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Revisit David Lynch's Eerie 1990s PSA On NYC's Rat Problem
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 22, 2017
Modified May 22, 2017
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Still from the PSA
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 22, 2017
Modified May 22, 2017
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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.
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we care about new york
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david lynch
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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