Discovery Channel "Documentary" is Shameful

commandlinegamer said:
I have just one thing to say:

Coelacanth.
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Do we have evidence for it's present day existence...yes

Is there any credible evidence for the present day existence of megalodon...no.


That of course could change in the future, if evidence were found, but a discovery channel "documentary" does not qualify as evidence.
 
What concerns me is not the reaction of adults. What concerns me is that children may not have yet developed enough ability to tell reality from fantasy to see through this sort of thing. It tries intentionally to avoid all the normal signals that would tell a child that it is only fantasy. Such fake documentaries can be hard on parents and harder still on the delicate trust of children.
 
Weak Kitten said:
What concerns me is not the reaction of adults. What concerns me is that children may not have yet developed enough ability to tell reality from fantasy to see through this sort of thing. It tries intentionally to avoid all the normal signals that would tell a child that it is only fantasy. Such fake documentaries can be hard on parents and harder still on the delicate trust of children.
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I think programs like this teach a valuable lesson to children. Think critically about what others tell you, even those you trust. Don't be a sucker.
 
R.A.F. said:
I am reminded of this little gem

...but if you watch this movie, beware...the producers thought Brooke Hogan was sexy, and presented her as such....which was actually scarier than the land shark. :)
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Yeah, that's among the lowest of the low that Sy-Fy has produced (although Sharknado was worse). I swear, sometimes I think the Sy-Fy channel movie people sit around each day going, "okay, how can we violate the laws of physics and nature with our next movie in such a way that people might believe it's actually possible?"
 
BYW, the drinking game for shark week is to do a shot every time you see Snuffy the Seal.
 
Alferd_Packer said:
What about the Pirannaconda, Don't tell me that that's not real also.
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That movie at least has the fact that Roger Corman produced it going for it; Sand Sharks and Sharknado can't even claim that much. Although I think Asylum pictures made Sand Sharks, so that's something.
 
Eh? Am I the only one who figured out it was just silly docu-tainment after about 2 minutes?

Discovery Channel said:
Discovery brings SHARK WEEK viewers on a search for a massive killer Great White Shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa. One controversial scientist believes that the shark responsible could be Megalodon, a 60-foot relative of the Great White that is one of the largest and most powerful predators in history. Our oceans remain 95% unexplored, and this massive prehistoric predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, but after a rash of newly discovered evidence, authorities are forced to investigate and hunt for the predator long thought to be extinct. A crew of scientists and shark experts examine evidence and fearlessly seek answers to the many questions surrounding one of the last great mysteries of the deep ocean while creating the largest chum slick in history.
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Ok right there is where the alarm bells should be going off. This is/was nothing but Deep Sea Troof.
 
Dinwar said:
No one has denied that the show included disclaimers that it was fiction.
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But what if the vast majority of viewers do not watch every single minute of the show and miss a disclaimer?

What if the show has 4 seconds of disclaimer and 44 minutes of lies. 44 minutes that is presented as truth, and 4 seconds that says, no really, it wasn't.


Dinwar said:
It wasn't presented as true,
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Just because of the disclaimer?

Again, if the content is clearly presented as true for the vast majority of the duration, does a disclaimer that says "this content that was presented as true wasn't really true" really make it "not presented as true"?


Dinwar said:
Also, anyone who thinks the Discovery Channel still has credibility is getting what they deserve.
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Now that I want to agree with. In the same vein as: If someone knows a con artist in real life and then lets themselves be conned by that person anyway, they got what they deserve.

But it isn't always so black and white.

Someone might not notice what channel they are on. Or they could be viewing it time-shifted with a channel logo removed or something.
 
Spindrift said:
Here's the blurb from their website describing the show:

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/tv-shows/tv-shows.htm

Discovery brings SHARK WEEK viewers on a search for a massive killer Great White Shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa. One controversial scientist believes that the shark responsible could be Megalodon, a 60-foot relative of the Great White that is one of the largest and most powerful predators in history. Our oceans remain 95% unexplored, and this massive prehistoric predator has always been shrouded in secrecy, but after a rash of newly discovered evidence, authorities are forced to investigate and hunt for the predator long thought to be extinct. A crew of scientists and shark experts examine evidence and fearlessly seek answers to the many questions surrounding one of the last great mysteries of the deep ocean while creating the largest chum slick in history.
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No where does it say that it's fictional. In fact, it strongly implies megalodon could still exist.
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Ugh. That whole thing is shameful.

Note the highlighted classic woo line.
 
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The ocean covers 71 percent of the Earth's surface and contains 97 percent of the planet's water, yet more than 95 percent of the underwater world remains unexplored. The ocean and lakes play an integral role in many of the Earth's systems including climate and weather.
 
Lorentz said:
I've always been fond of BBC's Horizon myself.
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Yes but even that has faced accusations of dumbing down in recent years, although they haven't gone so far as to present a piece of fiction as a documentary.
 
Instead of apologizing, TDC is doubling down. Apparently it is all right to spread mis-information as long as you provide a disclaimer.

...and as I posted earlier, I was only paying half attention to the show, and completely missed any disclaimers.

Why not have a disclaimer after every commercial break....as I've seen done before.



The bottom line in all this is money...TDC decided to capitalize on a myth, and are completely unapologetic about making money from it.
 
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Just to be clear, these were the three supposed "disclaimers" -

"None of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents."

"Though certain events and characters in this film have been dramatized, sightings of "Submarine" continue to this day."

"Megalodon was a real shark. Legends of giant sharks persist all over the world. There is still debate about what they may be."

I haven't seen the show, just the outcry, but none of those even remotely imply the show's core thesis was fictional.
 
I don't get the fuss about this issue. I watch TV for entertainment. For science lessons I go to the university library. YMMV of course. :)
 
icerat said:
Just to be clear, these were the three supposed "disclaimers" -

"None of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents."

"Though certain events and characters in this film have been dramatized, sightings of "Submarine" continue to this day."

"Megalodon was a real shark. Legends of giant sharks persist all over the world. There is still debate about what they may be."

I haven't seen the show, just the outcry, but none of those even remotely imply the show's core thesis was fictional.
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Those 3 quotes are written for the purpose of obfuscation -- it's plainly obvious. It's a continued F.U. to the segment of their audience that cares about reality.

Quote: None of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents.
Meaning: We included credible agencies and institutions in the program in order to bolster the illusion. If you thought they endorsed our program, then that's your own fault.

Quote: Though certain events and characters in this film have been dramatized, sightings of "Submarine" continue to this day.
Meaning: Though we fabricated most of the program, the unsubstantiated sightings of USOs (unidentified swimming objects) continue, and you should go ahead believe in extant Megalodon.

Quote: Megalodon was a real shark. Legends of giant sharks persist all over the world. There is still debate about what they may be.
Meaning: Under the cover of making an uncontroversial and obvious statement, "Megalodon was a real shark," we're going to give credence to myths and legends and pretend that there's a debate about something that is not really debatable.
 
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