Treehouse of horror XVII

This is episode seventeen! Please, watch it on http://wtso.net/movie/299-The_Simpsons_1804_Treehouse_of_Horror_XV.html.

As you know, Halloween is a celebration in which people usually play pranks but, can you imagine playing a prank on an entire country? This happened once in the United States when Orson Wells carried out a realistic radio dramatization of a book named 'The war of worlds' on October 31st, 1938.

 

The dramatization made Americans believe that the Earth had been invaded by Martians and people were frightened all over the country! The mass media certainly misled radio listeners and some of them even tried to hide or to run away from their cities.

 

When it was revealed that everyting had been a hoax, people got furios and even some radio stations were the victims of strong censorship measures. If you want to read more about this prank, click on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15470903 or on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs0K4ApWl4g if you want to listen to the original radio broadcast.

 

This event is portrayed in the episode we are talking about. It shows how people panicked at the idea of being attacked by the aliens as you can see in the following pictures.

 

It is said that Wells received so much criticism that some countries rejected him when he tried to travel abroad. What do you think?

Pranks are essential when celebrating Halloween, but don't take them too far! Maybe nobody will believe you when aliens actually invade our planet. Besides, tricks should harm no one so be very careful.