About as Effective as D.A.R.E.

Mike Riggs | August 5, 2008

I took a stroll down memory lane and watched a clip from the mid '90s afternoon television show Tiny Toons, in which, Hampton (Pig), Buster (Bunny), and Plucky (Duck) steal a "cold one" out of ma and pa's fridge.

"Buster, this isn't like you," Hampton says (without a trace of Porky's un-PC stutter). A sly Buster responds, "I know, but in this episode we're showing the evils of alcohol."

The three go on to split the bottle. And then they transform from cute little cartoon kids into greasy, dirty winos, steal a police car, drive off a cliff, and ascend into Heaven to be seated at the right hand of the teetotaling god that let this episode happen. A better warning against the evils of alcohol would've featured something more palpable, like a drunk Bugs Bunny beating a terrified Buster with a sand-packed garden hose.

If only I'd been born a decade earlier, I could've watched (and maybe been more moved by) this Thundercats alcohol PSA.

Radley Balko wrote about lowering the drinking age here.

Hat tip to Schindel at TFS blog.

Comments

|8.5.08 @ 6:09PM|#

The best anti-alcohol PSA was not actually a PSA. It was Tom Green's "People Say I'm Funny When I'm Drunk" bit. He just drank several jam jars of rum, stumbled around and threw-up.

Good, but..|8.5.08 @ 6:29PM|#

...still not as cheesey as the 1990 hit "Cartoon All-Stars" Against Drugs (I think that was the name). Ironically the whole film was like an acid trip.

|8.5.08 @ 6:39PM|#

Wow - I may actually remember this.

Wicks Cherrycoke|8.5.08 @ 7:03PM|#

I had never seen that Thundercats ad, and I have no idea who the Thundercats are/were.

Obey the code!

Dirty Frank|8.5.08 @ 7:10PM|#

A better warning against the evils of alcohol would've featured something more palpable, like a drunk Bugs Bunny

banging Miss Piggy then passing out only to wake up the next morning and realize what he's done. Not that'd I'd know. I'm just guessing that would suck and kids oughtta be made aware of this risk before it's too late.

Some Guy|8.5.08 @ 7:46PM|#

They could save so much money and have a much more effective program if it consisted only of buying every school a copy of Requiem for a Dream.

Naga Sadow|8.5.08 @ 7:55PM|#

Riggs,

Wait! Was there a drunk Bugs Bunny beating a terrified Buster with a sand-packed garden hose episode?

|8.5.08 @ 8:06PM|#

I have no idea who the Thundercats are/were.

Blasphemy!

Nemo|8.5.08 @ 8:33PM|#

Dear god, I actually remember that episode.

|8.5.08 @ 8:57PM|#

The best anti-alcohol PSA was not actually a PSA. It was Tom Green's "People Say I'm Funny When I'm Drunk" bit. He just drank several jam jars of rum, stumbled around and threw-up.

The best anti-drug PSA is Ministry's "Just One Fix" video. If the ONDCP had any brains, they buy up ad time and run that.

Warty|8.5.08 @ 9:53PM|#

Did you listen to The Last Sucker at all, joe? It may be the best Ministry record of all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPGcCz0g0OE

Episiarch|8.5.08 @ 10:03PM|#

joe likes Ministry? Maybe there's hope for you yet.

I have no idea who the Thundercats are/were.

You, sir, are a douche.

|8.5.08 @ 10:08PM|#

Thundercats= Born a Decade Earlier?

It seems I'm becoming the youngest old guy in the World.

|8.5.08 @ 11:56PM|#

Remember that episode? Heck, that's one of my favorite episodes! That show ruled. That was my after school show, followed by Batman: The Animated Series.


IIRC, that episode was the first time I was introduced to the phrase DWI/DUI. And I haven't had one yet! Thanks, Tiny Toons.

Ganja Blue|8.6.08 @ 2:23AM|#

The unrealistic part of the video was when the cop walked by the three kids at the park and didn't beat the fuck out of one of them.

|8.6.08 @ 2:52AM|#

"Thundercats= Born a Decade Earlier?

It seems I'm becoming the youngest old guy in the World."

He's an intern right? God I hope so.

|8.6.08 @ 4:02AM|#

That was my after school show, followed by Batman: The Animated Series.

With Animaniacs, me too. I probably should've been doing homework, though.

|8.6.08 @ 5:05AM|#

I remember seeing the "fried egg/ brain on drugs psa the first time. All it did for me was make my case of munchies worse.

|8.6.08 @ 8:51AM|#

I actually own a copy of the cartoon all-stars anti drug thing. Comedy gold I tell you.

|8.6.08 @ 9:05AM|#

Warty,

The last album I listened to in its entirety was Filth Pig, but that "No W" song is up there with Al and Paul's best stuff.

Art-P.O.G. | August 6, 2008, 4:02am | #

That was my after school show, followed by Batman: The Animated Series.

With Animaniacs, me too. I probably should've been doing homework, though.

Ditto. I'm telling you, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is a chicken!!!

|8.6.08 @ 9:30AM|#

Pepe and John C Jackson,

I wore diapers in 1986.

|8.7.08 @ 5:08PM|#

Mike, we don't need to hear about your disgusting sexual fetishes.