Expelled: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Mar. 29th, 2008 02:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfsFar be it for me to reward naughty behavior, but PZ Myers, the biologists interviewed and ultimately expelled from a viewing of the crypto-creationist film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, has really crashed the party this time.
As reported last week, Myers was interviewed for the film a year ago under false pretenses, and then kicked out of a pre-release viewing. He had legitimately jumped through all the rather simplistic hoops necessary to sign up, was recognized by the producer, and told he wouldn't be allowed to see the film. Rather than be upset, Myers (and the rest of us all) had a fit of laughter at the ironic hypocrisy of the moment, especially when he revealed that his wife, daughter, and guest had gotten into the theater and watched the film anyway. That guest being Richard Dawkins.
They've been in damage control mode ever since. One of their ways of dealing with it was to have a teleconference with the press. Now, in your normal press conference, the press is allowed to ask questions. In this one, though, the questions would have to be submitted by email and the moderator would get to pick and choose which ones to ask. The press would not be allowed to speak; their mics would be muted. Only the movie's principle participants would have active mics.
Myers was invited to participate. Nobody really believes they invited him directly, but he is a member of two active blog press websites (Science Blogs and The Panda's Thumb) and they received invitations to have a member of their group listen in. Myers elected to be one.
He called in early, before the conference was scheduled to start. Apparently unfamiliar with the process, these Kreationist Keystone Kops had their outbound, "listeners only" circuit live, and while they were talking, they gave out the number for the "speakers" circuit.
Myers logged out, then logged back in with the other number. He listened for just about as long as he possibly could stand it, then opened his mouth, accused the Expelled people of lying, engaging in deceitful propaganda, and basically reading them the riot act. He then said that if any of the reporters on the line wanted his story, they could come talk to him.
He's going to have a very busy weekend.
Now, we should be up front about this: Myers crashed this particular party. He wasn't invited to speak, just to listen. But I think he's got every right to stand up in a moment of civil disobedience, especially when the other side is both bloody incompetent and freakishly obsessive about their contra-reality worldview.
And I'm just having a giggle over the whole to-and-fro.
As reported last week, Myers was interviewed for the film a year ago under false pretenses, and then kicked out of a pre-release viewing. He had legitimately jumped through all the rather simplistic hoops necessary to sign up, was recognized by the producer, and told he wouldn't be allowed to see the film. Rather than be upset, Myers (and the rest of us all) had a fit of laughter at the ironic hypocrisy of the moment, especially when he revealed that his wife, daughter, and guest had gotten into the theater and watched the film anyway. That guest being Richard Dawkins.
They've been in damage control mode ever since. One of their ways of dealing with it was to have a teleconference with the press. Now, in your normal press conference, the press is allowed to ask questions. In this one, though, the questions would have to be submitted by email and the moderator would get to pick and choose which ones to ask. The press would not be allowed to speak; their mics would be muted. Only the movie's principle participants would have active mics.
Myers was invited to participate. Nobody really believes they invited him directly, but he is a member of two active blog press websites (Science Blogs and The Panda's Thumb) and they received invitations to have a member of their group listen in. Myers elected to be one.
He called in early, before the conference was scheduled to start. Apparently unfamiliar with the process, these Kreationist Keystone Kops had their outbound, "listeners only" circuit live, and while they were talking, they gave out the number for the "speakers" circuit.
Myers logged out, then logged back in with the other number. He listened for just about as long as he possibly could stand it, then opened his mouth, accused the Expelled people of lying, engaging in deceitful propaganda, and basically reading them the riot act. He then said that if any of the reporters on the line wanted his story, they could come talk to him.
He's going to have a very busy weekend.
Now, we should be up front about this: Myers crashed this particular party. He wasn't invited to speak, just to listen. But I think he's got every right to stand up in a moment of civil disobedience, especially when the other side is both bloody incompetent and freakishly obsessive about their contra-reality worldview.
And I'm just having a giggle over the whole to-and-fro.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-29 10:53 pm (UTC)Nobody seems to know who asked the questions which were responded to. Fake questions from fake reporters?
How can anyone know for sure who was listening? If they'd said they were answering a question from Jon Stewart, how could anyone know he had been invited to submit questions?
I'm not confident that the usual media suspects, in that hyopothetical case, would think of asking Jon Stewart.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-29 11:33 pm (UTC)I understand the urge to giggle over it!
no subject
Date: 2008-03-29 11:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-30 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-30 01:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-30 03:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-30 09:30 am (UTC)