PSA Sunday

PSA Sunday: David Lynch Says, “Don’t Litter or Rats Will Eat Your Face”

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 20th, 2012 at 11:44 am

If you want to get New Yorkers’ attention, you’ll have to do something drastic…like hiring surrealist director David Lynch (Eraserhead) to direct a “Clean Up New York” PSA.  Apparently, the rampant littering problem in New York was slightly more concerning than the ravenous hordes of blood-thirsty rats that seethed beneath the city streets.  This PSA stops just short of a full-scale outbreak of bubonic plague.  All because you couldn’t be bothered to throw away your popsickle wrapper.  For shame.  Hit the jump to check it out.

PSA Sunday: Happy Mother’s Day from Blood Gulch

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 13th, 2012 at 1:05 pm

In case you missed Hugh Jackman wishing moms a Happy Mother’s Day from the set of Les Miserables, we have a back up plan for you! Sarge and the crew from “Red vs Blue” have mothers, too.  They’re here in this PSA, broadcasting from their outpost in Blood Gulch to give you advice on the best/worst gifts to give your mom on Mother’s Day.  While your mom might not understand the reference, there’s a good chance she bought you your XBox and the first copy of Halo way back in 2001.  So how’s about putting a little thought into what you get her for this year’s celebration of all things maternal?  Hit the jump for a list of suggestions from Sarge, Donut, Tucker and more.

PSA Sunday: THE AVENGERS Assemble in These PSAs

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 6th, 2012 at 7:58 am

You can breathe a sigh of relief: The Avengers has finally hit theaters.  This means that: A) You’ve probably seen it; B) You no longer need fear the spoilers; C) You only have a bit of post-opening weekend marketing to suffer through and D) You can look forward to the summer’s other big releases.  As we look back on the last few months of The Avengers news, let us look further into the past to dig up some Public Service Announcements from yesteryear.  You’d think the history of Marvel Comics and cartoons would be littered with PSAs, but I found them to be a bit on the thin side.  Worry not, I’ve assembled the best Avengers PSAs of video and print that I could find.  Hit the jump to check them out and click here to see all of our previous PSA postings.

PSA Sunday: BATTLESHIP Director Peter Berg Speaks on Behalf of the USO

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 29th, 2012 at 7:29 am

At WonderCon2012 earlier this year, Friday Night Lights writer and Battleship director Peter Berg spoke about why he wanted to craft a story around military heroes.  As the son of a Marine and Naval historian, Berg knows full well that the real heroes are not the actors playing out a role in front of a camera, but the flesh-and-blood service men and women who make sacrifices for their country every day.  In this PSA, Berg speaks on behalf of the USO, a private, non-profit organization that serves to lift the spirits of American troops and their families.  You can find out more about the USO by going to their website, where you can find ways to show your gratitude for our nation’s troops.  Hit the jump to see the PSA.

PSA Sunday: Psychedelic Anti-Marijuana PSA Will Make You Turn to Drugs

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 22nd, 2012 at 7:11 am

I’m not much on celebrating 4/20, but far be it from me to deny others their fun.  This buzz-killing anti-marijana ad, however, will not only bring you down from your high, but might even force you to turn to harder drugs.  While it aims to keep kids away from the apparent dangers of the recreational drug, it’s probably been responsible for more harm than good.  There are clearly some brain damaged people behind the making of this PSA.  It’s not quite as terrifying as these Darren Aronofsky-directed PSAs, but personally I’d rather listen to Rachael Leigh Cook tell me about the effects of drugs (or just watch Kate Upton again).  Hit the jump to get scared shitless.

PSA Sunday: Kate Upton Stands Up to Bullies in this BULLY PSA

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 15th, 2012 at 10:39 am

In looking for a PSA to share with you all this weekend, I came across a most serendipitous of videos.  Not only is Ms. Kate Upton supremely easy to look at, but her movie The Three Stooges opened this weekend.  While that’s rather more reason than I need to write a post featuring Upton, she also happened to film an anti-bullying PSA for The Weinstein Company’s much-publicized documentary, Bully.  While the film is only currently in limited release, perhaps the awareness will be increased by Upton’s involvement.  It certainly can’t hurt.  And while the bullied among you may find solace in the fact that Upton herself was once the victim of bullying, you bullies out there should know that the actress/model only dates nice guys (right). Hit the jump to see the lovely Kate Upton’s anti-bullying PSA.

PSA Sunday: Japan Teaches Kids About Nuclear Fallout with Cartoon Poop Jokes [Updated]

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: April 8th, 2012 at 6:13 am

Dear Japan, I love ya, but you’re weird. We had proof of that fact earlier this week with this completely insane NSFW trailer for Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead.  In honor of that piece of cinematic originality, we’ve selected a PSA from the Land of the Rising Sun.  While the subject material is no laughing matter, the way in which the minds behind this PSA went about it certainly is. The following PSA reflects efforts to inform and reassure children during the tragic earthquake, tsunami and near nuclear fallout of 2011.  And they do it by introducing a cute little cartoon character with a digestive problem.  I’m all for informing the kids about the dangers of radiation without scaring the shit out of them (the ever-present threat of Godzilla must weigh on the mind), but this is just straight up weird.  Hit the jump to see the PSA, which features nice cameos by Three-Mile Island Lad and Chernobyl Boy!

PSA Sunday: G.I. JOES Teach a Drowning Boy Self-Reliance

by Matt Currie    Posted: April 1st, 2012 at 7:22 am

In the mid-late 1980s, the G.I. Joes were the finest cartoon role models the nation had to offer; they were good men, capable men. Even when they weren’t shielding the world from the chaos and destruction of Cobra Command, the Joes remained ever-vigilant, especially of our greatest non-petroleum resource: the children. Be the threat as ominous as a potential abduction or benign as a nosebleed, they were always on hand with utterly sound advice. Today, for the first time ever on PSA Sunday, we’re going Joe.

We open on a boy, stranded in the ocean. He can’t swim, but it’s okay, because just when he’s needed most, aquatic commando Torpedo rises from the depths. Not to save the drowning tyke, mind you, but to teach him how to save himself. Hit the jump for sink or swimming lessons, with a Real American Hero.

PSA Sunday: THE HUNGER GAMES Cast Teams Up to End World Hunger

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 25th, 2012 at 7:47 am

A little movie called The Hunger Games opened this weekend; perhaps you’ve heard of it? The plot of The Hunger Games focuses on two youthful tributes from each of future America’s 12 districts battling it out to the death so that the people of their home district can reap the rewards. Meanwhile, in reality, people struggle with the very real issue of hunger on a daily basis. While the movie is all in good fun, the cast has teamed up with World Food Programme and Feeding America to bring awareness and relief to this global crisis. If you can drop $10 to see The Hunger Games, you can afford to pitch  in a little something to help the hungry, in your own neighborhood or anywhere in the world. The Hunger Games, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, is in theaters now. Hit the jump to see how you can help end world hunger.

PSA Sunday: JOHN CARTER Reminds Us That Books Still Exist

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 11th, 2012 at 10:37 am

Disney’s visually spectacular interplanetary epic John Carter opened in theaters this weekend with Taylor Kitsch playing the titular hero who finds himself lost in a strange land, Lynn Collins portraying a Martian princess and Willem Dafoe as a towering alien warlord. Regardless of how well John Carter performs at the box office, none of it would have been possible without author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ long-running series featuring the exploits of an Earthling on Barsoom. It’s taken almost 100 years to translate Burroughs’ vision to the big screen, but I predict that the novel will enjoy a much longer lifespan than the film. We’ve brought you trailers, images, clips, posters and interviews, but none of it would exist without the original book, “A Princess of Mars,” which the Library of Congress has made available to read for free online. Definitely go check out the film while it’s still in theaters, but do yourself a favor and read up on this classic series as well. Hit the jump to see a PSA from the ad council reminding us that books still exist.

PSA Sunday: TRANSFORMERS Urge You Not to Steal Them

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 4th, 2012 at 7:00 am

This week’s PSA comes courtesy of our friendly Transformers. This 30-second spot teaches kids that it’s bad to steal cars because they may actually be Transformers. As the two hoodlums in the PSA quickly find out, that car that you’re jamming a clothes hanger into could easily be a real-life robot, which means that you’re essentially committing robot rape, which is bad. Thankfully, the Transformer in question is super cool about the whole thing as he’s sure that it’s just a misunderstanding.

Hit the jump to find out how car stealing affects all of us.  You can also click here for our previous PSA Sundays.

Sunday PSA: Zachary Levi Takes Pity on Zombies

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 26th, 2012 at 10:15 am

“Zombies were people, too.” That seems to be a sentiment that Zachary Levi (Chuck) shares in this pro-zombie, anti-bullying PSA. Don’t get me wrong, he still supports a head shot to bring down your undead enemy, he just asks that you don’t be such a jerk about it. Fans of Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland and The Walking Dead would do well to heed Levi’s warning. A post-apocalyptic zombie world is not all fun and games. Sometimes you just have to bear down, put a bullet between the eyes of a reanimated loved one or some infected grade-schooler and move on with your day. You can check out all of our previous PSAs here. Hit the jump to witness the ethical treatment of the undead.

PSA Sunday: Johnny Depp and the Cast of 21 JUMP STREET Go Meta to Warn Teens About Cocaine

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 19th, 2012 at 10:22 am

I have been in a very 21 Jump Street frame of mind since we posted my set visit coverage this week.  So I volunteered to step up for this edition of PSA Sunday, because the original 1980s high school drama put together a solid collection of PSAs that warned teens of the various dangers that served as plot points on the show.  Johnny Depp, Peter DeLuise, Holly Robinson Peete, and Dustin Nguyen get very meta in this particular PSA.  As the actors stroll down the school hall, they discuss how they would like to present their anti-drug message without sounding “too preachy” if they ever get around to filming such a PSA.  Then the number “1-800-COCAINE” magically appears and Peete is scolded because she doesn’t see it.  (Just like a woman.)  Check it out after the jump.

PSA Sunday: Donald Glover Implores You to Save COMMUNITY

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 12th, 2012 at 11:11 am

When NBC announced that they would be putting Community on “hiatus,” there was mass hysteria. People formed a flash mob at 30 Rock, a proactive Tumblr account and even the students of Greendale Community College asked for your help. While you can rest assured that Community isn’t technically canceled, there are some who can shoulder that burden better than others. Donald Glover, known in Community circles as Troy Barnes, is now reaching out to fans in a new PSA with hopes that we can still save Community. The effect its hiatus has had on our world is truly heartbreaking. You can get caught up on all of our previous PSAs here, but this one may be the most worthwhile. Hit the jump to hear what Glover has to say.

Sunday PSA: Spider-Man Loves Fruit

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 5th, 2012 at 12:18 pm

Let me take you back to a simpler time. A time when a hard day’s work was its own reward, when doing the right thing was done out of decency without thought of compensation, a time when superheroes were fighting for truth, justice and the American way. Now let me take you to 1980 where, apparently, New York was suffering from a dinosaur infestation and a severe potassium deficiency. The values may have changed in the 80s, but Spider-Man was still fighting the good fight. He just developed an odd taste in rewards. It’s not the strangest PSA we’ve ever posted, but it’s up there. Hit the jump to check out a pro-fruit PSA from 1980 (and click here to check out our image gallery from Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man to see just how far the web-slinger’s come in 30 years.)

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