Remember the P.S.A.s

I grew up watching action-packed cartoons such as Transformers and G.I. Joe. While many parents protested the violence of these half hour toy commercials in disguise, the cartoons of my childhood offered stories with morals. Sometimes these lessons could be found within the episode, and I learned to have compassion for my enemies as much from my religious upbringing as from the episode of He-man and the Masters of the Universe in which He-man saves his nemesis Skeletor, pulling him from the edge of a cliff. Though Skeletor would have let him fall had the situation been reversed, He-man specifically demonstrates that he's not like his enemy. In case kids missed the message within the plot of the stories, He-man episodes were always capped with characters explaining what was learned “in today's story”. Similarly, G.I. Joe episodes also ended with a life lesson, and topics ranged from what to do during a fire to the importance of wearing a life preserver on a boat. Once educated, the children in these short public service announcements would always thank the soldiers and say “now we know!”, prompting the infamous response, ”And knowing is half the battle!”

I don't think morals and P.S.A.s are as prevalent today. Of course, I haven't seen a weekday cartoon in years and when I do watch a Saturday morning show, it's usually on tape hours later, fast forwarding through the commercials. One to Grow On, featuring lessons from 80s icons such as Mr. T or Michael J. Fox only lasted five years, but those P.S.A.s are forever etched in the memories of the kids who grew up watching them. The only comparable equivalent is The More You Know, segments that have been airing during prime time shows since 1989. Both spots originated on NBC, and a generation that grew up watching the former during cartoons found a familiarity in the latter appearing during later programs.

Earlier today, I was telling a friend about Time for Timer, P.S.A.s featuring and odd little character named Timer who looked like Twinkie the Kid had put on a few pounds. The most memorable one for me featured Timer as a cowboy who ”Hanker[ed] for a hunka cheese!” I also vividly recall Timer explaining how to make a frozen treat using juice and an ice tray. I wonder if there are any comparable characters or songs that today's children will carry with them into adulthood, but I know which ones are forever burned into my subconscious. So until next time, remember that only Dummies don't wear seatbelts, you can take a bite out of crime, reading is fundamental, this is your brain on drugs, and only YOU can prevent forest fires.