Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Unterschwelliger Reiz

2007-02-16T03:56:58Z

207.69.139.6: /* Comedy */

{{Hidden messages}}
A '''subliminal message''' is a signal or message embedded in another object, designed to pass below the normal limits of perception. These messages are indiscernible to the [[conscious]] mind, but are alleged to be perceptible to the [[subconscious]] or deeper [[mind]]: for example, an image transmitted so briefly that it is only perceived subconsciously, but not otherwise noticed. Subliminal techniques have occasionally been used in [[advertising]] and [[propaganda]]; the purpose, effectiveness and frequency of such techniques is debated.

== History ==
In 1900, [[Knight Dunlap]], an American professor of [[psychology]], flashed an "imperceptible shadow" to subjects while showing them a [[Mueller-Lyer illusion]] containing two lines with pointed arrows at their ends which create an illusion of different lengths. Dunlap claimed that the shadow influenced his subjects subliminally in their judgment of the lengths of the lines. Although these results were not verified, American psychologist [[Harry Levi Hollingworth]] reported in an advertising textbook that such subliminal messages could be used by advertisers.<ref name="persuasion">{{cite news|work=[[Skeptical Inquirer]]|date=Spring 1992|publisher=[[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]]|title=The Cargo-Cult Science of Subliminal Persuasion|pages=260-272|last=Pratkanis|first=Anthony R.|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/9204/subliminal-persuasion.html|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref>

[[James Vicary]], a market researcher, falsely claimed in 1957 that quickly flashing messages on a movie screen had influenced people to purchase more food and drink. Vicary coined the term ''subliminal advertising'' and formed the [[Subliminal Projection Company]] based on a six-week test in which he flashed the slogans "Drink [[Coca-Cola]]" and "Eat popcorn" during a movie for 1/3000 of a second at five-second intervals. Vicary claimed that during the test, sales of popcorn and Coke in the New Jersey theater where the test was conducted increased 57.5 percent and 18.1 percent respectively.<ref name="straightdope">{{cite web|title=The Straight Dope: Does subliminal advertising work?|publisher=[[The Straight Dope]]|url=http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_187.html|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref><ref name="snopes">{{cite web|title=Urban Legends Reference Pages: Business (Subliminal Advertising)|publisher=The [[Urban Legends Reference Pages]]|url=http://www.snopes.com/business/hidden/popcorn.asp|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref>

Vicary's claims led to a public outcry, and to many [[conspiracy theories]] of governments and cults using the technique to their advantage. The practice of subliminal advertising was subsequently banned in the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Australia]]<ref name="persuasion" />, but not formally in the [[United States]] (actions were taken by the [[National Association of Broadcasters]] in 1958, and the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) released a policy statement in 1974, claiming that such messaging was "against the public good"<ref>http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Furchtgott_Roth/2000/sphfr011.html</ref><ref name="snopes" />). But in 1958, Vicary conducted a television test in which he flashed the message "telephone now" hundreds of times during a [[Canadian Broadcasting Company]] program, and found no increase in telephone calls. In 1962, Vicary admitted that he fabricated his claim.<ref>Boese, Alex (2002). ''The Museum of Hoaxes: A Collection of Pranks, Stunts, Deceptions, and Other Wonderful Stories Contrived for the Public from the Middle Ages to the New Millennium'', [[E. P. Dutton]], ISBN 0-525-94678-0. pps. 137-38.</ref> Efforts to replicate the results of Vicary's reports have never resulted in success.<ref name="straightdope" />

In 1973, [[Wilson Bryan Key]]'s book ''[[Wilson Bryan Key#Bibliography|Subliminal Seduction]]'' claimed that subliminal techniques were widely used in advertising. The book contributed to a general climate of fear with regard to [[Orwellian]] dangers of subliminal messaging. Public concern was sufficient to cause the FCC to hold hearings in 1974, which resulted in a declaration stating that subliminal advertising was "contrary to the public interest", and in the aforementioned ban.<ref name="snopes" />

In 2006, a study by Dr. [[Johan Karremans]] at the [[Radboud University Nijmegen|University of Nijmegen]] suggested that subliminal messaging may have an effect when the message is goal-relevant.<ref>{{cite web|title=Subliminal advertising may work after all|last=Motluk|first=Alison|publisher=[[New Scientist]]|url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025494.400-subliminal-advertising-may-work-after-all.html|accessdate=2006-08-12}}</ref> The study, however, was criticized for its lack of controls.<ref>{{cite web|last=Swanson|first=Gunnar|title=Re: NewScientist Subliminal Advertising|url=https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0604&L=typo-l&D=0&T=0&P=10137|accessdate=2006-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= Subliminal advertising might actually work?|last=Hattikudur|first=Mangesh|publisher=[[mental floss]]|url=http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/95|accessdate=2006-08-12}}</ref>

== Effectiveness ==
Certain types of subliminal perception ([[hypnosis]], for example) are known to affect the perceiver without any conscious knowledge of the effect on his part. However, there is no strong evidence that the types of messages discussed in this article (ones embedded into normal objects such as posters or movies) are at all effective.<ref name="perception">{{cite news|work=[[Skeptical Inquirer]]|date=Spring 1992|publisher=[[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]]|title=Subliminal Perception: Facts and Fallacies|pages=273-81|last=Moore|first=Timothy E.|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/9204/subliminal-perception.htm|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref>

Perception of subliminal messages is a type of [[subconscious]] [[cognition]]. Unlike [[Unconscious mind|unconscious]] tasks such as attending to one signal in a noisy environment while keeping track of other signals (e.g., listening to one voice out of many in a crowded room) and automatic tasks such as [[breathing]], subliminal message cognition cannot be done consciously.

An important question about subliminal perception is: How much of the message is perceived? That is, is the whole message sensed and fully digested, or are only its main and simpler features? There are at least two schools of thought about this. One of them argues that only the simpler features of unconscious signals could be perceived. The second school of thought argues that unconscious cognition is comprehensive and that much more is perceived than can be verbalized.

Proponents of the power of subliminal messages claim they gain influence or power from the fact that they circumvent the critical functions of the conscious mind, and therefore subliminal suggestions are potentially more powerful than ordinary suggestions. This route to influence or persuasion would be akin to [[auto-suggestion]] or hypnosis, wherein the subject is encouraged to be (or somehow induced to be) relaxed so that suggestions are directed to deeper (more [[gullibility|gullible]]) parts of the mind; some observers have suggested that the unconscious mind is incapable of critical refusal of hypnotic or subliminal suggestions.

However, critics of the theory have suggested that the effect of subliminal messages would at best be no more than that of a glimpse of a billboard in the corner of an eye. Controlled experiments that attempt to demonstrate the influence of subliminal messages generally find little to no effect.<ref name="persuasion" />

The book ''Mind Hacks'' by O'Reilly Press states that subliminal messages are effective in "priming" (putting a half-processed idea in the mind, leading to increased familiarity or a "tip of the tongue" situation where the idea is present but is not articulated until triggered). It also states that for this reason it has limited application in persuasion, and only slightly more use in advertising. The text states that additionally only one word or image is percieved subliminally most of the time, and that the primary way in which it can be used in advertising is by creating a familiarity with a product that has not been seen before, familiarity that could be misinterpreted as preference. The text references an experiment in which faces were flashed subliminally before the test subject rated a group of faces as to which were preferable (this experiment can be duplicated online, through the URL given in the book).

The [http://datalust.net Datalust.net] community created a wiki book (now lost, though a cache is available [http://hak.hatcrew.org/Infornography(book).htm here]) based on informal research, proposing a technique by which subliminal messages could be used in conjunction with other techniques to improve cognitive function, among other things. This has not been tested in a strict experiment, however there is some anecdotal evidence supporting some of these claims, as documented in the book itself. It is useful to note that the original wiki version was lost when an accidental slip-up in an upgrade of the wiki software corrupted the database, and so the cache has not been updated since then, although the techniques have progressed. The initial creator of the technique gives his contact information in the book, and so interested parties can contact him for updated techniques and hypotheses.

=== Audio ===
[[Backmasking]], an audio technique in which sounds are recorded backwards onto a track that is meant to be played forwards, produces messages that sound like gibberish to the conscious mind. [[Gary Greenwald]], a [[Fundamentalist Christianity|fundamentalist Christian]] preacher, claims that these messages can be heard subliminally, and can induce listeners towards, in the case of [[rock music]], sex and [[Drug abuse|drug use]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Psychological Sketches|editors=John R. Vokey and Scott W. Allen|edition=6th edition|date=2002|publisher=Psyence Ink|location=Lethbridge, Alberta|chapter=Subliminal Messages|pages=223–246|last=Vokey|first=John R.|url=people.uleth.ca/~vokey/pdf/Submess.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=2006-07-05}}</ref> However, this is not generally accepted as fact.<ref>{{cite web|title=Backmasking on records: Real, or hoax?|last=Robinson|first=B.A.|url=http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_cul5.htm|accessdate=2006-07-04}}</ref>

== Instances ==
=== Television and video ===
In [[1978]], [[Wichita, Kansas]] TV station [[KAKE-TV]] received special permission from the police to place a subliminal message in a report on the [[BTK Killer]] in an effort to get him to turn himself in. The image, which appeared for a split second, showed a pair of glasses (an image thought to hold significance to him) and text that read "Now call the chief." [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7736592/from/RL.2/] The attempt was unsuccessful, and police reported no increased volume of calls afterward, though the killer was eventually caught in 2005.

Before the re-election of French president [[François Mitterrand]] in 1988, a subliminal picture of him was mixed in the title sequence of French national television daily news show, and it appeared for several consecutive days{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.

The subject was also prominently featured in the 1999 film ''[[Fight Club]]''. Pictures of the main character, [[Tyler Durden]], flash onscreen at various points during the earlier parts of the film, before Durden is introduced.<ref>http://www.eeggs.com/items/15885.html</ref> Also, Durden is shown at his job as a projectionist, splicing pornographic flash frames into a film he is showing.<ref>http://www.screenit.com/movies/1999/fight_club.html</ref> And a picture of a penis rapidly appears and disappears before the credits begin.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/crazycredits</ref>

During the [[2000 U.S. presidential campaign]], a [[television]] ad [[Advertising campaign|campaign]]ing for [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] candidate [[George W. Bush]] showed words (and parts thereof) scaling from the foreground to the background on a television screen. When the word <tt>[[Bureaucrat|BUREAUCRATS]]</tt> flashed on the screen, one frame showed only the last part, <tt>RATS</tt>.<ref>Crowley, Candy. "[http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/09/12/bush.ad/ Bush says 'RATS' ad not meant as subliminal message]" CNN.com, 2000-9-12. Retrieved on [[December 16]], [[2006]]</ref><ref>[http://www.bushwatch.com/rats.htm Smoking Pistols: George "Rat Ad" Bush and the Subliminal Kid]</ref> [[United States Democratic Party|Democrats]] promptly asked the FCC to look into the matter, but no penalties were ever assessed in the case.

Another instance of subliminal advertising revolves around commercials for the game ''[[Husker Du? (game)|Hūsker Dū?]]'' which flashed the message "Get it", in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], prompting a furor.<ref name="straightdope" />

In the British alternative comedy show ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'', a number of subliminal images were present in the original and repeated broadcasts. Images included a gull coming into land, a tree frog jumping through the air, and the end credits of the movie ''[[Carry On Cowboy]]''. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} No explanation for these images was given and their relevance, if any, to the plot of the episodes in which they appear is debatable. Although they may fall foul of the FCC guidelines, these images ''do'' appear in the U.S. boxset DVD ''Every Stoopid Episode''. In a [[December 16]], [[1973]] episode of ''[[Columbo]]'' entitled "Double Exposure", [[Robert Culp]]'s character returns to the crime scene and is incriminated by a subliminal cut that he placed in a movie.<ref>http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=130155</ref><ref>http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/amia-l/2005/12/msg00182.html</ref>

=== Allegations ===
An internet-based [[prank flash]] called "Subliminal Messages" or "Subliminal Music and Images " features two supposed visual messages and an audio message. The first is the word "SEX" hidden in a [[gin]] advertisement (this message was one of those alleged by Wilson Bryan Key). The second is a woman [[masturbating]], hidden in an advertisement for a flooring company. The animation then switches to the text of the [[Lord's Prayer]], and starts playing [[Cradle of Filth]]'s "Dinner at Deviant Palace" backward, along with faint noises. In the middle of the song, a loud scream is heard, and a series of disturbing images is flashed. The last image is a gray scale image of a [[mummy]] without wrappings, which fades away, followed by a message, "Never trust flash animations talking about subliminal stuff!"

Some groups have made claims that subliminal messages can be found in various forms of popular entertainment, such as the supposed use of "backward messages" in rock and roll songs. Many of these purported messages are Satanic; for example, if the [[Led Zeppelin]] song "[[Stairway to Heaven]]" is played backwards, lyrics including "Oh here's to my sweet Satan" can supposedly be made out. Queen's "[[Another One Bites The Dust]]" is also supposed to contain a pro-[[marijuana]] message: "It's fun to smoke marijuana". These two messages have not been confirmed by the artists, and have not been proven to exist. In contrast, some obvious Satanic messages have been [[backmasking|backmasked]] into rock songs, although parody messages and artistic backmasking are more common. See the [[List of backmasked messages]].

== Fictional references ==
While their ultimate efficacy is somewhat controversial, subliminal messages have a long history in television shows, movies, and novels.

=== Comedy ===
Many comedic references feature obvious "subliminal" messages.

In an episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'', Peter becomes president of a cigarette company which uses commercials in which the character Jerry (an advertiser for the company) randomly pops in and says bluntly, "Smoke." and "Are you smoking yet?"

As a joke, the creators of ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' inserted an obvious subliminal message with the twosome headbanging to the words "Nachos Rule", in flashing light.

Episode 9 of ''[[Clone High]]'' ("[[Raisin the Stakes: A Rock Opera in Three Acts]]") features many (parody) subliminal messages.

In the comic strip [[Bloom County]], hacker [[Oliver Wendell Jones]] is warned by his father, who has a pile of [[liverwurst]] on his head and a [[zucchini]] up his nose, not to use subliminal messages, which he just saw a show about, to get him to raise Oliver's allowance or take him out for ice cream. Oliver responds "Or 'I feel like putting [[liverwurst]] on my head and sticking a [[zucchini]] up my nose.'" His father says "Let's stay serious, son." implying he has no idea that he's actually done this.

=== Persuasion ===
Other references deal with the supposed frequent use of subliminal messages to persuade people, in advertising and propaganda.

Governments are often depicted as employing subliminal messages in propaganda. The movie ''[[Josie and the Pussycats (film)|Josie and the Pussycats]]'' described a long lasting plot whereby the U.S. government was controlling [[trends]] by inserting subliminal messages in [[popular music]]. Furthermore, towards the end of the film, a government agent shuts down the operation, saying that subliminal advertising works better in films. The words "Josie and the Pussycats is the best movie ever" are then spoken rapidly in [[voice-over]] and displayed quickly onscreen, with the words "Join The Army" in smaller letters below it. And in the 2005 science fiction movie ''[[Serenity (film)|Serenity]]'', the Alliance uses subliminal messages broadly disseminated in commercials and other video to cause River Tam to go berserk. It only works on River because she was subjected to Alliance training and conditioning.

Many references deal specifically with the military. [[New Kids on the Blecch|An episode]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' involved Bart and his friends joining a boy band, the Party Posse. While watching a video for the Party Posse, Lisa notices the phrase "Yvan Eht Nioj" being repeated continuously by belly-dancers. She plays the video in reverse and finds that it means "Join the Navy". Also, an [[Uncle Sam]] "I Want You" poster can be seen in the video frame by frame. The joke was that the United States sends subliminal messages in order to recruit people. In addition, the art of "superliminal messages" was demonstrated to Lisa; a Navy representative leans out a window, picks a random passerby, and shouts "Hey you! Join the Navy!" And in an episode of ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]'' titled "Reese joins the Army (2)", one of the [[Drill instructor|drill sergeants]] comments that "...the subliminal messages are working!" Another drill sergeant then asks "What subliminal messages...?" Not too different from the joke in ''The Simpsons'' episode mentioned above, this episode was a joking reference to the low military recruiting numbers in [[2004]] suggesting that the [[Military of the United States|U.S. military]] uses such things in a tactic of desperation. And in an episode of ''[[Babylon 5]]'', during a scene which represents a public service announcement for [[Psi Corps]], the words "TRUST THE CORPS" and "THE CORPS IS YOUR FRIEND" appear on screen for four frames, double the length of what the FCC designates as subliminal.

Subliminal messages are also depicted as being used in advertising. The plot of the movie ''[[They Live]]'' revolves around a man accidentally acquiring a pair of sunglasses which allow the wearer to see subliminal messages in billboards, magazines, and even money.

Some other references to subliminal persuasion in popular culture:
* In the episode "Are You Right There, Father Ted?" of the [[1990]]s TV [[sitcom]] ''[[Father Ted]]'', the lead character is accused of being a racist and attempts to clear his name by inviting representatives of the local ethnic minorities to a presentation, during which slides saying ''FATHER TED CRILLY, NOT A RACIST'' can be seen quite deliberately flashing up.

* In May-June 2006, Sprite used a type of obvious subliminal message, involving yellow (lemon) and green (lime) objects such as cars. The objects would then be shown inconspicuously in the same setting, while showing the word "lymon" (misspellng of "limon", combining the words lime and lemon) on screen for a second at a time. They called this "Sub'''lymon'''al Advertising."

* In [[William Gibson (novelist)|William Gibson]]'s [[1984]] novel ''[[Neuromancer]]'', a gang called the Panther Moderns uses subliminal images to fool police departments and public security agencies into thinking that an extremely dangerous psychoactive agent had been released into the ventilation of a Sense/Net building.

* In [[Dean Koontz]]'s [[1976]] novel ''[[Night Chills]]'', the protagonist and his two children vacation in the small town of Black Rock. The town has been secretly selected by ex-military and corporate fanatics for an experiment in mind control through the use of subliminal messaging. The townspeople are unaware that their minds are being controlled by a sadistic scientist; the only outward clue is that the residents all experience night chills. In writing the book, Koontz researched the topic of subliminal messaging with assistance from scientists.

* In [[Brainiac: Science Abuse]], there is an experiment carried out to see if viewers would react to subliminal messages. One was shown during an experiment to discover which substance provides the best skid; the message appeared when a brainiac hit a bale of hay. The second message appeared across a T-Shirt of a brainiac, and the third said 'scratch your nose' when a sound wave hit the Braniac logo. At the end of the show, people were shown in a theater watching that episode. The test showed that the messages barely impacted the audience. The subliminal content in this episode was legal, as its presence was announced at the beginning and end of the episode.

== References ==
<references />
* Subliminal Perception: The nature of a controversy, N.F.Dixon, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1971.
* Psychological Investigations of Unconscious Perception, [[Journal of Consciousness Studies]], P.M Merikle and M. Daneman, 1998.
* New Look 3: Unconscious Cognition Reclaimed, American Psychologist, 47, Anthony W. Greenwald, 1992.
* Holender, D. (1986). Semantic activation without conscious identification in dichotic listening, parafoveal vision, and visual masking: A survey and appraisal. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 9, 1-23.
* Seitz and Watanabe. (2003). Is subliminal learning really passive. Nature, 422, 36.

===Further reading===
* Alex Boese, (2006). ''Hippo Eats Dwarf: A Field Guide to Hoaxes and Other B.S.'''', [[Harcourt, Inc]], ISBN 0-15-603083-7, 193-95

==See also==
* [[Blipvert]]
* [[Robert Zajonc]]
* [[Hoaxes]]
* [[List of hoaxes]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/22/subliminal-advertising.html Subliminal Seduction: How Did the Uproar over Subliminal Advertising Affect the Advertising Industry?]
*[http://www.openyoureyes.web1000.com/index.php?p=1_6 Subliminal Advertising Examples]
*[http://www.csicop.org/si/9611/judas_priest.html/ Scientific Consensus and Expert Testimony: Lessons from the Judas Priest Trial]
*1984 testimony about subliminal messages to the Federal Communications commission: {{dlw|http://www.parascope.com/articles/0497/sublimdc.htm|parascope.com/articles/0497/sublimdc.htm}}

[[Category:Consciousness studies]]
[[Category:Perception]]
[[Category:Popular psychology]]
[[Category:Advertising]]
[[Category:Human communication]]
[[Category:Mind control]]

[[cs:Podprahový signál]]
[[de:Unterschwellige Werbung]]
[[es:Mensaje subliminal]]
[[fr:Message subliminal]]
[[it:Messaggio subliminale]]
[[he:מסר תת סיפי]]
[[ja:サブリミナル効果]]
[[pl:Percepcja podprogowa]]
[[pt:Mensagem subliminar]]
[[ro:Mesaj subliminal]]
[[ru:25-й кадр]]
[[fi:Subliminaalinen viesti]]
[[sv:Subliminal perception]]

Unterschwelliger Reiz

2007-02-16T03:55:09Z

207.69.139.6: /* Comedy */

{{Hidden messages}}
A '''subliminal message''' is a signal or message embedded in another object, designed to pass below the normal limits of perception. These messages are indiscernible to the [[conscious]] mind, but are alleged to be perceptible to the [[subconscious]] or deeper [[mind]]: for example, an image transmitted so briefly that it is only perceived subconsciously, but not otherwise noticed. Subliminal techniques have occasionally been used in [[advertising]] and [[propaganda]]; the purpose, effectiveness and frequency of such techniques is debated.

== History ==
In 1900, [[Knight Dunlap]], an American professor of [[psychology]], flashed an "imperceptible shadow" to subjects while showing them a [[Mueller-Lyer illusion]] containing two lines with pointed arrows at their ends which create an illusion of different lengths. Dunlap claimed that the shadow influenced his subjects subliminally in their judgment of the lengths of the lines. Although these results were not verified, American psychologist [[Harry Levi Hollingworth]] reported in an advertising textbook that such subliminal messages could be used by advertisers.<ref name="persuasion">{{cite news|work=[[Skeptical Inquirer]]|date=Spring 1992|publisher=[[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]]|title=The Cargo-Cult Science of Subliminal Persuasion|pages=260-272|last=Pratkanis|first=Anthony R.|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/9204/subliminal-persuasion.html|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref>

[[James Vicary]], a market researcher, falsely claimed in 1957 that quickly flashing messages on a movie screen had influenced people to purchase more food and drink. Vicary coined the term ''subliminal advertising'' and formed the [[Subliminal Projection Company]] based on a six-week test in which he flashed the slogans "Drink [[Coca-Cola]]" and "Eat popcorn" during a movie for 1/3000 of a second at five-second intervals. Vicary claimed that during the test, sales of popcorn and Coke in the New Jersey theater where the test was conducted increased 57.5 percent and 18.1 percent respectively.<ref name="straightdope">{{cite web|title=The Straight Dope: Does subliminal advertising work?|publisher=[[The Straight Dope]]|url=http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_187.html|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref><ref name="snopes">{{cite web|title=Urban Legends Reference Pages: Business (Subliminal Advertising)|publisher=The [[Urban Legends Reference Pages]]|url=http://www.snopes.com/business/hidden/popcorn.asp|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref>

Vicary's claims led to a public outcry, and to many [[conspiracy theories]] of governments and cults using the technique to their advantage. The practice of subliminal advertising was subsequently banned in the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Australia]]<ref name="persuasion" />, but not formally in the [[United States]] (actions were taken by the [[National Association of Broadcasters]] in 1958, and the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) released a policy statement in 1974, claiming that such messaging was "against the public good"<ref>http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Furchtgott_Roth/2000/sphfr011.html</ref><ref name="snopes" />). But in 1958, Vicary conducted a television test in which he flashed the message "telephone now" hundreds of times during a [[Canadian Broadcasting Company]] program, and found no increase in telephone calls. In 1962, Vicary admitted that he fabricated his claim.<ref>Boese, Alex (2002). ''The Museum of Hoaxes: A Collection of Pranks, Stunts, Deceptions, and Other Wonderful Stories Contrived for the Public from the Middle Ages to the New Millennium'', [[E. P. Dutton]], ISBN 0-525-94678-0. pps. 137-38.</ref> Efforts to replicate the results of Vicary's reports have never resulted in success.<ref name="straightdope" />

In 1973, [[Wilson Bryan Key]]'s book ''[[Wilson Bryan Key#Bibliography|Subliminal Seduction]]'' claimed that subliminal techniques were widely used in advertising. The book contributed to a general climate of fear with regard to [[Orwellian]] dangers of subliminal messaging. Public concern was sufficient to cause the FCC to hold hearings in 1974, which resulted in a declaration stating that subliminal advertising was "contrary to the public interest", and in the aforementioned ban.<ref name="snopes" />

In 2006, a study by Dr. [[Johan Karremans]] at the [[Radboud University Nijmegen|University of Nijmegen]] suggested that subliminal messaging may have an effect when the message is goal-relevant.<ref>{{cite web|title=Subliminal advertising may work after all|last=Motluk|first=Alison|publisher=[[New Scientist]]|url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025494.400-subliminal-advertising-may-work-after-all.html|accessdate=2006-08-12}}</ref> The study, however, was criticized for its lack of controls.<ref>{{cite web|last=Swanson|first=Gunnar|title=Re: NewScientist Subliminal Advertising|url=https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0604&L=typo-l&D=0&T=0&P=10137|accessdate=2006-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= Subliminal advertising might actually work?|last=Hattikudur|first=Mangesh|publisher=[[mental floss]]|url=http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/95|accessdate=2006-08-12}}</ref>

== Effectiveness ==
Certain types of subliminal perception ([[hypnosis]], for example) are known to affect the perceiver without any conscious knowledge of the effect on his part. However, there is no strong evidence that the types of messages discussed in this article (ones embedded into normal objects such as posters or movies) are at all effective.<ref name="perception">{{cite news|work=[[Skeptical Inquirer]]|date=Spring 1992|publisher=[[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]]|title=Subliminal Perception: Facts and Fallacies|pages=273-81|last=Moore|first=Timothy E.|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/9204/subliminal-perception.htm|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref>

Perception of subliminal messages is a type of [[subconscious]] [[cognition]]. Unlike [[Unconscious mind|unconscious]] tasks such as attending to one signal in a noisy environment while keeping track of other signals (e.g., listening to one voice out of many in a crowded room) and automatic tasks such as [[breathing]], subliminal message cognition cannot be done consciously.

An important question about subliminal perception is: How much of the message is perceived? That is, is the whole message sensed and fully digested, or are only its main and simpler features? There are at least two schools of thought about this. One of them argues that only the simpler features of unconscious signals could be perceived. The second school of thought argues that unconscious cognition is comprehensive and that much more is perceived than can be verbalized.

Proponents of the power of subliminal messages claim they gain influence or power from the fact that they circumvent the critical functions of the conscious mind, and therefore subliminal suggestions are potentially more powerful than ordinary suggestions. This route to influence or persuasion would be akin to [[auto-suggestion]] or hypnosis, wherein the subject is encouraged to be (or somehow induced to be) relaxed so that suggestions are directed to deeper (more [[gullibility|gullible]]) parts of the mind; some observers have suggested that the unconscious mind is incapable of critical refusal of hypnotic or subliminal suggestions.

However, critics of the theory have suggested that the effect of subliminal messages would at best be no more than that of a glimpse of a billboard in the corner of an eye. Controlled experiments that attempt to demonstrate the influence of subliminal messages generally find little to no effect.<ref name="persuasion" />

The book ''Mind Hacks'' by O'Reilly Press states that subliminal messages are effective in "priming" (putting a half-processed idea in the mind, leading to increased familiarity or a "tip of the tongue" situation where the idea is present but is not articulated until triggered). It also states that for this reason it has limited application in persuasion, and only slightly more use in advertising. The text states that additionally only one word or image is percieved subliminally most of the time, and that the primary way in which it can be used in advertising is by creating a familiarity with a product that has not been seen before, familiarity that could be misinterpreted as preference. The text references an experiment in which faces were flashed subliminally before the test subject rated a group of faces as to which were preferable (this experiment can be duplicated online, through the URL given in the book).

The [http://datalust.net Datalust.net] community created a wiki book (now lost, though a cache is available [http://hak.hatcrew.org/Infornography(book).htm here]) based on informal research, proposing a technique by which subliminal messages could be used in conjunction with other techniques to improve cognitive function, among other things. This has not been tested in a strict experiment, however there is some anecdotal evidence supporting some of these claims, as documented in the book itself. It is useful to note that the original wiki version was lost when an accidental slip-up in an upgrade of the wiki software corrupted the database, and so the cache has not been updated since then, although the techniques have progressed. The initial creator of the technique gives his contact information in the book, and so interested parties can contact him for updated techniques and hypotheses.

=== Audio ===
[[Backmasking]], an audio technique in which sounds are recorded backwards onto a track that is meant to be played forwards, produces messages that sound like gibberish to the conscious mind. [[Gary Greenwald]], a [[Fundamentalist Christianity|fundamentalist Christian]] preacher, claims that these messages can be heard subliminally, and can induce listeners towards, in the case of [[rock music]], sex and [[Drug abuse|drug use]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Psychological Sketches|editors=John R. Vokey and Scott W. Allen|edition=6th edition|date=2002|publisher=Psyence Ink|location=Lethbridge, Alberta|chapter=Subliminal Messages|pages=223–246|last=Vokey|first=John R.|url=people.uleth.ca/~vokey/pdf/Submess.pdf|format=PDF|accessdate=2006-07-05}}</ref> However, this is not generally accepted as fact.<ref>{{cite web|title=Backmasking on records: Real, or hoax?|last=Robinson|first=B.A.|url=http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_cul5.htm|accessdate=2006-07-04}}</ref>

== Instances ==
=== Television and video ===
In [[1978]], [[Wichita, Kansas]] TV station [[KAKE-TV]] received special permission from the police to place a subliminal message in a report on the [[BTK Killer]] in an effort to get him to turn himself in. The image, which appeared for a split second, showed a pair of glasses (an image thought to hold significance to him) and text that read "Now call the chief." [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7736592/from/RL.2/] The attempt was unsuccessful, and police reported no increased volume of calls afterward, though the killer was eventually caught in 2005.

Before the re-election of French president [[François Mitterrand]] in 1988, a subliminal picture of him was mixed in the title sequence of French national television daily news show, and it appeared for several consecutive days{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.

The subject was also prominently featured in the 1999 film ''[[Fight Club]]''. Pictures of the main character, [[Tyler Durden]], flash onscreen at various points during the earlier parts of the film, before Durden is introduced.<ref>http://www.eeggs.com/items/15885.html</ref> Also, Durden is shown at his job as a projectionist, splicing pornographic flash frames into a film he is showing.<ref>http://www.screenit.com/movies/1999/fight_club.html</ref> And a picture of a penis rapidly appears and disappears before the credits begin.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/crazycredits</ref>

During the [[2000 U.S. presidential campaign]], a [[television]] ad [[Advertising campaign|campaign]]ing for [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] candidate [[George W. Bush]] showed words (and parts thereof) scaling from the foreground to the background on a television screen. When the word <tt>[[Bureaucrat|BUREAUCRATS]]</tt> flashed on the screen, one frame showed only the last part, <tt>RATS</tt>.<ref>Crowley, Candy. "[http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/09/12/bush.ad/ Bush says 'RATS' ad not meant as subliminal message]" CNN.com, 2000-9-12. Retrieved on [[December 16]], [[2006]]</ref><ref>[http://www.bushwatch.com/rats.htm Smoking Pistols: George "Rat Ad" Bush and the Subliminal Kid]</ref> [[United States Democratic Party|Democrats]] promptly asked the FCC to look into the matter, but no penalties were ever assessed in the case.

Another instance of subliminal advertising revolves around commercials for the game ''[[Husker Du? (game)|Hūsker Dū?]]'' which flashed the message "Get it", in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], prompting a furor.<ref name="straightdope" />

In the British alternative comedy show ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'', a number of subliminal images were present in the original and repeated broadcasts. Images included a gull coming into land, a tree frog jumping through the air, and the end credits of the movie ''[[Carry On Cowboy]]''. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} No explanation for these images was given and their relevance, if any, to the plot of the episodes in which they appear is debatable. Although they may fall foul of the FCC guidelines, these images ''do'' appear in the U.S. boxset DVD ''Every Stoopid Episode''. In a [[December 16]], [[1973]] episode of ''[[Columbo]]'' entitled "Double Exposure", [[Robert Culp]]'s character returns to the crime scene and is incriminated by a subliminal cut that he placed in a movie.<ref>http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=130155</ref><ref>http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/amia-l/2005/12/msg00182.html</ref>

=== Allegations ===
An internet-based [[prank flash]] called "Subliminal Messages" or "Subliminal Music and Images " features two supposed visual messages and an audio message. The first is the word "SEX" hidden in a [[gin]] advertisement (this message was one of those alleged by Wilson Bryan Key). The second is a woman [[masturbating]], hidden in an advertisement for a flooring company. The animation then switches to the text of the [[Lord's Prayer]], and starts playing [[Cradle of Filth]]'s "Dinner at Deviant Palace" backward, along with faint noises. In the middle of the song, a loud scream is heard, and a series of disturbing images is flashed. The last image is a gray scale image of a [[mummy]] without wrappings, which fades away, followed by a message, "Never trust flash animations talking about subliminal stuff!"

Some groups have made claims that subliminal messages can be found in various forms of popular entertainment, such as the supposed use of "backward messages" in rock and roll songs. Many of these purported messages are Satanic; for example, if the [[Led Zeppelin]] song "[[Stairway to Heaven]]" is played backwards, lyrics including "Oh here's to my sweet Satan" can supposedly be made out. Queen's "[[Another One Bites The Dust]]" is also supposed to contain a pro-[[marijuana]] message: "It's fun to smoke marijuana". These two messages have not been confirmed by the artists, and have not been proven to exist. In contrast, some obvious Satanic messages have been [[backmasking|backmasked]] into rock songs, although parody messages and artistic backmasking are more common. See the [[List of backmasked messages]].

== Fictional references ==
While their ultimate efficacy is somewhat controversial, subliminal messages have a long history in television shows, movies, and novels.

=== Comedy ===
Many comedic references feature obvious "subliminal" messages.

In an episode of ''[[Family Guy]]'', Peter becomes president of a cigarette company which uses commercials in which the character Jerry (an advertiser for the company) randomly pops in and says bluntly, "Smoke." and "Are you smoking yet?"

As a joke, the creators of ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]'' inserted an obvious subliminal message with the twosome headbanging to the words "Nachos Rule", in flashing light.

Episode 9 of ''[[Clone High]]'' ("[[Raisin the Stakes: A Rock Opera in Three Acts]]") features many (parody) subliminal messages.

In the comic strip [[Bloom County]], hacker [[Oliver Wendell Jones]] is warned by his father, who has a pile of [[liverwurst]] on his head and a [[zucchini]] up his nose, not to use subliminal messages, which he just saw a show about, to get him to raise Oliver's allowance or take him out for ice cream. Oliver responds "Or 'I feel like putting [[liverwurst]] on my head and sticking a [[zucchini]] up my nose.'" His father says "Let's stay serious, son." implying he has no idea that he's actually done this.

On an episode of The Simpsons,Bart joins his own boyband and makes a music video for the song "Drop the Bomb".Lisa suspects something and watches the movie again and again.After a few times she plays it backwords during the chorus and discovers that the words "Join the army."are repeated a few times.

=== Persuasion ===
Other references deal with the supposed frequent use of subliminal messages to persuade people, in advertising and propaganda.

Governments are often depicted as employing subliminal messages in propaganda. The movie ''[[Josie and the Pussycats (film)|Josie and the Pussycats]]'' described a long lasting plot whereby the U.S. government was controlling [[trends]] by inserting subliminal messages in [[popular music]]. Furthermore, towards the end of the film, a government agent shuts down the operation, saying that subliminal advertising works better in films. The words "Josie and the Pussycats is the best movie ever" are then spoken rapidly in [[voice-over]] and displayed quickly onscreen, with the words "Join The Army" in smaller letters below it. And in the 2005 science fiction movie ''[[Serenity (film)|Serenity]]'', the Alliance uses subliminal messages broadly disseminated in commercials and other video to cause River Tam to go berserk. It only works on River because she was subjected to Alliance training and conditioning.

Many references deal specifically with the military. [[New Kids on the Blecch|An episode]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' involved Bart and his friends joining a boy band, the Party Posse. While watching a video for the Party Posse, Lisa notices the phrase "Yvan Eht Nioj" being repeated continuously by belly-dancers. She plays the video in reverse and finds that it means "Join the Navy". Also, an [[Uncle Sam]] "I Want You" poster can be seen in the video frame by frame. The joke was that the United States sends subliminal messages in order to recruit people. In addition, the art of "superliminal messages" was demonstrated to Lisa; a Navy representative leans out a window, picks a random passerby, and shouts "Hey you! Join the Navy!" And in an episode of ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]'' titled "Reese joins the Army (2)", one of the [[Drill instructor|drill sergeants]] comments that "...the subliminal messages are working!" Another drill sergeant then asks "What subliminal messages...?" Not too different from the joke in ''The Simpsons'' episode mentioned above, this episode was a joking reference to the low military recruiting numbers in [[2004]] suggesting that the [[Military of the United States|U.S. military]] uses such things in a tactic of desperation. And in an episode of ''[[Babylon 5]]'', during a scene which represents a public service announcement for [[Psi Corps]], the words "TRUST THE CORPS" and "THE CORPS IS YOUR FRIEND" appear on screen for four frames, double the length of what the FCC designates as subliminal.

Subliminal messages are also depicted as being used in advertising. The plot of the movie ''[[They Live]]'' revolves around a man accidentally acquiring a pair of sunglasses which allow the wearer to see subliminal messages in billboards, magazines, and even money.

Some other references to subliminal persuasion in popular culture:
* In the episode "Are You Right There, Father Ted?" of the [[1990]]s TV [[sitcom]] ''[[Father Ted]]'', the lead character is accused of being a racist and attempts to clear his name by inviting representatives of the local ethnic minorities to a presentation, during which slides saying ''FATHER TED CRILLY, NOT A RACIST'' can be seen quite deliberately flashing up.

* In May-June 2006, Sprite used a type of obvious subliminal message, involving yellow (lemon) and green (lime) objects such as cars. The objects would then be shown inconspicuously in the same setting, while showing the word "lymon" (misspellng of "limon", combining the words lime and lemon) on screen for a second at a time. They called this "Sub'''lymon'''al Advertising."

* In [[William Gibson (novelist)|William Gibson]]'s [[1984]] novel ''[[Neuromancer]]'', a gang called the Panther Moderns uses subliminal images to fool police departments and public security agencies into thinking that an extremely dangerous psychoactive agent had been released into the ventilation of a Sense/Net building.

* In [[Dean Koontz]]'s [[1976]] novel ''[[Night Chills]]'', the protagonist and his two children vacation in the small town of Black Rock. The town has been secretly selected by ex-military and corporate fanatics for an experiment in mind control through the use of subliminal messaging. The townspeople are unaware that their minds are being controlled by a sadistic scientist; the only outward clue is that the residents all experience night chills. In writing the book, Koontz researched the topic of subliminal messaging with assistance from scientists.

* In [[Brainiac: Science Abuse]], there is an experiment carried out to see if viewers would react to subliminal messages. One was shown during an experiment to discover which substance provides the best skid; the message appeared when a brainiac hit a bale of hay. The second message appeared across a T-Shirt of a brainiac, and the third said 'scratch your nose' when a sound wave hit the Braniac logo. At the end of the show, people were shown in a theater watching that episode. The test showed that the messages barely impacted the audience. The subliminal content in this episode was legal, as its presence was announced at the beginning and end of the episode.

== References ==
<references />
* Subliminal Perception: The nature of a controversy, N.F.Dixon, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1971.
* Psychological Investigations of Unconscious Perception, [[Journal of Consciousness Studies]], P.M Merikle and M. Daneman, 1998.
* New Look 3: Unconscious Cognition Reclaimed, American Psychologist, 47, Anthony W. Greenwald, 1992.
* Holender, D. (1986). Semantic activation without conscious identification in dichotic listening, parafoveal vision, and visual masking: A survey and appraisal. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 9, 1-23.
* Seitz and Watanabe. (2003). Is subliminal learning really passive. Nature, 422, 36.

===Further reading===
* Alex Boese, (2006). ''Hippo Eats Dwarf: A Field Guide to Hoaxes and Other B.S.'''', [[Harcourt, Inc]], ISBN 0-15-603083-7, 193-95

==See also==
* [[Blipvert]]
* [[Robert Zajonc]]
* [[Hoaxes]]
* [[List of hoaxes]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/22/subliminal-advertising.html Subliminal Seduction: How Did the Uproar over Subliminal Advertising Affect the Advertising Industry?]
*[http://www.openyoureyes.web1000.com/index.php?p=1_6 Subliminal Advertising Examples]
*[http://www.csicop.org/si/9611/judas_priest.html/ Scientific Consensus and Expert Testimony: Lessons from the Judas Priest Trial]
*1984 testimony about subliminal messages to the Federal Communications commission: {{dlw|http://www.parascope.com/articles/0497/sublimdc.htm|parascope.com/articles/0497/sublimdc.htm}}

[[Category:Consciousness studies]]
[[Category:Perception]]
[[Category:Popular psychology]]
[[Category:Advertising]]
[[Category:Human communication]]
[[Category:Mind control]]

[[cs:Podprahový signál]]
[[de:Unterschwellige Werbung]]
[[es:Mensaje subliminal]]
[[fr:Message subliminal]]
[[it:Messaggio subliminale]]
[[he:מסר תת סיפי]]
[[ja:サブリミナル効果]]
[[pl:Percepcja podprogowa]]
[[pt:Mensagem subliminar]]
[[ro:Mesaj subliminal]]
[[ru:25-й кадр]]
[[fi:Subliminaalinen viesti]]
[[sv:Subliminal perception]]

Tony Chimel

2006-12-23T19:17:25Z

207.69.139.6: /* Trivia */

{{unreferenced|date=November 2006}}

{{Infobox Wrestler|name= Anthony Chimel
|image=Tony Chimil.JPG
|names='''Tony Chimel'''
|height= 6 ft 1 in (186 cm)
|weight= 268lbs
|birth_date =[[October 11]], [[1967]]
|death_date =
|birth_place =[[Cherry Hill, New Jersey]]
|death_place =
|resides = [[Philadelphia]], PA
|billed=
|trainer=
|debut= [[1994]]
|retired=
|}}

'''Anthony (Tony) Chimel''' (born [[October 11]] [[1967]]) is the current ''[[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|SmackDown!]]'' ring announcer.

Tony Chimel has been the ''SmackDown!'' ring announcer since its inception in 1999. He has also been ring announcing at ''SmackDown!'' brand pay-per-views during this period of time. In 1999, he defeated [[Howard Finkel]] for the rights to be ''SmackDown!'' announcer in [[1999]] in a tuxedo match.

He has also been involved in a ''mini-feud'' with '''SmackDown''' superstar, [[Ken Anderson (wrestler)|Mr. Kennedy]], who claims that Chimel is not announcing his name with the proper respect that it deserves. This feud has included Chimel being body punched, being [[groin attack|"told to take a bow"]] (hit in the groin), and having a [[doughnut]] shoved in his mouth by Mr. Kennedy.

On the December 22, 2006 edition of ''Smackdown!'', he announced The Boogeyman too enthusiastically, and caught his attention. He became involved in an on-air storyline as a result, when The Boogeyman forced him to eat some worms. Chimel ran away from the ring afterwards.

==Trivia==
{{toomuchtrivia}}
* He was put through a table by the [[Dudley Boyz]].
* He was knocked out by [[Shawn Michaels]] at [[WrestleMania XII]] when an errant superkick caught him right on the jaw.
*When Kurt Angle's Knee was injured to to an F5 by Brock Lesnar, he strangled Chimel with his Crutch .
* On [[Kurt Angle]]'s final episode as [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown|SmackDown]] General Manager he demanded Chimel to come into the ring and give a demonstration of an apology that [[Eddie Guerrero]] should give; Chimel gave a sorrowful apology but then was fired by [[Kurt Angle]] (kayfabe). He was then re-hired by [[Vince McMahon]].
* He works as a pyrotechnician for WWE shows.
* He has been manhandled by [[Dave Finlay|Finlay]] twice. Once at [[WWE No Way Out #2006|No Way Out]], when Finlay threw him into the ring as a distraction to the referee, and in the King of the Ring match between Finlay and [[Chris Benoit]], Chimel was thrown onto the floor when Finlay took his chair.
*On one episode of ''SmackDown!'', Chimel was shoved violentley by [[Hardcore Holly]]. Chimel got mad, so during the match, he hit Holly with the microphone, causing him to lose the match. After the match, Chimel got in the ring and said "Ladies and gentlemen, your LOSER of the match, Hardcore Holly!!"
* When [[John Cena]] was on ''SmackDown!'', he said he never wore a [[Washington Redskins|Redskins]] throwback jersey because they are Tony Chimel's favorite team.
* He was hit by a t-shirt gun purposely by [[John Bradshaw Layfield|JBL]].
* Is a fan of the band [[Mushroomhead]].
* He won the Great Race at Penn State beating [[Jonathan Coachman]] in a 1 mile foot race.
* At the [[WrestleMania 22]] interpromotional [[Battle Royal]] he was poked fun at by [[Tazz]] & [[Michael Cole]] when he didn't assist RAW ring announcer [[Lillian Garcia]]. [[Tazz]] even went as far as saying "Chimel's a loser" before the two broke out in laughter.
* On [[October 10]], [[2006]], a article was put up about him on WWE.com. In the article it talks about his bad back and how he's had it for twenty three years. It then says about how he gets it relaxed.
** [http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/articlephotos/chimelphotos/] Photos
** [http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/tonychimel] Article
* He shares his birthday with the current [[Extreme Championship Wrestling (WWE)|ECW]] color commentator, [[Peter Senerca|Tazz]].
* Had worms shoved into his mouth by the [[Boogeyman]] on the December 22, 2006 edition of Friday Night Smackdown. In the ordeal, he was on the announce table while it happened. After, he went running into the backstage area.

==Job titles==
* [[List of WWE pay-per-view events|WWE Pay-Per-View]] Ring Announcer
** He announced most Pay-Per-View matches before the [[WWE Brand Extension|brand extension]], but now only announces [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|WWE Smackdown]] matches at joint Pay-Per-View's, along with doing the singular SmackDown brand Pay-Per-Views
* Former [[WWE Raw|WWE RAW]] Ring Announcer
* Current [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|WWE Smackdown]] Ring Announcer
* Former [[WWE HEAT|WWE Sunday Night Heat]] Ring Announcer
* Former [[WWE Velocity]] Ring Announcer

[[Category:1967 births|Chimel, Tony]]
[[Category:Living people|Chimel, Tony]]
[[Category:People from Philadelphia|Chimel, Tony]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling announcers|Chimel, Tony]]

ALCO PA

2006-09-03T20:36:22Z

207.69.139.6: /* PA-1 units (cabs) */

{{Infobox Locomotive|
name=ALCO PA|
powertype=Diesel-electric|
gauge=4 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]] 8½ [[inch|in]] (1435 [[millimetre|mm]])|
image=Freedom Train ALCO PA1.jpg|
caption=|#1776 was a PA-1 constructed especially for hauling the [[American Freedom Train]] of 1947.|
builder=[[American Locomotive Company]] (ALCO)|
aarwheels=A1A-A1A|
cylindercount=[[V16]]|
primemover= ALCO 244|
builddate=September 1946 — December 1953|
totalproduction=294|
locale=[[North America]]|
poweroutput=2,000 [[horsepower|hp]] (1,490 kW) — PA-1/PB-1 2,250 hp (1,680 kW) — PA-2/PB-2 & PA-3/PB-3|
topspeed=117 [[miles per hour|mph]] (188 [[kilometer per hour|km/h]])|
weight=306,000 [[pound (mass)|lb]] (139,000 [[kilogram|kg]])|
tractiveeffort=51,000 lbf (227 kN)|
length=65 ft 8 in (20.02 m)|
enginetype=4-stroke diesel|
aspiration=[[Turbocharger]]|
cylindersize=9 in × 10.5 in (229 mm × 267 mm)|
displacement=10,688 in³ (175.2 L)|
transmission=DC generator, DC traction motors|
locobrakes=Dynamic, straight air|
trainbrakes=Air|
buildmodel=PA|
}}

The '''ALCO PA''' was a family of [[AAR wheel arrangement#A1A-A1A|A1A-A1A]] [[diesel locomotive]]s built to haul [[passenger train]]s built in [[Schenectady, New York]] in the [[United States]] by the [[American Locomotive Company]] (ALCO) between September, 1946 and December, 1953. They were of a [[cab unit]] design, and both cab-equipped lead [[A unit]] '''PA''' and cabless booster [[B unit]] '''PB''' models were built.

Three different models were offered: the 2,000 hp (1,490 kW) '''PA-1'''/'''PB-1''' (built between September, 1946 and June, 1950); the 2,250 hp (1,680 kW) '''PA-2'''/'''PB-2''' (built between April, 1950 and May, 1952); and '''PA-3'''/'''PB-3''' (built between April, 1952 and December, 1953). A 2,400 hp (1,790 kW) version was offered, though none were ever built. Aside from the small power increase between the PA-1 and the PA-2, differences between the models were minor. Externally, PA-3s could be distinguished by the absence of the "eyebrow" trim piece on the grille behind the cab and the porthole window behind the radiator shutters. Internally, the PA-3 and PB-3 featured a water-cooled turbocharger and other engine compartment changes, but these were frequently added to the older models.

Like its smaller cousin, the [[ALCO FA]], the PA had distinctive styling, with a long, straight nose tipped by a headlight in a square, slitted grille, raked windshields, and trim pieces behind the cab windows that lengthened and sleekened the lines. The overall design owed a lot to the [[Fairbanks-Morse]] [[FM Erie-built|Erie-built]] design, which had been constructed by ALCO's sales partner [[General Electric]] at their [[Erie, Pennsylvania]] plant. GE's [[industrial designer]] [[Ray Patten]] styled the PA and PB, and many believe it likely that he took drawings of the Erie-built as a starting point, lengthening and squaring the nose and giving it a more aggressive look. The majority of PA components were compatible with the FA.

The ALCO 244 diesel [[prime mover]] proved to be the undoing of the PA, as the locomotives failed to capture a marketplace dominated by [[General Motors Electro-Motive Division|EMD]]. Some units were retrofitted with EMD 1,750 hp (1,305 kW) engines in an attempt to improve the PA's service record. The later 251-series engine, a vastly improved prime mover, was not available in time for ALCO to recover the loss of reputation caused by the unreliability of the 244. By the time the ALCO 251 engine was accepted into widespread use, General Electric had fielded their entries into the diesel-electric locomotive market. General Electric eventually supplanted ALCO as a manufacturer of locomotives, leading to ALCO's demise in 1969.

==Units produced==
===PA-1 units (cabs)===
{| class="toccolours"
! bgcolor=#cc9966 | Railroad
! bgcolor=#cc9966 |   Quantity  
! bgcolor=#cc9966| Road numbers
|-
|style="width:300px"|[[American Locomotive Company|American Locomotive Co.]] ([[American Freedom Train]])
|<center>1
|style="width:350px"|1776
|-
|[[American Locomotive Company|American Locomotive Co.]] (demonstrator units)
|<center>2
|9077, 9078
|-
|[[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]
|<center>28
|51L–62L, 51A–62B, 70L–73L
|-
|[[Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad]]
|<center>4
|6001, 6003, 6011, 6013
|-
|[[Erie Railroad]]
|<center>12
|850–861
|-
|[[Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad]]
|<center>2
|290, 291
|-
|[[Lehigh Valley Railroad]]
|<center>14
|601–614
|-
|[[Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad]]
|<center>4
|151A, 151L, 152A, 152L
|-
|[[Missouri Pacific Railroad]]
|<center>8
|8001–8008
|-
|[[New York Central Railroad]]
|<center>8
|4200–4203 / 4204–4207 ([[Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad]])
|-
|[[New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad]]
|<center>11
|180–190
|-
|[[New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad]]
|<center>27
|0760–0786
|-
|[[Pennsylvania Railroad]]
|<center>10
|5750A–5759A
|-
|[[St. Louis Southwestern Railway]]
|<center>2
|300, 301
|-
|[[Southern Pacific Railroad]]
|<center>24
|200A–205A, 200B–205B ([[Texas and New Orleans Railway|T&NO]]) / 6005A–6010A, 6005C–6010C
|-
|[[Union Pacific Railroad]]
|<center>8
|994A–997A, 998B, 999B (renumbered to 600–603, 600B, 602B respectively), 604–607, 604B–607B
|-
|[[Wabash Railroad]]
|<center>4
|1020, 1020A, 1021, 1021A
|}

===PA-2 / PA-3 units (cabs)===
{| class="toccolours"
! bgcolor=#cc9966 | Railroad
! bgcolor=#cc9966 |   Quantity  
! bgcolor=#cc9966| Road numbers
|-
|style="width:300px"|[[American Locomotive Company|American Locomotive Co.]] ("More Power for America")
|<center>1
|style="width:350px"|8375
|-
|[[Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro]]
|<center>3
|900–902
|-
|[[Erie Railroad]]
|<center>2
|862, 863
|-
|[[Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad]]
|<center>8
|154A–157A, 154C–157C
|-
|[[Missouri Pacific Railroad]]
|<center>29
|8009–8036
|-
|[[New York Central Railroad]]
|<center>6
|4208–4211 / 4213 and 4214 ([[Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad]])
|-
|[[Southern Pacific Railroad]]
|<center>27
|6019–6045
|-
|[[Southern Railway (US)|Southern Railway]]
|<center>6
|6900–6905
|}

===PB-1 units (cabless boosters)===
{| class="toccolours"
! bgcolor=#cc9966 | Railroad
! bgcolor=#cc9966 |   Quantity  
! bgcolor=#cc9966 | Road numbers
|-
|style="width:300px"|[[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]
|<center>16
|style="width:350px"|51A–62A, 70A–73A
|-
|[[Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad]]
|<center>2
|6002, 6012
|-
|[[New York Central Railroad]]
|<center>4
|4300–4303
|-
|[[Pennsylvania Railroad]]
|<center>5
|5750B–5758B (even numbers only)
|-
|[[Southern Pacific Railroad]]
|<center>6
|6005B–6010B
|-
|[[Union Pacific Railroad]]
|<center>3
|607B, 998B, 999B
|}

===PB-2 / PB-3 units (cabless boosters)===
{| class="toccolours"
! bgcolor=#cc9966 | Railroad
! bgcolor=#cc9966 |   Quantity  
! bgcolor=#cc9966 | Road numbers
|-
|style="width:300px"|[[American Locomotive Company|American Locomotive Co.]] ("More Power for America")
|<center>1
|style="width:350px"|8375B
|-
|[[Southern Pacific Railroad]]
|<center>7
|5918–5924
|}

==Foreign sales==
The PA-2 units sold to the 5'–3" (1600 mm) [[broad gauge]] [[Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro]] of [[São Paulo State]] in [[Brazil]] were (for unknown reasons) equipped with a bar [[pilot (locomotive)|pilot]] and solid horizontal steel pilot beam, which did not help the PA's looks. Two of these locomotives survive.

==Surviving examples==
[[Image:Z-5284.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Ventriloquist]] [[Edgar Bergen]] and his "sidekick" [[Mortimer Snerd]] pose in the cab of Santa Fe #51L, an ALCO PA unit, to mark its delivery to the railroad in [[1946]].]]
Six PA units survive; four are of the ex-Santa Fe group of locomotives kept in service by the [[Delaware and Hudson Railroad]] and later sold to Mexico, while the remaining two are of the three broad gauge units sold to the Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro in Brazil. These latter are said to be in very poor shape. Of the D&H units, two are in the United States. One is being cosmetically restored into its AT&SF ''[[Warbonnet (paint scheme)|Warbonnet]]'' colors for the [[Smithsonian Institution]], while the other is privately owned by Doyle McCormack and is being restored to operating condition as [[Nickel Plate Road]] #190, fitted with a more modern [[ALCO 251]] diesel prime mover. The other two survivors are in the Puebla Museum in Mexico.
 

==References==
* {{cite web|title=ALCO 244 and 251 Diesel Engines|work=Pacific Southwest Railway Museum|url=http://www.sdrm.org/roster/diesel/alco/index.html|accessdate=March 9|accessyear=2006}}
* Aslaksen, James and McCormack, Doyle. ''[http://www.nkp190.com/ NKP190.com]''. Retrieved on [[March 26]], [[2005]].
* {{cite book|author=Hayden, Bob (Ed.)|title=Model Railroader Cyclopedia-Volume 2: Diesel Locomotives|publisher=Kalmbach Books|year=1980|id=ISBN 0-89024-547-9}}
* {{cite book|author=Hollingsworth, Brian and Arthur F. Cook|year=1987|title=The Great Book of Trains|publisher=Portland House, New York, NY|id=ISBN 0-517-64515-7}}
* {{cite book|author=Pinkepank, Jerry A.|title=The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide|publisher=Kalmbach Publishing Co., Milwaukee, WI|year=1973|id=ISBN 0-89024-026-4}}
* {{cite book|author=Romano, Andy|year=1997|title=PA: Alco's Glamour Girl|publisher=Four Ways West Publications|id=ISBN 1-885614-16-0}}
* Stumpf, Rolf. ''[http://alcoworld.railfan.net/pauli.htm ALCO World: Paulista RR]''. Retrieved on [[March 26]], [[2005]].

==External links==
* [http://www.thedieselshop.us/AlcoPA.HTML Alco PA & PB Roster]
* [http://www.thedieselshop.us/PRSVDalcoCC.HTML#CABS Preserved Alco Cab Units]
* [http://www.NKP190.com NKP190.com] documents the restoration of [[Nickel Plate Road]] #190, a PA-1.

{{ALCO diesels}}

[[Category:A1A-A1A locomotives]]
[[Category:ALCO locomotives|PA]]
[[Category:Schenectady, New York]]