The comedian who I interviewed is Robert Klein and this interview was recorded in 1989.
Robert Klein was a well-known American comedian and actor who had a successful career in stand-up comedy and appeared in various films and television shows. He was born in the Bronx, New York City, and he passed away on July 10, 2022. Klein was considered a pioneer in observational comedy and was known for his sharp wit, social commentary and ability to address a wide range of topics in his routines.
Robert Klein was a political liberal and often incorporated politics and social commentary into his routines. He was known for discussing issues like civil rights, environmentalism, and his criticism of various political figures and policies in his stand-up routines.
During the 1950s, at the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the fear of nuclear attack led to the implementation of civil defense measures across the United States, including drills in schools designed to prepare students for the possibility of a nuclear explosion. These drills were a common part of the educational experience for children growing up in this era, reflecting the pervasive anxiety about nuclear war at the time.
The most iconic of these drills was the "Duck and Cover" drill, which became widely known through a civil defense film of the same name featuring Bert the Turtle. The film, which was shown in schools across the country, instructed children on what to do in the event of a nuclear blast. The primary advice was to duck and cover; in other words, students were taught to drop to the ground and take cover under desks or against walls to protect themselves from the blast and flying debris.
The procedure for a Duck and Cover drill involved a siren or bell sounding as the signal to begin. Upon hearing this signal, students were expected to immediately stop what they were doing, duck under their desks, and cover their heads with their arms. This position was intended to protect vital parts of the body, especially the head, from the effects of the blast and potential flying glass or debris. Teachers and school administrators led the drills, ensuring that all students participated and followed the procedures correctly.
In addition to Duck and Cover drills, schools also conducted evacuation drills, where students practiced leaving the school quickly and in an orderly fashion to relocate to designated fallout shelters. These shelters were supposed to offer protection from radioactive fallout, a deadly byproduct of a nuclear explosion.
While the effectiveness of such measures in the event of an actual nuclear attack was, and remains, a subject of debate, the drills played a significant role in the Cold War era, serving both as a means of preparation and as a tool for raising public awareness about the nuclear threat. For students, these drills were a regular reminder of the nuclear threat, embedding a sense of fear and urgency regarding the Cold War tensions in their daily lives. The drills were part of a broader civil defense strategy that included public information campaigns, construction of fallout shelters, and other preparedness efforts aimed at mitigating the potential effects of a nuclear conflict.