Bert reminds me of Tutor the Turtle from the Jay Ward shorts. (Mr Wizard!!!) Stunning that this film equates preparing for a nuclear attack with fighting fires and preventing auto accidents!

alternate PSA character from the ’50s:

“pat the slat that never gets the clap”

i used to have a turtle and she didn’t do shit.

i had a turtle and she didn’t do shit..

Look at that Turtle, he looks like Plutonium.

I’m curious as to what drugs the Federal Civil Defense Administration were on when they came up with Bert, the Turtle That Doesn’t Get Hurt, even in a nuclear blast. I just watched a turtle become a pancake due to a semi truck. Trucks are far less dangerous than a nuclear bomb.

Hopefully North Korea never got their hands on this useful info, if they kow to duck and cover we’re screwed.

I like the turtle, but he is a bit too passive….maybe to update their image, Civil Defense should include Barney the Dinosaur singing (to “Barney” theme song) “We hate you….You hate us, but our missles won’t miss if you keep it up” That’d show ‘em.

Quaint and I believe genuine, but a government effort that falls far short of demonstrating the true danger of nuclear warfare. This is an effort to prevent panic among our youth at a time that reflects Western societies entry to the atomic age that is admirable, but sadly misdirected… JV

Terrific article. I like the turtle – too bad we can’t all put on a shell to prevent being hurt.

YOU SHOULD LIKE GIVE US FREEMUSIC

Turtle soup anyone?

I really enjoyed the article on Nuke Nostalgia! It was interesting and clever!

Ah ha!!! This is a huge breakthrough! Most people believe that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got their start crawling through some ooze. In turn, learning the ninja moves from there Rat Father, Master Splinter (allegedly crawled through the ooze too). Master Splinter then taught them the ancient art of ninja which he learned from Oroku Saki (aka THE SHREDDER). In summation, Bert must have been the very first “Mutant Ninja Turtle” due to radioactive fallout. We have been decieved and lied to all these years (Probably by a one April O’Neil, employee of Fox News)!!!!!!

Great Article! I feel like the government is using the turtle as lame cover up of the obvious danger we’re in. It’s a little different now some 60 years later. Poor way to try and calm everybody down Civil Defense!

Turtles are slow, everyone knows that. If a turtle and a hair(USA) ran a nuclear race… we all know who would win.

I say we make soup out of this turtle; its a delicacy in their country. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

I ran the race in 1:42:20, which I was very pleased with.
My pace was 7:49 per mile and my goal was 1:45:00. that
means I was 824 out of about 10,000 and 122 out of about
700 in my age group. I cramped up from miles 5-9 and
couldn’t shake it, but other than that it was a really good
race.

It was so much fun to be with 10,000 people in a healthy
setting.

Highlight s:

1. The sun rose at 7:10 in the morning so while thousands
were stretching, word spread like fire that the sun was
about to come up and everyone looked to the lake to watch
the sunrise. It was beautiful.

2. After the first 1/2 mile the sun came up through the
trees and everything was still and silent except for
hundreds of feet hitting the street and the sight of breath
in the morning air. My heart jumped into my throat and I
felt an overwhelming sense of community.

3. Banco Popular was an amazing host and the table of
bananas post race was a site to behold.

Things that need adjustment for next year: The DJ at the
finish line was absolutely terrible. There was an MC that
was really good but whoever was in charge of the music was
in his own world. Every single song skipped, he was off
que, and he played rather uninspirational stuff.

I don’t get it

Re: “Duck and Cover”

I categorically disagree that we are reminded of a “kindler and gentler time,” as the author so aptly notes (see above). Rather, this video (and others like it) reminds us how fear, and the accompanying discourse, has taken on an expanded presence in public life. Throughout history human beings have been subject to a variety of very real life threatening dangers (e.g. starvation, disease, malnutrition, etc. all of which are more dangerous than warfare) and it is morally reprehensible that many of these dangers still exist in underdeveloped (e.g. third world) countries.

Contrary to popular belief (much of which is informed vis-à-vis the media) human beings especially in the United States and other Western countries, currently enjoy the safest living conditions and environment in the history of mankind. Strangely enough, we are now more afraid now than ever before; this is indicative in the media employment of particular language frameworks consistent with the fear agenda.

The questions however we should be addressing should concern the circumstances in which fear is constructed and maintained as a valid and legitimate discourse and how this relates to our everday lives.

Suggested Readings

Altheide, David L. 2002. Creating Fear: News and the Construction of Crisis. New
York, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.

Altheide, David L. 2006. Terrorism and the Politics of Fear. New York, NY: Aldine de
Gruyter.