Disney+ will not be complete until it adds this 1973 animated short about VD to its catalog
Aux Features Fictional characters
While Disney continuously works to swallow up every facet of modern pop culture like a ravenous cartoon whale, it’s neglected many of its own classics in the process. Sure, Disney+ may have some of its deep cuts already available, but it will always remain an incomplete representation of the company’s history until it adds VD Attack Plan, an animated short from 1973 that explains (presumably to children) how venereal disease spreads.
After the sound of bombs and gunfire introduce the PSA, its narrator introduces us to the hated venereal disease. “This is a war story,” he says. “It could be anywhere in the world. It could involve anyone. It could only take place within the human body.” We’re then shown VD itself, depicted here as a chattering army of slug creatures with bad teeth and evil intentions. One “attack force” sets out to infect people with syphilis and the other with gonorrhea. The VD commander, who wears a spiked helmet, explains that their invasion will be helped along by other cartoon monsters: “Ignorance,” “Fear,” and “Shame.”
There’s some questionable language about the various “colors” humans come in, then a breakdown (with silhouettes where green and red targets sit on the diagrammed genitals) of how VD can get into its targets. At one point, the VD commander eats a bunch of birth control pills, calling them “delicious.” At another, we get some memorable images of visible STI symptoms. The commander loves this shit, happily describing the rashes and growths over medical photos showing exactly what they look like.
Why this cartoon hasn’t been added to Disney+ yet is a mystery. Maybe the company’s holding VD Attack Plan back for a reason. Maybe it’s currently in the planning stages of a live-action remake of this beloved cartoon or a Marvel/Star Wars crossover special where Chewbacca and Captain America illustrate condom use and the importance of STI tests. Hey, Paul Bettany said the Marvel Cinematic Universe is only going to get “more and more bonkers” in the future so you never know.
[via Boing Boing]
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17 Comments
I’m thinking that was for the US Military (Vietnam was in full swing in 1973) and not children. Disney made propaganda films for the military in WWII.
Defense contracts during the war were what kept Disney afloat, after a string of costly flops, and their general inability to make profitable films due to half the market (i.e. Europe) being off limits due to the war.
If you’ve never seen them, there’s a great series of WWII shorts commissioned by the Army for WB called Private Snafu. They’re directed by Chuck Jones, of course voiced by Mel Blanc, and they’re honestly genuinely pretty hilarious, with only SLIGHT bits of obvious wartime racism.
Didn’t those also involve Dr. Seuss, or am I thinking of something else?
You’re right. Dr. Seuss wrote many (but not all) of the shorts.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/private-snafu-cartoon-series
No, you’re correct. Since they were primarily geared towards US soldiers serving in the Pacific theater, that’s likely where that SLIGHT racism came from.
Yeah, I think it’s pretty clear this is to warn soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, about not getting god knows what from whatever brothels will be available to them when they shove off.It should probably be updated. Now that we have a Space Force, who knows what alien VD will be contracted by our (snicker) guardians (breaks into howling fits of laughter).
I don’t know about this one’s audience, but Disney was paid to make a series of shorts for school health classes, including this one:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Menstruation
I saw this in PE in high school in the mid-80s. The Disney logo at the beginning cracked us all up good.
When I lived overseas with my dad in the mid-70s, they showed stuff like that on the Army-run TV station we watched. It was the only English-language station available. I came home to the U.S. and taught all me friends the “VD is for Everybody” jingle.“Anyone can get VD, from someone nice like you …”
Reminds me of KneeHigh Park.
What about Donald Duck in Mathland? Does Disney+ have that at least?
Children should definitely know about STIs and viruses. That way they don’t grow up to be shitty adults who spread STIs, viruses and refuse to wear masks when asked.
Voice acting by Keenan Wynn! I wonder why this isn’t mentioned in every discussion of his career. (Heh.)
VD Attack Plan….. Not a great title. How about The Junkle Book? Or Throbbin’ Hood? Steam Bloat Willy? Or make a short featuring Screwed McDuck.
“We’re then shown VD itself, depicted here as a chattering army of slug creatures with bad teeth and evil intentions.”You mean Republicans?“The VD commander, who wears a spiked helmet, explains that their
invasion will be helped along by other cartoon monsters: ‘Ignorance,’ ‘Fear,’ and ‘Shame.’” I’ll take that as a “yes.”
I only watched the first 4:39 of the short.Yes, the mention of color is a bit problematic; but they do mention “male to male” and “female to female” transmission, which I was honestly surprised about.I’ll have to watch the rest when I have time.