NASA Johnson Style
December 15, 2012 6:15 PM Subscribe
NASA Johnson Style (Yes, it's a Gangnam Style Parody, but it's a pretty damn good 'un) SLYT
I'll take this opportunity to link to the all-time greatest Gangman Style parody... Lo Pan Style. It's a tribute to Big Trouble in Little China, everyone's favorite 1980's Kurt Russel action/comedy/fantasy/WTF movie. The production values and writing are way better than they have any right to be. It's from the same guy who made the (also unexpectantly brilliant) Batman Call Me Maybe parody.
posted by Green Winnebago at 6:36 PM on December 15, 2012 [9 favorites]
posted by Green Winnebago at 6:36 PM on December 15, 2012 [9 favorites]
This one and the one from MIT are among the best of the gangnam parodies/tributes.
posted by anothermug at 6:36 PM on December 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by anothermug at 6:36 PM on December 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
Noting with some trepidation that, at around 7 million views per day, Gangnam Style should be the first video to reach a billion YouTube videos on this date. Not worried? I do not share your overconfidence or naivety...
posted by Wordshore at 6:47 PM on December 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Wordshore at 6:47 PM on December 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
What I want to see now is a competition for the WORST Gangnam Style video.
My first instinct would be to ask what the difference would be.
My second would be to submit this.
posted by dumbland at 6:54 PM on December 15, 2012
My first instinct would be to ask what the difference would be.
My second would be to submit this.
posted by dumbland at 6:54 PM on December 15, 2012
Heeeeey, Science Lady!
posted by telstar at 7:00 PM on December 15, 2012 [5 favorites]
posted by telstar at 7:00 PM on December 15, 2012 [5 favorites]
I saw Chasing Ice after reading the MeFi post about it, and was feeling kind of sad. The healthy looking polar ice cap on CGI Earth (two minutes in) makes me feel a lot better now.
posted by compartment at 7:08 PM on December 15, 2012
posted by compartment at 7:08 PM on December 15, 2012
If you can get past the Star Wars sponsored stuff in the Johnson Space Center, there's some really cool and interesting stuff going on there. Well worth the visit. This video is also cool.
posted by arcticseal at 7:18 PM on December 15, 2012
posted by arcticseal at 7:18 PM on December 15, 2012
What I want to see now is a competition for the WORST Gangnam Style video.
Um, asked and answered.
posted by phaedon at 7:26 PM on December 15, 2012 [7 favorites]
Um, asked and answered.
posted by phaedon at 7:26 PM on December 15, 2012 [7 favorites]
Wow, anothermug, thanks! - for "Oppan Chomsky Style" alone, that video wins the internet.
posted by lesli212 at 7:27 PM on December 15, 2012
posted by lesli212 at 7:27 PM on December 15, 2012
I still don't understand why this fad is popular.
posted by GavinR at 7:34 PM on December 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by GavinR at 7:34 PM on December 15, 2012 [2 favorites]
I can't decide what's better: this or We're NASA and We Know It.
posted by djb at 7:55 PM on December 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by djb at 7:55 PM on December 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
I still don't understand why this fad is popular.
Unlike nearly all music since 1979 you can dance to it. Young people are kind of amazed by that I imagine.
posted by localroger at 7:59 PM on December 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
Unlike nearly all music since 1979 you can dance to it. Young people are kind of amazed by that I imagine.
posted by localroger at 7:59 PM on December 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
Unlike nearly all music since 1979? Pistols at dawn.
posted by dunkadunc at 8:07 PM on December 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by dunkadunc at 8:07 PM on December 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
That was awesome. Also I approve of the "Hey, science lady!" refrain and the very large representation of women in science in that video.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:49 PM on December 15, 2012 [10 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 8:49 PM on December 15, 2012 [10 favorites]
I really liked this, except for an early segment where a couple of women came across as props instead of contributors to the success of the program. I think videos like this are an important tool to get younger folks interested in the hard sciences, and women have to be treated as equal partners. It got better after that, everyone seemed to be part of the same team and not there solely as eye candy.
I might be over-thinking it: maybe those women are scientists that work at NASA. But I doubt they dress like that every day.
posted by flipper at 8:50 PM on December 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
I might be over-thinking it: maybe those women are scientists that work at NASA. But I doubt they dress like that every day.
posted by flipper at 8:50 PM on December 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yeah, because that was a really big problem in the original video.
posted by phaedon at 9:05 PM on December 15, 2012
posted by phaedon at 9:05 PM on December 15, 2012
flipper: "I might be over-thinking it"
You are. Not everything in life has to convey a message or advance a cause. Sometimes it's just fun to sit back and watch the bits flow for something cute.
posted by fireoyster at 10:13 PM on December 15, 2012
You are. Not everything in life has to convey a message or advance a cause. Sometimes it's just fun to sit back and watch the bits flow for something cute.
posted by fireoyster at 10:13 PM on December 15, 2012
tax dollars nasa style.
the women are props instead of contributors to the video? its a video. you obviously have much much more to worry on.
posted by Colonel Panic at 10:18 PM on December 15, 2012
the women are props instead of contributors to the video? its a video. you obviously have much much more to worry on.
posted by Colonel Panic at 10:18 PM on December 15, 2012
Not everything in life has to convey a message or advance a cause. Sometimes it's just fun to sit back and watch the bits flow for something cute.
Dude, all of the media you consume already conveys a message. Some of us are just a little over-exposed to over-exposed "women as decorative ornamentation." Which considering the state of the media, is totally rational and logical.
maybe those women are scientists that work at NASA. But I doubt they dress like that every day.
I assume all of the people in the video work at NASA so I'm not sure why anyone would assume these two women don't. They undoubtedly do not dress like that every day, but this is a parody so I read it as mocking. American Apparel ads ≠ not parody. Gangnam Style parody = parody.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:22 PM on December 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
Dude, all of the media you consume already conveys a message. Some of us are just a little over-exposed to over-exposed "women as decorative ornamentation." Which considering the state of the media, is totally rational and logical.
maybe those women are scientists that work at NASA. But I doubt they dress like that every day.
I assume all of the people in the video work at NASA so I'm not sure why anyone would assume these two women don't. They undoubtedly do not dress like that every day, but this is a parody so I read it as mocking. American Apparel ads ≠ not parody. Gangnam Style parody = parody.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:22 PM on December 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
Anything to get people into STEM.
posted by dhartung at 10:57 PM on December 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by dhartung at 10:57 PM on December 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
What I want to see now is a competition for the WORST Gangnam Style video.
I think I found those already and no, you don't want to see it. Look for "condom style."* There's a few excellent videos on that and then it goes waaaaay downhill from there.
* I figured someone had to have parodied it already, saving me the trouble of doing so. Sure 'nuff...
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:07 PM on December 15, 2012
I think I found those already and no, you don't want to see it. Look for "condom style."* There's a few excellent videos on that and then it goes waaaaay downhill from there.
* I figured someone had to have parodied it already, saving me the trouble of doing so. Sure 'nuff...
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:07 PM on December 15, 2012
Throw 'em up like the Canadarm!
posted by mdonley at 12:24 AM on December 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by mdonley at 12:24 AM on December 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
I might be over-thinking it: maybe those women are scientists that work at NASA. But I doubt they dress like that every day.
Nor, I'm sure, do their male engineers wear light blue blazers and goofy sunglasses.
They're trying to match the original video. They do a damn good job. There were enough women in labcoats to make me happy, and enough women overall to make me feel like hey, women work at NASA! Look, I'm an angry feminist engineer, but this isn't worth overthinking.
posted by olinerd at 2:26 AM on December 16, 2012 [7 favorites]
Nor, I'm sure, do their male engineers wear light blue blazers and goofy sunglasses.
They're trying to match the original video. They do a damn good job. There were enough women in labcoats to make me happy, and enough women overall to make me feel like hey, women work at NASA! Look, I'm an angry feminist engineer, but this isn't worth overthinking.
posted by olinerd at 2:26 AM on December 16, 2012 [7 favorites]
According to the notes, the video was made by students at the Johnson Space Center. Some of the people in the video (mostly the older ones, I expect) are staff there. So it seems likely the women in question are science students.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:25 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:25 AM on December 16, 2012
I've never actually gotten around to seeing the original or any of the parodies before now but this actually got me to finally watch the original for the first time a few minutes ago and now I'm not really sure what all the fuss is all about.
posted by octothorpe at 6:06 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by octothorpe at 6:06 AM on December 16, 2012
The weird disclaimer the first and only time(?) you see a person with dark brown skin was unfortunate.
posted by oddman at 6:40 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by oddman at 6:40 AM on December 16, 2012
You missed the Black man high fiving aboard the ISS then?
posted by MartinWisse at 6:48 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by MartinWisse at 6:48 AM on December 16, 2012
oddman: I am almost 100% sure you are way overthinking that one. I'm pretty sure that's also the only time you see someone (other than clips of actual astronauts) in an actual flight suit as opposed to a crew uniform.
posted by 256 at 7:29 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by 256 at 7:29 AM on December 16, 2012
Yup, missed the high-five. (If you think that astronaut is featured as prominently as the elevator guy, then my point is certainly weakened. I don't agree that they have remotely equal impact.)
256, the thing is I didn't over-think it. I hardly thought about it at all. I just noticed that when you see an obvious racial minority in the video, he gets a huge disclaimer over his head. While the other obvious "not really reality" moments (like the shorts "uniform" of the women at the beginning or the "ISS" scene with the disapproving bald astronaut) you don't get any disclaimers.
I mean if you want to be hyper-honest about what's real and what isn't, so much so that a guy in an elevator gets a disclaimer, then go all the way. Be funny about it. Have disclaimers like "Scientists are not actually paid to dance" etc.) If you don't go all the way, then don't be surprised when someone asks "Hey why did you put that disclaimer in at that point, exactly?"
And while the video creators know that he isn't an astronaut (and is perhaps the only non-astronaut in a flight suit in the video) none of us know that. So, again, why highlight that bit of knowledge? Why call attention to it? What does it add to the video? If it's a joke, it's a particularly obscure one.
Now, I've thought about, but I'm still not over-thinking it. As was mentioned upstream everything we do in public sends a message.
posted by oddman at 8:17 AM on December 16, 2012
256, the thing is I didn't over-think it. I hardly thought about it at all. I just noticed that when you see an obvious racial minority in the video, he gets a huge disclaimer over his head. While the other obvious "not really reality" moments (like the shorts "uniform" of the women at the beginning or the "ISS" scene with the disapproving bald astronaut) you don't get any disclaimers.
I mean if you want to be hyper-honest about what's real and what isn't, so much so that a guy in an elevator gets a disclaimer, then go all the way. Be funny about it. Have disclaimers like "Scientists are not actually paid to dance" etc.) If you don't go all the way, then don't be surprised when someone asks "Hey why did you put that disclaimer in at that point, exactly?"
And while the video creators know that he isn't an astronaut (and is perhaps the only non-astronaut in a flight suit in the video) none of us know that. So, again, why highlight that bit of knowledge? Why call attention to it? What does it add to the video? If it's a joke, it's a particularly obscure one.
Now, I've thought about, but I'm still not over-thinking it. As was mentioned upstream everything we do in public sends a message.
posted by oddman at 8:17 AM on December 16, 2012
this actually got me to finally watch the original for the first time a few minutes ago and now I'm not really sure what all the fuss is all about
It's good to see a music video, especially by a rapper from any country, that not only is not obsessed with sex, but kind of mocks the whole concept. I like in the original when Psy shouts at the woman's backside, which parodies the (literal) level at which most other rappers work. I find that the original simultaneously laughs at itself and takes itself seriously. It's working in a dumb form like the rap song, in which there are a lot of knuckle-dragging practitioners, but using it for all it can give. All that aside, though, I just love the horsey dance.
posted by anothermug at 8:18 AM on December 16, 2012
It's good to see a music video, especially by a rapper from any country, that not only is not obsessed with sex, but kind of mocks the whole concept. I like in the original when Psy shouts at the woman's backside, which parodies the (literal) level at which most other rappers work. I find that the original simultaneously laughs at itself and takes itself seriously. It's working in a dumb form like the rap song, in which there are a lot of knuckle-dragging practitioners, but using it for all it can give. All that aside, though, I just love the horsey dance.
posted by anothermug at 8:18 AM on December 16, 2012
Oddman, 256, the flight suits are the blue ones with the patches. They're worn by the woman resting her chin on her hand at 0:50, the guy who kicks "Psy" out at 0:59, and the guy who puts on some sunglasses at 2:28. Judging from the credits, these would be Tracy Cauldwell Dyson, Mike Massimino, and Clay Anderson, all actual astronauts.
I'm guessing the elevator guy got a disclaimer because he's the only person wearing astronaut clothing who isn't an astronaut. My first reaction was, "Oh, yeah, so it took you 2:48 to run out of real astronauts and you wanted the whole world to know it. Way to stay humble, guys."
My second guess is that the video-makers were a little concerned how NASA might react to a semi-official video that featured an apparent astronaut in apparently official NASA uniform, hip-thrusting vigorously right on top of somebody's head.
posted by d. z. wang at 9:49 AM on December 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
I'm guessing the elevator guy got a disclaimer because he's the only person wearing astronaut clothing who isn't an astronaut. My first reaction was, "Oh, yeah, so it took you 2:48 to run out of real astronauts and you wanted the whole world to know it. Way to stay humble, guys."
My second guess is that the video-makers were a little concerned how NASA might react to a semi-official video that featured an apparent astronaut in apparently official NASA uniform, hip-thrusting vigorously right on top of somebody's head.
posted by d. z. wang at 9:49 AM on December 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Very effective pro-NASA propaganda, which I say with affection. Also nthing the "yay women" thing.
(NASA really does encourage the "we are scientists doing Important Things" mentality and brands their work as a noble calling, at least at JSC. My ex thought of what he was doing as Very Important Science whether he was working on antenna management or accounting software, both of which were on his project list during our years together.)
posted by immlass at 10:10 AM on December 16, 2012
(NASA really does encourage the "we are scientists doing Important Things" mentality and brands their work as a noble calling, at least at JSC. My ex thought of what he was doing as Very Important Science whether he was working on antenna management or accounting software, both of which were on his project list during our years together.)
posted by immlass at 10:10 AM on December 16, 2012
No. This will not be my first time clicking a gangnam video.
I don't know what it will take. As I said when commenting on Senator Alan Simpson's gangnam style video (which I also did not watch):
Surely there will be some worthy social cause that uses gangnam to draw me to their video fundraising or awareness effort. Not you, Sally Struthers. Not you, Sarah McLachlan, not even with your sad sad dogs.
Not even if the sad sad dogs are dancing.
posted by surplus at 10:13 AM on December 16, 2012
I don't know what it will take. As I said when commenting on Senator Alan Simpson's gangnam style video (which I also did not watch):
Surely there will be some worthy social cause that uses gangnam to draw me to their video fundraising or awareness effort. Not you, Sally Struthers. Not you, Sarah McLachlan, not even with your sad sad dogs.
Not even if the sad sad dogs are dancing.
posted by surplus at 10:13 AM on December 16, 2012
Also yeah it's quite cool to have real astronauts on your silly video but not so much with fake astronauts, so maybe they wanted to have that disclaimer. Also I presume without any knowledge that working at NASA and acting like an astronaut is considered poseurish if you're actually not an astronaut.
posted by Authorized User at 10:28 AM on December 16, 2012
posted by Authorized User at 10:28 AM on December 16, 2012
No. This will not be my first time clicking a gangnam video.
Fair enough. If the temptation to see the video suddenly becomes overwhelming, click here to distract yourself.
posted by Wordshore at 10:30 AM on December 16, 2012
Fair enough. If the temptation to see the video suddenly becomes overwhelming, click here to distract yourself.
posted by Wordshore at 10:30 AM on December 16, 2012
No. This will not be my first time clicking a gangnam video.
Cool story, bro.
posted by atrazine at 10:40 AM on December 16, 2012
Cool story, bro.
posted by atrazine at 10:40 AM on December 16, 2012
To those who I claimed were overthinking it: Sure, everything potentially sends a message but that doesn't mean that the creation can't be enjoyed for its own sake. It's an awesome video even without the NASA connection (does the "Klingon Style" video have a message?). The world might be a little less stressful if neat things could be enjoyed just because they are neat. However, I'm not going to be the one to dictate one's feelings about a video. The whole point of creativity is to evoke a response, with or without a "message," and it would be hypocritical of me to try to hand-wave that away.
The thread has been open long enough that I figure I can leverage a little message-sending of my own: TEXAS, AMIRITE?
posted by fireoyster at 9:39 PM on December 16, 2012
The thread has been open long enough that I figure I can leverage a little message-sending of my own: TEXAS, AMIRITE?
posted by fireoyster at 9:39 PM on December 16, 2012
If you're really looking for the worst Gangnam Style parody on Youtube, dunkadunc, you'll have to look a long time, because according to AP News there are over 33,000 Gangnam Style parodies on Youtube.
posted by subdee at 11:01 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by subdee at 11:01 PM on December 16, 2012
I'm also kind of laughing at the idea that Gangnam Style is popular because it's not about sex. It's totally about sex. It's just about sex in another language, with a discrete and humorous video, that's all.
posted by subdee at 11:06 PM on December 16, 2012
posted by subdee at 11:06 PM on December 16, 2012
"The world might be a little less stressful, if neat things could be enjoyed just because they are neat people who made neat things were just a tad more thoughtful when making them."
posted by oddman at 7:13 AM on December 17, 2012
posted by oddman at 7:13 AM on December 17, 2012
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posted by dunkadunc at 6:22 PM on December 15, 2012 [2 favorites]