Sketching Safety
June 21, 2012 12:13 AM Subscribe
Air New Zealand latest in-flight safety video (SLYT). Cameo sketch-appearances by a variety of well-known people, including President Obama, Queen Elizabeth, and Snoop Dogg. Spot the others (mostly well-known New Zealanders). Presented by Ed O'Neil from Modern Family and New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey from Two and a Half Men. Previously and previously.
Was it illustrated by a famous sketchnotes blogger? The visual style looks really familiar.
posted by mathowie at 12:29 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by mathowie at 12:29 AM on June 21, 2012
My favourite role of Melanie Lynskey will always be Show of Hands. On what little I could put up with of Two and a Half Men to watch her I was always disappointed by how vapid her character was.
posted by Talez at 12:32 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by Talez at 12:32 AM on June 21, 2012
I'd never heard Melanie Lynskey native accent, so that was fun.
posted by Harpocrates at 12:40 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by Harpocrates at 12:40 AM on June 21, 2012
What?! Melanie Lynskey of Heavenly Creatures is slumming it with Ashton Kutcher? That's heartbreaking.
posted by kariebookish at 12:56 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by kariebookish at 12:56 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Ed O'Neill (two L's) will always be from Married with Children to me.
posted by readyfreddy at 1:20 AM on June 21, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by readyfreddy at 1:20 AM on June 21, 2012 [6 favorites]
Was it illustrated by a famous sketchnotes blogger? The visual style looks really familiar.
These guys do the whiteboard animation thing for hire, which is where I'd see that sort of style. (But with hands.)
posted by disillusioned at 1:27 AM on June 21, 2012
These guys do the whiteboard animation thing for hire, which is where I'd see that sort of style. (But with hands.)
posted by disillusioned at 1:27 AM on June 21, 2012
Ehhhh. I guess it's better than seeing Jeff Smisek before every flight.
posted by kdar at 1:28 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by kdar at 1:28 AM on June 21, 2012
So they've retired Richard Simmons?
Poor fella.
What's he going to do now?
posted by Mezentian at 2:31 AM on June 21, 2012
Poor fella.
What's he going to do now?
posted by Mezentian at 2:31 AM on June 21, 2012
Fuck this. I have to fly regularly, mostly Air NZ because I am live here, and those cutesy pie vidoes drive me nuts. Yes, you shouldn't ignore the safety vid if you haven't seen one before. But I have seen about a squillion and they are all the same. Except for the Air NZ ones, which are profoundly irritating on repeat viewing. I like Air NZ as an airline and although I have contributed nothing to them personally I have an irrational pride in them as a citizen, but this is definitely the worst thing about them. Please don't encourage it: join me in hating it so it can stop. Thank you.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:35 AM on June 21, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:35 AM on June 21, 2012 [6 favorites]
I can hate for two-minutes. That enough?
(I know what you mean though. That Simmons one was doing my head in last time I was in NZ.)
posted by Mezentian at 3:28 AM on June 21, 2012
(I know what you mean though. That Simmons one was doing my head in last time I was in NZ.)
posted by Mezentian at 3:28 AM on June 21, 2012
Except for the Air NZ ones, which are profoundly irritating on repeat viewing.
Yes, this a thousand times. The All Black one was funny and interesting a couple of times, but once you've seen it more than that, it quickly becomes boring and irritating (and probably incredibly confusing to visitors who have no idea who Graham Henry is).
Also, if anyone from Air NZ is reading this, I really, really don't need to hear 'Loyal' or 'Why Does Love Do This To Me?' on repeat every time the plane lands. If I want to listen to music, I'll stick my headphones on thanks.
posted by Infinite Jest at 3:44 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yes, this a thousand times. The All Black one was funny and interesting a couple of times, but once you've seen it more than that, it quickly becomes boring and irritating (and probably incredibly confusing to visitors who have no idea who Graham Henry is).
Also, if anyone from Air NZ is reading this, I really, really don't need to hear 'Loyal' or 'Why Does Love Do This To Me?' on repeat every time the plane lands. If I want to listen to music, I'll stick my headphones on thanks.
posted by Infinite Jest at 3:44 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
The background music is from The Naked and the Famous, a New Zealand band (specifically derived from this song).
posted by jscalzi at 4:22 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by jscalzi at 4:22 AM on June 21, 2012
I made it about 15 seconds until I could take the forced dialog and simulated-laggy-connection animation.
posted by DU at 4:25 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 4:25 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
My favorite Melanie Lynskey moment is in "But I'm a Cheerleader", when she says "I'm a homo-sex-sual" in her adorable accent. SO CUTE.
posted by rmd1023 at 5:03 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by rmd1023 at 5:03 AM on June 21, 2012
Oh! I hadn't realized The Naked and the Famous were from NZ. Cool.
posted by rmd1023 at 5:04 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by rmd1023 at 5:04 AM on June 21, 2012
So, really.. life jackets on an airplane are just pointless, right? When has anyone ever needed an inflatable life jacket after plummetting from the sky? Apart from that one pilot in New York.
posted by Harry at 5:12 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by Harry at 5:12 AM on June 21, 2012
I had a really excellent popsicle on an Air NZ flight a few years ago, so they get a pass on this from me.
PRIORITIES
posted by troika at 5:34 AM on June 21, 2012
PRIORITIES
posted by troika at 5:34 AM on June 21, 2012
I applaud the cheeky bastards at Virgin Atlantic for using "Fish" by Mr. Scruff on their safety video.
posted by BobbyVan at 5:46 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by BobbyVan at 5:46 AM on June 21, 2012
Does Mel's participation imply that a brick in a sock is acceptable carry-on?
posted by arzakh at 6:06 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by arzakh at 6:06 AM on June 21, 2012
Melanie Lynskey's appearance in But I'm a Cheerleader is, to my mind, the pinnacle of human cultural achievement.
But having said that, let me reiterate what spleen and IJ say. These "cute," self-aware safety videos are horrible—locked in a room with giant spiders and flashing lights and forced to listen repeatedly to Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" horrible. It's like a slightly posher version of flying domestically in Australia with Virgin Blue, with their happy-clappy, "we're all idiots who've never flown on or indeed seen a plane in our lives before; here'san insultingly stupid a 'fun' safety video/bad stand-up routine outlining the fruitless gestures you should make in the unlikely event of us all plunging to our fiery deaths on takeoff from Adelaide this afternoon. You have a nice day!"
posted by Sonny Jim at 6:42 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
But having said that, let me reiterate what spleen and IJ say. These "cute," self-aware safety videos are horrible—locked in a room with giant spiders and flashing lights and forced to listen repeatedly to Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" horrible. It's like a slightly posher version of flying domestically in Australia with Virgin Blue, with their happy-clappy, "we're all idiots who've never flown on or indeed seen a plane in our lives before; here's
posted by Sonny Jim at 6:42 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
... whoops, I meant to say that these safety announcements are "horrible on repeated viewings." The first time, it's OK. Subsequent times: "please stop telling me the same joke over and over."
posted by Sonny Jim at 8:47 AM on June 21, 2012
posted by Sonny Jim at 8:47 AM on June 21, 2012
Some airline should embrace the snark and make a safety video using xtranormal. One with lots of "hell", "fuck", and "goddamn" would please me most.
posted by benito.strauss at 9:22 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by benito.strauss at 9:22 AM on June 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
I applaud the cheeky bastards at Virgin Atlantic for using "Fish" by Mr. Scruff on their safety video .
I thought it was sweet that you got to see the after-flight activities of all the animated characters from the safety video. It was like the whole "where are they now" thing from ANIMAL HOUSE at the end!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:54 AM on June 22, 2012
I thought it was sweet that you got to see the after-flight activities of all the animated characters from the safety video. It was like the whole "where are they now" thing from ANIMAL HOUSE at the end!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:54 AM on June 22, 2012
Say what you will about the rest of their services, but I'm still kind of in love with Delta's in-flight video after many many viewings. Saucy redhead waggles her finger while intoning "Smoking is notallowed!" Concerned passenger looks up at the suddenly-illuminated "fasten seatbelt" light! Supergay bald Asian attendant gleefully mimics the safety-vest manual inflation! Redhead has cheekbones! Supergaysian has sparkleteeth! Avuncular old manpilot is suddenly replaced by confident ladypilot with no backstory!
It's all about being charming without being cutesy. Why is it so hard to find that line?
posted by psoas at 10:14 AM on June 22, 2012
It's all about being charming without being cutesy. Why is it so hard to find that line?
posted by psoas at 10:14 AM on June 22, 2012
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