Annual Embarrassing NASA Holiday Videos Appear
Keith’s 10 Dec note: I never understand the purpose of these videos since everyone in them just looks … well …
Keith’s 11 Dec update: The video has now been made private. You can see a preview here. Lots of Star Wars costumes, women wearing fuzzy antlers, cheerleader uniforms, etc. IMHO there were too many antlers and not enough cowbells.
Keith’s 11 Dec additional update: The video is viewable again. The responses to the posting of this video are hilarious. Let me summarize: Several dozen NASA people make a video wherien they act overtly silly at work. They then go out of their way to tell NASA Watch about it. Surprise: I posted a link. If they did not want to be seen being silly by others then why did they make a video, post it on YouTube, and then tell NASA Watch about it? As for those of you who do not get the “cowbell” reference, you really need to watch more Saturday Night Live.
FWIW had there been YouTube when the Space Station Freedom Program Office in Reston was operational in the 1990s you can rest assured we’d have out done these JSC folks with our antics.
Well the thing is about this video is that um…. uh… ya see its the choreography that uhh, well the people who… ugg geese….
This is just people having fun. What’s the point of acting like this is anything else? You are stretching a bit.
1. Isn’t there a requirement for all employees to wear and clearly display badges while on NASA facilities
2. Isn’t there a rule against using the official logo in unapproved media?
But who am I kidding? This will just be a case where NASA employees ignore their own rules for convenience.
Maybe we can ask NASA KSC security to investigate this. They have nothing else to do but setup speed traps! But then again……this case might be to hard for them, actually requires a working knowledge of security.
Are you serious? Probably the wrong question; you’re obviously far too serious.
Some non-NASA people make a NASA parody website and the government lawyers react like bee-stung mules threatening legal action.
Some NASA employees use NASA logos, facilities, and resources to make a silly video while violating several security and HR rules in the process, and people say “Oh, it’s just good fun.”
If someone at my work made a video like this, at least one or two division vice presidents would have a seizure on viewing it, and then demand disciplinary action for all involved.
As we brace ourselves for the approaching fiscal cliff, I would think government agencies would not want to present themselves to the world as an unprofessional, wasteful clown show. Obviously, some people don’t think that way.
“If someone at my work made a video like this, at least one or two division vice presidents would have a seizure on viewing it, and then demand disciplinary action for all involved.”
So you are actually presenting this as a *better alternative*? That upper-level stuffed suits should get involved to preserve the corporate brand?
“Now see here, Fezziwig, this little dance of your may be fine and dandy for the common folk but it’s not the sort of thing we want to encourage. Reels and jigs, here among the merchandise? Won’t do at all. Fine yourself a shilling, man, and see those two young clerks to the door.”
Gonzo, I pretty much agree with all you’ve said here, except for one thing, your word “approaching”. We’re already over the edge at Mach 2 and fully airborne. It’s only naivete that makes most folks not realize that.
We’re just doing a high altitude economic plummeting like Baumgartner did from space, but oops, we’re off the edge, no use trying the brakes and we forgot to strap on a parachute. Might as well take a few funny Llp Dub videos on the way down, before we slam into the rocks at the bottom and turn into mushy road kill.
You can mumble the tune Humpty Dumpty – – – Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall (street). Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King’s horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again!
To answer your questions:
1. There is such a requirement. However, if you are to appear in a photograph or video while on NASA campus, you are required to take off your badge so it doesn’t appear in any photo or video.
2. All media done by NASA on NASA campus has to go through screening before posted for the general public to view. Therefor the media has to be approved.
Oh good grief people, it is some people having a little fun. Keith et al, get your heads out of the next generations space program. Your opinions are no longer welcome or valid and we don’t want you to be a part of it. Your cynical views are just getting tiresome. The future rides on our shoulders now, not those complaining from the bleachers, or those “pretending” to be journalists.
Stop reading NASAWatch. I promise you will feel much better.
Keith, are you just going to answer all your critics with a canned
response like this again and again and call that sufficient response to criticism of your reporting?
Have you become the thing you had sworn to protect against? Maybe it’s time someone makes a nasawatchwatch website……
Seriously. No one is forcing you to read this blog. Yikes you can’t even use your real name, “Nox”.
No one is forcing me to read this as you call it “blog” – but it’s more then that Keith – you are a legitimate online Press that is covering NASA. It’s not a blog Keith – you are Press. Is your memory fading Keith? I gave you a tip that you made an editorial on. And Yes, I am Nox because you changed the login setup. And no I cannot reveal my identity because I am a Support Service Contractor and commenting publicly with my name may get me fired. You should understand that. But you haven’t actually addressed any of my concerns – you are just throwing ad hominem attacks. I’m on your side but you apparently don’t realize it.
The last time I checked, my constitutional right to free speech has not been rescinded. As such I will speak my mind. I find the complaint of Ad hominem attacks by someone who hurls their own personal insults from behind the facade of a fake name to be hilarious. Nothing is stopping you from using your real name. Take your faux outrage somewhere else.
TNGSF, I have to say, I enjoyed this NASA LipDub video. Production-wise I’d give it a “C-“, but there are some aspects of it that seem “healthy”.
These LipDub video things require some coordination, time, planning and effort. They require ‘directing’ and direction. People have to get cute little outfits. They have to learn a part of a song and need to be able to mouth it or karoke it. They need to be able to walk backwards and move and dance and smile and be funny, all at the same time! They need to be part of a team and understand their 5 second role.
Instead of sitting at a desk in front of a computer and being stodgy in some old JSC building, they have to get up and exercise for a minute, be social, get along, and follow scripting directions, timing, and camera movements. After they finished their video, they probably went back to their desks and were more productive than they’d been for a month. So, there are probably upsides from this little effort.
I do wonder about the badging as Gonzo mentioned, but I did see two badges in the video. I wonder about internal PAO and JSC site approvals and video review before public release, especially given NASA logo use on the video and internal to facility taping. I wonder about making it clear that this was done off the clock, even if it was obviously made during the day, moving through a NASA facility.
I could worry that some might think “”We pay $18 billion a year, for this?” But then in reality, everyone knows that a fraction of a moment doing this has little fiscal impact when compared to other possibly poorly planned activities that if mis-directed can be billions of dollars more lossy.
To get an “A” for this video, they would have needed better training, improved video director planning and coordination. If you’re going to do this, Go For The Gold. Directors: Look at other high-hit Lip Dub videos:
High School kids with 2 million lip dub hits, trained to lip sync a song phonetically backwards:
http://www.youtube.com/watc…
Even the French scripting lip dubs with good timing and direction:
http://www.youtube.com/watc…
And Satire pulled this NASA one off well, witness 2.6 million hits:
http://www.youtube.com/watc…
What I want to see now is that they take the skills they learned making this ditty Lip Dub video that relate to music selection, video storyboarding, scripting, timing and positioning people, and apply those skills to NASA missions and space.
I want to see them put a video together that scripts out how NASA can respond to and address where it’s going (see the NASA Watch article on Space Policy: Going Everywhere – and Nowhere?) Add music and dance backwards if you wish, but put the plans out there in video and do a better job than the NRC or any of the other so-called planning committees. You’ve had your fun. Now make a video that means something.
They are having fun and it was funny. Chill out, damn.
They sent me a link to the video.
Keith,
I guess you never were part of a sports team, never attended a work holiday party, never did a team building exercise. Think of the upside. At least while they were doing this video, NASA employees were not meeting on how to spend huge sums of money on programs you find useless. Doesn’t that put you in a Christmas, excuse me, holiday spirit? <g>
There were too many antlers, not enough cowbells.
wow! that cowbell comment could go a couple of ways, i’m going to assume its a ref to “I NEED MORE COWBELL”
Absolutely. More cowbell is always a good idea.
There you go Keith. News Item: NASA has just requisitioned 300lbs of aluminum and brass. According to sources, this is to make “cowbells” at a cost to the tax payer of 2.3million dollars. When asked why they did not just buy cowbells NASA POA replied: “we did not feel we could trust private industry to provide America with the quality cowbells we need. We think we can fabricate them better and have them ready by the 4th of July.”
Cowbells are a wise investment. You can never have too many.
Oh, Keith.
http://www.youtube.com/watc…
You must be right, the video is now private.
Dang.
Where did all those women come from?
You must hate everything!
Did I say “hate anywhere? Chill out. Its just a goofy office video.
It’s not what you say, Keith… It’s _how_ you say the things you say. You have good points of view, when the subject requires them (and I respect that), but people should be able to have fun without the fear of being ridiculed.
Did you actually see the tape? Every single person on the tape looked ridiculous – and they all participated in the making of a videotape (they are all looking at the camera and smiling) that was then posted on YouTube. Then they sent me email to tell me it was there. If they want to let off some steam etc. – sure, why not? But when they go out of their way to look silly, document it, and then alert website editors as to how they can see this silliness, what am I supposed to say – that they all looked like Rihanna or Justin Bieber?
Yes, I’ve seen the video. It appears to me that it was meant to be a little silly, but in the spirit of pure fun. Whoever sent you the link must have known it would be “set aflame”… Success!
Several dozen NASA people make a silly video and they go out of their way to tell NASA Watch about it. If they did not want to be seen being silly why did they make a video, post it on YouTube, and then tell me about it?
KC is a hater. I was too was on the SEIC Contract and was bitter after the Freedom Program was canceled but I got over it.
Try unbiased journalism and let folks form their own opinions.
Yawn, “Mark”. Stop reading NASAWatch. I promise you will feel much better.
The negative reaction to this is way over the top. This is the JSC Human Resources office in their own way saluting the accomplishments of NASA. Cowbells? What a nasty comment to make. This is good clean fun by an organization that is taking pride in who it is.
You apparently do not watch Saturday Night Live. http://www.youtube.com/watc…
I agree with Keith’s original observations…embarassing…don’t understand the purpose….this one really wasnt even funny….not really purposeful at all.
I totally disagree with NextGenertion’s position that “Your opinions are no longer welcome or valid and we don’t want you to be a part of it Your cynical views are just getting tiresome.” -actually this is a very dangerous viewpoint. Maybe this guy ought to join some of the terrorist organizations in the mid-east. That is where this opinion belongs.
If a few more people and people with some authority had gotten behind the “cynical and invalid views” a few years ago, then we might still have a human spaceflight program.
Of course you don’t understand the purpose. Fun is not a scientific concept.
Based on the antics of NASA and its management making fools of themselves during their everyday activites, I see nothing wrong with the employees having a little holiday fun themselves. At least we all know this is done in the spirit of the holidays and having some fun. Look at what management does everyday; attacking grandmothers over moon rocks, losing laptops…etc and people complain about this video. Come on people, relax!!
Great video! Really dor-que. Right up my alley! Wish I knew how to post here.
I liked it.
The links on NasaWatch were broken, but if you search YouTube for JSC HR then the party video is the #1 result. I like the video; it’s happy. More to the point, it shows the HR dept as non-threatening, humane, and friendly instead of “bureaucrats”… except for the lightsaber 😉
Just a fun video…Let’s not get too worked up over this. 🙂 Just a nice break for them from processing workforce layoffs and re-assignments. Kinda takes your mind off things for a few minutes. 🙂 well done.
Nerds!
If you want a lip dubbing hit follow this formula 16M + hits http://www.youtube.com/watc…
Just. Stop. It. Wow. I remember the “criticism” launched with regard to the stodgy ol’ JSC after showing the party in the JPL control room when Curiosity landed. Now that JSC shows a little fun, the criticism starts. Man. Sometimes you just can’t win.
It was sadly amusing.
I’d like to see–
1) SpaceX’s HR department do a “response” video and…
2) I would like to see Administrator Bolden do his own video with his HQ “folk.” You know there are at least a half dozen celebs that would do guest appearances gratis on an “underground” NASA video…
See what happens to people when they get in front of a camera? My advice, get behind the camera and write/direct people who look good in front of a camera.
Keith Cowing is unloved?
I agree with Ben. Lighten up! This isn’t what your tax dollars are being wasted on.
Didn’t the GSA just get hammered recently for doing this exact same thing?
I liked this video, only watched it once. Though it is silly and choreography needs work if it were to be a major Broadway production. I see comments sure rattled Keith. I am thinking this will really confuse historians 100 years from now. Too bad NACA folks back in the roaring ’20s never posted on youtube, they must had some wild parties back then.
“Rattled Keith”?
I thought it was pretty cool and fun. Made me forget about the impending sequestration for a short time. Thanks, guys!