Achán hiNidráne
Illuminator
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2004
- Messages
- 3,974
While watching "The Universe" on the History Channel, guess what pops on during the commercial break:
Now the atheist, skeptical, and scientific communities have given this movie the derision it so properly deserves. However, most are too willing to dismiss this film's potential impact based upon it's quality, it's bigoted message, or the actions of its producers (e.g. lying to scientists about it's true content, the alleged copyright violations of Harvard's animiated sequence, P. Z. Myers ironic expulsion from the Mall Of America screening, etc.). Personally, I think it's a mistake to write Expelled off as a box office flop just yet.
Here are my thoughts why:
...and neither should any of you.
Now the atheist, skeptical, and scientific communities have given this movie the derision it so properly deserves. However, most are too willing to dismiss this film's potential impact based upon it's quality, it's bigoted message, or the actions of its producers (e.g. lying to scientists about it's true content, the alleged copyright violations of Harvard's animiated sequence, P. Z. Myers ironic expulsion from the Mall Of America screening, etc.). Personally, I think it's a mistake to write Expelled off as a box office flop just yet.
Here are my thoughts why:
- While the movie might be a shoddily produced pile of agitprop, you have to remember that the film's target audience isn't cinematically sophisticated enough to care about "lord privy seal" editing (as Dawkins reported). As long as the audience hears what it wants (i.e. evolution results in genocide) they aren't going to care how it's packaged.
- Other's have pointed out to me that Expelled is only going to be a draw a minority of conservative Christians who want to have their beliefs validated by the celebrity (if you want to call Stein that) with a largish budget "documentary." First of all, I don't think that the Religious Right is as small a group as many think. Polls indicate that over half of Americans believe in one form of Creationism or another. Also, let's not forget the fence-sitters, who might be swayed by a glitzy big-budget production.
- Premise Media, the religious PR firm that is handling Expelled, are very good at what they do. They got millions of bible-beaters into the theaters to see "The Passion Of the Christ" and "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." (Hell, it wouldn't surprise me if Stein was booked for Leno and/or Letterman by now.) It would be unwise to think they couldn't do it again.
- Not only will Premise be bombarding the airwaves with ads, there will be plenty of accomplices willing to shill for this movie. O'Reilly, Scarborough, and Glen Beck certainly will. Hannity, Limbaugh, Savage, and other right-wing radio talk show hosts, both national and local, will be happy to help. Pastors, priests, and even some of the more right-wing rabbis will certainly sing this movie's praises as part of their services.
- How many people outside of the atheist/skeptic blogosphere have heard about the "Crossroads" deceit? How many have heard about what happed to P.Z.? How many have heard about their copying of the Harvard video? I'll venture a guess: VIRTUALLY NO ONE! Nor would they really care if it did get out! After all these are the allegations of evil liberals and atheists out to destroy Christianity with their secularism and materialism; they must be lying and even if it was true they surely deserved it. (Think of it as the Christian version of Scientology's "Fair Game" policy.)
...and neither should any of you.
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