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Oops: Colbert wins NASA Space Station Name Contest

Posted March 24, 2009 11:01 AM

From USATODAY.com Tech - Top Stories:

NASA's online contest to name a new room at the international space station went awry. Comedian Stephen Colbert won. The name "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options in the space agency's effort to have the public help name the addition. The new room will be launched later this year. NASA's mistake was allowing write-ins. Colbert urged viewers of his Comedy Central show, "The Colbert Report" to write in his name. And they complied, with 230,539 votes. That clobbered Serenity, one of the NASA choices, by more than 40,000 votes. Nearly 1.2 million votes were cast by the time the contest ended Friday. NASA reserves the right to choose an appropriate name. Agency spokesman John Yembrick said NASA will decide in April, but will give top vote-getters "the most consideration."

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Guru

Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: New York
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#1

Re: Oops: Colbert wins NASA Space Station Name Contest

03/24/2009 11:08 AM

I would have figured the people that come up with these contests would have learned their lesson by now.

Especially after the Mets got Rick Rolled by a hundreds of thousands of write in votes from the internet.

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Kaplin
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#2

Re: Oops: Colbert wins NASA Space Station Name Contest

03/24/2009 11:17 AM

Colbert once again proves that he is the man!

Back in December he got his fans to buy "A Very Colbert Christmas" on itunes on a specific day for "Operation Humble Kanye" (click for video!). He successfully beatout Kanye West that day, proving how powerful his fanbase really is. And now this!

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Sharkles
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Oops: Colbert wins NASA Space Station Name Contest

03/24/2009 12:20 PM

I remember that! I also remember the episode where he told everyone to vote his name in for the space station. It is hilarious how influential he is and how loyal his fans are.

I remembering him referring to things of this nature being called the 'colbert bump'. Hilariously spectacular.

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Guru

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#4

Re: Oops: Colbert wins NASA Space Station Name Contest

03/24/2009 10:23 PM

Okay, we know, they'll send it to the Electoral College. Then a recount will be called for. Then it will go to the Supreme Court, then Serenity will be decided to be more appropriate, then John Roberts will resign to take care of his alien Grandmother, then we will go to war with Mars.

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#5

Re: Oops: Colbert wins NASA Space Station Name Contest

03/25/2009 11:30 AM

Let's not forget about the naming contest for the Megyeri Bridge in Budapest that was won outright by the 'Colbert Nation' (I believe Chuck Norris was a close second). According to the Hungarian officials, it would have been named for him if only he had been willing to be dead. Just goes to show the awesome power of TV 'conservatives' to channel public opinion for the common good.

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