Stop the Madness
Encyclopedia
"Stop the Madness" is an anti-drug music video
uniquely endorsed and supported by United States President
Ronald Reagan
and the Reagan administration
in 1985. The video starred Claudia Wells
, New Edition
, LaToya Jackson, Whitney Houston
, David Hasselhoff
, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
, Kim Fields
, Herb Alpert
, Arnold Schwarzenegger
, Tim Feehan
, Casey Kasem
and Boogaloo Shrimp
from the Breakin'
franchise. Perhaps the main star of the video was Ronald Reagan's
wife, Nancy Reagan
, whose main cause as First Lady
was speaking out against drugs, and forming the "Just Say No
" anti-drug association. Mrs. Reagan appeared twice in Stop the Madness. The video was executive produced by Brian Dyak, founding president and ceo of the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) It premiered January 16, 1986 on NBC
's Friday Night Videos
and was in regular airing for over six months.
television network, working with Brian Dyak and EIC, adopted the Stop the Madness name for a long-running series of public service announcements addressing forms of drug abuse, addictions, alcoholism, and other social issues at concern to the general public. Brian Dyak further initiated the first network television campaign on HIV and AIDS as related to intravenous drug use, also with CBS. The current stars of CBS always spoke directly to the viewer in short but effective spots that launched the first 15 second PSAs. The campaign ran until the mid-1990s, whereupon it was succeeded by specialty campaigns such as The Arts Enrich Us All and currently, CBS Cares.
The video was also released as a Record by MCA Records, the song was written by Michael Stokes. The dance version of the song was well received in Europe and played in dance clubs internationally sparking special anti drug campaigns in Germany, Italy, and other countries.
, who played DJ Venus Flytrap on CBS' WKRP in Cincinnati
and Brian Dyak. Stop the Madness launched the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. to become the eminent leader in edutainment. Brian Dyak has gone on to Executive Produce and co write and produce the nationally televised PRISM Awards, the only television special(that has aired nationally for twelve consecutive years) recognizing the accurate depiction of substance abuse and mental health issues in entertainment programming in the history of television. The show's flagship network is FX Network, and is simulcast each year by other national cable networks including Lifetime Real Women, MTVU, E Network (on demand), and others. EIC continues to be a pioneer in entertainment media engagement in a variety of health and social issues. Stop the Madness established a strong foundation for use of media for good and unique partnerships between government and the private sector.
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
uniquely endorsed and supported by United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and the Reagan administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
in 1985. The video starred Claudia Wells
Claudia Wells
Claudia Grace Wells is a Malaysian-born American actress.Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she spent her early childhood years growing up in Punto Fijo, Cariubana, Falcón, a Venezuelan city, later graduating from high school in San Francisco, California, where she was also raised...
, New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
, LaToya Jackson, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, Kim Fields
Kim Fields
Kim Victoria Fields is an American actress and television director. She is known for her roles as Tootie Ramsey on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life, and as Regine Hunter on the Fox sitcom Living Single...
, Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, Tim Feehan
Tim Feehan
Tim Feehan is a Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, LA area studio owner and mix master.-Career:Tim Feehan graduated from the University of Alberta in 1984 and began his recording/songwriting career quite accidentally when his college band "Footloose" was asked by a local studio owner to record...
, Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
and Boogaloo Shrimp
Michael Chambers
Michael "Boogalo Shrimp" Chambers is an American dancer and actor known for his role as "Turbo" in the 1984 cult classic film Breakin and the 1984 hit sequel Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo...
from the Breakin'
Breakin'
Breakin', released as Breakdance: The Movie in some countries, is a 1984 breakdancing-themed film directed by Joel Silberg. The film setting was inspired by a German documentary entitled Breakin' and Enterin set in the Los Angeles multi-racial hip hop club Radiotron, based out of Macarthur Park in...
franchise. Perhaps the main star of the video was Ronald Reagan's
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
wife, Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
, whose main cause as First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
was speaking out against drugs, and forming the "Just Say No
Just Say No
"Just Say No" was an advertising campaign, part of the U.S. "War on Drugs", prevalent during the 1980s and early 1990s, to discourage children from engaging in recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying no. Eventually, this also expanded the realm of "Just Say No" to violence and...
" anti-drug association. Mrs. Reagan appeared twice in Stop the Madness. The video was executive produced by Brian Dyak, founding president and ceo of the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) It premiered January 16, 1986 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Friday Night Videos
Friday Night Videos
Friday Night Videos is an American music video show broadcast on the NBC television network from July 29, 1983 to December 30, 2000, and was the network's attempt to capitalize on the emerging popularity of music videos as seen on MTV...
and was in regular airing for over six months.
CBS' PSAs
After the success of the movement, the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television network, working with Brian Dyak and EIC, adopted the Stop the Madness name for a long-running series of public service announcements addressing forms of drug abuse, addictions, alcoholism, and other social issues at concern to the general public. Brian Dyak further initiated the first network television campaign on HIV and AIDS as related to intravenous drug use, also with CBS. The current stars of CBS always spoke directly to the viewer in short but effective spots that launched the first 15 second PSAs. The campaign ran until the mid-1990s, whereupon it was succeeded by specialty campaigns such as The Arts Enrich Us All and currently, CBS Cares.
The video was also released as a Record by MCA Records, the song was written by Michael Stokes. The dance version of the song was well received in Europe and played in dance clubs internationally sparking special anti drug campaigns in Germany, Italy, and other countries.
Creation
The video was created by Tim ReidTim Reid
Timothy L. "Tim" Reid is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati , Marcel "Downtown" Brown on Simon & Simon , Ray Campbell on Sister, Sister and William Barnett on That 70's Show...
, who played DJ Venus Flytrap on CBS' WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
and Brian Dyak. Stop the Madness launched the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. to become the eminent leader in edutainment. Brian Dyak has gone on to Executive Produce and co write and produce the nationally televised PRISM Awards, the only television special(that has aired nationally for twelve consecutive years) recognizing the accurate depiction of substance abuse and mental health issues in entertainment programming in the history of television. The show's flagship network is FX Network, and is simulcast each year by other national cable networks including Lifetime Real Women, MTVU, E Network (on demand), and others. EIC continues to be a pioneer in entertainment media engagement in a variety of health and social issues. Stop the Madness established a strong foundation for use of media for good and unique partnerships between government and the private sector.