Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Revisit David Lynch's Eerie 1990s PSA On NYC's Rat Problem
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 22, 2017
Modified May 22, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Still from the PSA
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 22, 2017
Modified May 22, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
As season two of Twin Peaks was airing on ABC in 1991, David Lynch and the City of New York released an eerie (and still relevant) PSA from the director, which addressed NYC's rat and trash problems. The piece, part of the "We Care About New York" series, also featured the work of Lynch's trusted Director of Photography, Frederick Elmes (Eraserhead, Blue Velvet).
Alas, even Lynch's fear-instilling masterpiece couldn't solve the city's rodent and litter problems, which remain a challenge to this day. Maybe we need an edit where all the rats are BOB and each piece of garbage tossed on the ground invokes him.
This wasn't the only short piece Lynch created—he's got a whole bunch of commercials on his resume.
Tagged
we care about new york
flashback
psa
original
david lynch
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
America's pastime began in New York. But baseball wouldn’t exist without New Jersey.
With room to play, the sport flourished in Hoboken.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Jul 29, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
What's happening at New York's libraries this August
N.K. Jemisin leads a workshop in the Bronx and more.
By
Alec Hamilton
Arts & Entertainment
What's happening at New York's libraries this August
N.K. Jemisin leads a workshop in the Bronx and more.
By
Alec Hamilton
Brooklyn’s smallest – and strangest? – art history museum is hidden in plain sight
By
Hannah Frishberg
Sitcoms from the 1990s made NYC apartments seem huge. The truth is coming out.
By
Sonia Rao
Battle of the beaches: The Jersey Shore vs. Long Island
By
Elizabeth Shwe
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .