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Kill Your Idols: Orson Welles' War of the Worlds

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by TheSportsPredictor, Oct 30, 2013.

  1. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    No, the radio broadcast 75 years ago today did not induce mass panic. In fact, it fooled next to no one.

    What happened was newspapers angry over radio siphoning off ad revenue during The Great Depression tried to discredit radio news by creating the narrative of mass panic. The New York Times' "Terror by Radio" was one such editorial railing against radio news producers. Editor & Publisher also climbed on board.

    Well, so says Slate, at least: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/history/2013/10/orson_welles_war_of_the_worlds_panic_myth_the_infamous_radio_broadcast_did.html
     
    TheSportsPredictor, Oct 30, 2013
    #1
  2. Dyno

    Dyno Well-Known Member

    My dad was 8 at the time and claimed he was terrified.
     
    Dyno, Oct 30, 2013
    #2
  3. TrooperBari

    TrooperBari Well-Known Member

    Big Picture Science also touched on this and looked how we could all get fooled again.

    http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Skeptic_Check_War_of_the_Worlds
     
    TrooperBari, Oct 30, 2013
    #3
  4. 3_Octave_Fart

    3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

    Ranks right up there in radio history with FDR's fireside chats.
    Welles was probably a real pain in the ass to deal with.
    But there is little question he was an authentic artist.
     
    3_Octave_Fart, Oct 30, 2013
    #4
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