan's Girdle

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

strider_mt2k — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:11:10 PDT

I just discovered all of these a month or two ago and heck I just had to collect the whole set!

GREAT GREAT STUFF!

strider_mt2k

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:08:48 PDT

@LicenseFarm: Was the that the Ghostbusters w/the gorilla and the bone phone, or the on based on the movie?

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Final — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:05:57 PDT

@Priam: mumblemumble mumble point point.

Final

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Final — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:04:51 PDT

@LicenseFarm: OMG The Copper Kid. He seemed so cool now if they had a character like that I'd think he was Autistic.

Final

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

LicenseFarm — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:41:30 PDT

I was always partial to the astronomy lessons Bluegrass gave to The Copper Kid at the end of every episode of Silverhawks. Plus I believe there were also similar PSAs at the end of C.O.P.S. and Filmation's Ghostbusters.

Does anyone else find themselves wondering what an Eternian rabbi would look like?

LicenseFarm

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Mr. Praline — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:31:27 PDT

Who wants a body massage?

Body massage machine.... GO!

Mr. Praline

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Evil Tortie's Mom — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:11:42 PDT

I remember seeing that Star Wars one! Probably during "Saturday Night Live", which is ironic considering all the substances that cast consumed. Thanks for the flashback, Meredith.

I always loved the Animaniacs parodies of these things with "Wheel Of Morality".

Evil Tortie's Mom

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

jbq — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:31:29 PDT

Man, those Fensler vids caused some serious laughs here a few years back, I'd totally forgotten about them!

Here in Norway commercials aimed at children are illegal, and I suppose that extends to PSAs as well, because we sure didn't have anything like this when I grew up. That He-Man one is just so creepy and surreal...!

jbq

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Priam — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:13:39 PDT

@Final:

Priam

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Priam — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:12:15 PDT

The pork chop sandwhichs used to be my favorite back in the day. I am liking these two the best.

Priam

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:05:05 PDT

@Git Em SteveDave:

Pork-chop Sandwiches!!

And my favorite rasta:

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Final — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:02:53 PDT

I remember all those but my favorite ones weren't on there. Like the GI Joe that warned me about the danger of swimming during a lightening storm. The smurfs episode about not standing under trees and metal poles during a lightening storm and lets not forget the psa from The Littles about not fling kites during a lightening storm.

Sure you guys can laugh and think it's silly just because you're all fancy and have parents. Some of us had to learn between 2:30 and 5 pm until they kicked us out of radio shack. Dic, Ubu and Hallmark thank you for distributing not only fine entertainment but life lessons as well.

Final

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:58:39 PDT

@bitgod: But unlike the Thundercats:

The Tussin, The Tussin
Put it down like it was nothing.
Robocop couldn't stop me puking and flushin'.
No balls to be bustin', no fightin', no cussin',
Just love for a drug called Robotussin.

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:56:55 PDT

@92BuickLeSabre: Didn't Snarf used to drink Snarfberry wine or something similar?

Or was that Gummi bears?

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:54:45 PDT

OK, I understand that in the "old" days, when fridges had the meat locker handle+steel door, kids could get trapped inside. But whenever I see people who take the door off a modern fridge, I always ask them why. "Because a kid could get trapped inside", they say. To which I say, "The door doesn't lock, and the only seal is a 1/4" piece of rubber. If a kid can't push a foam door open, she he be playing outside?"

I like the one fensler film w/ Doc singing all Jamaican like.

Git Em SteveDave is a poor substitute for LindsayJoy

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

bitgod — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:52:53 PDT

Or as MC Chris would say "Knowing is Half the Hassle"

bitgod

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

StrangelyBrown — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:45:19 PDT

@Garrison Dean, King Awesome: Well, it was a long time ago, but I seem to remember one of the superheros actually going up to the strange dog and letting him smell his palm, then suddenly the menacing beast was all licks and wags. It was the exact opposite of the GI Joe spot. I tried looking for it online, but there are only like 1-2 of the (non-overdubbed) SF PSAs on YouTube, so, schade.

@se7a7n7: My bad -- I meant 22 minutes of Happy Fun Time With Lasers! In retrospect, I now realize how GI Joe was preparing us all to accept our military's current lack of success in capturing a certain terrorist mastermind on a weekly basis.

StrangelyBrown

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Garrison Dean, Mr. Privilege — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:29:56 PDT

@StrangelyBrown:
sound's outta sync, but whatever.

Garrison Dean, Mr. Privilege

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

92BuickLeSabre — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:26:20 PDT

These really do show the danger of poorly thought out PSAs...before telling me what to do:

Shouldn't Bumblebee pick up on that tell-tale clue, when the kid holds his eye when talking about his parents?

Shouldn't He-Man simply avoid talking about my body at all costs?

Shouldn't Liono stop calling people Ho?

92BuickLeSabre

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

se7a7n7 — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:22:55 PDT

@StrangelyBrown:

Violence in G.I. Joe??? How can you say that?

There may have been a lot of shooting and explosions but no one ever got shot or killed, just like the real War On Terror.

se7a7n7

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

StrangelyBrown — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:16:41 PDT

Ah, the good old days, back when 22 minutes of senseless violence could be balanced out with 50 seconds of a totally unrelated "lesson" and parents everywhere were happy.

I seem to remember the SuperFriends having PSAs that would actually get you killed, like "if you see a stray dog in your neighborhood, make friends with it! Let it sniff your hand!" Yeah, let us know how that works out, kid...

StrangelyBrown

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

BullfightsOnAcid — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:07:42 PDT

@Priam: Dude, you forgot the best Fensler one - "Hey kid, I'm a computer. Stop all the downloading."

BullfightsOnAcid

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

se7a7n7 — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:05:36 PDT

Stupid Turtles. The message should be: "Never say no to free weed"

se7a7n7

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

BullfightsOnAcid — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:03:26 PDT

You didn't put the best Star Wars PSA up there. "R2, do you really think I don't have a heart?"

BullfightsOnAcid

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

92BuickLeSabre — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:00:09 PDT

@Priam: Yes. Thank you. I apologize to Eric Fensler personally for forgetting where I originally saw the videos and attributing them to Stupid Videos.

Either way, I just re-watched them and laughed so hard I cried. [www.fenslerfilm.com]

I'm pretty sure GI Joe is a robot, alien, or on some kind of futuristic drug in at least half of them, so they seem fitting for io9.

92BuickLeSabre

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Einstein-Intersection — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:58:06 PDT

"I'm not a chicken, you're a TURKEY!"

God, I've always remembered that Ninja Turtles PSA from when I was a kid. I've smoked a lot of weed since then.

Einstein-Intersection

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Priam — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:48:39 PDT

Oh, that's not the Fensler stuff. This is the Fensler stuff

Priam

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Garrison Dean, Mr. Privilege — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:44:15 PDT

@92BuickLeSabre: Thanks for posting that. I was a little shocked those didn't make it the main article.

DONT GIVE HIM THE STICK!!!!

And boy did Michael Bay screw up Transformers.. I mean Transformers having lips? oh.. wait.

Garrison Dean, Mr. Privilege

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Theoban — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:42:22 PDT

"...and knowing is half the battle."

"What's the other half?"

Blowin Fuckers Heads Off

Theoban

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Thu, 01 May 2008 15:41:54 PDT

Silly Turtles. Everybody knows you smoke the weed, then get a pizza. Not the other way around.

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Priam — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:39:39 PDT

Wow, I thought hasbro made Fensler get rid of those. Nice that you kept or found them Meredith.

Priam

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

Thu, 01 May 2008 15:39:03 PDT

But when I talk back to my parents, they lock me up in an old regfrigator. What do you say to that, Bumblebee?

Scifi PSAs: Because Knowing Is Half The Battle

92BuickLeSabre — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:38:15 PDT

"Like an old trunk? Or a refrigerator?"
"Or Cher."
"Now I know."
"And knowing is half the battle."

/fixed

I can only assume that folks have seen the old "Stupid Videos" spoofs of the GI JOE PSAs. Especially this one: [www.stupidvideos.com]

92BuickLeSabre