Apollo 11 press conference - slightly different

[Kiwi]

Regarding the Apollo 11 post-flight press conference, my own simple explanation is that at the start of it, all three astronauts probably felt many, many times more uncomfortable about being there than they felt a few weeks before about going to the moon and landing on it.

Excellent post, Peter B. As usual!

I have watched many of the HB videos concerning the press conference and attempting to describe body language and facial characteristics of the three during the question/answer period.

Their descriptions usually match exactly what the HBs want them to match, and they are so sure that they are right.

My own impressions of body language and facial expressions after more than 30 years of dealing with the public, are that they can be useful at times in face-to-face situations when there are other signals present, but there are plenty of exceptions to the "rules."  Nervousness or confusion or discomfort can override everything. And some mannerisms have no meaning at all -- they are just trivial actions or even bad habits, and nothing more.

Much of the time, I prefer to not continuously look people in the eye when they are talking to me, and also sometimes even when I'm talking, which I'm aware could give the impression that I'm dodgy or dishonest. But doing so often gives me a sort of emotional overload which blocks out their words, so I'd rather look away and concentrate on just their words -- take them literally rather than make up airy-fairy nonsense about what they "really mean."

However, if I'm dubious about what someone is saying I'll watch them for clues, and will look people in the eye when I'm trying to convince them I'm being honest. Which I am most of the time anyway.

I've even come across badly-trained salespeople who overdid it by getting out their catalogue and, instead of pointing at something in it with one finger, pointed with their full, open hand with their palm facing me. It was so corny, insincere and laughable!

On one occasion I had a rare few minutes to toy with a young, new salesman who was over-enthusiastic about some new product that underwhelmed me, so I first tried to convey my disinterest verbally and got no response.  He was only part-way through his text-book spiel.  So I said I had little time left and slowly moved back from the counter, leaned back against the wall, turned my body slightly away from him, folded both arms tightly across my chest, hunched my shoulders forward in a shrug, crossed my ankles, locked my knees together, and gazed up at a far corner of the ceiling while he still prattled on... Until I abruptly excused myself with "Gotta go," darted back to the task at hand and hoped he learnt something. Assuming that he noticed anything!

[AstroBrant]

I think both of you are spot on. There's also the "What do I do now?" depression that follows one reaching a pinnacle of accomplishment.

Not for a moment wishing to compare myself to the crew of Apollo 11, but I know a little of this feeling.

I've mentioned this story previously, but I think it's worth repeating. I used to learn ballroom dancing... [etc.]

Now to get an idea of how the Apollo 11 astronauts must have felt, multiply that by,...what?
Very good point, Peter. Unfortunately, I doubt that there are many conspiracy theorists who will ever be able to relate to it. ('nuf said)

[Kiwi]

Now to get an idea of how the Apollo 11 astronauts must have felt, multiply that by,...what?

EASY: Any off-the-planet or astronomical figure. 

[Ishkabibble]

I can't remember which of them it was who said this, but it seems like it might be Buzz... "The melancholy of all things done. Is this all there is? Is there nothing more?"

And I also can't remember which one of them said, when asked what the hardest part of the flight was, responded, "The press conference after the flight." Gus, I think.

Those times and those men were so different from what the world is today, that I really don't think they fit in anywhere, except at the Cape or in Houston.

[onebigmonkey]

I can't remember which of them it was who said this, but it seems like it might be Buzz... "The melancholy of all things done. Is this all there is? Is there nothing more?"

I'm pretty sure that was from Star Trek, the movie...

[onebigmonkey]

I can't remember which of them it was who said this, but it seems like it might be Buzz... "The melancholy of all things done. Is this all there is? Is there nothing more?"

I'm pretty sure that was from Star Trek, the movie...

Although having said that...

http://www.moon-shot.com/melancholy-of-all-things-done.html

Something similar was said to describe "V-ger's" existential crisis as it returned to search for its creator in Star Trek, but it was Aldrin who said it, probably borrowing from Nietzsche's “The melancholy of everything completed!”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200105/buzz-aldrin-down-earth

[darren r]

I can't remember which of them it was who said this, but it seems like it might be Buzz... "The melancholy of all things done. Is this all there is? Is there nothing more?"

There's a scene in From The Earth To The Moon (the Tom Hanks miniseries) where Alan Bean says something similar to Pete Conrad.

[Kiwi]

There's a scene in From The Earth To The Moon (the Tom Hanks miniseries) where Alan Bean says something similar to Pete Conrad.

That probably came from Andrew Chaikin's excellent book A Man on the Moon, page 283:

Conrad kept these thoughts to himself as Yankee Clipper headed home, and he had no idea whether his crewmates felt the same way. He was quite surprised when Al Bean turned to him and said, as if he could read his mind, "It's kind of like the song: Is that all there is?"

[Kiwi]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200105/buzz-aldrin-down-earth

Here's a marvellous quote from Buzz Aldrin in that interview:

When we returned from the moon, we saw the reaction of the people. And I said to Neil, "We missed the whole thing." We didn't share the moment of exhilaration here on Earth. We were sort of out of town doing something else.

And immediately following that, the sad stuff -- jealousy and envy:

RE: Were you prepared for life back on Earth?

BA: After we got back, I wasn't prepared to be in the public eye. I traveled around the world and met many people. At one point, we visited 23 countries in 45 days. I also thought that going to the moon couldn't be topped. So I left NASA and returned to the Air Force. But I don't think the Air Force knew what to do with someone who went to the moon.

I was an outsider. I was the egghead from academia who got in because the rules had changed. While I looked for validation from my fellow contemporaries, I instead found jealousy and envy. I did not find team spirit. This led to dissatisfaction, an unease.

[Ishkabibble]

I can't remember which of them it was who said this, but it seems like it might be Buzz... "The melancholy of all things done. Is this all there is? Is there nothing more?"

I'm pretty sure that was from Star Trek, the movie...

Never seen any of the Star Trek movies.

No, I read this somewhere, in one of the myriad books written about the Apollo program.

[Ishkabibble]

There's a scene in From The Earth To The Moon (the Tom Hanks miniseries) where Alan Bean says something similar to Pete Conrad.

That probably came from Andrew Chaikin's excellent book A Man on the Moon, page 283:

Conrad kept these thoughts to himself as Yankee Clipper headed home, and he had no idea whether his crewmates felt the same way. He was quite surprised when Al Bean turned to him and said, as if he could read his mind, "It's kind of like the song: Is that all there is?"

I think this might be well where I am misremembering it from.

[Abaddon]

I think this might be well where I am misremembering it from.

Everyone does it. Usually it starts with the phrase "I seem to recall...". You do it. I do it. Everyone.

However, if it is not immediately followed by the phrase "Let me check that." then it is likely baloney.

[scooter]

It had to be difficult, starting right after recovery. As if they hadn't been around each other enough in the months ahead of the mission, after landing, they were cooped up together in quarantine. Immediately thereafter, they are before the press, then off on a whirlwind world tour, with all the repetitive bells and whistles associated therewith. I suspect they'd had enough of each other for a while.
Must have been hell...they knew they were done flying, and had a lot of regrouping to do to figure out what was next in their lives.

[onebigmonkey]

I also imagine that, first man or not, there's only so much of this you can stand:

[Tedward]

It is interesting to watch people fluff it up in live TV, the news channels are good for this. Someone who will be confident in front of many people face to face can be turned to a quivering wreck when the studio says "on you now" in the ear piece. Even reporters can do it when the notion of the piece to camera is now going to be live and national rather than just for local consumption.

But then you have the people that just shine but ask them off camera where the coffee machine is and they are different again.

I expect many public facing political press officers are not long for the in front of the camera job and senior politicians are polished up before being let loose.

Always wondered where the hoax for this would be if some of them spent some time as a runner for a news station.