August 17, 2006

would you rather?

While we wait for the impending battle between Yoshimi and The Bulletin, let's pause for a moment in our busy schedules to explore the question: Would you rather be one of the Apollo 13 astronauts during their catastrophic mission to the moon OR would you rather be left for dead in the middle of the ocean near aggressive sharks like the couple in the movie "Open Water?"





















We talked about this at the 1st Annual Shark Week Holiday Extravaganza, and everyone concluded that they'd rather be in the Apollo 13. However, I think we were under the Shark Week spell at the time, causing largely irrational responses. I recently watched "Apollo 13" again, so hear me when I say that You Do Not Want to Choose the Apollo 13 Mission Lightly. Just because the astronauts survived and the swimmers didn't should not enter into your thinking. Which brings me to the "things to keep in mind" before we get started.

thing to keep in mind #1: Just because the Open Water couple died doesn't mean you would, and vice versa for Apollo 13. So picking the space mission doesn't guarantee your survival. You dig?

thing to keep in mind#2: Don't choose Open Water because you don't know how to fly a spaceship. In other words, imagine you have the same skill sets that astronauts and scuba divers had.

thing to keep in mind#3: This is really an extension of the second rule. Don't make yourself too smart, wiseguy. In other words, just because you've suddenly learned how to fly a NASA spacecraft doesn't mean you'd be able to jimmy a brilliant fix that Lovell, Fredo and Kevin Bacon couldn't figure out. You're equally as smart and able as they were, not smarter.

thing to keep in mind#4: This game isn't necessarily about choosing which circumstance gives you a better chance to survive. I think this should be part - but not all - of your decision.

For those who haven't watched either film (or haven't learned about the Apollo 13 mission through some other non-Hollywood means) go to IMDB or Amazon if you want a recap. But if you're too lazy to do that, here are one sentence recaps of both stories.


Apollo 13: On the heels of the famous Apollo 11 moon landing, three astronauts are sent to the moon on what appears to be a much more uninteresting mission, that is, until the rocket breaks in transit to the moon, leaving the astronauts with almost no power or oxygen and little hope of making back to earth alive.







Open Water: A couple goes scuba diving and is accidentally left behind in the middle of the ocean with mean-spirited sharks roaming about, and nobody's around to help them.





So there's the setup. Dwell on these things and soon enough we will find the light of truth together.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now, if one were to pick the Open Water set up, it would be just you and a person of the opposite sex yes? and would one of you start off with a gash on your leg/foot thats bleeding like the guy got while swimming? cuz if you do then your as good as dead. but if you start out fresh and clean, you might make it??

rp_mo said...

i love the rhetorical question at the end of your post. it's brilliant. very cautiously optimistic.

and no, you're not bleeding...yet. that's really up to you. you have to ask yourself, "is there a good chance I would get bitten?" this is an exercise in imagination.

and yes...you're with a member of the opposite sex in the water scenario and you're with two other dudes in the space scenario. this might be critical to your decision.

Anonymous said...

For some reason or another ive spent some time the past few days thinking about my answer. I think, though, re-reading your "things to remember section" you over looked something. You said "Just because the Open Water couple died doesn't mean you would, and vice versa for Apollo 13" but i think its only fair to point out that the couple only died in the movie...in real life they survived. Just wanted to point that out for those who care anyhow.