NASA naming contest falls for Colbert prank
Stephen Colbert really wants to be among the stars.
(Credit: Comedy Central)If the results of an online poll are any indication, NASA may soon be naming a new wing of the International Space Station, Node 3, after late-night comedian Stephen Colbert.
According to the Associated Press, write-ins for "Colbert" crushed all of NASA's four poll options, pulling in 230,539 votes; the second-place choice, NASA suggestion "Serenity" (a nod to sci-fi hero Joss Whedon) was more than 40,000 votes behind. Writer Dave Barry also threw his hat in the ring, suggesting "Buddy" as the perfect name for Node 3. But he didn't amass nearly enough support.
Colbert has made a habit of encouraging his loyal fans, whom he calls "The Colbert Nation," to game all kinds of online naming polls so that some incarnation of his name will emerge the winner. But he suffered an embarrassing defeat when the government of Hungary refused to name a new bridge after him, despite an extensive naming campaign on his Comedy Central pundit show, "The Colbert Report," to vote for him in the official online bridge-naming poll. (The government's excuse? The bridge could only be named after someone who speaks Hungarian.)
Colbert also couldn't get the right kind of support from either fans or state government authorities to put himself on the South Carolina presidential primary ballot in 2007. But with no poll involved, upstart airline Virgin American named one of its planes "Air Colbert."
As for the new "node" in the International Space Station, NASA spokesman John Yembrick told the AP that the government agency will make its final name choice next month. Don't give up hope, Nation!
Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline. 
I hope he gets it named after him.
Last I checked, he's currently winning the write-in votes, but not the overall count.
Oh well...
:Wonders if anyone even still goes there :
(BTW, are you the WPHS '60 Sandor F.?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu
The Colbert Nation VS National Aeronautics and Space Administration CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT
Damages will be "sky high"
http://hqmc.net?colberclassaction
Bottom line - the "Colbert nation" (chuckle) would have to get better lawyers than NASA. Hey, the channel carrying this DOES happen to be "Comedy Central". Coincidence? I think not.
So I don't think it is as simple as my lawyer can beat up your lawyer anyday. That and, Comedy Central's lawyers are well paid corporate lawyers where NASA presumably would only have government employed legal department (like all other govt. departments). So it is likely Comedy Central's private firm lawyers are MUCH better than NASAs.
The publicity alone is worth it for Colbert and Comedy Central. But that same bad publicity may make it not worth fighting for NASA.
He is attempting to get naming rights to every class of object that can be named by human beings (birds, dinosaurs, arachnids, buildings, voting rights, bridges, cities, etc.) His quest will continue until he has naming rights to Congress!!
At least there is a vote instead of the corporate world taking over and buying the naming rights.....if you could you would get people to name stuff after you too.
Item #4 of NASA's contest rules:
"NASA will take into consideration the results of the voting. However, the results are not binding on NASA and NASA reserves the right to ultimately select a name in accordance with the best interests of the agency, its needs, and other considerations. Such name may not necessarily be one which is on the list of voted-on candidate names. NASA?s decision shall be deemed final."
Thus, they could choose to name it Chanky Stymic Bumberstoodle and it would still be within their contest rules.
Besides, Node 3 "Serenity" sounds better in conjunction with Node 1 "Unity" and Node 2 "Harmony" than "Colbert" does. Colbert may be a comedic genius but his name doesn't also represent a higher ideal or goal.
About the name "Serenity" being involved:
A couple of years ago, NASA Astronaut and Firefly fan, Mission Specialist Steven R. Swanson, carried the series and movie to the space station and the other astronauts reportedly got hooked (see the astronaut's own blog at http://www.breakingatmo.com/status/2007/06/heres-how-it-is ).
The name choice of "Serenity" really was, very probably, a nod to the TV series Firefly and the movie Serenity.
What is the point of the voting. NASA's another failed attempt to revive their public image. What brainiaks thought of involving the general public. Fire his A$$ now for your own sake NASA, and get serious. We don't want another Crash and Burn because of your incompetencies. As to Colbert - the master of exploitation - Go Boy!!!
- by chash360 March 30, 2009 1:53 PM PDT
- Serenity is a more appropriate name, no contest. It represents an important idea, inline with the other names, and not an individual. Even if it is a reference to the Sci-Fi show, that is still more relevant and appropriate than a politcal satirist. Don't get me wrong, I like the Colbert Report, funny stuff (sometimes). I have probably have watched it more times than Serenity (only because it comes on adjacent to the much better Daily Show, -flood of flames expected, and easily deflected- ;-P) I think it is perfectly fine for him to to even try to make a joke of the naming of the module, but thats all it is, a joke. Colbert is no more deserving of name than Serenity, less so by the reasons stated above. NASA, I should hope, will see past the prank and choose wisely, lest they make a joke out of their entire organization.
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
(33 Comments)All of you who voted for Colbert in jest, wise up, seemingly like all elections, they are typically rigged, or have you not been paying attention to your own favorite show?