When There Were Four Channels

People of a certain age will remember when Public Service Announcements (PSA's) were an integral part of the tv viewing experience. With only four channels, no remote control, and a regulated television industry, parents and their kids were offered a reprieve from the usual rhythm of content and ads in the form of engaging socially responsible messages. For up to 60 seconds (imagine!) PSA's told us about the dangers of smoking, reminded us that we, in fact, could prevent forest fires, and revealed to us how pollution of all sorts was pissing off both the natural world and the descendants of our land's first inhabitants. Those "Indian" PSA's, for me, were exceptionally memorable. I hate litter, and I think my memories of the crying Indian are one factor as to why this is true.