What did they do back in the 1980s ?

jetsonx

Turn on the TV anyday now and there are warnings about absolutely everything here are just a few :



- warnings about what to do if you smell gas

- warnings about level crossings

- warnings about food preparation and storage

- warnings about underground electric cables

- warnings about drink driving

- warnings about speeding

- warnings about contraception

- warnings about swimming safe

- warnings about smoking

- warnings about fire safety

- warnings about folic acid deprivation

- warnings about radon gas

- warnings about getting out of bed in the morning


ok the last one is a joke but what did people do a couple of years ago without all these warnings ?

Is this the sign of the nanny state ? If all these issues are so important to the
state why are they not taught in schools when people are in their formative years?


with all these warnings we are bombarded with. Surely the concept of
"issue fatigue" is going to set and people will just treat them as background noise ? opinions ?

Gone West

jetsonx wrote:

ok the last one is a joke

not a very good one...

Pigman II

There was lots of warnings back in the 80s

eg

- warnings about throwning frizbee's at ESB stations.

- warnings about letting your rabid dog out at night into a field of tasty sheep

- warnings about operating jcbs under electricity wires.

Unfortunately I had neither a frizbee, rabid dog or jcb so I grew up to be quite an irresponsible member of society.

padi89

Pigman II wrote:

There was lots of warnings back in the 80s

eg

- warnings about throwning frizbee's at ESB stations.

- warnings about letting your rabid dog out at night into a field of tasty sheep

- warnings about operating jcbs under electricity wires.

Unfortunately I had neither a frizbee, rabid dog or jcb so I grew up to be quite an irresponsible member of society.

Oh that brings back memories.I was actually thinking about that dog add with the sheep,it used to scare the life outta me.

Litcagral

There were quite a lot of "public information" type of adverts around in the 1970s e.g.

Seatbelts - "clunk click every trip".

Motorcycles - "think once, think twice, think BIKE".

The hazards of crossing a street whilst reading a newspaper.

The Green Cross Code.

and others that won't come to mind now.

Rockdolphin

It is the Nanny State, we've swapped the Banana Republic for the Nanny Republic. It's not just the daily warnings, finger pointing and lecturing, they are now gone beyond that taking away peoples right to choose and passing repressive lifestyle legilslation. Here's Bertie announcing a national Mary Poppins day : We know whats good for you

jetsonx

padi89 wrote:

Oh that brings back memories.I was actually thinking about that dog add with the sheep,it used to scare the life outta me.

I was going to mention this ad in my post believe it or not.

one of the only ones I can remember -very memorable ad...they made that old sheep dog in the ad into a quasi-werewolfe beast.

DOLEMAN

The media used to pretend to be above entertainment, but (I suspect) because of Sky News things have gone seriously downhill. Now it's basically tabloid bollox.

This is why I do not watch the news. I rely on things like slashdot (etc) for educated opinions on things.

HappyCrackHead

its because THEY dont think anyone is capable of taking care of themselves... not like humans have been taking care of themselves since the dawn of humanity...

its about scare-mongering and commerce. its the same idea as "buy the product and be happy". dont smoke and you'll live longer... live longer and wind up in some nursing home where they dope u out of ur mind and take all your money.

These days anyone who doesnt know that drinking and driving is dangerous, IS an idiot and probably should wrap themselves around a traffic light, hopefully not injuring anyone else.

Whatever happened to free will, choice and being responsible adults?

Blackjack

Anyone remember the "Where's Grandad" Water Safety ad.

Esel

You think that's bad? We used to listen to these warnings on the 'wireless' back in the eighties. Let me see, that was .... oh, a couple of years ago. Time for my Ovaltine. Nurse?

pickarooney

Blackjack wrote:

Anyone remember the "Where's Grandad" Water Safety ad.

And the fire-safety one in the same series - "Kids, they're divils, but sure wouldn't you die if anything happened to them?"

Sparky

Dont cross a level crossing when a train is coming.

Blackjack

pickarooney wrote:

And the fire-safety one in the same series - "Kids, they're divils, but sure wouldn't you die if anything happened to them?"

I remember that one. It had the code for non-Flammable pyjamas. Anything without this turned into a Searing Fireball if placed near an Open flame.

There's always the absolute classic, and more hilarious than anything else the "John, did you put the Cat out" one.

Tar.Aldarion

It'a a sign people are getting stupider. All those warnings are common sense.

mike65

I always remember the one with the farmer in his tractor getting fried as his raised front end his the power lines.

Mike.

Tar.Aldarion

I remember a farm safety one where a kid falls in slurry but it dosn't show it. Think it shows his transformer figure sinking or something. Oh how I laughed.

dimerocks

Pigman II wrote:

- warnings about operating jcbs under electricity wires.

i can for some reason remember that one....

StupidLikeAFox

If it saves a few lives isnt it worth it? Common sense isnt as common as people think

Yeah!I got sick when i seen the slurry drowning!The sad thing is i knew somebody who fell into a slurry tank and drowned a few months after watching that video!

What about that one warning you that you could go deaf if a nun shouted 'ba' into your ear again and again?

blu_sonic

what about the one about overhead wires and fishing? why had they a beach rod on a canal anyway?

Clare gunner

Anyone remember the anti AIDS ad,where you have boy and girl giving each other the eye and lets get it on looks whilst doling out each other a hand of cards,with serious lecturing tones in the backround?Turns out the fellah draws the death card from a Tarot pack.Which is then displayed on screen.Always thought the message implied dont go to Tarot readers,or you will get Aids.:D

In reality in the 80s,we just got on with it and used a bit of common sense,and weren't always on the lookout for free handouts from anyone we could sue for our own stupidity.

Blackjack

Deleted User wrote:

What about that one warning you that you could go deaf if a nun shouted 'ba' into your ear again and again?

I think that one was advising women to have the MMR jab or something like that.

blu_sonic wrote:

what about the one about overhead wires and fishing? why had they a beach rod on a canal anyway?

AFAIR, that was on UK TV, as opposed to RTE.

rather surprising how these things stick in your mind. I expect that was the entire point really.

Blackjack

Blackjack wrote:

I think that one was advising women to have the MMR jab or something like that.

MMR?

No, I don't think so...it was definitely warning people to keep their kids away from shouting nuns...

Blackjack

Deleted User wrote:

MMR?

No, I don't think so...it was definitely warning people to keep their kids away from shouting nuns...

Hmm. Perhaps subtlety was the order of the day alright.
Not bad advice if it was.

What about that barrel in the farmyard? The kid DID have to polevault in to it, but there was something unsettling about that ad...

And wasn't there some programme too about kids who got injured, they'd have a show one week about playing with matches, and the next about standing near traffic?

luckat

Nanny state, it's true. In fact, nana state, you're in your granny's here.

Maybe they should just have one ad (cheaper, too), saying "DON'T BE A GOB****E!"

BendiBus

1 look for a safe place
2 Don't hurry, stop and wait
3 look all around and listen before you cross the road. Remember
4 let all the traffic pass you
5 then walking straight across you
6 keep looking, that's the safe cross code

That's the safe cross code. Know, the, safe, cross, code. KNOW THE CODE!

I'm going to be singing that all night now.

meldrew

BendiBus wrote:

1 look for a safe place
2 Don't hurry, stop and wait
3 look all around and listen before you cross the road. Remember
4 let all the traffic pass you
5 then walking straight across you
6 keep looking, that's the safe cross code

That's the safe cross code. Know, the, safe, cross, code. KNOW THE CODE!

I'm going to be singing that all night now.

Judge out of Wanderly wagon used to do that !
We had to be different because in England it was the Green Cross Code

Victor

- warnings about what to do if you smell gas Check
- warnings about level crossings Check
- warnings about food preparation and storage Negative
- warnings about underground electric cablesNegative
- warnings about drink driving Check
- warnings about speeding Check
- warnings about contraception Hell, no.
- warnings about swimming safe Check
- warnings about smoking Check
- warnings about fire safety Check. "John, did you put the cat out?"
- warnings about folic acid deprivation Negative
- warnings about radon gas Negative
- warnings about getting out of bed in the morning Negative

Flukey

You forgot the middle verse. In full, apart from Judge's bit at the beginning, with the fox and Mr Crow:

1 Look for a safe place
2 Don't hurry, stop and wait
3 Look all around and listen before you cross the road. Remember,
4 Let all the traffic pass you
5 Then walking straight across you
6 Keep watching, that's the safe cross code

Safe place, stop and wait
Safe place stop and wait
Safe ground look around
Listen for a traffic sound
If traffic's coming let it pass
Until the road is clear at last
Then walking straight across the road
Keep watching, that's the code

Remember,

1 Look for a safe place
2 Don't hurry, stop and wait
3 Look all around and listen before you cross the road. Remember,
4 Let all the traffic pass you
5 Then walking straight across you
6 Keep watching, that's the safe cross code

That's the safe cross,
Know the safe cross code, know the code!


Part of the video of shown during the middle verse was filmed near where I live. Apparently it was done as far back as 1969.

Flukey

Ah, memories!

SprostonGreen

Be careful too, when out walking in the Glen of the Downs!

seamus

Ads about contraception would have been a little controversial in the 1980's, particularly coming from our national broadcaster. Though if anyone happened to have MTV in the late 80's you would have seen them.

I wouldn't say we're exactly awash with public safety ads. I remember plenty of the ESB ones and drink-driving/speeding ones from when I were a lad. Let's be honest here, common sense isn't all that common.

Pigman II

The Bedtime Routine

http://www.meldrum.co.uk/cgi/play.asp?file=pifs/bedtime.ra

Dyr

Pigman II wrote:

There was lots of warnings back in the 80s

eg

- warnings about throwning frizbee's at ESB stations.

- warnings about letting your rabid dog out at night into a field of tasty sheep

- warnings about operating jcbs under electricity wires.

Unfortunately I had neither a frizbee, rabid dog or jcb so I grew up to be quite an irresponsible member of society.

Indeed, but dont forget that you could drown in two inches of water, and kid's if left unattended will immediately throw themselves into the nearest bucket/barrel/river/puddle

Actually it seemed our farm's were mostly populated by drowned kids and electrocuted culchies in tractor's

oh and your only protection agaisnt the homicidal maniac's who roamed the road's of this land in toyota starlets in search of fresh victims was a code invented by a dog with a black eye and a hand up its swiss.

dem was de days

Dyr

luckat wrote:

Nanny state, it's true. In fact, nana state, you're in your granny's here.

Maybe they should just have one ad (cheaper, too), saying "DON'T BE A GOB****E!"

CAREFUL NOW would be catchier though

Hobbes

That slurry one brings back memorys.

Sure didn't we have the "TV sponger" to warn us we would be squeezed to death if we didn't pay our TV license as well.

There has always been warnings on TV. Just as kids you probably never pay attention to them.

Dyr

Did anyone mention the dangers of flying kites? dodgy business

There used to be some cartoon poster where they basically stuck the head of the phantom on a thunderbolt and he killed kids for flying kites beside esb lines. Served them right tbh

also the dastardly nick o teen :eek:

Archeron

SprostonGreen wrote:

Be careful too, when out walking in the Glen of the Downs!

Good advice. If you're not careful fishing in the Glen of the Downs, your could catch your rod on someones beard and pull an entire tree house full of hippies down on top of yourself. Not funny.

Rantorama

HappyCrackHead wrote:

These days anyone who doesnt know that drinking and driving is dangerous, IS an idiot and probably should wrap themselves around a traffic light, hopefully not injuring anyone else.

Aye,it's getting to the 'don't dry your hair with a hairdryer while still in the bath' level of warnings.

jor el

Does nobody remember "Charlie Says", there were loads of those ones, though I believe they were only on UK TV. Charlie says neve take sweets from strangers, never walk out on the road alone, never go off without telling a grown up where you're going, never play with matches... I bet he was a right barrel of laughs at a party.

There were loads more on RTE, like the one about falling asleep when smoking a fag and then burning the house down. There was a keep fit one too, "Fit enough to catch that bus", cue Mary Harney running for a bus and of course the cnut pulls off right in front of her, so nothing's changed there either. I always remember the one where the cyclist gives out about motorists not paying attention to cyclists. He even gets knocked off his bike by some fool opening a door without looking in the mirror. Then there's a reverse-ad on that with the motorise giving out about cyclists. It was the same guy doing both roles though.

There was one in the late 80s or early 90s, an AIDS warning from some mother who's son had died from AIDS. She had this thick Dublin accent and said something like "Pleaose, pleaose, always wear a condom, roih!". With the current rise in cases of STDs in Ireland, and particularly in Dublin, they could do with bringing her back on the TV again. Pleasoe, pleaose, don't go roidin' some skanky whoare you just met up wid. Remember the ruale, guard yer toale.

If anything I'd say there were more health and safety ads in the 80s than now. These days it's all pro-biotic-biffidus-e-bollix-friendly-bacteria ads. And you have every moron in the country believing that it's perfectly healthy to scoff down a supersize McDonalds while veging out in front of the TV as long as you wash it down with lashings of friendly bacteria.

Rantorama wrote:

Aye,it's getting to the 'don't dry your hair with a hairdryer while still in the bath' level of warnings.

Natural selection at work? All the stupid people will either electrocute themselves, wrap their car round a tree, stick the toaster cable into the socket with match sticks or forget to let the cat out.

Unfortunately it doesn't normally work that way and the majority of people dieing in these accidents are doing so through no fault of their own (getting hit by a drunk driver/bus, dieing in a house fire that someone else started). Meanwhile the stupid people go on living.




Hmm, that's quite a rant.

Dyr

stick the toaster cable into the socket with match sticks

lol i was just about to bring this one up, another classic

or the one warning drivers that grannies had no sense of distance perception anymore and would throw themselves in front of cars at every opportunity, also kamkaze kids who lay in wait behind parked car's fro the unwary motorist

there was also the guy who electrocutes himself in work and then his mate goes over and touch's him and gets killed too. I used to imagine a never ending line of manual labourers frying themselves due to this unfortunate marriage of electricity and concern for ones fellow man


life was tough back then

billy the squid

Vigelance will keep rabies out of Ireland.

There were also plenty of AIDS adverts as well, there was one with two people playing cards and one of them gets the AIDS card.

elivsvonchiaing

There was an electricty safety ad from the UK where a kid plays with a frisbee; it goes into pylon; he attempts to touch it and he immediatley catches fire...

Was entertainment - and did serve to warn kids about playing with frisbees on beaches (wet/dried salt = conductor): THIS AD NEEDS TO COMEBACK NOW! :rolleyes:

Aisling(",)

Maybe I'm just really slow and dont notice anything but..
what are you on about with the fire ad and letting a cat out?
was that in the 80's?
if so then thats why i dont get it

Victor

Don't you know that cats can catch fire if kept indoors for more than 12 hours at a times?

I think it was he only detected the fire because he went downstairs to put the cat out.

the Shades

Bambi wrote:

also the dastardly nick o teen :eek:

I hold him responsible for my never having smoked. If Superman says no, I don't go!

WhiteWashMan

anyone remember the one on itv that used to tell people not to go to the doctors surgery for just a cough?

now that i look back at it all, im sure everyone on my telebox was on drugs...

mountainyman

Can I have a prescription

You don't have to fry with every meal