The Old Negro Space Program reaction

The Old Negro Space Program spoof takes everything that made Ken Burns Civil War a heavy and evocative slice of history and turns it on it’s head. The result is awkwardness and hilarity. Part of the reason Ken Burns’ original was so successful was that it took the audience deep into the heart of the American crisis while maintaining its gravity and mystery. By zooming in and out of still photos, he achieves motion picture standards of reality and continuity while maintaining the authenticity of the photographs and not attempting to reenact such heavy material that could easily be misrepresented by human error. The untold stories of the narrative lie in the spaces between the stills.
The spoof is very aware of what makes the original successful, so they, in turn, were able to successfully mock the drama of it all. They took note of the extreme authenticity of the photographs, so it was immediately funny when the clumsily photo shopped pictures of the “original black astronauts” were shown and zoomed into, as if zooming was going to make them any less fake. The awkwardness in the fact that you know you are supposed to feel something profound when that effect is being used is what makes it so funny.
Another technique is the juxtaposition of using both primary source speakers and academic figureheads to propel and explain the narrative. The spoof latched onto the effect of having old gritty people going on tangent about the old days while a contrasting self-important professor gives a formal recount and analysis of the events, often reiterating words to appeal to an “audience of lesser intelligence”. In the Ken Burns piece, these academic authorities demand respect and due the emotional evocation of the piece, the audience does not even consider that they are being condescended to. As the parody is totally devoid of authenticity and emotional weight, we are made extremely aware of the stuffy professor’s self-importance and the humor in his constant use of similes.
Perhaps the most hilarious part is their choice of music. Its nearly the same, twanging, meandering fiddle music as Ken Burns and it totally clashes with the subject matter! The moment it starts, you are immediately aware of the inconsistency and to not take it seriously. The gospel music behind the perseverance of the “blackstronauts” is particularly ridiculous. The true finale is the mention of the landing on the moon alongside the wig advertisements in a dramatic pan of a yellowed newspaper. Brilliant.