What where you doing on October 30th of 1938? Well, I for one, had not been born yet. Therefore, I can only imagine what I would have been doing. On that date in the United States, there was mass hysteria!! A lot of people thought that the end had come. Many hugged their loved ones and grabbed their guns. Some prayed, some cried, some hid under their beds, and some just grinned and enjoyed the show.
What show am I talking about? It was Orson Well's "War of the Worlds". I believe that they gave a disclaimer before the show stating that it was fiction but many must not have heard it or ignored it or just got carried away with the great way it was presented and the talent of Orson. He made it sound real!!
Could something like that happen today? Yes it could!! It happens all the time. No, I don't mean world envasion by aliens, but what I guess you could call mini-mania. How many of you remember the toilet paper shortage scare of December 19th, 1973? It all started from a Johnny Carson joke. Here is what he said: "You know what's disappearing from the supermaket shelves? Toilet paper. There's an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States." The next day there was a rush to the stores and it did disappear form the shelves. Dang, we almost had to go back to corn cobs (grin). I am sure you can think of other things that have caused mini-manias and if so, tell us. But for now, hide from the aliens but also try to have a great day, you hear?
Like you, I wasn't born yet. My father, on the other hand, was a broadcaster for WLBZ AM 620 in Bangor, Maine and he had a front row seat to the hysteria as the phones rang off the wall. There even was a call from the Governor, in town for some fund raising event, who was staying in a suite at the old Bangor House. Four years later Dad was rushing back to Bangor to help put the news on the air about Pearl Harbor... shortly after that he was in Washington, D.C. as an officer in the Navy.
ReplyDeleteI hide from the aliens daily. Got my tin foil helmet on and I'm ready for those varmints.
Wow Wil!! Your Dad helped creat history. Both the alien invaders and the Japanese.
ReplyDeleteI had been born by then, but I didn't learn about the 'War of the Worlds' until later.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't long after that, that we, in England, were engrossed in a 'War With Germany', and I remember that well.
Happy Tails and Trails, Penny
Wow, I bet when the Germans bombed England and sent those rocket over, too, it would scare all the children. You should write your memories of WW2 in your blog and share them with us.
DeleteI was born the evening before Pearl Harbor was bombed so wasn't yet around for the Orson Wells broadcast. But I've heard it and can certainly understand why it was so scary to so many people. As for living during World War II, I'm sure my memories aren't the typical ones... we lived in rural USA... family didn't have a vehicle (no need for gas rationing), had a garden and a neighbor who traded butter for ????.... I had several uncles who enlisted in the service, but as nearly as I can tell, life went on as usual... life in the coal mines was hard anyway, so what went on in the Real World might not have affected us as much.
ReplyDeleteI can remember my Mom picking me up and showing me the picture of my dad. He was in uniform. She wanted me to recognize my Dad when he returned from the service. Since I was born in Feb. of 1943, I didn't have too long to wait until it was over.
DeleteI was not around yet either but I recall them telling us about it when I was in junior high.
ReplyDeleteDo not recall the toilet paper shortage as I was not allowed to watch late night TV.
However, there is a real toilet paper shortage in Venezuela along with everything else but toilet paper was the most covered in the media.
MsB, I was already married with two young kids when that show caused the panic. Dang, now you are making me feel old, I was completeing my 30th year of living and already had two sons and you were not old enough to watch late night TV!!
DeleteI thought you were talking about The War of the World show when I first read your reply to MsB. That would make you about 105 years old but I then realized you were talking about the Johnny Carson show. I'm sure glad I got that straightened out in my mind!
DeleteDizzy - perhaps I did not express myself correctly. We only had one TV that was hooked up to cable (you need cable to watch TV in Del Rio) and it was in the living room.
DeleteWhile I was old enough to watch late night shows...my father did not ALLOW me to watch them and if I did he would of heard the television and I would have been grounded.
I spent most of my high school years grounded :(
Howdy DD,
ReplyDeleteHeck, we never knew there was a depression much less an alien invasion !!!
My dad was so old they wouldn't take him in WW2, so, we would've missed that except my brother was off at TEXAS A&M COLLEGE and the Army took him out 6 weeks before he graduated and sent him to someplace called New Guinea to see the 'woolie-woolies'!!!
Hope you yung'unz hav a HAPPY DAY !!!