# Finding your favorite 1980's PSA **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574 "2004-11-08T02:43:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![remisser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@remisser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/remisser)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/1 "2004-11-08T02:43:11Z")
What’s everyone’s favorite PSA from 1980? Mine is the “I learned it from watching you dad!” anti-drug commercial. As well as the “This is your brain on drugs” commercial. (follow up question, anyone know if these gems are anywhere on the internet?) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/2 "2004-11-08T03:00:24Z")
Hehe… o/`Users are losers, and losers are users...o/` ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/3 "2004-11-08T03:04:59Z")
I’m gona flip this – it’s not the PSA I admire, but what was done with it. Busta Rhymes sampling a 1983 PSA to the platinum selling “Dangerous” (1998) single: > [@](#): > > …“Dangerous” claims an unusual source — a Long Island Regional Poison Control Council PSA from 1983 warning children not to take prescription medicine they may find around the house. Rhymes himself cannot recall having heard the ad or how the tune came to him, but the evidence pretty much speaks (in a falsetto) for itself. The barbershop quartet of little green pills sings: > > This is serious > We could make you delirious > You should have a healthy fear of us > Too much of us is dangerous… Talk about a silk purse from a sow’s ear. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/4 "2004-11-08T03:18:04Z")
Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Actually, it’s more of a 1970’s PSA, but… _clears throat_ o/` Mr. Yuck is mean! Mr. Yuck is green! o/` ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/5 "2004-11-08T03:25:10Z")
> [@remisser](#): > > What’s everyone’s favorite PSA from 1980? Mine is the “I learned it from watching you dad!” anti-drug commercial. As well as the “This is your brain on drugs” commercial. (follow up question, anyone know if these gems are anywhere on the internet?) Those two ads aren’t that old, are they? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/6 "2004-11-08T03:36:48Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > Those two ads aren’t that old, are they? [url=http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/fyi/interactive/news/brain/brain.on.drugs.html]This [CNNfyi.com](http://CNNfyi.com) link says that the “this is your brain on drugs” ad debuted in 1987. “I learned it by watching you” I can’t establish a year for. When I google it I get 4 kablillion hits because it somehow became a watchword of the blogosphere at some point and it seems like everybody and their mother was parodying it in their journals. Also, there’s someone named “Alli with an I” who has a song with that title, so add that to the confusion. I do know for certain that it was after the egg one. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/7 "2004-11-08T03:44:40Z")
Oh, fudge! [This link.](http://www.changeforamerica.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/406) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/8 "2004-11-08T06:04:40Z")
Any of the ones from the **G.I. Joe** cartoon. “Now I know!” “And knowing is half the battle.” 😉 It’s just _too_ easy to squeeze that into everyday conversations… ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/9 "2004-11-08T06:10:36Z")
> [@remisser](#): > > What’s everyone’s favorite PSA from 1980? The airline. After all, their smile’s weren’t just painted on. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/10 "2004-11-08T06:22:36Z")
Some of these PSAs are probably on old-school sites like [RetroCRUSH.com](http://RetroCRUSH.com) or [X-Entertainment.com](http://X-Entertainment.com). I’m pretty certain I’ve seen the G.I. Joe spots on one of these sites (or perhaps [I-Mockery.com](http://I-Mockery.com)), at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/11 "2004-11-08T06:57:51Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Any of the ones from the **G.I. Joe** cartoon. > > “Now I know!” > “And knowing is half the battle.” 😉 On that note, I remember Aquaman telling a pair of bikini-suit-clad preteen twins that hitch-hiking was dangerous, but not specifically telling them why. Damn it, Aq, don’t hold out on us! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/12 "2004-11-08T07:03:16Z")
I’ll bet Aquaman didn’t know why, either. We’re talking about a “super” hero who gets himself captured by the Legion of Doom almost every week. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/13 "2004-11-08T07:37:00Z")
Aquaman made great bait. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/14 "2004-11-08T08:31:35Z")
I’m not a chicken, you’re a turkey! ---
**Author:** ![kka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kka)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/15 "2004-11-08T14:37:02Z")
My favorite was in the late 80s. It showed a guy in a small room looking at the camera who said, “I do cocaine, so I can work more” the camera pans back and he starts walking in circles in the room and adds, “so I can make more money, so I can do more cocaine.” He says it faster and faster and kept going in circles around the room. Gotta love the 80s! ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/16 "2004-11-08T14:57:48Z")
“we’re from mars and we eat lots of candy bars. . .” ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/17 "2004-11-08T15:08:58Z")
Hmmm, I don’t have a cite, but I am almost positive the “I learned it by watching you” ad was somewhere around 83/84. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/18 "2004-11-09T03:55:11Z")
My favorite was **One Dumb Move**. I think it was an anti-drug PSA. It started in a highschool classroom and then this black teacher starts doing a rap song (this was the early 80s when rap was still mostly underground). Then the rest of the class starts joining in. Anyway, what I remember most about it was right in the middle there was this incredibly dorky, Pat Boone-looking white jock teen. He had this ridiculous smirk on his face and was ungainly rocking his head back & forth as he was, um, trying to get down with homey’s rap. The shot of him only lasted a second but god it was unbearable… ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/19 "2004-11-09T06:24:35Z")
I recall this one from the 80’s, but it may predate that: Anyone remember the “Have You Hugged Your Kid Today?” PSA’s? “‘Can’t you see that I’m on the phone?’ ‘Hold it down! I just got home!’ ‘Isn’t it enough that I work all day?’ Please! I need a chance to get away!’ Dishes! Diapers! Dirty rags!’ 'Bosses, bills, and nag-nag-nags! ‘Daddy!’ ‘Shut up, kid! You’re in the way!’ ‘I’m so mad, I could slap your face!’” Cut to a kid crying, saying, “Did I do something wrong?” Then the cheesy music starts. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574/20 "2004-11-09T06:32:09Z")
I guess Busta and I have something in common. \*This is serious. We could make you delirious. You should have a healthy fear of us. Too much of us is dangerous. Doctors tell the pharmacy. The kind of pills that you will need. And they know the harm that we can be. If we’re not taken carefully. We are not candy (you need us!) Even though we look so fine and dandy. When you’re sick we come in handy. But–we’re not caaaaandy! (ohhh noooo!)\* From memory. 🙂 I didn’t know that played only on Long Island. The rest of you missed out. That ad was awesome. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-favorite-1980s-psa/273574.md?page=2)