Vintage "Ten Little Indians" anti-drug PSA, 1972

[Thurisaz314159]

Ten little Indians up there flyin'

[TheBookWorm1718]

@Thurisaz314159 Thanks! Finally somebody got it.

[XxDodgerxX]

This video is racist, extremely racist. Whether or not it discourages drug use it should never have been aired. If you think that this should be back on the air, your a racist too.

[CelesteK]

@XxDodgerxX It was the way it was back then. They didn't give a shit if it was racist or not. It got the message across that LSD is dangerous.

[TheBookWorm1718]

@XxDodgerxX HOW is it racist?

[CelesteK]

@TheBookWorm1718 I think he means the song is racist. But I don't think it is. :(

[TheBookWorm1718]

@CelesteK Yeah I don't think it is either. But I'm glad I got a response from somebody, maybe you could help me. I have listened to this thing over and over and over, and I can't understand what they are saying about number 8, can you?

[CelesteK]

@TheBookWorm1718

8 little indians in goofball heaven means that the person who took the drugs was high.

[TheBookWorm1718]

@CelesteK Oh! Thanks, I couldn't figure out what that was supposed to be. Now at the end when they say 'acid _______ needles, pills,' what's the other one there?

[CelesteK]

@TheBookWorm1718 acid bellies need their pills.  If one don't get you the other one will.

[TheBookWorm1718]

@CelesteK Oh! Thanks, I didn't realize I had it that wrong.

[CelesteK]

@TheBookWorm1718 No problem. :)

[TheBookWorm1718]

@CelesteK Oh one more thing, just to clarify can you tell me what 10 is?

[CelesteK]

@TheBookWorm1718 10 little indians have their fun. One stayed up then there were 9. I think that means they stayed up all night getting hight? I don't know?

[TheBookWorm1718]

@CelesteK I thought they were saying '10 little Indians up their blime' but that didn't make any sense either.

[WhatsAYak]

@CelesteK - Actually, I think the line was "acid, bennies, needles, pills...".

[TheBookWorm1718]

@WhatsAYak See that's what I thought, which brings us to the next stupid question: what the hell's a benny?

[WhatsAYak]

@TheBookWorm1718 - It's a slang term for Benzedrine, or amphetamine sulfate.

[TheBookWorm1718]

@WhatsAYak Oh, got it! Thanks! Now, I don't suppose you could tell me what they say about number 10, can you?

[WhatsAYak]

@TheBookWorm1718 - Y'know, I've tried to decipher that line for years, but can't figure it out either! LOL

[TheBookWorm1718]

Am I the only one who hears a rotary phone's dial at 0:37?

[TheBookWorm1718]

Can someone post the lyrics to the rhyme?

[johnnyharpe]

Man, I remember this thing. I forgot all about this weird ass commercial, I didn't know what it was about.

[TTOMO]

Is that one of the Price Is Right girls behind Bob or a mannequin?

[CelesteK]

@TTOMO It's one of the TPIR models. Janice I think.

[totalrandomcrap]

The two dislikes are Smokey Bear and the Crying Indian!

[bluegrassbaby86]

I wasn't alive at this time, but that was the Ad Council at its best. They had awesome PSA's up until the last couple years and then they started to really suck. I wish I could hear some of their radio ads from this time. All I know about are their 90s and early 2000s radio ads, which rocked.

[TheBookWorm1718]

@bluegrassbaby86 I grew up in the 90s so this was definitely before my time but, they ought to bring it back on TV, it gets the message across.

[dcat918]

And the Ad Council produced this psa.Unbeeieveable

[acffhmorst]

"grimly realistic clips illustrate the dangers of drug use?" Some drugs maybe...

But feel free to use Anacin, Bayer, Contac, Drixoral, Excedrin, Flexorol, need I go on?

[redplague888]

This was pretty creative and it definitely is an eye-opener behind the consequences from using drugs. If you don't wind up in jail, you'll end up dead. If you don't die from it, you'll wish you had and so forth. Liked the last part where they say, 'if one don't get'cha, the other one will.'

[Knockface]

Comment continued: It's amazing that this one hast faded into complete obscurity, as it was very controversial during its time and was eventually pulled from the air due to its frightening of children (yours truly). Definitely strong stuff for the kiddie hour, and blows today's PSA's away by a mile. Sorry for the long rant, but after all these years it pops into my head out of the blue, I do a search, and here it is. Brrr.

[Knockface]

My God. I can't believe I've seen this PSA after all these years. This used to REALLY scare me when I was a kid...I used to run away into a different room when this would suddenly air in the middle of a morning cartoon commercial break. This has stuck in my mind for over forty years, and I have frequently cite it to others during conversation as what I consider the most unsettling, disturbing, and ...yes, inappropriate PSA ever made. 

[HHSGDFootballJPD]

So why aren't these commercials on today--that and the seat belts were pretty smart, and sort of unnerving...

[WhatsAYak]

@HHSGDFootballJPD - Yeah, really...haven't seen one that really "grabbed" me until the recent UK anti-texting and driving PSA.

[mtdinstrumentals]

i always thought this was a errie commercial as a kid.

[lakerfan867]

Good job finding this!

[circusitch]

I remember this commercial well. Thanks for posting it.

[tvtimetravel]

Caught that little ending bit of the TPIR Grocery Game, do you have the rest of that episode?

[WhatsAYak]

@tvtimetravel - Yes, but I believe it's already been posted here...that was from the 2nd ep, aired 9/5/72.