1951: "Duck And Cover, People!"

[JakeStratham]

A recent piece by Bob Greene at CNN notes how the state, in 1951, tried to calm the public's fears regarding the atomic bomb. He mentions the propaganda film, "Duck And Cover," that was used to "prepare" the public for a bomb-drop in the U.S.

Produced in 1951, under the auspices of the Federal Civil Defense Administration, it was intended to be viewed in every school in the country. It was shown in classrooms, at special lunchtime programs in school auditoriums -- it was deemed essential to U.S. preparedness.

... and...

The cartoon portion of the film ends; it is replaced by black-and-white footage of real schoolchildren learning to duck and cover. They are shown leaping under their desks, covering the backs of their necks with their hands. This is supposed to be their defense against nuclear attack.

Here's the film:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0K_LZDXp0I"]YouTube - Duck and Cover[/ame]



Two chuckle-worthy quotes from the film:

"We all know the atomic bomb is very dangerous," the soothing voice says. Over outdoor footage of a small town, the voice says, "You'll know it when it comes. ... A bright flash, brighter than the sun, brighter than anything you've ever seen!" The viewers are instructed to cover their flesh with a sheet of newspaper: "You know how bad sunburn can feel. The atomic bomb flash can burn you worse than a terrible sunburn."

.....

"Here's Tony, going to his Cub Scout meeting," the voice says. "Tony knows the bomb can explode any time of the year, day or night. He is ready for it." On the screen, there is a sudden flash. The boy jumps from his bike, flings it to the street, and curls up next to a low wall. Within seconds, a uniformed Civil Defense warden arrives to give him instructions.

I remember going through under-the-desk drills in school. The public was so easily swayed by nonsense.

It still is.

 

[TK421]

http://www.wickedfire.com/<div style=
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/149714/duck-cover

ROFL!