If you’re anticipating the moment American astronauts planted our flag on the moon in the upcoming Neil Armstrong biopic “First Man,” we’ve got some bad news for you:
Neil Armstrong movie 'First Man' omits the American flag being planted on the moon, and star Ryan Gosling defended the decision: 'I don't think that Neil viewed himself as an American hero' https://t.co/zGXR5z19OA
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) August 30, 2018
Ryan Gosling, who plays Armstrong in “First Man,” Hollywood’s rendition of the moon landing, told the Telegraph the magic moment the American flag was posted was intentionally omitted from the big screen because Armstrong’s achievement “transcended countries and borders.”
— Joe Biggs (@Rambobiggs) August 31, 2018
More from Business Insider:
The movie omits the American flag being planted on the moon, and the movie’s star Ryan Gosling, who plays Armstrong, defended the decision when asked about it at Venice (via The Telegraph).
Gosling, who’s Canadian, argued that the first voyage to the moon was a “human achievement” that didn’t just represent an American accomplishment, and that’s how Armstrong viewed it.
“I think this was widely regarded in the end as a human achievement [and] that’s how we chose to view it,” Gosling. “I also think Neil was extremely humble, as were many of these astronauts, and time and time again he deferred the focus from himself to the 400,000 people who made the mission possible.”
Gosling added, “He was reminding everyone that he was just the tip of the iceberg – and that’s not just to be humble, that’s also true. So I don’t think that Neil viewed himself as an American hero. From my interviews with his family and people that knew him, it was quite the opposite. And we wanted the film to reflect Neil.”
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Sigh.
Gonna be amazing when Hollywood does a shot of the Iwo Jima flag raising and just has the men raising a flagpole with a happy face emoji. https://t.co/bvQwIZcsdZ
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 31, 2018
Just be thankful at this point Neil Armstrong doesn’t take a knee on the moon. https://t.co/uMLbNEamm6
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 31, 2018
Thank goodness for small favors.
— Kyle Saunders (@SaundersKyle__) August 31, 2018
— Bamafan in SC (@alabamafans2) August 31, 2018
Going out of your way to omit the planting of the American flag on the moon in a movie about Apollo 11 is quite something.
It was the middle of the Cold War! Fulfillment of a goal set by JFK in 1961! A massive blow to the Soviets! I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) August 31, 2018
This is total lunacy. And a disservice at a time when our people need reminders of what we can achieve when we work together. The American people paid for that mission,on rockets built by Americans,with American technology & carrying American astronauts. It wasn’t a UN mission. https://t.co/eGwBq7hj8C
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 31, 2018
Even Bill Kristol recognizes that:
Buzz Aldrin salutes the American flag on the moon, July 21, 1969. A human achievement–and an American achievement. pic.twitter.com/3r0rQWd42w
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) August 31, 2018
So come on.
Neil is the man who took the giant leap for mankind, but he was put there by thousands upon thousands of American scientists, engineers, mathmeticians, factory workers, and tax payers. The flag represents more than the men on the ship. It represents America doing the impossible. https://t.co/RnyGEpTTOR
— Jenna (@jennaep7) August 31, 2018
The United States' achievements are the world's achievements. But its sins are still exclusively American.
Or did "The World" also invade Vietnam, drop the atomic bomb, deny black people the vote, etc.?
— Holden (@Holden114) August 31, 2018
Hey if the rest of the world could pay us back billions of dollars for the Apollo program, that'd be great. Because it was a human achievement, you know?
— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) August 31, 2018
https://twitter.com/JayCostTWS/status/1035501511219011585
Why? Easy:
History is so offensive. https://t.co/XwGRf7U4wV
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) August 31, 2018
Apparently.
Now, obviously, in the grand scheme of things, Hollywood whitewashing a uniquely American achievement is not that big a deal. Not because American achievements deserve to be whitewashed, but because Hollywood is always pulling crap like this. And, frankly, the last thing we need right now is another outrage cycle.
Twitter, 10:38 am: “New movie about our wonderful moon landing will not show the American flag being raised. Not good! Time to plant a boycott flag in Hollywood’s ass!”
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) August 31, 2018
Ha! Wait for it.
This whole controversy reminds me how far space travel is lagging behind the exuberant predictions of the Apollo era. We really should have a Trump casino on the Moon by now. https://t.co/TPIi0lfezK
— John Hayward (@Doc_0) August 31, 2018
But at the same time, it’s pretty transparent what they’re doing. God forbid they acknowledge that America did something amazing.
In any event:
OMG this movie’s Oscar chances just went WAY UP https://t.co/xzKuoNEoOK
— Kyle Smith (@rkylesmith) August 31, 2018
Definitely. If there’s a lesson to be learned here, it’s this:
never let a canadian do an american’s job https://t.co/2nqd35VZmC
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) August 31, 2018
A-freakin’-MEN.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional text and tweets.
***
Update:
"The exciting part for me, as a pilot, was the landing on the moon. That was the time that we had achieved the national goal of putting *Americans* on the moon." — Neil Armstrong
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) August 31, 2018
When asked about putting the flag on the moon, Armstrong’s response was emblematic of his quiet greatness of spirit. I hope the movie captures that, as well as his very real patriotism, faith and heroics. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/KXSfc9PKhu
— Will Collier (@willcollier) August 31, 2018
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