1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Hey, welcome to short stuff. I'm Josh, and there's Chuck 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: and this is short stuff. And as I say, sometimes 3 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: getty up, but in this case it'd be getty up, 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: you horse with pants on that was smooth as sandpaper. 5 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 1: Oh that hurts, Chuck. Uh, this is pretty good. You 6 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: dug this one up. The Society for indecent indecency to 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: naked animals, that's right, which is kind of which is 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 1: kind of like the the finest example of the the 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: stodgy kind of morality. Um that that was characteristic of 10 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties. Like, this is the apex of that. 11 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,480 Speaker 1: That's right. It was a group of people that got 12 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: together and said, you know what, we can't have anymore 13 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,040 Speaker 1: in our society. Are these naked animals walking around in 14 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: their disgusting parts. We need to put clothing on animals 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,199 Speaker 1: on anything over four inches tall or six inches long. 16 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: Our children are at steak. Get the clothed. Yes, they 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: were offended by naked animals, this group, and they wanted 18 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: to clothe animals. That was their purpose, that was their drive. 19 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: And at first it was a very little known group. 20 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: But then in May of nineteen nine, the president of 21 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:32,279 Speaker 1: Sina ge Clifford Pruite, Jr. Uh appeared on the Today 22 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: Show and basically explaining what SINA was all about and 23 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: calling for all animals to be clothed um and he 24 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 1: said a lot of weird things, not just in this interview, 25 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: but in multiple interviews that came over the following years, 26 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: where he said things like um zoos were peep shows 27 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: for kids. One of his favorite phrases was a nude 28 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: horse is a rude horse, m hmm. And basically called 29 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: for support and membership. And after that Today Show appearance 30 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: in nineteen nine, membership swelled like almost overnight. Yes, believe 31 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: it or not, there were more than fifty thousand people 32 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: in the United States. They said, I agree, we need 33 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: to get clothing on all animals. Here's some money. I 34 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: was a woman in Santa Barbara, California. You sent a 35 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: forty thousand dollar check in nine in the nineteen fifties. 36 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: This was about three fifty dollars today to help fund 37 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: clothing for animals. And they basically said, all right, get involved. 38 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: To get your community involved issue UH sign us sub 39 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: summons is to your neighbors, if you see them walking 40 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: their dog without pants on, you need to give them 41 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: a summons, They picketed the White House. They sent letters 42 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: to President Kennedy that said, you need to get pants 43 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: on your horses, sir, cover private parts. Yeah, cover those 44 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,399 Speaker 1: horse penises. And it was kind of see that one. 45 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: Yeah have you seen? Have you seen? Um? What's it called? 46 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: I think you should leave? What is that? How do 47 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: I know that? I can't remember? The guy's name is hilarious. 48 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: He's like best friends with Andy Samberg's Tim something sounds 49 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: really familiar. Anyway, It's on Netflix and they have this 50 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: one kind of fake ad and it was for a 51 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: ranch um where they bred horses to have very very 52 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: small penises so that men don't have to be ashamed 53 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: of their own penis size when they ride these horses 54 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: around this dude ranch. Oh and that that guy Tim Robinson. Yes, yes, 55 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: because I have not seen that though. It's wonderful. Uh, 56 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: but I am seeing now that Adie Bryant's husband, Connor 57 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: O'Malley is on their Connor Listen to Stuff you Should 58 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: Know at one point, and he is one of the 59 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: great weirdo comedians ever. Yeah, it's like a magnet for 60 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: weirdo comedians. This year was Uh, that's pretty funny. So 61 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: Americans are getting involved, like I said, they're petitioning the 62 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: president there uh um picketting the White House, and then 63 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: it culminates in eighteen I'm sorry, in nineteen sixty two. Uh, 64 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: it feels like it should be eighteen sixty two when 65 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: ge Clifford Prut appears with none other than Walter Cronkite, 66 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: most trusted news person in the country, and he was 67 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: interviewed on CBS News Prime Time. He sang the Sena's 68 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: anthem called Wings of Decency with a ukulele, and it 69 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: was a very very big deal and sort of the 70 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: apex of this movement. Can we sing the wings of decency? 71 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: Um sign an anthem? You can high on the wings 72 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: of sign Uh we fight for the future. Now let's 73 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: close every pet and and um mole weather, dog, cat, 74 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: horse or cow. Ge Clifford Prue our president. He works 75 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,919 Speaker 1: for you and me, so clothed all your pets in 76 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: joined the march for worldwide decency. So he's playing this 77 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: anna ukulele on uh CBS News with Walter Cronkite interviewing him. 78 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: Ge Clifford Prout Jr. Is the president of SIGNA and 79 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: there's a There's a guy who is operating the camera 80 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 1: for CBS News that says, hey, wait a minute, that 81 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: guy looks awfully familiar, doesn't n Chuck, that's right, and 82 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: perhaps here's where we should take our break. Right, that's right, agreed. 83 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: If you want to know, then you're in luck. Just 84 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:57,679 Speaker 1: listen to Chuck. Alright, we're back. Cameraman at CBS News 85 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 1: sits up and says, wait a minute, I recognized that guy, 86 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: and what did he say? He said, that's no g 87 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: Clifford Prute. That man's name is Buck Henry and in 88 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: the future he's going to be a very famous screenwriter 89 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: and actor for comedy. That's right. There was no g 90 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: Clifford Prute. There was no Society for Indecency to Naked 91 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: Animals tally Well, technically there was, but it was just 92 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: a big put on. It was just a big joke. Yeah, 93 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: there's a guy named Alan Abel who would go on 94 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 1: to become one of America's most famous and prolific and 95 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: successful hoaxters. And I think like he's got half a 96 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: dozen short stuffs coming down the pike himself. He was 97 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 1: just that prolific. But this was the first time America 98 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: was introduced to alan Abel, and they had been had 99 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: that for four years. I saw in some places six years. 100 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: Buck Henry kept up this this ruse at the behest 101 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: of alan Abel and went on Cronkite, went on The 102 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: Today Show, went on tons of national interview shows, and 103 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: earnestly professed a need for animals to be clothed. So 104 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: he must not have been known by face at all 105 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: at that point. Hard but Henry, Yeah, no, his crew 106 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: is just starting out. It's astounding that he was ever 107 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: recognized at all. And even when he was, it was 108 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: a good three years into the hoax to that cameraman. 109 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: Cameraman was deep on the independent comedy circuit. I think exactly. 110 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: That's how I take it. That's pretty great. So, yeah, 111 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: it was all a hoax, um he you know, And 112 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: as is many times with hoaxes like this, there is 113 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: a a statement being made. And the statement here was 114 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: Able was really turned off by the moral, uh the 115 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: moral majority of the United States in the nineteen fifties, 116 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: and how put off they would be about everything. And 117 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: he said, maybe a good way to to take the 118 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: the p out of this thing would would be two 119 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: become one of them. And he said he's been hired 120 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: by uh. Something he saw in Texas in the nineteen fifties. 121 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: He was driving on a highway and saw like traffic 122 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: was stopped and everyone was kind of standing around. And 123 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: when he got out, he saw that traffic had stopped 124 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: because two cows were having sex in the middle of 125 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: the highway. And he said he he just saw the 126 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: looks on these piece faces, at these people's faces. Some 127 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: of them were clearly disgusted. Some of them wouldn't couldn't 128 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: even bear to look at it and cover their eyes. 129 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: One woman was angry, and he he was just like, 130 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: what is going on? These cows? They don't know morality, 131 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: They're just doing what cows do. And these Americans are 132 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: so stuffy that they're literally upset about this, right, they're 133 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: offended by this. It's yeah. So he at first tried 134 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: out some low hanging fruit and he um wrote a 135 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: letter to the editor of the Saturday Evening Post, um, 136 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: you know, professing for the first time signa and the 137 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: it's it's goals and aims as a joke um And 138 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: he got a rejection like her, but the tone of 139 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 1: the rejection letter kind of spurred him to keep going. 140 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: The editor you know, wrote indignantly that he really disagreed 141 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,079 Speaker 1: with this and he thought it was a terrible idea. 142 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 1: And Um alan Able realized that this guy had had 143 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: failed to take it as a joke that he thought 144 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: was really and he's like, well, who else can I fool? 145 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: Let's see where else we can take this. And he 146 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: went to his friend Buck Henry and said, hey, no 147 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:25,959 Speaker 1: one knows what you look like yet or who you are. 148 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 1: Will you pose as G. Clifford Prute, the president of Sina? 149 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: And this was right up Buck Henry's alley. He said, 150 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: oh yeah. And they kept this up for four to 151 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: six years, Chuck, not secretly, not quietly, as loudly and 152 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: nationally as they possibly could. They kept this hoax going. Yeah, 153 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: I get the feeling this was had more legs than 154 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: he ever dreamed it would. Yes, and just decided, as 155 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: any great um sort of Andy Kaufman like comedian like, 156 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: to keep rolling with it once once it's going, if 157 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,439 Speaker 1: everyone is fooled. And even after it was exposed in 158 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:06,679 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty four by Time magazine, UM, people like Walter 159 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: Cronkite was still really mad. He felt he had been 160 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: made a full of obviously Uh, it's important to point 161 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,080 Speaker 1: out that he did not take any of this money. 162 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: He wasn't drifting people, So that forty grand that check 163 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: was never cashed or anything. Yeah, that's yeah, Like people 164 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:22,440 Speaker 1: would be angry. There's listeners right now, they're like, wait 165 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: a minute, this guy stole all this money, right, and 166 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: he was a comedian, right, So that never happened, thankfully, 167 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: no hum. But the thing that was most astounding was 168 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: that they accidentally inadvertently created a moral movement to clothe animals. 169 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: Those fifty thousand people that joined SINA were earnest, like, 170 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: they were passionately supportive of clothing animals because it was 171 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:50,079 Speaker 1: indecent to have naked animals running around. A joke became reality, 172 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: and that is about the best you could possibly hope 173 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: for from a hoax. That's a cultural criticism. Yeah, I'm 174 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: not a big fan of clothing on animals at all. 175 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: I'm not either lead the animals alone everybody, Like if 176 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 1: if your dog needs a sweater in the winter or something, 177 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: that's okay to me. But like these people that dress 178 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: up their animals and take pictures of I don't know, 179 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 1: I feel it's not very respectful. Oh I see what 180 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: you mean. Yeah, we dressed moment, but it's just for warmth. Yeah, 181 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: then that's different if, like I said, if your dog 182 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: needs a sweater or a thunderbuddy, which is what we 183 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: called the thundercoats the vests. What about ThunderCats, I don't 184 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: know anything about ThunderCats. You don't know the ThunderCats that 185 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: cartoon from the eighties. I've heard of it, but it 186 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: was a little after my time. Oh I could see that, 187 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: but it was directly in my wheelhouse. And that is 188 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: one of the all time greats. All right. Uh So, obviously, 189 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: since we started talking about ThunderCats, that signals that this 190 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: episode of short Stuff is over right, that's right. Before 191 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: we go, Chuck, I want to say thank you very 192 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: much as Zachary Crockett and Priceonomics, the Museum of Hoaxes 193 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: and Ripley's believe it or not, believe it or not 194 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: for being sources about this. So keep an ear out 195 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: for alan Able short Stuffs in the future, because he's 196 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: got plenty more coming. In the meantime, everybody, short Stuff 197 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: is out. Stuff you should Know is a production of 198 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my Heart Radio, visit 199 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: the iHeart radio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen 200 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,319 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows. H