It seems lately that a lot of TV ads have an astronomy theme that portrays dumb astronomical facts, even at the simplest level of astronomical education. Just recently, a Burger King TV ad has an "astronomer" saying, " I just discovered a moon orbiting Regulus 279 in the Crab Nebula...it may support life".

 Though most people watching such ads are oblivious to such "trash science", it irks me to no end. Why can't I just laugh at such nonsense?

  So how about you? Do such ads bother you or do you just laugh them off?

   A very disgusted Mr Q
 

I have introduced in the past some threads on the totally vapid approach that Madison Avenue has towards things astronomical.  Unless the advert is objectionable, like the product that asserted that amatuer astronomers were just a tweak away from being perverts, I just try and ignore the bits of idiocy that surface about our avocation now again amid the sea of mindless cheap thrills that make up most of today's television fare.

I have noticed that the commercial about the burgers is now edited in my area so that that bit of mindless techno-babble is omitted.  Maybe somebody pointed out that the advert made Burger King look rather stupid.  I would like to know what type of Newtonian Reflector is seen in the background though.  At least they had the right end pointed up this time.

L

 Leo - Your'e  right about the scopes being positioned correctly. BUT, are they using such small scopes to seek out other planets around stars like our own? I don't think so. And now that you mention it, that "observatory" looks more like some scientific lab than an observatory. And for closers, I bet those greasy burger fingers do a job on the scope's finish and oculars.

   I guess that the Madison Ave group are experts at ALL kinds of stars, even though when it comes to astronomy, they all appear to have the intelligence of a dark body star remnant .  Mr Q
 

They could of been observing images on a computer screen because most modern scientific observations are done with telescopes with CCD cameras.  However it is worse when the news media is the one being dumb.

That sort of idiocy bothers me too.  But I try to look at the bright side; If all those idiots weren't working in the media we'd have to deal with them in real jobs.

mr Q:

 Leo - Your'e  right about the scopes being positioned correctly. BUT, are they using such small scopes to seek out other planets around stars like our own? I don't think so. 

Extrasolar planets have been found with telescopes as small as 4 inches

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060908_draco_planet.html

Have A Nice ______________

leo731:

 I would like to know what type of Newtonian Reflector is seen in the background though.  At least they had the right end pointed up this time.

L

It might not be a Newtonian.   I've seen the commercial and tried to get a good look at it. That's not easy when they are blocking a good portion of it.  I didn't see any focuser, and with the finder or guide-scope whatever it is positioned so low or towards the back end, it could be a Gregorian reflector, Nasmyth reflector or even a Coudé reflector.

IMO, It's probably just a cheap stage prop.  An empty cardboard tube made to appear as though it is a telescope. 

Have A Nice _________

 tkerr - Thanks for the heads up on the article. When I made my comment, I was thinking of the average backyard stargazer with no computer or other special light detection devices hooked up to a typical scope. Without these devices, I feel it would be very hard to distinguish subtle light level changes from such a transit that would indicate a planet and not any other cause for luminosity variations.

           I was thinking on a generalized level of stargazing that would not include such specialized equipment, as the commercial does not indicate and the average viewer would, I assume, believe what they see in the ad with no background info given.

           I think the ad is dumb because the average viewer may think that if they just go out and buy/use a typical scope, they too could discover such a planet.

           As for the other poster's reply about computerized observing (the lab -looking observing room), again, the average viewer, or even the beginner stargazer would not know  such equipment is
generally used. I guess I may have worded my original post in the wrong way but I did so on the assumption that the great deal of people watching the ad did not know such astronomical information and thus the ad would be misleading the general public, as all ads these days seem to do.

          But as all ads concerning anything scientific go, the great majority are misleading and in this case is definitely a case of "bad astronomy". So that's why I brought up the issue in the first place.
It was the general feeling an average viewer would get watching the ad that bothers me; very misleading scientific info, hence, dumb.

Mr Q
 

Right on, mr Q!!!!

mr Q

I knew what you meant, I just though you might be interested in that article.

I agree the commercial is dumb, just as many are. That's why I don't pay much attention to any of them.  The only reason I did for this one was because of this thread discussion. Last night was the first time I actually remember seeing it.

There are many commercials that could be misleading to the average person if taken out of context.  This particular commercial is attempting to add a little humor as an attention grabber. They don't care how factually correct the scenario or script is. The goal for them is to get your attention on the product, in this case the burger, and not the surrounding props or technical terminology.  
I doubt the average person without an interest in astronomy actually payed as much attention to the props and script as we have.  They're going to remember that it was a Burger King commercial for a new burger made from Angus beef with a bunch of other junk piled on it.  

Have A Nice __________

 Burger King? Angus beef? I thought the ad was for telescopes.  But right you are - some of those ad producers actually add things to ads to annoy us, as this one does to me.

   Though I detest the ad, I do give them some credit for not using sex as an attention getter and for not using alcohol . Other than that, I give them a .

   And as for that other ad that seems to portend astronomers as peeping toms.....never mind

   Mr Q

tkerr:

IMO, It's probably just a cheap stage prop.  An empty cardboard tube made to appear as though it is a telescope. 

I hadn't thought of that.  I had just assumed the focuser was rotated out of view. As to the look of the lab it reminded me more of the control room of the Seaview rather than a real observatory but the more blinking lights the better.  As to Angus beef, the Jack in the Box commercial was the best response to this marketing ploy.  What part of the cow is that from again?

L

The Seaview !  Wow... I haven't seen that vessel grace a TV screen since I watched the show on a B&W Zenith as a kid.  I'm not sure I'd like it today, but back then, my brother and I ate it up.

Anyhow, this is not a bad segue into the thread's point: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was chock full of junk science: a huge, ship mounted many feet wide spot size laser that could shoot through miles of ocean; casual, frequent, and random interdimensional and time travel, and of course, ghosts; and even Star Trek was not immune: an energy barrier at the galactic rim, casual, frequent, and random interdimensional and time travel, "warp drive", mind melding, switching souls and bodies, etc.

And these were two of the better ones in this regard!

No wonder Madison Avenue can do this with abandon; there's precedent!
 

A Couple nights ago I saw that Burger King Commercial again.  At the very beginning it does show the side of the telescope. There is a focuser located near the bottom on the side. So if it is any kind of reflector and is pointed in the right direction it could be a Nasmyth reflector or even a Coudé reflector.

 However, since this is an open discussion on dumb astronomy commercials, rather than a Poll, I am moving this to the General Astronomy Discussion forum.

Seaview!  I remember the movie and the Series.  As a mater of fact it hasn't been that long since I've seen the Movie.  I think it was on Turner Classic Movies late one night. 

Have A Nice ___________

 Tim - Myself and Admiral Nelson thank you for moving the thread. I wonder if it's me or the ad companies but lately, it seems almost everywhere I look on the TV, there is a (dumb) astronomy related topic in the ads. I wonder if it's because of the publicity the Phoenix has been getting lately?

 While surfing the channels, I caught a line spoken on a cartoon that said, "I'm from the Crab Nebula". The character was a "monster" in the shape of a crab - at least they got that part right

  Good or bad, these dumb commercials do show one thing; astronomy is being pushed into the viewers' faces and with a little time, perhaps they may show up on this site to get a REAL education in the study of the Universe.    Mr Q
 

mr Q:

astronomy is being pushed into the viewers' faces and with a little time, perhaps they may show up on this site to get a REAL education in the study of the Universe.    Mr Q

Now think about this carefully.  Would this really be a good thing?  Does a horde of ham fisted double cheese angus munchers with greasy hands and faces smeared with condiments and animal fat decending on a star party sound like something to be desired?

The thought of these prime beef specimens of humanity getting close to my beloved telescope sends shivers down my spine.  

L

 Leo - I was only referring to them showing up here on the forums.

     As far as showing up at a star party, as long as they handed me a fist full of free burger coupons, wouldn't bother me a bit. I would send them to someone else's scope, telling them mine was broken . It's that weird looking "King" guy showing up that would send me running   Mr Q
 

My apologies Mr Q.  I just made the leap that if they found us here in our comfy cyber-home they would also want to follow us out into the night.

I agree that that "King" guy is way too creepy.  That is one visage I would not want to meet in the dark.

Enjoy your evening,

L

Leo, those types simply don't have the imagination, interest, nor patience to even want to find a telescope and look through it, let alone go to a star party.  Of neighbors who walk at night, walk their dogs, or drive by, I don't know how many were really interested or just being polite... not that I'm accusing any of my neighbors as being greasy, ham-fisted, overstuffed carnivores.

It can't be a bad thing to stimulate an interest in science, real science, or from another point of view, nature, even if originally caused by junk science, presented most likely in jest and ignorance.  It may cause some kid in a greasy, ham-fisted, overstuffed, carnivorous household to transcend his background, like, though this isn't really the same, DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy inspiring many kids to become doctors, or the girl in the old Air Force commercial, who was her soccer crazed family's designated antenna tweaker, who learned skills by having to go up to the roof to fix the reception so the soccer match comes back on TV.

E_Look:

It can't be a bad thing to stimulate an interest in science, real science, or from another point of view, nature, even if originally caused by junk science, presented most likely in jest and ignorance.

You will have to forgive me but sometimes I just get these visions in my head and the image of a horde of slavering hamburger lovers descending on my little telescope seemed humorous and a little scary.

I grew up on some really bad TV too.  The 60s were rife with SF/Fantasy themes from the networks at night to cartoons on Saturday morning. Land of the Giants, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and Lost in Space come to mind.  BTW, if you only remember the colour episodes of LIS then you missed the first season which was a lot more intense with a Dr Smith who was't above programming the not so cuddly robot to kill the Robinsons.  Books, TV, Movies, Videogames all can have a great impact on young minds and it is folly to expect the mass media to produce nothing but intellegent stories. I don't want to speak for others but it is tiring to see something you really love being reduced to cheap and idiotic fodder to sell fast food or other silly items with little regard for anything beyond an increase in profits.

On another thread I summed up my philosophy regarding sharing my obsession with others.  To those few who really get excited and want to learn more I extend an open invitation to learn more and take a little pleasure in sharing their experience of wonder about it all.  To those who don't really care I let them return to their lives knowing that at least I exposed them to the wonder of the cosmos. It is entirely up to them what that exposure will mean.

Whatever the source of their intitial inspiration may be I have no problem with it or them. I just wish the media would handle things a bit more intelligently.

And please ask first before you touch anything so I can hand you a moist towelette.

L