PSA
January 31, 2014 1:04 AM Subscribe
Here's the site of the guys who made the video. I noted this part of the About page: "When not working on Henry & Aaron, Aaron indulges his love for horror comedy with Stefan A. Radanovich of SAR Films. The pair's acclaimed zombie short film, Perished made its world premiere at the prestigious SXSW Film Festival in 2012. " So... yeah, this is supposed to be Horror Comedy, I guess? It doesn't seem very comic to me, but then I'm not an Australian teen. o.0
The Mashable page does make it clear the video is disturbing, but for anyone likely to click without reading: gore, and possibly NSFW.
posted by taz at 1:28 AM on January 31, 2014
The Mashable page does make it clear the video is disturbing, but for anyone likely to click without reading: gore, and possibly NSFW.
posted by taz at 1:28 AM on January 31, 2014
Oh my god those poor slackers!
posted by Our Ship Of The Imagination! at 1:41 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Our Ship Of The Imagination! at 1:41 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Hmmm, so... I guess it's ok to slack off if you are more literate and organized about it? I mean, it's not like that same scene couldn't have happened on a weekend....
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:46 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:46 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Learn for Life Foundation of Western Australia may not actually exist, but LearnforLife Foundation is a non-profit organization staffed by volunteers. LFL is a New Jersey registered non-profit.
This, however, an accurate day at the beach, but with less sunburn and fewer sharks.
posted by Mezentian at 1:48 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
This, however, an accurate day at the beach, but with less sunburn and fewer sharks.
posted by Mezentian at 1:48 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
I saw this the other day and thought it was one of the dumber things I've ever seen in my life. If this is the quality of stuff made by graduates, please, drop the fuck out.
posted by dobbs at 2:23 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by dobbs at 2:23 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
If this is the quality of stuff made by graduates, please, drop the fuck out.
f they stay in school, they will never graduate, so that will solve the problem too. It's a cautionary tale, see?
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:38 AM on January 31, 2014
f they stay in school, they will never graduate, so that will solve the problem too. It's a cautionary tale, see?
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:38 AM on January 31, 2014
What happens in the video: happy-go-lucky beautiful teens skive off school and go for a frolic at the beach until about 55 seconds into the video, at which point they start blowing up. Limbs flying, blood splattered everywhere. Land mines, I guess, or unexploded artillery. It's a joke, not an actual PSA.
Now you don't have to watch it.
posted by pracowity at 3:10 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Now you don't have to watch it.
posted by pracowity at 3:10 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
dobbs: "I saw this the other day and thought it was one of the dumber things I've ever seen in my life. If this is the quality of stuff made by graduates, please, drop the fuck out."
Funny - everybody loved their work the last time they were on Metafilter…
posted by Pinback at 3:13 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
Funny - everybody loved their work the last time they were on Metafilter…
posted by Pinback at 3:13 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
I deal with kids who skip school all the time....I showed a couple of them this and asked if it was helpful....they got the message but said clearly if we were smart enough to be worried about what happens when we miss school, we wouldn't miss school...I love these kids.
Although I did find the film the definition of "ironic".
posted by OhSusannah at 3:18 AM on January 31, 2014
Although I did find the film the definition of "ironic".
posted by OhSusannah at 3:18 AM on January 31, 2014
Well, I laughed. But I have no mercy left in me.
The end card should have read 'STAY IN SCHOOL - LEARN TO READ"
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:02 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
The end card should have read 'STAY IN SCHOOL - LEARN TO READ"
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:02 AM on January 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
This is hilarious as usual, particularly the song. Henry and Aaron are going places y'all.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:06 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:06 AM on January 31, 2014
I wondered it it was the same people Pinback. I don't get the hate. They ape the conventions of a coke ad really well.
posted by Mezentian at 4:06 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by Mezentian at 4:06 AM on January 31, 2014
Henry and Aaron are going places y'all.
Yeah, Melbourne.
posted by Mezentian at 4:07 AM on January 31, 2014 [8 favorites]
Yeah, Melbourne.
posted by Mezentian at 4:07 AM on January 31, 2014 [8 favorites]
The editing (and particularly the pacing) is fantastic for the light, fluffy Coca-Cola ad-like summer scenario they're going for.
When it gets to the twist, everything falls apart. It's like a punchline delivered wrong or with a stammer—or both. It's going full bore into horror tropes, and the pacing, which was good before, now seems languid to the point of artlessness. The scream is like something out of a zombie film, not like how a 16-year-old airhead would respond to sudden shock at all. Shell shock and a whimper would be much more effective.
Yeah. But no.
posted by flippant at 4:37 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
When it gets to the twist, everything falls apart. It's like a punchline delivered wrong or with a stammer—or both. It's going full bore into horror tropes, and the pacing, which was good before, now seems languid to the point of artlessness. The scream is like something out of a zombie film, not like how a 16-year-old airhead would respond to sudden shock at all. Shell shock and a whimper would be much more effective.
Yeah. But no.
posted by flippant at 4:37 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
So... this is their thing? Slightly subversive imitations of tropey advertisements (awkward community college, glossy soft drink ad) segueing into CGI horror?
Fair enough, although the glossy coke ad was satirized more effectively by Scots fizzy rust beverage Irn Bru in 1988.
posted by running order squabble fest at 5:37 AM on January 31, 2014
Fair enough, although the glossy coke ad was satirized more effectively by Scots fizzy rust beverage Irn Bru in 1988.
posted by running order squabble fest at 5:37 AM on January 31, 2014
I didn't see that coming. I thought for sure it would morph into some sort of faces of meth/teen pregnancy nightmare.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:49 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:49 AM on January 31, 2014
Gosh, that just displaced this as my favourite irn bru ad.
posted by Mezentian at 6:03 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Mezentian at 6:03 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
This is the kind of thing that really impresses teenagers. Good job.
posted by thelonius at 6:30 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 6:30 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
When it gets to the twist, everything falls apart. It's like a punchline delivered wrong or with a stammer—or both. It's going full bore into horror tropes, and the pacing, which was good before, now seems languid to the point of artlessness. The scream is like something out of a zombie film, not like how a 16-year-old airhead would respond to sudden shock at all. Shell shock and a whimper would be much more effective.
What? The only thing that falls apart at the twist is that girl's body. I don't think these guys intended high art with their little comedy commercial. If the pace slows down at all it's to let you fully absorb what has just happened. It's a wink in your direction. Hey, this just got ridiculous, this whole thing is ridiculous. That the scream is something out of a zombie film makes sense. I don't think they were going for realism here and who is to say a whimper is indeed how a 16 year old girl would react to a landmine armageddon? It's entirely plausible she'd scream her head off.
For my money, I was looking for a megashark attack and so this took me by surprise.
posted by GrapeApiary at 6:58 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
What? The only thing that falls apart at the twist is that girl's body. I don't think these guys intended high art with their little comedy commercial. If the pace slows down at all it's to let you fully absorb what has just happened. It's a wink in your direction. Hey, this just got ridiculous, this whole thing is ridiculous. That the scream is something out of a zombie film makes sense. I don't think they were going for realism here and who is to say a whimper is indeed how a 16 year old girl would react to a landmine armageddon? It's entirely plausible she'd scream her head off.
For my money, I was looking for a megashark attack and so this took me by surprise.
posted by GrapeApiary at 6:58 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
I accidentally stumbled across this video yesterday. I've spent the last day actively trying to forget it, to the degree that one can do that. I can't believe its shown up on Metafilter.
The only good thing I can say about this video and its appearance here is that it has made me more actively aware of the horribleness of the world, and some of the people in it (i.e. its producers), especially given the fact that this is just a goddamn piece of worthless video garbage and real horrors are happening in the world right now that make my shock and revulsion at this stupid fake psa seem like a foolish distraction from the real horror, and so have made me more determined to try and counter that by trying to do my part to make the world a better place.
Still, I've never hated a video or a Metafilter post more.
posted by Reverend John at 7:06 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
The only good thing I can say about this video and its appearance here is that it has made me more actively aware of the horribleness of the world, and some of the people in it (i.e. its producers), especially given the fact that this is just a goddamn piece of worthless video garbage and real horrors are happening in the world right now that make my shock and revulsion at this stupid fake psa seem like a foolish distraction from the real horror, and so have made me more determined to try and counter that by trying to do my part to make the world a better place.
Still, I've never hated a video or a Metafilter post more.
posted by Reverend John at 7:06 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
For my money, I was looking for a megashark attack
Dude, we have drumlines. And highly skilled hunters.
Oh, sorry, my sarcasm is showing.
posted by Mezentian at 7:07 AM on January 31, 2014
Dude, we have drumlines. And highly skilled hunters.
Oh, sorry, my sarcasm is showing.
posted by Mezentian at 7:07 AM on January 31, 2014
I think this post's headline ruins the joke.
A coworker sent the link around, with no more context than "watch this." I figured there would be a twist, and kind of rolled my eyes when the explosion started.
But then the PSA card came up and I was momentarily shocked, then delighted, then laughed my ass off.
The joke isn't "kids blow up." The joke is "education foundation makes PSA where kids blow up."
posted by Frayed Knot at 7:07 AM on January 31, 2014
A coworker sent the link around, with no more context than "watch this." I figured there would be a twist, and kind of rolled my eyes when the explosion started.
But then the PSA card came up and I was momentarily shocked, then delighted, then laughed my ass off.
The joke isn't "kids blow up." The joke is "education foundation makes PSA where kids blow up."
posted by Frayed Knot at 7:07 AM on January 31, 2014
The "joke" is "assholes make fake PSA where kids blow up (because that's funny, right?) and also make up fake website for a fake education foundation to confuse morons".
posted by Reverend John at 7:09 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by Reverend John at 7:09 AM on January 31, 2014
I am sensing people don't get local humour.
It is for local people.
posted by Mezentian at 7:10 AM on January 31, 2014
It is for local people.
posted by Mezentian at 7:10 AM on January 31, 2014
I am sensing people don't get local humour.
It is for local people.
What about that is particularly localized humor? Do they actually have an explosives testing beach there where kids actually blow up?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:19 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
It is for local people.
What about that is particularly localized humor? Do they actually have an explosives testing beach there where kids actually blow up?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:19 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
You ain't from around here, are ya?
Do they actually have an explosives testing beach there where kids actually blow up?
Maybe. We are not allowed on American bases.
(But probably not).
posted by Mezentian at 7:23 AM on January 31, 2014
Do they actually have an explosives testing beach there where kids actually blow up?
Maybe. We are not allowed on American bases.
(But probably not).
posted by Mezentian at 7:23 AM on January 31, 2014
I found it deeply unrealistic. At no point was anyone bitten or stung by something poisonous or even gnawed on by a shark. And this was supposed to be Australia?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:32 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:32 AM on January 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
This made me think of all those gory Australian TAC road safety advertisements (example here and this is pretty harsh stuff, you've been warned. Don't let the first 2:00 fool you).
Is this the only way to get through to aussie kids now?
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:58 AM on January 31, 2014
Is this the only way to get through to aussie kids now?
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:58 AM on January 31, 2014
As a side note the last PSA to feature exploding kids was real. And because it's for a topic I care deeply about it was therefore deeply justified and broadcasters were wimps for not showing it.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:30 AM on January 31, 2014
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:30 AM on January 31, 2014
I had an entirely different response.
But I watched the ad anyway, cringing (thanks sidebar video of the Israeli soldier getting killed).
Cutting. The US and others should sign the Ottawa Treaty (but that is way off topic).
posted by Mezentian at 10:46 AM on January 31, 2014
But I watched the ad anyway, cringing (thanks sidebar video of the Israeli soldier getting killed).
Cutting. The US and others should sign the Ottawa Treaty (but that is way off topic).
posted by Mezentian at 10:46 AM on January 31, 2014
Their fellow Aussies did something very similar over a decade ago and with a much better soundtrack.
posted by Devils Slide at 12:44 PM on January 31, 2014
posted by Devils Slide at 12:44 PM on January 31, 2014
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I'm from Western Australia. My schools were just a few minutes from the beach - high slacker rate. But I'm now really freaked out wondering if there were indeed hazards greater than seaweed along the dunes.
posted by wingless_angel at 1:23 AM on January 31, 2014 [1 favorite]