The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, or SINA [pronounced "sinna"], was a satirical hoax concocted by serial prankster Alan Abel. The group used the language and rhetoric of conservative moralists for the ostensible aim of clothing "indecent" naked animals, including domestic pets, barnyard animals, and large wildlife. The society and its aims were then largely presented in the public arena on news and talk shows by comedian/improviser Buck Henry (in the guise of SINA president "G. Clifford Prout") from 1959 through 1963. History In 1959, Alan Abel wrote a satirical story about an imaginary organization for The Saturday Evening Post but the editors rejected it. Abel then transformed his story into a series of press releases from the organization that garnered media attention. Looking to expand the range and impact of the hoax, Abel persuaded the actor Buck Henry to assume the role of the group president, G. Clifford Prout, Jr., in U.S. television news and talk show appearances. Henry, who had improv training, was able to play Prout with an intense deadpan sincerity, as well as to stay in character through unscripted interviews. During the interviews, Prout was often presented as an amusing eccentric, but was otherwise taken seriously by the broadcasters who interviewed him. Abel (seen far less frequently) played the group's executive vice-president Bruce Spencer. Over time, the history of SINA and some of its specific aims were codified into a coherent (if unlikely) backstory. The group had been founded some years before by G. Clifford Prout, Sr., and was being carried on by his son. An alleged debate within SINA was how large an animal had to be to require clothing; the official position quoted by Prout was "any dog, cat, horse or cow that stands higher than 4 inches or longer than 6 inches." Slogans such as "Decency today means morality tomorrow" and "A nude horse is a rude horse" were offered. The group received widespread American media coverage, beginning with an appearance by G. Clifford Prout on NBC's Today Show on May 27, 1959. Press releases and media appearances continued for the next few years, until the hoax was finally revealed in late 1962. Support and anthems There was no membership fee to join SINA, as the official society policy for membership stated that "you must only demonstrate a desire to be decent by clothing your animals, and in some instances those of