Cartoon all stars to the rescue.

[robodog]

Do drugs and you'll get to meet all your cartoon heroes! Who will then proceed to tell you what an idiot you're being. Probably not the best moral to take away from this special.
I remember this but only vaguely. I seem to recall watching it just before leaving to go see the first Ninja Turtles movie in the theatres for the third or fourth time. It was pretty much unavoidable since it was aired on all three networks. It was this or nothing.

 

[Drtooth]

And to think, the only reason this will never be released is because Garfield was used without permission.

Still... there HAS to be a better way to get cartoons to collaborate than a preachy anti-drug special.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Lol, it's easy to make fun of this special, but I actually liked its message. I liked how the characters point out that everyone has problems, that's not an excuse to take the easy way out with drugs.

You don't typically see that in PSAs. They usually concentrate on how drugs will kill you. Yeah, addicts already know that, they do it anyway! PSAs need to address the reasons people feel the need to escape through drugs in the first place. And this special actually did address that which I appreciated.

 

[Drtooth]

Lol, it's easy to make fun of this special, but I actually liked its message. I liked how the characters point out that everyone has problems, that's not an excuse to take the easy way out with drugs.

Fat Albert did it better.... and it wasn't a joke when he did it. Bravestarr did the darkest one I've ever seen. Spoiler... kid DIES at the end. Very tragically to boot. And even before that he goes bat frakking bonkers and scares off all his friends.

You know what drives me insane? You can't make an anti-drug episode anymore because uptight parental groups are so worried that they don't even want them referenced in a negative light. An episode of Buzz Lightyear (also better than this special) had Mira Nova discover the effects of ghosting through a power source, only to need to rely on it to get by. And Zurg used that to his advantage and set a trap that would have destroyed her. That episode was pulled out of rotation. How can you warn kids about the dangers of drugs if you can't even make a stark negative allegory to them? They whine and cry and moan about how their kids are huffing paint and cleaners, and yet they can't educate them about addiction? You cannot have it both ways!

You don't typically see that in PSAs. They usually concentrate on how drugs will kill you. Yeah, addicts already know that, they do it anyway! PSAs need to address the reasons people feel the need to escape through drugs in the first place. And this special actually did address that which I appreciated.

Addicts of ANYTHING don't care about consequences. That's why their addicts. Sure, some want to change and have trouble, some just cling to a comfort zone. While it is debatable which ones have a worse effect than others, some kill you right away, some take grueling years to take effect. The escapism is what the focus should be, at least with younger kids. You don't see that much, I agree.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Addicts of ANYTHING don't care about consequences. That's why their addicts. Sure, some want to change and have trouble, some just cling to a comfort zone. While it is debatable which ones have a worse effect than others, some kill you right away, some take grueling years to take effect. The escapism is what the focus should be, at least with younger kids. You don't see that much, I agree.

When you think about it, it was pretty absurd to use the "drugs will kill you" argument because it's a rational one. And addicts are not in their rational minds when it comes to their obsession.

Actually I feel like PSAs should have been a bit more focused on the friends and family of addicts who are actually in a position to make a difference, even if it's through tough love.

 

[MJTaylor]

I remember that special! I remember our local station had it on after an episode of The Smurfs, which meant that Papa Smurf was on two back-to-back shows.
I wish this would come out on DVD. Maybe one day they shall clear it with Jim Davis.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I actually didn't see it on TV, but rather our teacher showed it to us in school in 2nd or 3rd grade. We were always watching educational videos about one thing or another. Anti drugs or anti smoking, saving the planet, safety at the train tracks, and of course cartoon versions of Bible stories, hehe.

 

[Drtooth]

Actually I feel like PSAs should have been a bit more focused on the friends and family of addicts who are actually in a position to make a difference, even if it's through tough love.

That's why I think the Bravestarr episode was brilliant. You could tell what that kid was going trough was hurting his friends and family.

Worst anti-Drug thing I ever saw was that A Pup named Scooby-Doo episode where they randomly said at the end the bad guy who was posing as the Ghost du jour dealt "drugs." Just generically saying "drugs" randomly for no purpose. Episode wasn't EVEN about drugs.

That said, I swear there was an episode of Batman TAS where they were mentioning some mob boss moving cocaine. They don't show it, I don't even think it was integral to the plot... but that's the gritty realism (that's still completely kiddified compared to the comics) of that series.

 

[robodog]

Bravestarr was one of the better 80s cartoons anyway. It doesn't surprise me that they were able to do an anti drug episode and do it right.

 

[beatnikchick300]

They made us watch that in 5th grade during our drug education program (D.A.R.E., of course). While it was kind of cool seeing the Ninja Turtles and Muppet babies (two of my childhood icons) together, I honestly think that the only way this special could keep kids from using drugs is if you threatened to play it again if they do.