Was Smokey Bear wrong? How a beloved character may have helped fuel catastrophic fires.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

That's right; blame it on a poor, defenseless animal.

Morning Mix

Was Smokey Bear wrong? How a beloved character may have helped fuel catastrophic fires.

By Kyle Swenson August 15 at 7:37 AM Email the author

First off, let’s ditch “the.” It’s officially “Smokey Bear.” The definite article only got shoehorned in there in 1952, when his fame was snowballing and a pair of songwriters penned Smokey his own anthem. They jammed “the” into his name for the song’s rhythm.

Second: Know he only got his job because Bambi was contractually unavailable. Had Walt Disney been a little more open about loaning out his prancing cartoon deer for government work, Americans may have never heard of Smokey Bear or his famous catchphrase: “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires.” ... But Bambi had merchandise to hawk at the Magic Kingdom, so Smokey became the face of American forestry — and the longest-running public service campaign in the country’s history.

This month Smokey is popping champagne bottles in celebration of his 74th birthday. But the milestone comes as the bear’s legacy is sunk in doubt. Right now 110 wildfires are blazing through Western states, charring more than 5.7 million acres, The Washington Post reported this week. The current damage total has already overlapped past years, syncing with a wider pattern of larger fires and longer fire seasons, according to The Post. ... So as America burns, where’s Smokey Bear?

The recent fires actually highlight an ongoing debate among ecologists about whether Smokey should shoulder some responsibility for the flames now regularly sweeping across natural lands. For much of the last century, Smokey was the pitchman for the federal government’s aggressive wildfire suppression policy. Some scientists believe that tactic, along with climate change, may have contributed to making American forests vulnerable to combustion over the long term. They call it “the Smokey Bear effect.”
....

Kyle Swenson is a reporter with The Washington Post's Morning Mix team. He previously worked at the New Times Broward-Palm Beach and Cleveland Scene. Follow https://twitter.com/kyletalking

There was these comments:

Amy L. Houser 25 minutes ago

Just to be clear, if they come for Woodsy the Owl they will be met with fire and fury the likes of which the world has never seen before.

- - - -

nermal100 27 minutes ago

Credit please, to the late, great Jackson Weaver, the original voice of Smokey Bear, and half of the legendary radio duo Harden and Weaver at WMAL.

https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/22/obituaries/jackson-weaver-72-voice-of-smokey-bear.html

"Mr. Weaver first gave voice to Smokey Bear in 1947 ..... Eventually, Smokey's admonition, "Remember, only you can prevent forest fires," became indelibly linked to the character. Mr. Weaver said he gave Smokey Bear a deep, gruff voice by speaking into an office wastebasket."

More about Smokey:

Why do they call him Smokey? And how did he get his name? 74 years old today, Smokey Bear.

[FSogol]

1. I've seen this agrument before. It is major BS. Smokey (and the USFS) were about preventing

careless forest fires, such as a cig or match thrown from a car, campers leaving fires lit, etc.

The USFS also had a policy of preventing all fires, when they should have recognized fire's important role in the forest cycle. Similar ecological disasters of that same time period were the Army Corps of Engineers building dams and draining wet lands.

Blaming those polices on Smokey Bear or any other mascot is utter nonsense.

[Aristus]

2. I agree. They need to draw a distinction between natural wildfires that clear out dense, flammable

underbrush, and contribute to cycles of renewal in the forest, and fires that are set carelessly by human beings.

[TooManyDucks]

3. I'm Almost Positive He Was Wrong

Crazy bear said that only I could prevent forest fires.

That's a lot of responsibility to put on someone who is almost never in the woods.

[LakeSuperiorView]

4. Right? Bunch of 8 to 12 year on anti-anxiety meds because they thought

they were the only person that could prevent forest fires... Sick bastard...

[Haggis for Breakfast]

5. I had this on a 45 record back in the 50s.

I played it on my little record player until my Mum almost tore out all her hair.

I still remembered all of the words, 'cause that's what Smokey would want me to do.

But we didn't have headphones back then, which might have saved my poor Mum's ears !!