{"id":2308976,"date":"2024-07-26T04:51:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T08:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/you-have-to-invent-a-conspiracy-to-make-the-moon-landing-a-farce-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-26T05:00:47","modified_gmt":"2024-07-26T09:00:47","slug":"you-need-to-create-a-conspiracy-to-claim-the-moon-landing-was-a-hoax-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/you-need-to-create-a-conspiracy-to-claim-the-moon-landing-was-a-hoax-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"You need to create a conspiracy to claim the Moon landing was a hoax &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fyou-need-to-create-a-conspiracy-to-claim-the-moon-landing-was-a-hoax-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2308976&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses \u200cthe film *Fly Me\u200b to the Moon*, which presents a fictionalized portrayal of the Apollo 11 moon landing, set against a backdrop\u2063 of 1960s America. It stars Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Jones, a spirited advertising \u200cexecutive who\u2063 becomes involved in increasing\u2062 public\u200c interest in\u200c the \u2064moon landing, as NASA faces \u200dchallenges in securing \u200bsupport for the mission. The film, described as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/drew-barrymore-says-she-now-regrets-working-with-woody-allen\/\" title=\"Drew Barrymore Says She Now Regrets Working With Woody Allen\">romantic comedy<\/a>, introduces \u200da plot twist where characters contemplate staging a fake moon landing in case the real mission fails. <\/p>\n<p>While the film incorporates elements of\u200b nostalgia and humor \u2063typical \u200dof 1960s \u200bcomedies, the reviewer expresses\u200b concern about its approach to historical\u200c events, suggesting that it trivializes a monumental \u200dachievement in American \u2062history. The film&#8217;s \u200cblending of fact\u2062 and fiction \u2062raises questions about authenticity\u200d and \u200bthe nature of historical narratives, prompting reflections on the ways such portrayals influence public perception. Ultimately, the reviewer laments the cynical treatment of a\u2064 proud moment \u200cin space exploration.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-sacff-txt\">Magazine &#8211; Life &amp; Arts <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">You have to invent a conspiracy to make the Moon landing a farce<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>If ever there were an event about which Americans can be justifiably, sincerely, and perpetually proud, it was surely the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/263964\/fifty-years-later-watch-apollo-11-and-marvel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Apollo 11 moon landing<\/a> on July 20, 1969. You remember: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/neil-armstrong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Neil Armstrong<\/a>, Tranquility Base, &ldquo;One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind&rdquo; &mdash; the whole bit.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, in a sign of the perversity of our times, a new movie seeks to diminish, distort, and, finally, demean this monument to American resourcefulness, guts, and engineering know-how. <em>Fly Me to the Moon<\/em>, playing in theaters now,<em> <\/em>advances a completely made-up account of the moon landing in the guise of a peppy romantic comedy: The movie tells us that public excitement for lunar exploration was negligible, that mysterious figures from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/richard-nixon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Nixon administration<\/a> contrived to create a &ldquo;fake&rdquo; moon landing in case some catastrophe prevented the real one, and that a girlboss saved the day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson in Fly Me to the Moon. (Dan McFadden\/Sony Pictures)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Of course, none of this is true. And the movie, a rough approximation of the 1960s-era Rock Hudson-Doris Day <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/comedy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>comedies<\/a>, never pretends that it is. Even so, the fact that the moon landing, of all things, is fodder for such a cheap, cynical fictitious treatment is a sorrowful sign of the times. Is nothing sacred?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Before it descends into &ldquo;alternate history&rdquo; territory, <em>Fly Me to the Moon <\/em>begins rather promisingly: Scarlett Johansson stars as Kelly Jones, a bright, bubbly New York ad agency mover and shaker whose success at her trade is a reminder that, once upon a time, working women made tactful use of their femininity, not just their feminism: In a nicely done little scene, Kelly, outfitted with a pillow to appear pregnant, is seen expertly sweet-talking Mustang executives into agreeing to her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kelly-loeffler-starts-conservative-voting-registration-group-greater-georgia\/\" title=\"Kelly Loeffler starts conservative voting registration group \u2018Greater Georgia\u2019\">ad campaign highlighting<\/a> the automotive maker&rsquo;s seat belts &mdash; women, she tells them, will adore their husbands for being so safety conscious.<\/p>\n<p>Yet trouble is brewing a world away in sunny <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Florida<\/a>, which, in director Greg Berlanti&rsquo;s vision, is not a bastion of freedom but a cauldron of space-age ineptitude and apathy. We are told that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nasa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>NASA<\/a> has reached a low ebb. The space agency&rsquo;s budget has been hacked away at. And the failures of other missions, including the deadly launchpad fire on Apollo 1, loom over the pending Apollo 11 mission. Among the few NASA officials holding it together is launch director Cole Davis, who, as played by Channing Tatum, has something of the manly professionalism of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in <em>Once Upon a Time In Hollywood<\/em>. So far, so good.<\/p>\n<p>Enter Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), a vaguely CIA\/FBI\/White House Plumbers-type figure who corrals Kelly into signing up with NASA as a kind of all-around marketing fixer. Her mission is to gin up public excitement for Apollo 11, but even in these appealing early scenes, there are warning signs on the horizon of the movie&rsquo;s actual agenda: For example, Kelly&rsquo;s assistant Ruby (Anna Garcia) is loudly anti-Nixon and ardently anti-Vietnam War in a way that does not seem entirely believable for a Madison Avenue worker bee in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/after-more-than-50-years-zodiac-killer-mystery-cipher-finally-solved\/\" title=\"After More Than 50 Years, Zodiac Killer Mystery Cipher Finally Solved\">late 1960s<\/a>; political stridency was not yet the coin of the realm &mdash; at least outside of Berkeley, California.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, Johansson is agreeably take-charge when she descends on Cape Canaveral: One of the better scenes features Kelly gaining access to a restricted area simply by snatching a tour guide&rsquo;s badge and marching through the door. The gung-ho Johansson, sporting a fashionable bob and a wardrobe consisting of capri pants and pencil skirts, bounces nicely off of the strong, stoic Tatum, and the two are teased as a potential couple early and often. Berlanti has a sure eye for period detail, and the diners, cars, clothes, media, and technology of the era all look authentic. As a facsimile of a Rock and Doris comedy, <em>Fly Me to the Moon<\/em> is at least as good as Peyton Reed&rsquo;s <em>Down with Love<\/em>, an apparently long-forgotten charmer from 2003 with Ewan McGregor and Renee Zellweger.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The picture of competency, Kelly succeeds in packaging sponsorships between NASA and the brands of the age, like Tang and Fruit of the Loom. Here, the movie could have settled into a perfectly bewitching conventional romantic comedy: Will Kelly and Cole find romance on Earth while Neil Armstrong walks on the moon?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, the screenplay by Rose Gilroy, from a story by Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn, has more profound things on its mind: questions of fakeness and authenticity and the great American art of the swindle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Like a bad penny, Moe turns up with another proposal for Kelly: In case a disaster derails the real moon landing, could she round up a cast and crew to film a fake moon landing that could be broadcast in its stead? Jim Rash stars as Lance Vespertine, the flamboyantly exacting commercial director tapped to play auteur on this secret production. &ldquo;Kelly, these aren&rsquo;t real actors,&rdquo; Lance says upon surveying the federal agents who will &ldquo;play&rdquo; the astronauts on the fake moon set that has been constructed in Florida. Later, he complains the moon dust-sprinkled soundstage resembles nothing more than a dirty beach, and at one point, he asks where his trailer is.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This is all amusing in an <em>American Hustle<\/em> or <em>Argo<\/em> sort of way until it sinks in that the filmmakers are tinkering with actual history in order to make this speculative confection. What, exactly, is the point of saying that fake moon landing footage was filmed? That the federal government will go to any lengths to perpetuate a fraud on the American public? That&rsquo;s fair enough, but in the case of the moon landing, <em>they didn&rsquo;t<\/em>. It does not prove that Nixon administration-adjacent officials were evil when a movie accuses them of doing evil things they never did.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The film is equally slippery in its presentation of Kelly: The filmmakers wish to view her as both complicit in a fraud when she agrees to whip up the fake moon landing <em>and<\/em> heroic when she fesses up and teams up with Cole against Moe.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe I am taking all of this too seriously. <em>Fly Me to the Moon <\/em>is charming enough for most of its length: The movie recreates its world skillfully, and Johansson and Tatum make for a nice pair. Harrelson is agreeably rascally, and Ray Romano, as a NASA colleague of Cole, has acquired some weary gravitas in his late middle age. Yet, in appropriating a great achievement for a would-be expose of American fakery, the movie is more depressing than funny.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Forty-one years ago, Philip Kaufman&rsquo;s great adaptation of Tom Wolfe&rsquo;s <em>The Right Stuff<\/em> presented an ambitious, audacious vision of the intrepidness of America&rsquo;s test pilots and astronauts. The movie had a healthy perspective on the triumphs and failures of the space age; it humanized these men, but it certainly never tried to diminish what they had achieved. <em>Fly Me to the Moon <\/em>offers not the right stuff but the fake stuff. And who, really, wants to see that?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Peter Tonguette is a contributing writer to the <\/em>Washington Examiner <em>magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Magazine &#8211; Life &amp; Arts: A Conspiracy to Discredit the Moon Landing**<\/p>\n<p>The Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, is an event that Americans can rightfully celebrate with pride. You likely recall the iconic moments: Neil Armstrong, Tranquility Base, and his famous words, \u201cOne small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.\u201d However, in a troubling reflection of our current times, a new film aims to undermine, distort, and ultimately belittle this remarkable achievement in American ingenuity and engineering. &#8220;Fly Me to the Moon,&#8221; currently in theaters, presents a fabricated narrative of the moon landing disguised as a lighthearted romantic comedy. The film suggests that public interest in lunar exploration was minimal, that shadowy figures from the Nixon administration orchestrated a &#8220;fake&#8221; moon landing as a backup plan, and that a female character ultimately saves the day.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, these claims are entirely fictional. The film, reminiscent of 1960s Rock Hudson-Doris Day comedies, does not pretend to be factual. Nevertheless, the fact that the moon landing is used as the basis for such a trivial and cynical story is a disheartening indication of the times we live in. Is nothing off-limits?<\/p>\n<p>Initially, &#8220;Fly Me to the Moon&#8221; shows promise. Scarlett Johansson plays Kelly Jones, a vibrant New York advertising executive whose success highlights a time when women skillfully leveraged their femininity alongside their feminism. In a well-crafted scene, Kelly, using a pillow to simulate pregnancy, persuades Mustang executives to support her ad campaign promoting their seat belts, claiming that women will appreciate their husbands&#8217; safety consciousness. Meanwhile, in Florida, NASA is depicted as struggling, with budget cuts and the shadow of past failures, including the tragic Apollo 1 launchpad fire, looming over the upcoming Apollo 11 mission. Channing Tatum portrays Cole Davis, the launch director, embodying a blend of professionalism reminiscent of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in &#8220;Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As the story unfolds, Kelly is recruited by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), a character reminiscent of a CIA or FBI operative, to help generate public enthusiasm for Apollo 11. However, even in these engaging early moments, hints of the film&#8217;s true agenda emerge. For instance, Kelly&#8217;s assistant Ruby (Anna Garcia) is portrayed as overtly anti-Nixon and anti-Vietnam War, a characterization that feels somewhat implausible for a Madison Avenue worker in the late 1960s, as political activism was not yet widespread outside certain areas like Berkeley, California.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, Johansson&#8217;s performance is lively as she navigates Cape Canaveral, including a scene where she gains access to a restricted area by simply taking a tour guide&#8217;s badge. The chemistry between Johansson and Tatum is evident, and the film captures the era&#8217;s aesthetics well, from diners to cars to fashion. As a homage to classic romantic comedies, &#8220;Fly Me to the Moon&#8221; is at least on par with the charming but overlooked &#8220;Down with Love&#8221; from 2003.<\/p>\n<p>Kelly excels at securing sponsorships for NASA from popular brands like Tang and Fruit of the Loom, setting the stage for a conventional romantic comedy: Will Kelly and Cole find love while Neil Armstrong walks on the moon? Unfortunately, the screenplay by Rose Gilroy, based on a story by Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn, delves into deeper themes of authenticity and deception in American culture.<\/p>\n<p>Moe reappears with a dubious proposal: in case the real moon landing fails, could Kelly assemble a cast and crew to film a fake moon landing for broadcast? Jim Rash plays Lance Vespertine, the demanding director of this secret project, who humorously critiques the makeshift production. While this premise is amusing in a &#8220;American Hustle&#8221; or &#8220;Argo&#8221; way, it becomes troubling as it manipulates historical events for entertainment. What is the purpose of suggesting that fake moon landing footage was created? To imply that the government would go to great lengths to deceive the public? While that may be a valid critique, it is misleading in the context of the actual moon landing, which was genuine.<\/p>\n<p>The film&#8217;s portrayal of Kelly is equally ambiguous; she is depicted as both complicit in the deception and heroic when she ultimately opposes Moe. Perhaps I am overanalyzing this. &#8220;Fly Me to the Moon&#8221; is enjoyable for much of its runtime, with strong performances from Johansson and Tatum, and Harrelson adds a playful touch. However, by appropriating a monumental achievement for a narrative about American deception, the film ultimately feels more disheartening than entertaining.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, Philip Kaufman&#8217;s adaptation of Tom Wolfe&#8217;s &#8220;The Right Stuff,&#8221; released 41 years ago, presented a bold and inspiring portrayal of America&#8217;s astronauts and test pilots. It offered a balanced view of the triumphs and failures of the space age, humanizing its characters without diminishing their accomplishments. &#8220;Fly Me to the Moon,&#8221; however, offers not the right stuff but rather a fabricated narrative. And who truly wants to engage with that? <\/p>\n<p>Peter Tonguette is a contributing writer for the Washington Examiner magazine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2691,"featured_media":2308977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/LA.Film_-1.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[34701,8857,36261,36262,32076],"class_list":["post-2308976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-conspiracy-theories","tag-hoax","tag-moon-landing","tag-space-exploration","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/LA.Film_-1.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2691"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2308976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2308977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2308976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2308976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2308976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}