PSAs featuring Pee-wee Herman warning about the dangers of crack and an egg in a frying pan representing “your brain on drugs” fit right in during the “Just Say No” era.
ByNicole Johnson|Aug 2, 2023, 3:47 PM EDT
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Thanks to Afterschool Specials that put beloved stars in perilous situations and the Sunday Night Movie of the Week that exposed youngsters to the horrific effects of the nuclear apocalypse, Gen X was well-versed in fear. Luckily, television also showed this generation how to stay safe by providing them with a steady stream of powerful public service announcements. Whether it was a mustached dad, an egg in a frying pan, or Pee-wee Herman holding a crack vial, these PSAs tried—and possibly even succeeded—in saving some Gen Xers’ lives.
1. Like Father, Like Son
“Parents who use drugs, have children who use drugs,” the tagline for this 1987 public service announcement, created by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, warned. Its most gutting line—“I learned it by watching you”—remains an utterance Gen Xers will never forget. The poor teen in the PSA is constantly interrupted by his mustached dad, leading kids to believe he doesn’t really want to hear the answer to his question: “This yours?”
2. “Give a Hoot—Don’t Pollute”
Nothing warned of the dangers of pollution like a giant singing owl named Woodsy carrying a sign and wearing a green hat while leading a band of kids through a variety of landscapes while uttering “dirty bird.” “In the city or in the woods, help keep America looking good!”
3. “This Is Crack“
A special public service announcement showed a very serious Pee-wee Herman warning kids everywhere of the dangers of crack … all while holding a crack vial. “Every time you use it, you risk dying,“ Pee-wee said, as he looked directly into the camera—and into viewers’ souls. “The thrill can kill.“
4. C-3PO Says No to Smoking
In a message from a galaxy far, far away, beloved protocol droid C-3PO warned kids of the dangers of smoking after catching pal R2-D2 lighting up. Perhaps the best part of the commercial came when C-3PO unexpectedly broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the television audience.
5. “Kids Bring More Than Lunch to School“
Marla Gibbs took a break from her sitcom 227 to talk about the unexpected things kids were bringing to school, including bruises, drugs, and teen pregnancy. Seeing her ask, “Johnny, are you high on something?” was supposed to scare viewers … but it just made them laugh. Perhaps they should have asked Marla’s 227 co-star Jackée to drive the point home.
6. Conserve Energy with Captain America
This 1980s commercial by the United States Department of Energy featured superhero Captain America showing Gen X kids how to conserve energy. Images of the Thermal Thief, the Wattage Waster, and The Cold Air Crook appear on wanted posters as the good Captain fights the “insidious villains“ at the home’s entrance, in the living room, and in the kitchen.
7. “This Is Your Brain On Drugs“
Quite possibly one of the most famous PSAs of all time, this anti-drug commercial fit right in during the “Just Say No” 1980s. A middle-aged man standing in a kitchen cracks an egg into a frying pan to show what happens to a brain under the influence of drugs. The beauty of this PSA was in the simplicity.
8. “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires“
While Smokey Bear was created in 1944—and the Wartime Advertising Council slogan, “Only you can prevent forest fires,“ came about in 1947—Gen Xers still carry Smokey in their hearts. The sight of seeing a typical nuclear family forget to put out a campfire reminded kids to tell their own parents to stub out their butts carefully on that annual family camping trip.
9. “Drinking and Driving Can Kill a Friendship“
Brought to Gen Xers by the U.S. Department of Transportation, these commercials featured a teen being pressured to drink by the rest of their peer group. The message in the ads was clear: drink, drive, die. Often the images were shocking, like in the PSA above, which concludes with a group of teen skeletons—one of them still wearing his jacket.
10. She-Ra and He-Man Talk About Bad Touches
In this surreal spot, two well-known cartoon characters talk to kids about inappropriate touches while Orko air boxes the imaginary bad person away. The bulked-up animated duo were simply trying to help kids realize there were a lot of trusted adults they could talk to, but the PSA felt awkward and wrong on many levels.
A version of this story ran in 2021; it has been updated for 2023.
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The Spookiest Star Signs, Ranked By Horror Movie Villains
It turns out some zodiac signs are far deadlier than others—at least on screen.
ByNitya Rao|Oct 27, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Have you ever watched a horror movie and realized its antagonist was suspiciously similar to the villain in your own story? Whether it’s the strategic Scorpio mind games or the infamous Gemini two-faced tendencies, some red flags feel like they were written in the stars. But can your birth chart actually predict your evil twin on the silver screen?
Doing the Monster Math
There are 12 zodiac signs: Aries (March 21 – April 19), Taurus (April 20 – May 20), Gemini (May 21 – June 20), Cancer (June 21 – July 22), Leo (July 23 – August 22), Virgo (August 23 – September 22), Libra (September 23 – October 22), Scorpio (October 23 – November 21), Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21), Capricorn (December 22 – January 19), Aquarius (January 20 – February 18), and Pisces (February 19 – March 20).
There are also countless horror characters who wear their signs on their sleeves—from the charmingly polite Libra facade of Norman Bates to the spotlight-stealing, Leo spectacles of Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel.
To find out which star signs shine brightest in the horror hall of fame, researchers at California Psychics analyzed 85 famous movie monsters to pinpoint their astrological alignments. Sourcing 23 canonical birthdays from official lore and 62 from fan wikis and Wikidata, the study also factored in character totals and movie appearances to produce a final spookiness score out of 100.
See the full list of the spookiest zodiac signs—from Gemini to Sagittarius—based on their overall score, villain count, and standout slasher icons below:
| Rank | Zodiac Sign | Spookiness Score | Villain Count | Notable Villains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gemini | 100.0 | 11 | Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th), Damien Thorn (The Omen) |
| 2 | Scorpio | 91.4 | 11 | Count Dracula (Dracula), Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) |
| 3 | Leo | 89.1 | 10 | Jack Torrance (The Shining), Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) |
| 4 | Aries | 79.6 | 9 | Kayako Saeki (The Grudge), Regan MacNeil (The Exorcist) |
| 5 | Libra | 71.5 | 8 | Michael Myers (Halloween), Norman Bates (Psycho) |
| 6 | Virgo | 61.7 | 7 | Carrie White (Carrie), Frankenstein’s Monster (Frankenstein) |
| 7 | Taurus | 54.5 | 6 | Chucky (Child’s Play), Pennywise (It), M3GAN (M3GAN) |
| 8 | Aquarius | 51.9 | 6 | Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs), Samara Morgan (The Ring) |
| 9 | Cancer | 48.6 | 5 | Billy Lenz (Black Christmas) |
| 10 | Sagittarius | 42.1 | 5 | Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Jigsaw (Saw) |
| 11 | Pisces | 39.5 | 4 | Angela Baker (Sleepaway Camp) |
| 12 | Capricorn | 25.9 | 3 | Candyman (Candyman); Clarice Starling (The Silence of the Lambs) |
The Horror Horoscope
The stereotype of twin sign Geminis being two-faced might be an actual archetype, with the hockey-masked Jason Voorhees of Friday the 13th confirmed to be one. From The Omen‘s sinister antichrist Damien Thorn, born June 6, to Saw’s cold, calculating detective Mark Hoffman, Gemini tops the list with 11 horror villains, 35 movie appearances, and an eerily perfect spookiness score of 100.0.
Also making up one in eight characters analyzed is the second-spookiest zodiac sign, Scorpio, with a 91.4 score. Scorpio’s ranks include American Psycho‘s Patrick Bateman and Halloween-born slashers Victor Crowley (Hatchet) and Ethan Landry (Scream VI). Fire signs Leo and Aries have 10 and nine characters respectively, with the latter including The Exorcist‘s Regan MacNeil, whose embodiment of an Aries sun shines through from her playful, energetic pre-possession self to her explosive emotionality when pushed to the brink.
On the less sinister side of the spectrum is Capricorn as the least spooky zodiac sign with a spookiness score of 25.9 out of 100, known for its logical, no-nonsense attitude. Capricorns, like the sharp, determined Clarice Starling of The Silence of the Lambs, prioritize practicality over paranormal activity, cementing the sign’s spot far from the superstitiousness of it all. Watery Pisces also lands near the bottom overall with just four characters, followed by Sagittarius, which Freddy Krueger and Jigsaw share as a sun sign.
Grounded earth signs like Virgo and Taurus sit near the middle of the rankings with around 7% to 8% of horror characters each. While they can produce tragic monsters like Carrie White as well as chaotic characters like Chucky and Pennywise, they leave the highest body counts to air and fire signs.
Who’s Your Spooky Star Sign Soulmate?
Do you share a birth chart with an iconic horror villain, or does your zodiac sign land among the least deadly?
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The Scariest Movie the Year You Were Born
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Year of the Fire Horse: Meaning, History, and Why It Sparked Widespread Fear
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