cannabisnews.com: Cool Reception on YouTube for Drug PSAs Cool Reception on YouTube for Drug PSAs Posted by CN Staff on September 21, 2006 at 13:26:11 PT By Jake Coyle, The Associated Press Source: Ashland Daily Tidings New York -- If a PSA drops in cyberspace, does anyone hear it? As various interests have increasingly converged on YouTube in hopes of some free, viral marketing, it came as little surprise when the White House announced earlier this week that it, too, wanted a piece of lonelygirl's spotlight. The Office of National Drug Control Policy posted a dozen videos at www.YouTube.com/ONDCP, mostly of public-service commercials on the dangers of drug use from the "above the influence" campaign, as seen on TV. As of Wednesday, the ONDCP channel had received a scant 53 subscribers and a total of 14,463 views, a relatively low total. How the youthful, rebellious Web is responding to the ONDCP's efforts is perhaps hinted at by the mirror site, www.ondcp.com, which recasts the acronym as "oppressive network drug content propaganda." It's true, though, that any YouTube viewings are basically gravy to the ONDCP; it costs nothing to post the clips. Still, the campaign's numbers pale in comparison to, for example, the hundreds of thousands that have watched various videos on how to grow marijuana. A spokesman for YouTube, which generally doesn't regulate its user-posted videos, declined on Wednesday to discuss the site's policy regarding videos that show illegal activity, such as drug use or drug production. YouTube and the Web clearly present a problem for public-service announcements. On TV and on radio, PSAs typically rely on federally required play or corporations looking to bolster their image. They are inserted between entertainment — they aren't the entertainment, itself. On YouTube, there are no regulations and videos make a dent with the public only if they create their own audience, thus making their way up the "most viewed" list. To help grab viewers, the government links its videos with the terms "war on drugs," "peer-pressure," "marijuana," "weed," "ONDCP" and "420" (a reference to marijuana), so anyone searching for those words on YouTube can find them. The Ad Council, a leading producer of PSAs since 1942, has seen its methods change over the years and has worked to adapt to the Internet — like asking for donated ad time to play before videos. "I don't think YouTube has changed the way we approach PSAs, but I think it's just added another dimension and another media niche for a no-cost solution," says Barbara Shimaitis, the senior vice president of interactive services at the Ad Council. Shimaitis thinks YouTube and other video-sharing sites could propel PSAs to become still more entertaining, and points to the popularity of a dramatic global warming ad of theirs featuring a train (a metaphor for global warming) bearing down on a young girl (a stand-in for future generations). Some of the most viewed drug-related videos on YouTube are far more persuasively anti-drug than anything produced by the government or the Ad Council. In one video, you can see a real heroin user discuss his fight with addiction. Over 183,000 people have watched a sadly hysterical 1980 interview with Richard Pryor in which he brags about cocaine he recently purchased. It would be hard to watch the clip of Pryor, who died of a heart attack at the age of 65 in 2005, and not contemplate whether drugs shortened his life. Still, people generally don't watch YouTube hoping to change their lives. After all, one of the most watched PSAs on YouTube is a clip from the '80s about the dangers of crack cocaine. It's not watched for its message, but for its star: Pee Wee Herman.Source: Ashland Daily Tidings (OR)Author: Jake Coyle, The Associated Press Published: September 21, 2006 Copyright: 2006 Ashland Daily TidingsWebsite: http://www.dailytidings.com/Contact: tidingsopinion dailytidings.comRelated Article:U.S. Uploads Anti-Drug Videos To YouTubehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22175.shtmlCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #24 posted by Hope on September 21, 2006 at 22:46:32 PT FoM, Comment 22 "The stingray must have had a way to sense where his vital organs were."I was just asking my husband about that yesterday. Wondering if the thing had some way of sensing were Irwin's heart was and it wasn't just coincidental that it hit his heart directly. [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by whig on September 21, 2006 at 19:49:54 PT Dankhank Want a good movie? Watch Brazil sometime. [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 19:47:47 PT Dankhank I'll check it out. I really enjoy the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. I like the History Channel and National Geographic. I don't watch the Military Channel. I love things about the earth and the ocean. Since Steve Irwin lost his life I am taking a break from shows about the ocean. That was just too tragic. The stingray must have had a way to sense where his vital organs were. Animals and sea creatures have always amazed me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by Dankhank on September 21, 2006 at 19:41:07 PT movies We like movies, but we like GOOD movies, so we watch a few so-so, but avoid most of the crap.Even with 100 channels sometimes there truly is NOTHING on.Keep an eye on SBYND, though, it runs the more esoteric stuff, even though "Judge Dredd" is getting some play, now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 19:37:41 PT Wayne That was really funny. [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by Wayne on September 21, 2006 at 19:33:52 PT Weeds I hope Conrad can bring the mother plant back to life. That would truly be a shame if they lost it. Andy should have known better than to pee on it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 18:59:38 PT Dankhank I look forward to seeing Weeds every Monday. I think the acting is good and it always makes me laugh. It is far-fetched but entertaining.Thank you for letting me know about the movie not being on. I really don't check out movies like I mentioned before so I probably miss some good ones. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by Dankhank on September 21, 2006 at 17:39:28 PT Weeds ... yea, that show keeps it going ...I know it's a Weed-soap, but I like it ...Isabell is fat-catting it, and so is her Dad, though Mom is freakin'Craaaaazy ..... [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by Dankhank on September 21, 2006 at 17:31:10 PT sorry finishing up on SBYND, not showing in the near future ... for now ...This guy says it all about the movie ...http://imdb.com/title/tt0088678/combinedit's at the bottom of the page [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 17:16:42 PT Dankhank I will check it out. We didn't mention Weeds this week. Oh how strange it is. It is good though. I am always shocked. I thought I was beyond being shocked but I guess not. LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Dankhank on September 21, 2006 at 17:13:57 PT know whatcha mean ... Haven't watched much news today either ...Watched a 1985 movie I had never seen that was strange, thoughtful, misoginistric, misdandrist, well-made claymation movie called:The Adventures of Mark Twainhttp://imdb.com/title/tt0088678/combinedIt's a must see, I think.as John Stewert asked in "Half-Baked," Did you see it stoned?It's running, perhaps, still on Shotime Beyound on dish channel, SBYND, 323Check it out if you can ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 17:01:37 PT Dankhank I saw that. Crazy times at the ole UN. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 16:56:33 PT Dankhank Thanks. I really am avoiding TV News. I think what went on yesterday at the UN was interesting to see but politics just turn me off so much that I keep music on almost all day. I know how I'm going to vote so I don't listen to what is being said. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Dankhank on September 21, 2006 at 16:52:51 PT UN ...... Chavez waved a coca leaf at the UN.said it was not white, but green .... [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Dankhank on September 21, 2006 at 16:49:50 PT Allen yes ... likely a staunch republican.He made the "Macaca" references to the SW Asian fellow from the opponents capmaign that was dogging him.As a proud Virginia "gentleman" he likely thought his life was perfect.Now he found out recently that his mother came from Jewish parents, hid that fact all of her married life until recently, and was mortified to be outed in a major televised debate, recently.His response to the "crumbling" of his lineage, and no one here would agree that it crumbles his life, is to speak some very heavy truthes that all of us should be able to agree on and are urged to adopt.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/20/AR2006092001965.htmlHis remarks about Religion not having anything to do with his politics and that politics should not be conducted with religious foundation.I say it badly, they're his words ...Coming from a Republican it's startling, unexpected and needed for discussion at the National level.Or so this humble correspondent believes ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by whig on September 21, 2006 at 16:06:22 PT Norm Vroman I don't know either but it appears he was the district attorney in Mendocino County, California, and a Libertarian. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 14:46:10 PT From an E-Mail Norm Vroman has passed away. I really don't know who he was but I am sorry for his family and maybe some here would recognize his name so I thought I should post it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 13:49:09 PT Thanks Whig I followed the link to the Huffington Post and he seems like a really nasty person. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by whig on September 21, 2006 at 13:46:08 PT FoM One of my early catches, on George Allen:http://cannablog.wordpress.com/2006/08/16/model-republican/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by whig on September 21, 2006 at 13:44:58 PT Happy cows http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2004844.htmlFive Romanian farmers are being investigated after police discovered they were feeding their cows cannabis.The farmers from Romanesti in Botosani county, told officers the drug helped the cows produce more milk.The farmer aged between 57 and 82, claim they didn't know they were doing something illegal by growing the drug in their fieldFarmer Ion Astarastoaie said: "We grew it because the cows seemed to like it, and happy cows give more milk." [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by whig on September 21, 2006 at 13:44:00 PT Cool Now they've gone public with their campaign, and they can't take it back down again. Which means I can continue on with my series to criticize them, and the videos won't disappear from the site.If you didn't see the first one I responded to:http://cannablog.wordpress.com/2006/09/20/propaganda-transformation/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 13:42:27 PT Dankhank I never heard of him. He looks like a republican though to me. You can tell I don't follow politics. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Dankhank on September 21, 2006 at 13:35:08 PT Macaca ..... dude On CNN, now ...Sen George Allen is being intervied ...great stuff [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 21, 2006 at 13:29:07 PT Web Site Mentioned in Article http://www.ondcp.com/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment