Philly Police Lifted an Anti-Drug PSA From Saved by the Bell and Made it Downright Mind-Altering
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At a time when young people have a conflicted relationship with police, it’s good to know there’s one reliable voice of unity: Zack Morris, circa 1991.
The Philadelphia Police Department, which is no stranger to odd, retro memes and callbacks, has resurrected an anti-drugs PSA from the George H.W. Bush years. The clip replaces NBC exec Brandon Tartikoff with the poorly Photoshopped head of Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who also dubs in his own somber name drop.
The whole thing is so weird and lazy and baffling, it’s quickly generated national attention.
The department’s social media director, Sgt. Eric Gripp, told the Daily News that his original idea was to replace each cast member’s head with someone from the police department, but when schedules didn’t allow for that much customization, he just dropped in the commissioner and called it a day.
“I showed [the video] to him and he laughed,” Gripp told the Daily News. “Fortunately for me the boss is very down-to-earth and has a great sense of humor.”
Of course, one would hope the police department got the appropriate copyright permissions from NBC to use the clip. We’ve asked the department about that aspect and will update if we hear back.
While many are charmed by the spot’s low-budget quirk value, a skeptical AV Club asks some valid questions about the clip’s audience and message: “Who is this appealing to—people in their 30s and 40s who have probably already determined their feelings on pot? And if they are so stringent on marijuana laws, why are they not as strict about copyright infringement?”
Here’s another retro, repurposed clip the department posted earlier this year:
