Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
My friend just told me "It's 10PM" and naturally the next thing that popped into my head was "Do you know where your children are?" Then I started thinking... I haven't seen those public service announcements in years. Then I also started thinking about how creepy those darned things were! -And what a weird thing that was to put on TV every night. The intent is commendable, but it's still a bit odd if you think about it.
Do you know where your children are? is a popular question used as a public service announcement for parents on American television throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, usually at 10:00PM or 11:00PM, depending on the market and/or the time of the local youth curfew. The phrase originated from Buffalo, New York's long time ABC affiliate WKBW, and was possibly inspired by the Scottish bedtime story, Wee Willie Winkie.
Besides being used on WKBW, the question became the long-running slogan of New York City TV station (and eventual Fox affiliate), WNYW, which often had celebrities saying it on camera just before the news.-From Wikipedia
5 Comments:
It has been forever since I've even thought about those, much less heard that phrase!
I remember that..and I've used it. My parents used to have a COW if I stayed out past 10pm...they figured I should have had enough of my friends by then.
It's not as relevent now since half the kids are in their rooms..on line..in a chat room.
Monday or so I'm going to put up a note about guest blogging while I'm on vacation..I want you too if you want to.. Monday I think I'll remind you!
oh man, i totally remember those. sadly, i was always home, next to my parents, during those announcements. i wasn't what you'd call a "wild" child ;-P
vanessa: Ok so it's not just me? I thought maybe they were on but I hadn't been noticing them? I wonder when they stopped. I bet they're still on somewhere.
MP: I always figured it was broadcast so much that parents would tune it out and ignore it, so there wasn't much point to it. I mean we didn't all have cell phones back then so what were our parents supposed to do if they DIDN'T know where we were?
Guest blogging? Wow. I'd be honored. Thank you so much. Geeze, I haven't even done the two MEMES you sent me yet! LOL! I'll check on Monday but do remind me! :) -Thank you again.
Alice: Me too. That's kind of funny... I never thought about this but there's probably a whole group of "wild kids" who would read this and say "I never heard that announcement" -GUESS WHY?! :D
I remember the phrase well...and use it every time someone says what time it is. UGH...I need a life.
Hey...see ya over at MP's site, in the guest blogging arena. ;)
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