# The Feds finally seek outside help on the oil spill. Guess who they call in. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 1, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558 "2010-06-01T21:54:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/21 "2010-06-02T05:25:45Z")
Cameron is an expert on ROVs. He and his brother have built some of the most advanced ROVs. I’d describe him as an inventor who directs movies. He wouldn’t be involved in [designing a 3D camera system for a Mars rover](http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20003827-1.html) if he was just a dilettante. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/22 "2010-06-02T06:11:29Z")
[From here](http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teachable_moments/deconstructing_titanic_6.cfm): > [@](#): > > In September 1995, Cameron began filming his dives to the Titanic wreck site far below the surface of the Atlantic. At that depth, the water pressure is 6,000 pounds per square inch. One small flaw in the vessel’s superstructure would mean instant death for all on board. He went on twelve high risk dives but various conditions prevented him from getting the high quality of footage that he wanted. Cameron would later mislead the viewing public and the industry as to the extent of genuine underwater footage in the movie. Much of this footage consists of miniature models and special effects filmed on a set. You are putting far too much faith in Hollywood “publicity” BS. In reality the guy went down on a Russian sub, he was told to sit in a corner and keep his mouth shut and fer ogsky’s sake not to touch a damn thing while the actual deepwater experts actually ran the operation. As for networking, specialised industries are small worlds. I’d bet that the top ROV guys all know one another to a far greater degree than some film director. As for him being involved in designing a 3D camera system for Mars rover, or the “most advanced ROV’s” you do understand **gaffa** that when a news story says: > [@](#): > > Cameron is working with San Diego-based Malin Space Science Systems to build the 3D camera, which will be installed on a mast aboard Curiosity. That means Cameron has his name associated with the project for publicity and finance raising ability and comes along to the workshop for the photo ops and press conferences while Malin’s _real_ tech guys wait for him to piss off so they can get on with the actual work, don’t you? **Cavemike** , it’s a publicity move because a large percentage of the public (a) think that the movies are the real world and (b) don’t give any credit to someone who isn’t a star they’ve heard of. Also, Cameron’s name being associated with this new committee mean that it has got about ten times the airplay it would have if it had comprised entirely people who no one had heard of but who knew ten times as much. Which suits the government’s need to be seen to be doing something very nicely. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/23 "2010-06-02T07:20:18Z")
Sure! BP can’t fix it, God can’t fix it - better call in “The King of the World!” ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/24 "2010-06-02T07:24:08Z")
Hmmm…what other film directors can we call in when disaster strikes? ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/25 "2010-06-02T07:39:51Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Hmmm…what other film directors can we call in when disaster strikes? Quentin Tarantino. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/26 "2010-06-02T12:55:07Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Hmmm…what other film directors can we call in when disaster strikes? Don’t call William Shatner. ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NTVXaLt-J8M/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/NTVXaLt-J8M?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/27 "2010-06-02T18:15:58Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > **Cavemike** , it’s a publicity move because a large percentage of the public (a) think that the movies are the real world and (b) don’t give any credit to someone who isn’t a star they’ve heard of. Also, Cameron’s name being associated with this new committee mean that it has got about ten times the airplay it would have if it had comprised entirely people who no one had heard of but who knew ten times as much. Which suits the government’s need to be seen to be doing something very nicely. I disagree. Putting a ‘lightweight’ on the task force reduces the gravitas of the task force and is poor publicity. It opens the administration up to another angle of criticism and it reinforces the fear that the administration is not taking the spill seriously enough. I also disagree with your assertion that a large number of people think movies are ‘real’. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/28 "2010-06-02T18:21:35Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Could be worse, it _could_ have been Jerry Bruckheimer or Michael Bay… > > …Get the oil spill to go all 'splodey and such. [I wonder if Randall Munroe is a doper](http://xkcd.com/748/). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/29 "2010-06-02T18:22:15Z")
Can’t hurt… unless, of course, he yells “Cut!” at the wrong time. Btw, Halliburton has more experience and expertise than anyone in the world cementing wells and they do also have Boots & Coots as a subsidiary. Trust me, they’re already deeply involved in this endeavor as is most every other industry player. They all want this one done yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Shark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Shark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/30 "2010-06-02T18:26:59Z")
Obligatory [xkcd](http://xkcd.com/) link. Beat me to it **UncleRojelio** ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/31 "2010-06-02T19:17:09Z")
Actually, it’s a pretty good choice. Hasn’t James Cameron been working a lot recently with Bob Ballard? Obviously, Cameron isn’t being brought in because of his extensive oil rig experience (that’s why they have Bruce Willis and Michael Bay), but because he is one of the foremost experts on filming under deep water with ROVs. I would imagine that have a clear veiw of what is going on down there could only be an asset. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/32 "2010-06-02T22:19:51Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I guessed Halliburton. Which made more sense. My very thought. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/33 "2010-06-02T23:27:36Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > I disagree. Putting a ‘lightweight’ on the task force reduces the gravitas of the task force and is poor publicity. This very thread shows you are wrong. Look at all the people in this thread who think a movie director who used the services of expert ROV technicians is highly qualified in ROV’s. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/34 "2010-06-02T23:38:49Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > You are putting far too much faith in Hollywood “publicity” BS. Right…his _publicist_ must have put Cameron’s name on [this patent](http://www.freshpatents.com/Platform-for-stereoscopic-image-acquisition-dt20060914ptan20060204240.php?type=description). ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/35 "2010-06-02T23:59:04Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Right…his _publicist_ must have put Cameron’s name on [this patent](http://www.freshpatents.com/Platform-for-stereoscopic-image-acquisition-dt20060914ptan20060204240.php?type=description). As a counter-point, consider the very title of the thread and the OP where the decision is likened to an Onion article. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/36 "2010-06-03T00:15:29Z")
Hey, why not Bob Ballard from the Woods Hall Oceanographic Institute? Not bad, [Wikipedia sez](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ballard#Television) I remembered most of that line from Seaquest DSV pretty well 🙂 So yeah, him and Michael Ironside. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/37 "2010-06-03T12:50:16Z")
Probably a typo but “Hole”, [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute](http://www.whoi.edu/). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/38 "2010-06-03T13:02:03Z")
(Or am I missing something? I checked the link but didn’t see anything about a Woods Hall.) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/39 "2010-06-03T13:19:23Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > (Or am I missing something? I checked the link but didn’t see anything about a Woods Hall.) It is indeed Wood’s Hole. Lovely town. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558/40 "2010-06-03T13:44:23Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Guys who actually work on underwater wells like this would have more experience in extreme depth ROV’s and video in their little toes than Cameron would have in his entire body. The idea that some film director who once made a movie designed to look like some of it was filmed at depth has more experience and knowledge than the guys who actually do this stuff week in week out is laughable. This is a publicity move, pure and simple. Well, it’s likely the film director had a bigger budget to spend designing these ROVs. More to the point, the “guys who actually work on underwater wells” have a terrible record of unrelenting failure, incapacity, and not-getting-it-done in this case, so I wouldn’t hold them up as particular exemplars of competence here. For example, in the congressional testimony, they admitted they restarted drilling with 270 failure modes showing on the blowout preventer. . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-feds-finally-seek-outside-help-on-the-oil-spill-guess-who-they-call-in/541558.md?page=3)