LOL. For 20 years I have wanted to do a study. Determine how much Space Flight has been imbued and molded our Culture/psychology by going back to the beginning of TV in the mid 1950s and count/analyze every possible media use of Space to bolster their advertising. Prime case in point is the Astronaut on MTV or the add in this post. Outside science-fiction/fiction entertainment material, it is very interesting to see how our current mindset/mental impressions are and have been affected by this stimulus (subtle or not). Are there any negative affects, such as desensitization which might affect beliefs or sustained attention and funding. Anyone want to partner to do a study?
Nice advertising, but I have a question about how it drew from actual spaceflight or media portrails.The background music was the same song used in the movie, Apollo 13, in a broadcast just before the accident. There was a real broadcast just before the real Apollo 13 accident. Was the same song sent to Earth on the actual mission?
Short answer: in the movie Fred Haise plays “Spirit in the Sky”. In the actual TV broadcast Jim Lovell played the jazz standard “Willow Weep for Me”.
Longer answer:
During the last few minutes of the live TV broadcast on April 13th, Jim Lovell says: “We might give you a quick—a quick shot of our entertainment on board the spacecraft, which has been keeping us company for some time.”
Lovell then holds up their portable cassette player to the camera. He then holds the player up to his microphone for a few seconds during which time you can hear someone playing jazz piano. Although Lovell doesn’t say what song it is, it has since been identified as the jazz standard “Willow Weep for Me”.
Lovell then lets the player float in front of him. Presumably it is still playing, however since the player is no longer near his microphone the music cannot be heard. As the player continues to float in front of him Lovell says:
“This little tape recorder has been a big benefit—has been a big benefit to us in passing some of the time away on our transit to the Moon, and it’s rather odd to see it floating like this in Odyssey while it’s playing the theme from 2001.”
Lovell’s comment has been misinterpreted by many who assume that he meant that the music being played at that moment was Also sprach Zarathustra from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Lovell goes on to say:
“And, of course, the tapes wouldn’t be complete without Aquarius”
Presumably Lovell is referring to the song The Age of Aquarius, although this song is also not heard during the broadcast.
You can watch this portion of the actual TV broadcast in the following clip, starting at 0:30
Very disappointing use of PC archtypes that have never been in lunar orbit. How much better this commercial would have been if it depicted an Orion in 2021, not an Apollo in 1971. Instead of dreaming of a better future, this ad distorts the truth to present a past that never was. Looks like human progress stalled somewhere around 1984.
LOL. For 20 years I have wanted to do a study. Determine how much Space Flight has been imbued and molded our Culture/psychology by going back to the beginning of TV in the mid 1950s and count/analyze every possible media use of Space to bolster their advertising. Prime case in point is the Astronaut on MTV or the add in this post. Outside science-fiction/fiction entertainment material, it is very interesting to see how our current mindset/mental impressions are and have been affected by this stimulus (subtle or not). Are there any negative affects, such as desensitization which might affect beliefs or sustained attention and funding. Anyone want to partner to do a study?
I am teaching a research class that could do it as a project in the Spring.
I’ll bring the popcorn!
Contact me on Linkedin (linkedin.com/in/marsisourfu… and we can discuss further.
Will do later tonight
The link doesn’t seem to work, but I am easy to find on Linkedin, its just Thomas L Matula
Nice advertising, but I have a question about how it drew from actual spaceflight or media portrails.The background music was the same song used in the movie, Apollo 13, in a broadcast just before the accident. There was a real broadcast just before the real Apollo 13 accident. Was the same song sent to Earth on the actual mission?
Short answer: in the movie Fred Haise plays “Spirit in the Sky”. In the actual TV broadcast Jim Lovell played the jazz standard “Willow Weep for Me”.
Longer answer:
During the last few minutes of the live TV broadcast on April 13th, Jim Lovell says: “We might give you a quick—a quick shot of our entertainment on board the spacecraft, which has been keeping us company for some time.”
Lovell then holds up their portable cassette player to the camera. He then holds the player up to his microphone for a few seconds during which time you can hear someone playing jazz piano. Although Lovell doesn’t say what song it is, it has since been identified as the jazz standard “Willow Weep for Me”.
Lovell then lets the player float in front of him. Presumably it is still playing, however since the player is no longer near his microphone the music cannot be heard. As the player continues to float in front of him Lovell says:
“This little tape recorder has been a big benefit—has been a big benefit to us in passing some of the time away on our transit to the Moon, and it’s rather odd to see it floating like this in Odyssey while it’s playing the theme from 2001.”
Lovell’s comment has been misinterpreted by many who assume that he meant that the music being played at that moment was Also sprach Zarathustra from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Lovell goes on to say:
“And, of course, the tapes wouldn’t be complete without Aquarius”
Presumably Lovell is referring to the song The Age of Aquarius, although this song is also not heard during the broadcast.
You can watch this portion of the actual TV broadcast in the following clip, starting at 0:30
\https://www.youtube.com/wat…
“Lovell is referring to the song The Age of Aquarius”
I read Lovell later went to watch the musical play “Hair” that featured the song. He walked out before show ended.
Very disappointing use of PC archtypes that have never been in lunar orbit. How much better this commercial would have been if it depicted an Orion in 2021, not an Apollo in 1971. Instead of dreaming of a better future, this ad distorts the truth to present a past that never was. Looks like human progress stalled somewhere around 1984.