PZ Myers Gets Expelled....Again

[MattusMaximus]

Rather than put money into the pockets of Ben Stein and the Disco Institute by buying a ticket to "Expelled", instead consider buying a "Truth Ticket". Read more about it at this link via Pandas Thumb...

http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2008/04/truth-tickets.html

My favorite from that link's comment section:

"Don’t pay to see Expelled. See it for free if you have to. This clunker will end up as free DVDs, free church basement showings, and on late night Xian Trinity Broadcasting TV soon enough. Or possibly as a triple feature with The Rocky Horror Picture Show and From Darwin to Hitler."

I'll be buying my "Truth Ticket" tonight! Pass it on.

ETA: Awesome! This was my 666th post! Ben Stein, if you're reading this... the Devil made me do it!!!

 

[Juustin]

In honor of the whole copyright infringement fiasco, I have changed the image on expelled's myspace page to something more fitting, which someone posted at the SGU forum. It's worth a look, I hope it stays up for a while.

http://www.myspace.com/expelledthemovement

 

[RandFan]

In honor of the whole copyright infringement fiasco, I have changed the image on expelled's myspace page to something more fitting, which someone posted at the SGU forum. It's worth a look, I hope it stays up for a while.

http://www.myspace.com/expelledthemovement

Nice.

 

[MattusMaximus]

In honor of the whole copyright infringement fiasco, I have changed the image on expelled's myspace page to something more fitting, which someone posted at the SGU forum. It's worth a look, I hope it stays up for a while.

http://www.myspace.com/expelledthemovement

That's just awesome! I cannot believe how clueless these clowns are

 

[krelnik]

Video author comes forward

Remember the discussion about whether pro-ID or pro-evolution people made the Dawkins rap video? Both here and elsewhere, the skeptic community seemed divided. Well, the truth has come out in the form of a follow-on video posted on YouTube:



Even the follow-on has some subtlety, check the "Poe's Law" T-shirt on Ben Stein!

So lets see how everyone did in their analysis:

That made me laugh. Of course, I think the lyrics are pretty damn impressive once you understand them... clearly a smart person. Richard is confused about whose side they are on:

http://richarddawkins.net/article,2409,n,n

I've never met a bright creationist, so I say "ours"--

do not sound very pro creationism to me.

I say "theirs". It's littered with symbols and actions trying to denigrate the four horsemen. But it's funny as hell.

I say "ours". The lyrics are all pro-science.

"The video contains two messages, one obvious and the other subtle. The obvious message is about how arrogant science is, and that's for the creationists. The hidden message is for all the science bloggers, who are the only ones who know enough to spot it.

"The message is designed to get the ID message across, but to hook the science people into thinking the video is actually pro-science and get them to promote the video and take it viral."

..snip..

Wow. And all this time I thought these guys were thick. But now I see their subtlety is breathtaking.

That's full-out creationism idiocy put into the mouth of Richard Dawkins.

Points for packaging, but overall, this is meant to harm science.

It looks like dahduh nailed it. It was made by the Expelled crew, and it was specifically designed to go viral on our sites, while having an over-the-top message that only a creationist could see as anything other than parody.

Scorecard:

articulett, wahrheit, Upchurch: 0

Ichneumonwasp, dahduh, boloboffin: 1

It is somewhat amazing, considering how incredibly stupid the actual movie is, how subtly they worked this piece of viral video. Not sure it helped them, though, they still made under $3 million the first weekend. (Not at all bad for a documentary but not nearly what they had predicted).

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Do I get credit for knowing I didn't know?

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=3585681#post3585681

 

[wahrheit]

Do I get credit for knowing I didn't know?

And I didn't say "ours" or "theirs", I only quoted a part of the lyrics which was anti creationism.

Krelnik is a meanie, make me cry.

 

[krelnik]

Sorry about that, wahrheit! Here, have a cookie....

 

[Upchurch]

Scorecard:

articulett, wahrheit, Upchurch: 0

Ichneumonwasp, dahduh, boloboffin: 1

I stand corrected and stupid.

 

[bokonon]

Here's the same animator's (though probably not the same writer's) video about gay marriage.



Funny is funny, fundy is fundy, this guy's funny.

 

[Upchurch]

Hold on. I finally got a chance to sit down and watch the "part 2".

Even the follow-on has some subtlety, check the "Poe's Law" T-shirt on Ben Stein!

Wouldn't the invocation of Poe's law indicate that it is, itself, a parody?

 

[ravdin]

It is somewhat amazing, considering how incredibly stupid the actual movie is, how subtly they worked this piece of viral video. Not sure it helped them, though, they still made under $3 million the first weekend. (Not at all bad for a documentary but not nearly what they had predicted).

The intent behind the video seems obvious enough with the benefit of hindsight. Although I don't like the message, I have to credit the authors for their creativity and humor.

I've said this many, many times and I'll say it again- never underestimate fundamentalists.

 

[bokonon]

they still made under $3 million the first weekend. (Not at all bad for a documentary but not nearly what they had predicted).

Most documentaries don't open in this many theaters. It seems to be holding up well enough during the week, tacking on another quarter of a million for each day of MTW. I don't think the numbers support rolling it out to additional theaters, but they may not drop it at many theaters either if these numbers hold.

 

[MattusMaximus]

I was going to put up a picture of Goatse instead but I thought that might be a bit much. (Note: If you don't know what that is, and you're at work, definitely do not google it).

I googled "Goatse" and I must say that is one of the nastiest things I've ever seen

You warned me, and I didn't listen... I must now go claw my eyes out...

 

[Silly Green Monkey]

I really don't see the problem with goatse. It's just an interesting use of anatomy. How is it worse than, for instance, double-jointed knees?

 

[articulett]

Hold on. I finally got a chance to sit down and watch the "part 2".


Wouldn't the invocation of Poe's law indicate that it is, itself, a parody?

I know...

I'm willing to admit being wrong, wrong, wrong... but methinks there may be a double agent on the Expelled side.

I rather like it... it may be the cleverest thing to come from the creationist camp. I do love Dennett's hat. And we are smarter than them with our "science degrees"... at least when it comes to evolution.

 

[Jon.]

I think PZ Myers might have alluded to the possibility of this in one of his blog posts, but Yoko Ono has now sued the makers of Expelled for their unauthorized use of "Imagine" in the movie.

No intelligence allowed, indeed!

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I think PZ Myers might have alluded to the possibility of this in one of his blog posts, but Yoko Ono has now sued the makers of Expelled for their unauthorized use of "Imagine" in the movie.

No intelligence allowed, indeed!

The producers cited the fair use doctrine, which allows the use of copyrighted materials for the purposes of commentary and criticism.

They should talk to their lawyers. That is a most curious interpretation of the law.