March 29, 2010
Worst NASA Posters Ever
NASA is usually a master of the art of self promotion, which is why I’m a bit perplexed by this page of downloadable posters promoting NASA manned space missions. The most innocuous ones are simply boring, with proud astronauts grouped in front of a space shuttle or some stars. (No one looks good in an orange space suit, but that’s the uniform.) What I’m talking about, though, are the posters where NASA is trying to be “creative.” Who thought that giving everyone bright blue hair was a good idea? Or referencing Rat Pack promotional posters from the 1960s? Or dressing up the team as characters from The Matrix:
Or Star Trek:
Or Reservoir Dogs (at least it didn’t cost much; all they had to buy for this photo shoot were a few pairs of sunglasses):
Most perplexing to me, though, is this poster for the upcoming May mission to the International Space Station:
Why baseball?
Who wants these posters? I can’t see little kids who dream of being astronauts wanting to hang these up on their bedroom walls. And if I was in one of these missions, I would be more than a little embarrassed by some of them. So why is NASA spending time and money on this? Or am I just not getting the joke?
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What’s the big deal? They’re having fun. I just asked my kid if he would want any of movie themed posters, and he enthusiastically pointed out several he likes. Perhaps they’re trying to reach out to today’s kids. Why baseball? Why didn’t you contact NASA and try to find out? Might have been more interesting to learn something about each team, who chose each theme and why, over random wonderment. The other posters you call boring, I would have given anything to have as a kid.
If we don’t get it, the poster designers missed the mark (obviously). If children and youth of today have to relate to real heros through TV, movie (imaginary) or sports heros (games), things are backwards.
Loosen up. Just folks having fun. Besides, each mission still has its “serious” formal posters with the crew in spacesuits or in those blue overalls.
The posters show the light-hearted side of NASA. I think its easier to relate to people that have the same interests as the rest of the populous. I completely agree with Mark, it would have been interesting to read the history behind each poster.
Right….because we all know the SMITHSONIAN (a byword for “hip” and “modern,” that) makes 100% incredibly tantalizing posters that never put a foot wrong. Pointless blog post–moving on.
I think the third one is more likely to be referencing Ocean’s 11 than Reservoir Dogs…
What are you…85? 90? Lighten up dude….NASA’s just having a bit of fun and trying to make the missions more appealing to the younger generations. I’ve worked at KSC for 25 years and most of the earlier mission posters were extremely boring, at least now they’re attempting not to be…..