NASA’s online contest to name a new room at the international space station went awry. Comedian Stephen Colbert won.
The name “Colbert” beat out NASA’s four suggested options in the space agency’s effort to have the public help name the addition. The new room will be launched later this year.
NASA’s mistake was allowing write-ins. Colbert urged viewers of his Comedy Central show, “The Colbert Report,” to write in his name. And they complied, with 230,539 votes. That clobbered Serenity, one of the NASA choices, by more than 40,000 votes.
NASA still reserves the right to choose an, uh, appropriate name.
#16, he meant Firefly, but I would say that The Daily Show and Colbert aren’t nearly as ‘hip’ as you think. They are still just semi-obscure cable shows on a 2nd tier network(at best).
@#16 by obscure genre show i meant serenity. sorry if i wasn’t clear on that.
my point was that it should not be named serenity over colbert.
@#17 that is your opinion, even through it is a personal attack that i feel is uncalled for. why do you think i am idiot?
Personally I like the name “sssssssssssssss” to remind everybody that air can escape into the vacuum should something hit the station.
As a fan of the Colbert, Serenity and space research I’ll take a crack at this
Colbert’s point is with his Bill O’Reilly/Rush Limbaugh character is, Its much more about me then what I talk about. Thats why he enters these web naming contests. Fine he had fun got some laughs and deserves a high ranking and entertaining NASA official as a guest to explain why he will not get the module named after him. Then tell us what the new and interesting space station happenings are . NASA should Tank him for the exposure and name something more ephemeral and flashy Colbert like a shuttle fuel tank or booster rocket after him.
As for Serenity its one of the best sci fi shows and movies in long time (sorry that space soap Battle Star was not my thing) I guess Serenity would be an ok name but it seems just as silly to have a canceled TV shows fans win and a very popular shows fans locked out.
I like the name “Clarity” or this module.
Comedians can be assholes, too. Being funny or having your own show doesn’t give you the right to interfere in someone else’s business. How would he like it if some “comedian” saw fit to break into the studio and interfere with his show?
Comedians often have that kind of “untouchable” attitude. They’re too used to never getting any suitable retribution so they figure they can mess with anything. That’s just cowardly.
#25
Luc I’d disagree not with “Comedians can be assholes” but with the analogy of breaking into the studio to interfere with his show. If some one had fun with a poll on his website that would be an equivalent, I think he would find away to use it to his advantage as I have suggested NASA does in this case.
Luc
“Comedians often have that kind of “untouchable” attitude. They’re too used to never getting any suitable retribution so they figure they can mess with anything. That’s just cowardly.”
ya I feel the same way about the Rush Limbaughs of the airways. They and Comedians are among the best proponents of the First Amendment and we need them to keep this county great never just except the party line no matter whose party.
I like it.
We name aircraft carriers after crappy presidents, what’s wrong with naming part of the space station after a good comedian? Plus it will be good PR for NASA.
People with no sense of humor amuse me.
My apologies comhcinc, I shouldn’t call names.
On the other hand the idea that something has to be widely popular to have value is faulty. Fox only cancels the finest Scifi you know. =)
I don’t know that the show is important enough as an icon to name anything after it, but its pretty damn good tv.
I’ve heard “Serenity” is a remarkably good SF show a number of times. Each time I’ve tuned in the show, its been pure crap.
One time the space ship was having menstrual cramps, and the next time the captain was.
What is really good about this show if you aren’t into menstrual cramps?
@#29
no problem. i wasn’t trying to say one show is better than the other. i have never seen serenity. the point i was making is if you are going for PR with a pop culture name like nasa is doing then colbert is the better choice.
Apparently NASA is considering naming the new toilet after Colbert, preserving their ability to please the public and name the module something tiresome.
The right wing nuts don’t change. Even though they lost the November election, they won’t accept the results of this one either.
Given the function of the new module I wrote in “lymph node”
Colbert is the new Stern
They should call it The Flatularium
#30
bobbo it sounds like you were probably watching Farscape by mistake.
here try this one
http://www.hulu.com/watch/4584/firefly-jaynestown#x-0,vepisode,1
You might need to know the characters to really enjoy it.
#36–Zarkov==thanks for the recommendation, I’m watching it now. I have to resist my kneejerk reaction to space ships having more space than my house, but it is the character and themes that count?
I don’t think it was Farscape that I agree is even worse what with sock puppets as main characters–reminded me of Buck Rodgers TV show.
I also hate any SciFi show plotted around societies that resemble past periods on Earth – beyond lame.
But, I actually WANT to enjoy it, Blade Runner being one of my top 10 films of all time.
Yeah boy, I love those guys at comedy central. Colbert is hysterical! If you haven’t seen him go visit the comedy central web, they got great bandwidth and a huge collection of online material. Nothing kills the exsistencial funk like laughing until the tears start to roll.
BTW Firefly was/is boring, the film Serenity is destined to become a sci fi classic! But since the spacestation and it’s inhabitants are gonna get fried by the great solar flare of winter solstice 2012, it won’t matter much what they call it.
Well, I stopped watching serenity. Too muddled, confused, mixed up. I don’t watch SF to listen to folk music being played in a survivalist camp with fundamentalist preachers.
The cyborg from Sarah Chronicles was nice to see though.
I just found “Underbelly” the Australian version of the Soprano’s. The mindless cruelty like in “Oz” makes me look away a bit, but “real” characters in a real setting.
#28 People with no sense of humor amuse me.
And you get to feel sooooo superior, that’s a plus.