PSA: This ‘1970s’ PSA is a parody

"As they say, history always repeats itself," read a Sept. 26 Instagram post sharing a video labeled as a 1970s public information film. 

But watch for several seconds and it soon becomes clear this isn’t a decades-old artifact. 

"If you’re away from home, drop face-first on the ground," a narrator says. "In this position, the only cavity exposed is the anal duct, and it should not pose a problem so long as you're wearing trousers."

Another tip: "If you don’t have an indoor toilet, cut a hole in your favorite chair and stick a bucket underneath. If you don’t have chairs, dig a hole for yourself somewhere inside the house."

 This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

We searched for the video online and found several posts on TikTok, YouTube and elsewhere identifying it as the creation of CheeksProductions, which posted the film on YouTube in May 2020, a couple of months after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. 

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Facebook posts

stated on January 22, 2020 in a Facebook post

Says a coronavirus patent expired just as there is a "sudden outbreak" and, despite "media fear-mongering," there is already a vaccine available.

Other videos posted on that YouTube channel are clearly humorous, both COVID-19-related and not.

Actor Charlie Tantam identified himself on his website as the narrator of the 1970s-themed film. He listed it under a section for his voiceover work for "parody shorts." 

"So proud to have done the voiceover for this back in the 70’s," Tantam joked on X in May 2020. "It hasn’t aged very well but it remains a sobering watch."

We rate claims this film is an actual 1970s PSA False.