1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: a show for those with a burning desire to learn 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: more about history. I'm Gay Bluesier, and in this episode, 5 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: we're celebrating the birth of one of the world's great 6 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: cartoon bears. No, not the one in the red shirt 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: or the one in the blue duffelcoat. I'm talking about 8 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: Smokey Bear, the one in the ranger's hat and blue jeans. 9 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: We'll examine how the stern but lovable mascot helped me 10 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: to pressing need during World War Two, and how he 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: endeared himself to generations of kids and adults in the process. 12 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: The day was August ninety four. Smokey Bear was chosen 13 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: to be the mascot of a new forest fire prevention 14 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: campaign in the United States. The Fixed an Old Bear 15 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: was created as part of a joint effort between the U. S. 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: Forest Service and the Ad Council, which was still known 17 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: as the War Advertising Council at the time. Smokey was 18 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: quickly embraced by the public and went on to appear 19 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: on a slew of posters, brochures, and billboards, as well 20 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: as in radio commercials and TV spots. Today, Smokey Bear 21 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: continues to promote fire prevention as the face of what's 22 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: now the longest running public service ad campaign in US history. 23 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: The creation of Smokey Bear was tied directly to America's 24 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: involvement in World War Two. On December seven, one, Japanese 25 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: forces led a surprise aerial attack on the U. S. 26 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: Naval base at Pearl Harbor. Then the following spring, Japanese 27 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: submarines fired shells at an oil field near the Los 28 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: Padres National Forest in California. Thankfully, the shelling didn't start 29 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: a forest fire, but it was a close enough call 30 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: that the US government started looking for ways to get 31 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: the public more involved in the protection of forests. Engaging 32 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: the public was a necessity because many of the nation's 33 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: firefighters had been deployed abroad once the US entered the war. 34 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: That meant civilian communities would need to take on the 35 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: job of managing wildfires as much as possible. To help 36 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 1: get Americans on board, the U. S. Forest Service and 37 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: the AD Council joined forces and organized the Cooperative Forest 38 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: Fire Prevention Committee, or the CFFP. Under this program, a 39 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: variety of public service announcement, posters and slogans were created. 40 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: The early ads featured a detailed, realistic arts style and 41 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: included wartime messages such as another enemy to conquer forest fires. 42 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: One poster even featured caricatures of Adolf Hitler and Hideki 43 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: Tojo gazing approvingly at a raging forest fire. In big 44 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: bold letters, the poster warned, our carelessness is their secret weapon. 45 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,399 Speaker 1: A year later, the committee tried a vastly different approach. 46 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: They worked out a deal with Walt Disney to borrow 47 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: characters from the popular movie Bamby for use in their campaign. 48 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: The resulting posters were much better received than the grim 49 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 1: war themed ads of the previous year. The success convinced 50 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: the CFFP that a cartoon forest animal should be the 51 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: face of their campaign. The only problem was that Disney 52 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: had only granted the rights to Bamby for one year. 53 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: That meant they would have to come up with an 54 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: entirely new animal spokesman of their very own. Committee members 55 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: started brainstorming ideas for potential characters in the summer of 56 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: nineteen forty four. They wanted an animal that could project 57 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: a sense of authority, and since a male deer was 58 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: off the table. They eventually settled on using a bear. 59 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: The character was given the name Smokey as a tribute 60 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: to Smokey Joe Martin, a retired assistant fire chief who 61 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: had suffered burns and blindness during a daring rescue in 62 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: two The decision was made official on August nine of 63 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: that year, and Smokey Bear appeared on his first forest 64 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: fire prevention poster not long after. Smokey's original design was 65 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: painted by Albert Stall, an esteemed illustrator of animals. His 66 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: first poster showed the bear wearing his now familiar blue 67 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: jeans and ranger hat while pouring a bucket of water 68 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: over a camp fire. The text below identified the bear 69 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: and his message. It read, Smokey says care will prevent 70 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,799 Speaker 1: nine out of ten fires. It wasn't the catchiest slogan, 71 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: but thanks to Staal's warm, friendly artwork, Smokey Bear was 72 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: an instant hit with the public. Two years later, the 73 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: character and his clunky message appeared it on a series 74 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: of commemorative stamps. Then, in nine Smokey got his now 75 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: iconic cash phrase, only you can prevent forest fires. In 76 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty, the cartoon bear got a real life counterpart 77 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: when a black bear cub was rescued from a burning 78 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: forest in New Mexico and given the name Smokey. The 79 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: cub was later sent to the National Zoo in Washington, 80 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: d C. Whereas popularity led some Americans to mistakenly believe 81 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: that the Smokey from the ads had been based on him. 82 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: It was an embarrassing mix up, but both Smokey's bore 83 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: it with grace. That same year, Smokey made the jump 84 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: to radio, where he was voiced for the first time 85 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: by Washington, d C radio personality Jackson Weaver. Numerous commercials 86 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 1: were made with the same basic format. Smokey and a 87 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: special celebrity guest would provide a few minutes of commentary 88 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: about forest fire prevention, and then a band called The 89 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: Sun of the Pioneers would perform a suitably nature based song. 90 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: Over the course of the series, Smokey was joined by 91 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: stars of the era such as Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, 92 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: Barbara Stanwick, and Roy Rogers. Take a listen, Smokey, the 93 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: best Smokey the bed. Hello there, folks, this is Smoky, 94 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:26,239 Speaker 1: the forest fire preventting Bear. Those singing friends of mine 95 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: have a song for you. But first, how about joining 96 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: us and a little visit to a big star, Roy Rogers. 97 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 1: And here he comes. Now, well, welcome to the rant, Smoky. 98 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: I just want to tell you, Roy, how much good 99 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: your words have helped. Every day, more and more boys 100 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: and girls and grown ups too are enlisting in the 101 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: battle against forest fires. That's what it takes, Smoky, everyone 102 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: pitching and to prevent them. Every year wildfires burn up 103 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: millions of our trees. They damage are valuable watersheds, They 104 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: destroy the food and homes of wildlife, and they desecrate 105 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: the God given beauty of our great outdoors. Thank you, Roy. 106 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: Now here are your singing pals, the sons of the Pioneers, 107 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: with an all favorite cowboy camp meeting. By now you 108 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: may have noticed and maybe even been annoyed by the 109 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: fact that I've referred to him as Smokey Bear rather 110 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: than Smokey the Bear. That's intentional, As Smokey Bear is 111 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: the character's official name. The article the was added to 112 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: his name and the theme song you just heard as 113 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: a way to keep the rhythm more. Even that change 114 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: was never carried forward, though, and the character remains plain 115 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: old Smokey Bear. Although the song's popularity led to decades 116 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: of confusion over whether the character had a middle name. 117 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: It didn't help when in nineteen fifty two, country music 118 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: singer Eddie Arnold performed a full length version of the 119 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: song for a television p s A was stop and 120 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: pay attention when he tells them to beware, for everybody 121 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: knows that he's the fibervent bear. Smokey the Bear, Smokey 122 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: the bear, rowling and rowling and a snipping. Then he 123 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: can find a fire before it starts to blame. That's 124 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: why they call the smoke that. Smokey's fan base continued 125 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: to grow in the years ahead, and by nineteen sixty four, 126 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: he was receiving so many letters from kids that the 127 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: Postal Service gave him his very own ZIP code two 128 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:42,319 Speaker 1: O two five two. Today, kids can still mail letters 129 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: and drawings to Smokey Bear, but they can also get 130 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: in touch with him on Instagram and Twitter. He has 131 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: his own accounts in case physical correspondence is a tough sell. 132 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: Of course, some kids won't want to contact an eighty 133 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: year old mascot from a government p s A. But 134 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: luckily for Smokey's ride, adults can write to him as well, and, 135 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 1: based on a report from the ad Council, a lot 136 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: of them probably do. That's because an estimated ninety six 137 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 1: percent of US adults recognize Smokey, a level of recognition 138 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,959 Speaker 1: typically reserved for characters like Mickey Mouse and Santa Claus. 139 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: In addition, seventy five percent of young adults who enjoy 140 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: spending time outdoors say they consider Smokey a personal role model. 141 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 1: That enduring popularity lines up well with the results of 142 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: Smokey's decades long campaign. When he debuted in nineteen forty four, 143 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 1: the average number of US acres burned by wildfire each 144 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,839 Speaker 1: year was twenty two million. By twenty eleven, that number 145 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: had fallen to less than seven million. Smokey has clearly 146 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: been an effective spokespear for the Forest Service, but in 147 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: recent years many people have begun to worry that he's 148 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:58,719 Speaker 1: been too successful. Some scientists now say Smokey's message has 149 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: been counterproductive, and that by convincing people that fire is 150 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: always a bad thing, he's actually made some forests more 151 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: likely to burn. This phenomenon is cruelly referred to as 152 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: the Smoky Bear effect. The idea behind it is that 153 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: since there have been fewer fires. More deadwood, leaves, and 154 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: brush have accumulated in the nation's forests. That over abundance 155 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: of fuel, coupled with climate change and more people living 156 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: near forests, has resulted in more intense and more destructive fires. 157 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 1: To counter this problem, states and local governments have begun 158 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,559 Speaker 1: using controlled burns to clear out the dead wood in 159 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: a forest and hopefully prevent larger, unplanned fires despite being 160 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: unfairly targeted. Smokey Bear got on board with the new messaging, 161 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: and in two thousand one his official motto changed slightly 162 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,559 Speaker 1: from only you can prevent forest fires to only you 163 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: can prevent wildfires. That change reflects the idea that forest 164 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: fires can be a good thing when managed properly, whereas 165 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:08,679 Speaker 1: wildfires are always beyond anyone's control. Some of Smokey's detractors 166 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: say that subtle change in messaging is too little, too late, 167 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: and that the bear should be retired before he does 168 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: further harm. To be clear, though, there are no current 169 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: plans to ditch Smokey Bear, and if you ask me, 170 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: that's a good thing, because after all this time, nine 171 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: out of ten wildfires are still caused by humans, whether 172 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 1: through arson, carelessness or pure stupidity looking at you gender 173 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: reveal parties. So while Smokey's message may not be exactly 174 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,559 Speaker 1: to everyone's liking, his admonishment about personal responsibility in the 175 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: great outdoors is needed now more than ever. I'm Gay 176 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: Blusier and hopefully you now know a little more about 177 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: history today than he did yesterday. If you'd like to 178 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: keep up with the show, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, 179 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t d i h C Show, and 180 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: if you have any comments or suggestions, you can always 181 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: send those my way at this day at I heart 182 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, 183 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: and thank you for listening. I'll see you back here 184 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: again tomorrow for another day in History class.