First off, I think this is our first educational film covered on this site. (Accomplishment) Not the first Peanuts media we've covered though. What are we looking at ? This time we are looking at an education film from 1979 for schools to show students starting the Peanuts characters and put this in the background of the 1970's environmental movement. It's called "Clean the Air" (this is a film about keeping the ocean clean)
It starts with Charlie Brown talking about training dogs, like the shake and throw method where you be like the mother dog and shake the dog and drop it. ( Excuse me?) Linus says there's no way he thinks a puppy could learn from that so then Snoopy shakes and drops him. (this is a very violent special, they need the no violence educational film) I think that learns him. (yes we know grammar, this is a joke) Linus sees that Snoopy's a bit edgy and Charlie explains the reason. (He was shaken then thrown?) The crazy cat next-door's owner has burning leaves and etc. causing ashy soot on Snoopy's dog house.
Clean Me
Charlie Brown asks his neighbor if he could stop and he offers and ultimatum if Snoopy tunes up his motor cycle then he'll stop burning trash. (I'd like to see how that works, like hey neighbor tell your dog to ....fix his motor cycle? Why do I live in this neighborhood? That's right the houses were cheap) I also learned that Woodstock is not a good mechanic. Now, there's a baseball game and Lucy threatens she'll quit if they don't win. (Condescendingly speaking: No, don't quit , that'd be bad) So anyway, the game progresses and Lucy was trying to see the ball but can't yells to Charlie Brown that's she quits and starts coughing. (I didn't know she meant quitting like that) There's too much pollution. She says she could get killed out there.
Charlie Brown looks he's thinking about it.
Linus quits too because of the litter, so does Snoopy. Charlie Brown sees his Psychiatrist (Lucy) and he says he's depressed because of the pollution and litter. Lucy suggest he gives a report in school. (Yes) She has pamphlets from the American Lung association just hanging around in her booth. (Maybe she is a doctor , after all) Because its a 6 minute film we don't get a montage of Charlie Brown researching we just get him giving facts to a class.
25 CENTS? Darn 70's inflation.
As an educational film it's entertaining and that's just because it's the Peanuts but the Peanuts really make this work. Since Peanuts works well with short stories because comic strip. The story in the film is well fashioned at getting the point about pollution out. It doesn't go overboard it does something that those viewing in the classroom could encounter in their life. The causes of pollution , Charlie Brown explains are all simply put out and again things that the students watching would encounter in some form.
This is just quite charming.
The solutions Charlie Brown says are also simple and things that the viewers would be able to remember and do themselves or convince their parents to do or not do.
I won't harp on the animation because it's an educational film done with a government grant , also it's alright. the backgrounds are kind of stilled but it kind of works because the Peanuts normally are in a still backgrounds (while being still themselves) so, this more a motion comic style. Musically, It has Peanuts stock music which is nice. It's also nice for an educational film that it still has that respect for its audience that you get in Peanuts.
Did it do it's PSA message clearly? Yeah it does I get the message clearly it talking about how air pollution effects our lives and what to do.
Was it a Good PSA? Yes, and not just because it was Peanuts but it's entertaining and informational and well balanced and doesn't stray from it's message that it's giving you.
If you want to see the film you can watch after the jump. Tune in next time when we have Peanuts discuss why you shouldn't do drugs.
After the Jump is the film
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