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Summer Megaparty: Chief Pensive Vs. Pollution!

Woodsy Owl has fought against pollution ever since the early '70s, but the war on litter is not a battle one owl can win alone. There have been innumerable public service ads reminding folks to put their trash in the proper receptacles, and for what amounts to a pretty simple and direct message, such PSAs sometimes took a pretty surreal approach in delivering it.


This one is a downright weird (and oft parodied) example. In it, a Native American in full traditional garb walks the busy streets of a bustling city, and he's in no mood to impress you with tomahawk pantomimes or rain dance tutorials. Instead, Chief Pensive walks with purpose, dumbstruck by the total disregard we filthy Americans have for our own land.

After filling a burlap sack with discarded trash, our friend approaches the freeway to reflect upon the state of the nation as cars zip by. Then, in one of the most unintentionally hilarious moments in public service announcement history, a passenger in a speeding car throws what appears to be an entire bag of trash out the side window, which manages to fly all the way over to Chief Pensive and explode at his feet. And just to make sure the line between "fairly humorous" to "hysterical" is crossed, the Native American stares a hole through the camera lens, as we zoom in to reveal what would become television's most dramatic teardrop from that point all the way up to when Sinéad O'Connor would not and could not compare anything to you.

The PSA is obviously well-meaning, but looking at it through today's PC eyes, you can't help but wait for it to cut away from the crying Indian to the logo and 800 number for Geico. Click here to give it a look.

Posted by Matt on 07/16/2007. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 127 comments

Well, I’m not Native at all, but I am 1/2 Dutch. Also, 1/8 English, 1/8 Swedish, 1/16 Irish, 1/16 French, and some other stuff.

But more importantly – I’m 19 today!!! I can now legally buy and consume alcohol. WOOHOO!

Chestnuts roasted by Frakkyfire @ 07/17/2007 11:47 AM

Well I am 1/4 Navajo and thanks to that little number I get exempted from a lot of things at university that other people are not exempt from. Other than the 1/4 Navajo I am English and Irish. In fact I am the only person in my family with pale skin and blue eyes…makes for a fun stick out at the family reunions.

Chestnuts roasted by rimmie @ 07/17/2007 12:00 PM

*beating on table in “Hollywood Indian” fashion*
Hey! How-are-ya?
Hey! How-are-ya?
Hey! How-are-ya?
Hey! How-are-ya?
From the land of sky blue waters, (wa-ters!)….
*record scratch*

Heh-heh, sorry ’bout that. Got my metaphors mixed up again.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash and the deadblow hammer @ 07/17/2007 12:09 PM

The first screen shot profile looks like Michael Richards (Kramer) to me. That makes me laugh even more!

Knegative…not to ask a stupid question but what exactly IS a unit plan? Perhaps we can be of some assistance with it in the future? If we get your homework done faster we can play outside longer! :-)

Chestnuts roasted by Cricket @ 07/17/2007 12:23 PM

Wow. I have such a boring geneology. I’m just plain Colombian, born here in the states. The closest I get to any Native American blood is on my moms side, where her family was Chibchi Indians, who were probably raped by the Conquestadors. Kind of sad to think that I might owe my existence to some plunderin’ and pillagin’. My father’s side is from Colombia, but going way back, originally from Spain. So I’m basically 100% Colombian, like the coffee, and almost as brown.

I hate those truth commercials also. I have nothing against smokers, but it’s not like people don’t know what that stuff does to you. If that’s what they want to put into their bodies, let them. It’s their money and their lives.

Bill Three’s Company is a great show. Whatever you do however, stay away from Three’s a Crowd, or it may ruin the whole thing for you…

Chestnuts roasted by Darth Galvatron @ 07/17/2007 12:33 PM

I have an xanga that I consistently updated while I was in college like twice a week with whatever the heck was on my mind. I knew alot of people on there and had a nice little circle of friends….then I graduated from college and stopped updating it regularly. Now I finally have consistent internet access again and wouldn’t you know it but just about everyone I knew on xanga is gone or doesn’t update anymore. The question by jessica Marie also made me think about what to do now. My Space seems too “desperately seeking a sex partner-ish.” What about

Chestnuts roasted by Lammy742 @ 07/17/2007 12:34 PM

Darth Galvatron:

One way to look at it is that on your moms side your family was Spanish and that they probably raped a buncha natives. Though I cant see why that would make you feel better.

Chestnuts roasted by meepy @ 07/17/2007 12:41 PM

Hey, was there a MySpace group for X-E? I know that most people on here may not like it, but I thought it came up before.

Oh, and I litter as often as possible to see how many Native Americans on the side of the road I can get to cry. I know my mom does when I do…

>=P

Chestnuts roasted by Darth Galvatron @ 07/17/2007 12:42 PM

meepy It doesn’t, but good try though. Although, it would be awesome if that were the case.

>=)

Chestnuts roasted by Darth Galvatron @ 07/17/2007 12:49 PM

The original Truth commercials–which I think were initially local to south Florida ’cause some kids from our high school were in them–were decent. Just kids sitting around, calling tobacco executives and talking about how smoking sucks. Very low budget, sorta clever, not bad. I agree that kids probably shouldn’t smoke (their initial target) but now the commercials are just…weird.

Can I just say I love the fact that X-E has a token full-blood Native American? Thanks, kinglash!

I’m half Vietnamese and half European mutt (German, English, Irish, you name it). My brothers and I are constantly bombarded with people saying, “So…what are you?” Besides the question being worded rudely, we usually make them guess. I’ve heard everything from Filipino to Eskimo, with Hispanic often tossed into the mix as well. Yay, multi-racial!

Chestnuts roasted by purplegirl247 @ 07/17/2007 12:55 PM

Jessica Marie: I love the knitting! I wish I had the patience to acquire your skills, but I can only handle scarves and blankets. Everyone in my family has at least one hand-made scarf. I guess I should take a class.

Chestnuts roasted by heeree @ 07/17/2007 1:25 PM

They used to show this PSA on Nick at Night in the mid 90′s.

It scared me to death when I was little. I mean, if this commercial came on, I turned from ‘having fun watching I Love Lucy’ to ‘OMG! WORLD IS ENDING!!’. No idea why, it just scared the bejeesus out of me.

Chestnuts roasted by Aza @ 07/17/2007 1:31 PM

they spoofed this at the end of Waynes World 2 as well as that simpsons episode where they move the whole town because of the trash problem i think???

anyways sorry if someone else has already mentioned this, i’m @ work and don’t have time to read all the comments! peace

Chestnuts roasted by Gweff @ 07/17/2007 1:35 PM

heeree – knittinghelp.com is the best resource ever. My sister taught me how to knit, purl, cast on and cast off, but everything else I taught myself, mostly from watching the knitting help videos or consulting reference books. If you can do the basics you can do anything.
Also, what’s the deal with your name? Where does heeree come from?

Chestnuts roasted by Jessica Marie @ 07/17/2007 1:44 PM

My great grandparents from my mom’s side came over from Denmark, so I call myself Danish or a Dane so that’s cool. When I was 8 I went over for a 6 week trip to europe and Denmark was one of the stops. It was really cool that was the summer they took down the Berlin wall so we got pictures of my Grandad chipping away at it (they charged you to do so, or charged you for chips, make money off of the tourists) and we have concrete chunks! LOL

And my uncle that was married into the family, his stepsister is Meradith Brooks and her dad’s name is Bill Brooks which is his stepdad. I am not related but that is as close as it is gonna get. When she was popular with her one hit wonder “bitch” she sent a nice letter and a free cd to my aunt. I heard she is really a bitch and her dad and other siblings disowned her. You didn’t hear that from me. Fame is hard, so I understand.

Chestnuts roasted by Goob @ 07/17/2007 2:14 PM

I’m surprised nobody has mention the episode of Friends where Chandler throw a cig butt on the ground when they are stranded at a rest stop. One of them yells at Chandler who replies something like “Maybe the crying Indian will come and save us.”

Chestnuts roasted by Joe in OH @ 07/17/2007 2:27 PM

Im not surprised no one mentioned that episode of Friends…I don’t see many people here being big fans of the show. I may be wrong though, so lets start a poll right now.

Chestnuts roasted by meepy @ 07/17/2007 3:02 PM

Hey, yesterday was my birthday too!

Only 23 for me though.

Chestnuts roasted by Deuce @ 07/17/2007 3:05 PM

And by the way, how many generations of a family residing in one place have to pass before people refer to themselves as being part whatever.

I mean, Im sure lots of people here were born in the USA, but we refer to ourselves as being anything but “American”. So how many generations have pass before people say, I’m part Spanish, part Danish, and part American, for example.

Like I know my mom refers to herself as part Cuban and part Puerto Rican…but she was born here. Does that make me part Cuban and part Puerto Rican and part American? Or do I drop off the American? And I know that before her the family branches off to Spain and France and German…so do I include those too? Why doesnt she include those?

And ultimately, cant we say we are all African, since thats where human kind spawned from?

Chestnuts roasted by meepy @ 07/17/2007 3:07 PM

to add more videos to the fun
mr yuk commmerical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLsONa3gKIQ&mode=related&search=

older give a hoot don’t pollute commerical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oR1vJHhtN8

I posted this one because woodsy tells these kids that vandalism breaks kids swings! He was really trying to hit close to home. I have never seen someone purposely go out of their way to tear a swing just to be mean and to be a vandal. I actually have never seen anybody tear a swing seat, I don’t think you can with your bare hands. Just a comment, hope you enjoy my effort to post these videos.

Chestnuts roasted by Goob @ 07/17/2007 3:12 PM

X-E readers: Only you can prevent forest fires…only you.

Chestnuts roasted by meepy @ 07/17/2007 3:14 PM

has anybody else had the special carnival edition skittles. with the delcious flavors of cotton candy, bubble gum, candy apple, green slushy, and red licorice. they are sooooo freaking sweet they hurt my teeth, but they are delicious.

Chestnuts roasted by danny @ 07/17/2007 3:20 PM

That commerical wound up tacked onto Dragnet on Nick at Nite during the early ninties a LOT. It used to make me sad as a little person.

Chestnuts roasted by Skywalking @ 07/17/2007 3:39 PM

Did someone say Mathnet?

Chestnuts roasted by meepy @ 07/17/2007 3:53 PM

I’m kind of in the same vein as Meepy. Hey, we’re all related to each other in some distant way! We should be just one big, happy family! :-)

Chestnuts roasted by DarkSideofBrightness @ 07/17/2007 3:56 PM

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