Topic: MTV Video Music Award (VMA) 'Moonman' statue
cspg Member
Posts: 6263 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 08-30-2017 09:56 AM
The MTV Video Music Award looks a lot like an astronaut holding a flag. See video:
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 46738 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-30-2017 10:15 AM
The MTV "Moonman" (or, as it now titled, "Moon Person," beginning with this year's ceremony) was directly inspired by Apollo 11.
But where did the whole "man on the moon" concept originate, and what does it mean? To find out, we first need to rewind all the way back to 1981.
On August 1 of that year, MTV launched with footage of a literal launch. The video in question showed the Apollo 11 [rocket] firing off the ground, then segued into an astronaut planting a flag emblazoned with the MTV logo on the moon's surface. A voiceover proclaimed, "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll." And thus, MTV was born.
The same team (Manhattan Design) that conceived the use of the clip, also designed the statue.
"The whole idea was, the statue had to be balancing on one leg, like anti-gravity and floating," Gorman said. "Otherwise, it didn't have any magic to it."
She was also intent on having a footprint on the base of the trophy underneath the astronaut's floating foot, which Gorman said was an homage to Neil Armstrong's famous quote...
In addition to re-titling the statue to be more inclusive, the 2017 VMAs also opened with a space-themed intro featuring host Katy Perry consulting with Buzz Aldrin, Peggy Whitson (from on board the International Space Station) and Kevin Bacon about going on a trip to Mars.