As I've mentioned before, PSAs about child abuse, substance abuse, spousal abuse, etc. tend to be lame and/or creepy, because there is no way of measuring effectiveness, there is free money from some charity or agency, and young designers like to do them to build their portfolios.

Here (via copyranter) is a PSA about child abuse that at first (in the "clever" twist invented by the Energizer bunny) seems to be about learning how to make model rockets. Watch it, then think about what it's real message is.

In his post, copyranter says the film makers found a real offender in a real correctional facility for this.

What does it teach? That you should never let your kids do anything anywhere with anyone, because the world is a disgusting and dangerous place? Well, pretty much. Leave your kids with their Playstations in the family room, for heaven's sake. Does it teach you anything useful?  I don't think so.

Because who the hell builds model rockets anymore?

To find something that seems innocent and useful that a kid might be doing, they had to reach back into the dark Heinleinian past. I suppose you could do it with a mountain-biking club, or something like that, but nothing comes quickly to my mind that has the same virtuous resonance as the rocketry thing. Plus 50s bashing is always popular. After all, we all know that the 50s were actually a dark tormented time that just hid its basic sickness successfully. The more innocent something seems, the greater danger hides beneath it.

This is not to assert that there is no danger out there. Recent church and school scandals show that there is.

But I don't think going after obsolete hobbies is the best way to protect our children.