Duck and Cover - Public Service Commercial - 1951

Would you bet your whole Intertops casino no deposit bonus that to just “duck and cover” would protect you from a nuclear blast?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LpwantmjjANow, in 2021, we look at that old Public Service Commercial and we laugh.  How could anybody be so stupid to have believed that by simply throwing a blanket over your head or going under your desk, that you were going to be protected by a nuclear blast?  But that is what was taught to kids and adults in 1951 (even after they witnessed the destruction of the two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan)Some people have the same thoughts about today’s public service announcements and masks, but that is a different discussion.  Will our grandchildren be laughing at “old” public service advertisements about wearing masks during COVID?  We will have to wait to ask them which side of the argument about the effectiveness of masks was correct.But back to “duck and cover”.The first thing we see is not the titles, but it is of Bert, the turtle, who walks along in an upright position.  Following him, and also upright, is a skunk.  The Skunk is suspending a lighted firecracker over Bert’s head by means of a fishing pole.  The firecracker is close enough to frighten Burt, but not to hurt him.Closeup of the turtle, who doesn’t hear the warning, keeps right on walking.Narrator: Look out!Suddenly the firecracker goes off.Narrator: Duck!Turtle flops down on his bellyNarrator: And cover!Turtle pulls his head, feet, and tail inside of his shell.The commercial goes on to tell us that every one of us has to follow Bert’s example and learn to “Duck and Cover”.Next, the commercial shows a 4th grade classroom.“Duck and Cover will keep us from being badly hurt, too, if an atom bomb ever exploded nearby.”Current author:  Sorry, I am having huge laughing fits even trying to write this article … trying to imagine that anyone actually believed that just ducking under a school desk could protect you from an atom bomb … or that our government actually tried to sell this lie to the public when they knew for a fact that it was a complete lie.Back to the “Duck and Cover” commercial.The pupils are listening to the teacher intently, who is about to have a “Duck and Cover” drill.  The teacher gives the signal, and the class covers their faces and necks, and all of the children drop under their desks.“They all know the atom bomb is very dangerous.  We must get ready for it.  Just as we have gotten ready for many other dangers that are around us all of the time.”It is a 9 minute public service commercial.Most of the video is trying to tell people that learning to “Duck and Cover” is no different than the other safety drills that we teach children: fire safety drills, tornado drills, and if you unfortunately live in a community that has a history of regular bomb violence with your neighboring countries, bomb shelter drills.The video goes on to show that you can even do “Duck and Cover” while you are out on a family picnic, because everybody in 2021 now knows that a picnic blanket can definitely protect you in case of an atomic bomb.The commercial shows various scenarios of children doing “Duck and Cover”:  out riding bicycles, playing in a playground, playing in their front lawn, etc.  They even show adults doing “Duck and Cover” at businesses and military people doing it at a military base.They also talk about bomb shelters (which is probably more realistic at protecting somebody during a bomb attack).  But I highly doubt that you will have enough time to go out and ask a police officer where your local bomb shelter is.  And if you live somewhere in the United States, sorry, but bomb shelters were dismantled at the end of the Cold War.Although the threat of bomb attacks is not at all funny, and if you live in a community where the threat is likely to happen, do protect yourself and learn where your local bomb shelters are.But, let’s face it, thinking that during a bomb attack (nuclear or regular) that you could protect yourself with a blanket is just plain silly.-