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Ground Control To Major Tom!

post #1 of 32
4/11/10 at 2:19pm
Thread Starter 
J and I were having this conversation last night, and it brought up an interesting conundrum. I had always assumed that (the fictional) Major Tom was an American astronaut, because we had astronauts. And the song itself was inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey. (featuring American space people) J insists that he's a fictional British astronaut in a fictional British space program(me) because David Bowie is British, and the papers want to know who's shirts he wears. (a reference to wanting to know what team he supports) Which soccer team you support doesn't sound like something American papers would have given a shit about. Just as a note, one would assume (perhaps incorrectly?) that "Major" is his rank. That would mean that he wasn't British RAF, which uses the designation "Squadron Leader" instead at that rank. He could have been in the British Army or Royal Marines - but that seems an odd choice for a space mission. Of course, if he were US Air Force, Major would be appropriate. So what do you think?
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post #2 of 32
4/11/10 at 2:22pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Tom edit: oh wait, I guess that doesn't answer the Nationality question. nevermind
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post #3 of 32
4/11/10 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by robin View Post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Tom edit: oh wait, I guess that doesn't answer the Nationality question. nevermind

Yeah, I read the whole thing last night. No mention of it.
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post #4 of 32
4/11/10 at 4:50pm
I think he was an American astronaut, but Bowie was making a generalized reference to who's shirt he wears because if he stayed culturally consistent with the nationality of the astronaut, the British listeners would not appreciate the song as much.
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post #5 of 32
4/11/10 at 10:40pm
'Major' isn't a NASA title and hence astronauts would not be addressed as such. Also, ground control is addressing the spaceflight and they are the ones who ask whose shirt he wears, making them appear British if anything.

I also do not know why his last name is apparently a diminutive.
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post #6 of 32
4/11/10 at 10:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by why View Post
'Major' isn't a NASA title and hence astronauts would not be addressed as such. Also, ground control is addressing the spaceflight and they are the ones who ask whose shirt he wears, making them appear British if anything.

I also do not know why his last name is apparently a diminutive.

Maybe because David Bowie was coked up out of his mind?
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post #7 of 32
4/11/10 at 10:57pm
I sang this song twice yesterday. Is that relevant?
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post #8 of 32
4/11/10 at 11:01pm
It's lonely out in space.
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post #9 of 32
4/11/10 at 11:07pm
Major Tomashevski was Russian. Typical Anglo-centric thinking here. You two could learn a bit of cultural sensitivity from Simon Templar.
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post #10 of 32
4/11/10 at 11:12pm
Saw this performed live, Friday night. Also, a good rendition of "Working Man's Hero" and the original Indie hit, "Blister In The Sun."
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post #11 of 32
4/11/10 at 11:15pm
Britain doesn't have a manned space program nor do they support manned space flight so Major Tom must be American
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post #12 of 32
4/11/10 at 11:54pm
My Guess is Chinese as in 譚, though if its Major Thom then he could be Scottish.
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post #13 of 32
4/12/10 at 12:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by why View Post
'Major' isn't a NASA title and hence astronauts would not be addressed as such. Also, ground control is addressing the spaceflight and they are the ones who ask whose shirt he wears, making them appear British if anything. I also do not know why his last name is apparently a diminutive.
Yeah, but most early Astronauts were military, and were frequently addressed by their military rank in the media. See example below:
Quote:
Originally Posted by transcript of radio show - Year In Review 1961
Unknown Speaker: "T minus ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero, ignition, liftoff. Liftoff at 34 minutes after the hour." Announcer: America had done it: Navy Lieutenant-Commander Alan B. Shepard was in space. The years of preparation and snaillike progress were all forgotten. From the fringes of space came his voice. Alan B. Shepard: "...The oxygen is go. Cabin pressure is holding at 5.5, cabin holding at 5.5. Oxygen go, all systems are go." Announcer: After the dramatic recovery, Commander Shepard appeared at a news conference. He explained in detail how he felt during the trip and then observed. Lieutenant-Commander Alan B. Shepard: "… didn't really feel the flight was a success until the recovery had been successfully completed. It's not the fall that hurts; it's the sudden stop."
And your ground control comment is not accurate. They are telling Major Tom specifically that "the papers want to know who's shirt you wear". Ground control could care less who's shirt he wears, they are just passing along a message from the media.
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post #14 of 32
4/12/10 at 2:55am
Regardless of his political sponsors, Major Tom most assuredly had 'telescopic nipple antennae'
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post #15 of 32
4/12/10 at 10:19am
We know Major Tom's a junkie, that didn't need to be a poll option.
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