Drop bears: the commercials
It’s not just Fitzy and Wippa getting in early with April Fools. However, one Canadian woman’s plea for validation from Australians that ‘Drop Bears’ are not real led to some creative types riffing public safety videos for the animal.
The tongue-in-cheek myth of the drop bear has been fanned in recent years by the likes of The Australian Museum and a raft of websites and videos promoting the mythical creature.
The post which generated more than 500 comments, and counting was simple enough: “I have a friend who recently went to Australia and now she’s convinced that these things called drop bears exist. Now I’ve done some research and that’s bullshit. But she still won’t believe me. She told me to go talk to some Australians about it then to come back to her. So here I am. So are drop bears real?”
MaryLongbottom “I remember that old television commercial.”
abexandagoodliedown: “My God, I haven’t thought about that one in years! Was that Fat Cat? He was walking along with a couple of kids and they were holding hands and they stopped at the edge of a crossing and looked up. Then something fell towards the screen with a screech! Scared the hell out of me!
“They used to play it in Melbourne in the early 70’s, between the Paddle Pop Lion Show with Daryl Somers and Simon Townsend’s Wonder World (back in the days when they had the ‘Afternoon Delight’ song for the opening credits)!
“Remember those educational programs they used to show in primary school? They’d either pack the kids off to the library, or wheel this huge TV/VHS player into the classroom and we’d watch those short ABC documentaries? What was that one about hunting drop bears? Terror in the Bush? It started out with the aboriginal guy standing with the sun at his back and one foot up on his knee, then he ran down and joined a group of aboriginal guys as they hunted one. I think a couple of them were seriously injured. I remember huge claw marks and split open skin and muscles, although that was more fascinating to me back then, than scary. I think it was narrated by Greg Grainger?
MaryLongbottom: “I haven’t seen the 70s ones. The ones I remember were from the 90s. They must have kept the slogan. Made me scared of camping as a kid. An exchange student at our school got attacked on a school camp. Ad campaign was in full force then, but a lot of the kids didn’t take it seriously. I was easily scared, but for good reason. Fucken drop bears.”
rainbowplethora: “Speaking of ads: remember that bundy ad that took the piss out of drop bears? Fucking irresponsible idiots.”
EwokHunter: “The look of terror on that child actor’s face. Can’t believe they use to show that ad during after-school TV programming. But I guess kids are the ones who really need to know.”
A_Blunt_Object: “There’s even a new tv/radio ad, from workers compensation or something “What do we have to do to get you to look up while on the job”
And this little exchange further down should do wonders for Tourism Australia too:
Bohemian_wombat: “Not to mention that chance encounters by unexpected tourists are 100% fatal.”
soggyindo: “300% fatal. They have learnt to wait for the rescue parties.”
Dragonpunch84: “I’ve always thought the term “rescue party” is kind of ironic considering there has never been a confirmed rescue from a drop bear attack.”
soggyind: “I believe it refers to the party the bears have when they see the ‘rescuers’ coming.”
Drop bears had wireless internet. How do we know? we haven’t found any foxtel cable or NBN at their nesting trees.
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I know it’s important for tourism, but you really shouldn’t say drop bears are a myth just to boost tourist numbers. Public awareness about this issue is more important.
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Of course drop bears are real. I used to see them play around the Sydney pub scene in the early 80s. (Mind you I think the crowd was more dangerous!)
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I assume that while the bear is fake that’s a real dead guy that’s just made me want to throw up my lunch. Was there a more tasteful version of the joke? Personally, I work hard to avoid gore online…
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Sure they are real. You find them in the same habitat as the kangawallafoxes. Sheesh….surely everyone knows that!
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Maybe the government can use it to discourage boat people?
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If 46% of Americans can believe in creationism then we can believe in drop bears. Maybe we could spare some of them to export………………………..
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and help make this movie happen!
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Wow, Groucho, it must make you feel like a real hero to take every opportunity to mock people with beliefs different to you own even when it has nothing to do with the subject at hand.
You are clearly a really smart person with no insecurities at all. *slow applause*
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Drop Bears not real?
Pffft! Don’t make me laugh.
Next thing we’ll be told Father Xmas, the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny aren’t real. Ha! What a crazy world that’d be.
Then we’d have to believe in god and satan, an even crazier world.And the honest ad exec.
Leave the Drop Bears, in these troubled times we have to believe in something, heaven knows the government isn’t helping.
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