Henry Winkler Stars in Your Worst Nightmare: An '80s PSA about Child Molestation!
PSAs are the epitome of uncomfortable information. The most cringeworthy of them all? The PSA that warns about child abuse and abduction. Throw in some C-grade celebrities, and you've got yourself a one way ticket to awkwardville.
If you're into that sort of thing, and I know you are because you're on the Internet which is one giant ball of awkward, I present to you this gem from 1984: Strong Kids, Safe Kids! The most unintentionally hilarious and embarrassing PSA ever.
This one has it all:
- Henry Winkler having a personality crisis. Is he Henry or The Fonz? Or both.
- Oh, he also threatens to run over your knees with his bike.
- A creepy man in child like dress sitting on a jungle gym singing about the proper terms for genitalia... because you know, that doesn't scream child abuse or anything.
- A cameo from the late, the great John Ritter (Hey, hello!)
- A Children of the Corn like lesson on how to say "No! Don't touch me there."
- A snake puppet letting you know you're worthless and that your mom and dad will never love you.
If their angle was to make adults seem so frightening that any kid watching this would never, ever go near one again, mission accomplished Strong Kids, Safe Kids! Because if this isn't traumatizing to a 5-year-old, I don't know what is.
If you think you can get through it without getting too weirded out, here's the whole 45-minute PSA:
