I pit the National Science Fountain.

The BBQ Pit
1

Or at least who the fuck they let represent them.

I’m driving home from work on an early Sunday morning and I hear this God awful stupid PSA on my car radio again for the fourth or fifth time and it is just a cutesy insult to the idea and study of science.

First of all, allow me to speculate. We are all members, or readers of the Straight Dope Message Board. Which leads me to believe that some interest in The Straight Dope led us here, meaning that we’re all rather curious chaps, interested about learning about some complex things which are not easily understood at first. It’s science people! It’s about learning! And enjoying it while doing so.

Now, the NSF itself seems to be a rather distinguished foundation and hotspot for news and research regarding science, which is why I could not find what I was looking for anywhere on their website. Actually, there was some cool stuff there, but fuck that, I want to rant about this PSA they keep playing! A PSA so degrading and annoying it makes me wish I never had an interest in dinosaurs or minerals as a kid. Because even dipshit losers like myself would be embarrassed to associated with this friggin ad.

You represent science, and all the scientist that have come before you dammit, show some respect NSF! John Kerr, Carl Wieman, Thomas Edison, Rosalind Franklin, Harrison Schmitt, Charles R. Drew, and Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Those are names you are representing.

I will never hold the title for most mature and respected member around here, but when I heard this ad I was really fucking pissed. Because here is this organization which IS supposed to represent that sect of society which I respect, and here is a elementary and brain-numbing radio spot which just comes off as stupid.
Which radio ad you ask?

Oh…, it’s a 1980’s video PSA .(oops) Which I can only hope that they used to play during Saturday morning cartoon commercials.

So I return to my original rant. Fuck whoever is representing them and is sending out twenty year old PSA’s to radio stations. Because I was listening to this and kept waiting and waiting for the punchline and never got it.

Just make a new ad. Please. I swear there have been interesting advances in science since this ad was created. And for the love of Og stop berating me with it when no child would be present to be mildly curious about it.

2

Thanks, that annoying little tune is going to be stuck in my head all day.

But why is it so upsetting to you? Kids listen radio.

3

It really shouldn’t, you’re right. I’ve just been listening to it for weeks straight on the radio and been frustraed by the jingle. It wasn’t until I started ranting that I found out it was probably a >20 year old TV kid’s spot. Some things deserve to be extinct.

4

Most government agencies (including the NSF) do their stuff in-house and don’t use outside agencies; in fact, the NSF won some kind of award for their stuff. I also did a cursory search for public service announcements and couldn’t find any on the NSF website.

I then looked at the Ad Council website, which lists PSAs in various media. I couldn’t find either the NSF or a current science education campaign. (Yes, I know that campaign exists, at least one aimed at encouraging girls to pursue careers in science.)

Now, I assume you were referring to the same radio station. Have you heard the PSA on other stations? If not, have you considered that the radio station that is running the PSA just threw it in there to have a PSA to air? I mean, PSAs exist for two reasons. First, they fill unsold ad time. Second, airing them looks good to the FCC come license renewal time. It doesn’t matter which ones are run, and in all seriousness, as long as it’s not obviously dated by events (such as post-disaster Katrina PSAs), who cares? If I had to make an educated guess, I’d simply say that whoever is responsible for programming PSAs at the station came across an old PSA and threw it in for fun.

So don’t blame the NSF for the radio station’s airing a 20-year-old PSA. Blame the radio station, or better yet, take a deep breath and lighten up. On the list of things to get pissy about, this is pretty far down the list.

Robin

5

Furthermore, the little song really doesn’t work without the fun morphing graphics. It just sounds like an annoying sales pitch.

This is the real reason I listen to (almost) nothing but public radio. No jingles.

6

Hey, the National Science Fountain spews only sciencey goodness.

7

I think that radio ad would definitely drive me bonkers. The singer sounds like he has a big ol’ was of phlegm stuck in his throat. If they replaced that guy, it wouldn’t be so bad.

8

Don’t you mean the National Science Foundation? Or are you talking about a place where they make scientific milkshakes? Or perhaps some public art with flowing water? :stuck_out_tongue:

9

Obviously the target audience for this is pre-school, early grade school. For that audience, this might be an effective way to get them thinking that science is fun.

IMHO, adults would find 99% of the stuff aimed at 5-year-olds annoying.

10

Get yerself an MP3 player, and then you can download and listen to the National Science Foundation’s podcasts and never have to be annoyed by radio stations again.

11

Well the video’s not complete crap, there’s a stegosaurus in it at the start…

~ Una, who is thinking seriously about buying a concrete stegosaurus for her backyard, and who is again glad that she refuses to live in a Homes Association.

12

Are you looking into one that can accommodate a functioning fountain?

13

Hee! That just gave me an idea for a dinosaur fountain where the water exits the cloaca and pours onto a copy of the Bible open to Genesis! Bet that’d piss the neighbors off! :smiley:

14

I don’t think so…but I’m fickle.

I found this set for $19,955, which are fibreglass. http://www.talking-statues.com/catalog/category.asp?catid=7

15

Hey, I always liked that jingle!