elfs | Expelled on Marketplace

I posted yesterday that Marketplace, the "business" show that follows NPR's evening news show "All Things Considered" in most radio markets, was having an article on the "intelligent design vs. evolution" debate.

The teaser was a deception. The article was actually about the marketing of "Expelled," and how it's going.

The main thrust was that Expelled is trying to be a "Passion of the Christ"-sized blockbuster, and that so far the results are mixed. Salient quote:

Expelled is spending millions to succeed, which is huge for a documentary. It's hired four PR firms, it's running a sweepstakes for church groups offering a cash prize for the one that sells the most tickets, it's paying up to ten grand for schools to send their students. The movie even staged a songwriting competition. Oh, and Ben Stein toured across the country in a bright red Expelled Bus.

Lauer [the head of Expelled's marketing effort] went directly to the leaders of religious communities and showed them Expelled. He provided them with reading materials and videos that drive home Intelligent Design's creationist philosophy.

The reporting is uneven. There's not even a whiff of an attempt on the reporter's part to address the merits of the arguments for and against. The ID people are allowed to make their claims loudly and emphatically, although the reporter's own skepticism comes through loud and clear.

One of the speakers was apparently a Christian mover and shaker in the academic world, and he opined that most of the Hollywood movies aimed at Christian audiences "don't have anything serious to say to Christians." Apparently, he feels that Expelled does because he's pimping it.

Overall, several messages came through loud and clear with the interviews given by the marketing arm of Expelled: they have completely given up on any scientific arguments. They have none. They know it. The only way Intelligent Design gets any traction at all is by popular fiat, and the only populace they can need not be educated, it need only be Christian.

They're not doing so well marketing-wise; they're spending megabucks to promote Expelled, but it doesn't seem to be getting mindshare beyond those already inclined to see it at the "free showings". On the other hand, an alarming number of well-meaning and well-educated evangelicals seem to like the movie, Nazi imagery and all, and that bothers me.

Transcript and audio of the show can be found at the Marketplace website under Is film's marketing intelligently designed?.