War of the Senses

Despite the number of times it was announced that Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds” was just a dramatized radio program, all disclaimers soared over some people’s heads, and they headed for the rooftops. Without first hearing the broadcast, it may be hard to believe it sent people into such a panic, but after listening to it and taking into account the year it was done, its brilliance and effect on some audience members is really an outstanding thing to achieve if you think about it. The symbolic interaction which went on in this instance is a curious thing.

Driven by the collective fear of the unknown, some people mistook fiction for what could have passed as an actual news broadcast. The way in which it was done may be simple by today’s standards, but for the technology available then, it couldn’t have been better. Its simplicity adds realism to it. There are also interviews with what would be extremely credible sources had the whole thing not been fake. Interrupting the music by a special bulletin about something crashing in New Jersey, and brushing it off and nonchalantly returning to the music was a genius move to create an authentic reality for listeners. Increasing concern and updates slowly builds the story. The believability of the broadcast must be factored into the hysteria it stirred.

Radio was one of the main places people got their news. Imagine coming home and switching it on to find a professor saying Martians were invading Earth. Most of us want to believe we’d have been smarter, but look at the Onion News. People have been tricked before and will likely be tricked again. Common sense is often retroactive, and it had probably not dawned on people it was silly to think Martians annihilated the U.S. military in 34 minutes.