According to staff member Robin for The Straight Dope on Feb. 27, 2007 at http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mroger.htm , "as for the use of ‘roger, roger’ in Phantom Menace, the consensus seems to be that it’s a sly reference to Airplane (1980).
No evidence is given for the interpretation that this is a “sly reference to Airplane”.
A more plausible explanation for the use of the term “Roger, roger” is that the term is used in radio communications to denote successful reception of signal.
For example, during Apollo 12, after launch CapCom Carr conversed with astronaut Pete Conrad. Conrad would sometimes acknowledge the communications by “Roger, roger.”
It is unlikely that Conrad was parodying the Airplane movie in his use of the term “Roger, roger” for several reasons. First, this conversation occurred near loss of signal and clear communication was essential. Second, Apollo 12 having just been hit by lightning, there was a lot of work to be done testing the systems. Third, Airplane would not be released for eleven years.
The Straight Dope’s analysis of “roger roger” does not consider its use by astronauts during critical missions, and its analysis should be rethought to account for this and to account for the implausibility of the “Airplane” theory.
Um, the snippet of script from the movie isn’t evidence? Personaly I’m far more willing to believe that George knows more about old comedy movies than about actual science related things. Stealing a bit of comedy is much more his style than putting in a reference to Apollo 12.
The OP is accounting for the possibility that the Staff Report’s claim relies on a presupposition that the term ‘roger roger’ originates in the movie Airplane.
The Staff Report says “roger roger” in Phantom Menace is a reference to Airplane.
I maintain Lucas put “roger roger” in his movie just because “roger roger” is in fact used by radio communicators.
Here’s some evidence that it’s used by radio communicators: This guy Conrad, for example.
Now you might be thinking Conrad himself was referring to Airplane. This would justify the notion that there’s some important relationship between the TPM ‘roger roger’ and the Airplane ‘roger roger’.
But he wasn’t referring to Airplane. He used the phrase 11 years before Airplane was filmed.
But “roger roger” as used by radio communicators is used on Earth. And (per Hollywood, anyway) it’s not usually reiterated. TPM takes place in a galaxy far far away (where Shrek and Fiona live, if I’m not mistaken).
In the part you quoted, I mentioned a claim that may or may not rely on a presupposition. The claim is that “roger roger” as used in TPM has its historical source in “roger roger” as used in Airplane. The presupposition I think the OP of this thread was ascribing to a hypothetical defender of the report was that Conrad was referring to Airplane.
Again. I do not claim the presupposition is in the report. I claim that the OP of this thread thinks maybe someone might want to defend the report by interpreting the report as relying on some such presupposition.
Your post #10 referred to a “Staff Report’s claim.” Q.E.D said there was no such claim in the Staff Report. And indeed, there isn’t. You replied to him that you “didn’t say anything about a claim” when it is clear that you did. I mean, it’s right there in black and white. You saying something about a claim.
