Neil Armstrong Biopic ‘First Man’ Omits Planting of American Flag on the Moon
How do you omit one of the most iconic moments in U.S. history?
What do you consider the most historical moments of the 20th century? I’d say the Russians raising the Soviet Union flag over the Reichstag when they conquered Berlin (damn, I so wish it was the American flag, though). Liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act. The Miracle on Ice in 1980. The Berlin Wall tumbling down. President Bill Clinton sending the first presidential email to space to Senator John Glenn.
There’s obviously one more that happened in 1969. A Gallup poll from December 1999 asked the people that same question and America placing men on the moon came in at #7. I cannot imagine that feeling watching Neil Armstrong walk down the ladder and placing the American flag on the moon. ICONIC. HISTORICAL.
Yeah, well, Hollywood has decided to water down history and omitted that iconic piece of history from the Neil Armstrong movie First Man.
Star Ryan Gosling defended the decision in an interview with The Telegraph:
“I think this was widely regarded in the end as a human achievement [and] that’s how we chose to view it. I also think Neil was extremely humble, as were many of these astronauts, and time and time again he deferred the focus from himself to the 400,000 people who made the mission possible.”
“He was reminding everyone that he was just the tip of the iceberg – and that’s not just to be humble, that’s also true.
“So I don’t think that Neil viewed himself as an American hero. From my interviews with his family and people that knew him, it was quite the opposite. And we wanted the film to reflect Neil.”
Gosling joked: “I’m Canadian, so might have cognitive bias.”
Yeah, Gosling, except that Armstrong said in an interview that it was his job “to get the flag there” after Congress decided to use Old Glory instead of a United Nations flag. AMERICA made the journey to the moon on its own. From The Telegraph:
“In the end it was decided by Congress that this was a United States project. We were not going to make any territorial claim, but we were to let people know that we were here and put up a US flag.
“My job was to get the flag there. I was less concerned about whether that was the right artefact to place. I let other, wiser minds than mine make those kinds of decisions.”
OK so Armstrong didn’t view himself as an American hero, but he is. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin will forever grace the history books for being the first human beings on the moon.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
“In the end it was decided by Congress that this was a United States project. We were not going to make any territorial claim, but we were to let people know that we were here and put up a US flag.”
Just it was designed by American Engineers, built by American workers in American factories, manned by American Astronauts, and funded by the American Taxpayers is no reason to call it an American achievement I guess.
oops… Just because
Understood.
you might want to study history a little, the German rockets were based on research done by an American Dr Robert Goddard. a matter of fact they ‘borrowed’ some of his patents to build their rockets
Why not?
After WW2 the Russians and Americans grabbed all the Nazi scientists they could but the DOD knew what the US had to achieve. We certainly didn’t need Nazis to build the first Atomic bomb. The Nazi rocket scientists could have ended up in Russia working for Stalin. Some including Sanger tried to make missiles for Nasser to rain radioactive waste across Israel.
omission of the Flag is a slap in the face of JFK and the Right Stuff who made it happen in s sty;e and grace unthinkable to the Third Reich. Von Braun could not have achieved relative quick success without the synergy and might of the United States. The DOD actually wanted the Space Plane but JFK placed the money on going to the moon.
The Globalists think they own the world. Their historic revisionism will show the march of the global State not some silly Americans. Koch is one, Soros another.
I have no doubt that we could have risen up to the stars without Nazis, just like we land rockets on their feet today. We flew the first plane and soon enough we will regularly visit space on space planes hung on the fifth pylon of retired modified 747s. The SR-72 will ride Sanger’s hypersonic wave around the world. We will execute missions in space like no Nazi ever dreamed of spreading not a new universal order but the values of individual liberty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki_Af_o9Q9s
Really, your argument now is going to distinguish between Americans launching into space with assistance from the US government vs the rest of America that funds and regulates the foundation of our historic efforts?
I’m not really concerned much of what you think “we” and “they” mean to me. I would be more concerned about what they mean to you.
“Who is this ‘we’ you keep talking about?”
Americans you dumb 3rd world hick.
This story is about a cheap omission in a movie about Armstrong. The movie was not about the history of rocketry. The omission was a deliberate slight at the USA.
Would we be surprised if they inserted the Odumbo logo where the US flag was planted?
Boycott these lunatics’ media products and spread the truth of the event.
Or colon pumpernickel kneeling. Or alexandra cortez giving the crazy eyes. Or what the hell: mccain lying in state on the moon.
What a lame argument.
But then, those nazis are everywhere, aren’t they?
“Our entire space program including our ICBMs would not have happened without foreigners. Ditto for the Atomic Bomb – which also was not mentioned.”
You are FOS.
Isn’t “First Man” sexist? Are they assuming Armstrong’s gender?
Isn’t it speciest to attribute this achievement to humans?
What is so special about earth and its moon?
California would have required a woman to be along with Armstrong:
California Moves to Mandate Female Board Directors
Legislators pass bill requiring publicly traded companies based in the state to have at least one woman on board:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-moves-to-mandate-female-board-directors-1535571904
Ryan Gossling’s comments that the moon landing was a “human achievement” rather than a reflection of American exceptionalism offend me. Another movie I won’t see. I saw the original. No need to see the leftist revisionist remake.
Gosling’s remark of “human achievement”, with the reference of why in the movie the flag was not incorporated into the film, is as stupid and ignorant remark as was Obama’s to Americas builders and business owners that “you didn’t build that”.
Who the hell is Gosling but an actor who by self-aggrandizement and opinion reveals that he is ignorant of what that singular action meant to Americans and to the world. A milestone which is forever a part of our history. Does he plan on rewriting the thoughts and words of the Orville Bros.’s who achieved for America the world’s first flight achievement? It’s their ignorance, hypocrisy and egotism that is so evident when the “Gosling’s of Hollywood” opine which are keeping the movie theater seats empty.
“Who the hell is Gosling but an actor who by self-aggrandizement and opinion…”
It’s called, ‘useful idiot.’
Maybe if Gosling read the Village Voice, he wouldn’t be so ignorant, and the Voice would still be in business.
If its such a human achievement, why have only Americans achieved it?
–>
OK so Armstrong didn’t view himself as an American hero, but he is. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin will forever grace the history books for being the first human beings on the moon. <–
if the textbook makers eliminate various data,
why can't they also remove this (ala Winston – Nineteen Eighty-Four)
If NASA would have known about today’s SJW culture, they would have planted a LGBTQRST rainbow flag on the moon. Then the producers would trip over themselves to include it in this movie.
– Or a picture of McCain?
I’d be interested to know if this was a decision by the director of the film, or did the producers or some film exec think it would be “problematic” to show the American flag…
It used to be Hollywood. Now it’s become Chinawood as movies are designed to appeal to Chinese censors and audience and thus, can’t glorify America, dontcha know?
I think an accurate statement would have been “Neil Armstrong didn’t consider himself a hero.” He most definitely considered himself an American.
A humble man, his family knew he would have objected and declined a recommended state funeral (not just lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda).
Another great historical event that drove the US space program was the launch of Sputnik by the USSR on October 4, 1957. The USSR (who is loved by the left) understood the concept of national pride. I was young at the time, but this was a very big deal and drove the US to go for a bigger deal — the moon. National pride drove progress.
The planting of the flag was an “in your face” just as Sputnik was.
you do know the US has the capability of launching a satellite a couple of years before the USSR did
Well, the DOD had a big role in that progress as did the taxpayers whose money they used.
And young people will see this and believe that Americans didn’t plant an American flag on the moon, and thus history is change, voila!
Actually, young Americans will believe that the did not land on the moon. After all, the phony pictures of the phony landing all showed the American flag. The movie clearly shows that Armstrong did not plant an American flag on the moon!
Just another attempt by anti-American forces to rewrite history at America’s expense. Hollywood has been portraying America and American values as the enemy of mankind literally forever. Drug dealers and gangsters are good. Cops bad. Oppressive revolutionaries good. Peaceful citizens bad. Any authority figure bad. Anarchists good. See a pattern?
“We came for all mankind” was rather nice of us. With subtext of “we are getting tired of footing the bill to save the rest of the world from itself”.
Sputnik gave Eisenhower the legal footing for the secret Corona project of spy satellites to fly over USSR. We were not behind in the space race, we just had too much riding on secrecy. There was no “missile gap”.
Going to the moon was an entirely amazing venture in all of world’s history. They stripped Superman of “the American way” and stripped Apollo of the American Flag in the movies. Another reason for MAGA right now.
The USA went to the moon.
And Wonder Woman’s costume has been stripped of the colors of the American flag. Compare the outfit worn by Lynda Carter in the Wonder Woman TV series to the outfit worn by Gal Godot in the movies.
Gosling is Canadian and was 10 years old when the Cold war officially ended. Since he wasn’t alive in the 60’s and 70’s, he doesn’t understand this wasn’t just a human achievement, it was an ideological coup.
This Canadian remembers watching it live on television. The most important event (So far) in human history. Well done, America. I know who’s flag is up there.
Holy Cow what a load of crap from Gosling. He fails to mention that since Americans went to the moon in 1969, and then stopped going to the moon in 1972, no one of any other nationality has ever set foot on the moon or even orbited the moon. Only Americans from the United States of America Ryan, no Canadians, no Mexicans, no Muslims, no Chinese, none of them. In the 46 years since the last U.S. citizen on the moon, NO ONE ELSE has even come close.
So brag that Germany and Japan build the best cars if you want and no one makes caviar like the Iranians, or if you want the best watch, go to Switzerland etc. But if you want to go to the moon, only one country has ever done that and we did it using slide rules, graph paper, and pencils with erasers.
So, Ryan Gosling, stick THAT in your pipe and smoke it!!!
This needs more thumbs up.
Made me smile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggy3MTwYtVo German autos?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgliNnCmQL0
“When Khrunichev simultaneously produces both old and new heavy-duty rockets,” Rogozin told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency in May, “it will inevitably lead to the financial collapse of the enterprise. Eternal state support is impossible and inefficient, so we need to concentrate on what is most important, and that is the Angara launch vehicle in light, medium, heavy and — in the future — super-heavy variants.” https://spacenews.com/proton-medium-international-launch-services-answer-to-falcon-9-put-on-indefinite-hold/ There was a reason America leads.
Today US private industry already leads the world in Launches. Here are the two seeking dominance http://www.parabolicarc.com/2018/08/30/review-rocket-billionaires-elon-musk-jeff-bezos-battle-control-space/
The question is whether these two are globalists exploiting US taxpayers. Perhaps Trumps Space Force thrust is to make sure they aren’t
“How do you omit one of the most iconic moments in U.S. history?”
Because the movie isn’t about an American achievement, it’s about an American. The planting of the flag on the moon (which I remember watching both the landing and the first steps live on TV) is so iconic that it could have distracted from the theme of the movie, which is Armstrong’s character (meaning Armstrong as a man). It would have been a moment in the movie that takes the viewers’ attention off the man, and refocuses it on the American space effort. The space effort is second fiddle in the story of Neil Armstrong – it didn’t make him a different man, it allowed the man that he was to come shining through.
Not to diminish Mr Armstrong’s accomplishment, but any of the Mercury 7 astronauts could have been the first. He just won the luck of the draw and was in the right place at the right time. I remember exactly where I was when they landed. These events solidified my desire to become an aeronautical engineer.
There’s a word for that. It starts with a “b”, ends with a “t”, and has a lot of “ullshi” in the middle.
No, it was the achievement of landing on the moon that elevated what we think about Armstrong’s role. He was an American and was sent on a mission a nation had approved and rallied for. I understand the need for not focusing on the nationalistic. but ignoring it sends what message into the geopolitical chaos of the world? The Chinese use their space effort to focus their masses. The Russian program is in trouble because Putin wants the money for weapons he can’t afford. Perhaps America sending a mission to the moon where the Astronauts don’t care about a US flag says more about America than the rest of the delirious world.
But for the United States, no one would have landed on the moon and come back alive.
The jury-rigs of the Soviets couldn’t have done it. Instead of a flag, a cosmonaut would been planted on the moon.
Lost Cosmonauts:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Cosmonauts
NO FLAG NO MONEY!
So come watch our movie that with new American view point that America was never that great. Oh I hope they got the shot of goslet Neiling during the Anthem.
I was with NASA HQ from 1960 -1969 in Nuclear Power detailed to VPs Office early 1969
Those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it
The whole objective of the race to the moon was to show the world that free people can achieve more than slaves
We were challenged to the race by the Soviets whose mantra every day was that the communization of the worlds peoples would save them from misery
Their motto was “ From each according to his abilities to each according to his needs” They never really got to the last half of that sentence
The race to the Moon was considered to be the best way to show the world which system worked best – the US and freedom or the Russians and every man a part of the ant colony
Many of the worlds political leaders were still on the fence over which system produced the best results
I got my MS in Nuclear Science at the U of Chicago International Institute of Nuclear Science with students from around the world
Several were Comm Party members in their home countries
When Sputnik went up they and most of the world saw it as proof that the Soviet system was more powerful
So Kennedy announced a race to the Moon
Many people thought that this was a better way to see who’s best, rather than the proxy wars in Viet Nam and Korea the Comm party was pushing
So we all agreed to a race
We won
It wasn’t even close
When we landed the Russ said we’ll get there very soon after
They could not even dock two modules together in space until we showed them how
The Soviets system was already bankrupt. The only thing they were good at was starting wars and new press releases about how great they were And a lot of the intelligentsia who should have known better believed them
When I was at Stanford one of the most distinguished of their Professors, said in class “The Russians have already landed on the Moon”
I replied to him” No, they threw a rock at it and hit it. If they ever do get there they will find an American Flag waiting”
I think it was Reagan who said “ before the Russians take on the Moon Landing they should try to solve the three biggest problems in the Communist Countries- Breakfast, lunch and Dinner’
I got to meet Neal Armstrong several times Like most astronauts and test pilots a very quiet modest man who loved his country deeply
Spencer Tracy gave the best advice ever for actors “Show up on time, say the words, take the money and go home”
The Canadians last name is probably a mistake He is only the singular of the noun
John Morrissey
[email protected]
612 385 1562
On Aug 31, 2018, at 7:17 AM, Brett Shockley wrote:
Wow – thank you! You are a true American hero, one of the many unsung heroes of this great nation we love.
If here were alive, I believe Neil Armstrong would be highly offended, but would never speak publicly about it – or to anyone else who would, either. He loved this country, and his life of service in the military and at NASA were his life’s chosen career – to serve this nation and advance the American Dream.
I was only 7 when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon with Buzz Aldren, and watched as Armstrong descended the ladder, stepped on the moon, and said those iconic words. I begged my mother to wake me so I could watch it at 4:00 AM ET, and I watched till I fell asleep hours later. I will never forget the excitement, the pride, for NASA, our astronauts, and the USA.
Shame on these people. Gosling indeed is a “goose” – and, his comment about Canadian “cognitive bias” is telling, because it is truth. It is no surprise to me, though, that Hollywood would take out that iconic event. They seem allergic to the flag, to just about anything pro-America – except for our economic system that allows them to become MEGA-rich.
Again – thank you, sir! Have a blessed holiday weekend. Enjoy!
Many good documentaries on those days… one aired in 1984-85 on PBS called “Spaceflight” which chronicled from the late 1800’s to an addendum in the updated last episode about Challenger. It was dicey in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s on what the Soviets could do to us. Berlin, Cuba, on and on. Kennedy rolled the dice and the USA responded. So many workers going late into the night had an ample reminder of our goal…. right up there in reflected sunlight… the moon. Our failures were out there for all to see while the Soviets hid all that they could. Even today socialism/communism must deceive to remain “viable”.
Both sides had their tragedies – public or otherwise. If you wish to take away anything, it is that secrets don’t stay secret.
Meanwhile, we are dependent on a Soviet program to get personnel to the International Space Station.
Not for long and the explosion of US space domination in such short order will be a surprise to some. It was a political decision and here is some of what we didn’t do. https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=ss3kido863jvfv8g99nfg51rm1&action=dlattach;topic=6348.0;attach=17447;image
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=ss3kido863jvfv8g99nfg51rm1&action=dlattach;topic=6348.0;attach=17448;image
The Japanese still try http://a57.foxnews.com/images.foxnews.com/content/fox-news/science/2018/06/30/rocket-bursts-into-flames-after-liftoff-in-japan/_jcr_content/par/featured_image/media-0.img.jpg/931/524/1530381840258.jpg?ve=1&tl=1
“Those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it…”
Well, consider that WE have allowed leftist revisionists to completely brainwash two generations of our young (and continuing), it is WE who are failing to learn from history.
Letting boehner, mcconnell, mccain and the rest of the rino rats infesting the GOP be our bullwark against leftism was about as effective as Hindenberg as a bullwark against Hitler.
WE are the ones not getting the lesson.
So McCain is lying in the Rotunda. Even in death, he’s still lying.
I can only say, “But, of course.”
Once again H’wood steps on their dick. What would’ve been some decent numbers for a change will now be tepid at best.
Sure they’ll make it up overseas. Maybe.
The rest of the world sure knows who did it and what flag is still there. Hell. Even Cynthia McKinney knows there’s a US flag on the moon. And she is not the brightest bulb in the room.
Hollywood didn’t ‘step’ on anything: they produce this propaganda to continue the indoctrination of those already in the useful idiot club, and those about to be.
This stuff works.
For all of you “global humanity” types one question:
HOW MANY PEOPLE BESIDES U S TAXPAYERS PAID FOR THIS ?????
And folks like Canadian Ryan Gosling would advocate for removing the flag from Joe Rosenthal’s photograph as well.
In a Smithsonian Channel Documentary, produced and directed by an almost exclusively French crew, about the end of WWII the capture of 50,000 Wehrmacht soldiers in the Falaise Pocket was attributed by the directors to Free French and Free Polish forces. No reference to George S Patton’s Third Army or Fourth Armored Division at all.
Insanity. The entire program was PAID FOR by Americans.
“President Bill Clinton sending the first presidential email to space”
Really?
There was a pornographic picture attached.
He should have planted the flag and declared the moon as U.S. property. Then we should have created US bases on the moon. That would have raised the greatness of the occasion by a notch.
Simple solution…. go to movie… when Armstrong sets foot on moon, everyone pull out a small American flag… wave it in the theater. (singing National Anthem (not Soviet!) optional).
How do you omit the flag planting? Easy. The same way I’m boycotting the movie.