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Author Topic:   Creationists take their fight to the really big screen.
Trae
Member (Idle past 4307 days)
Posts: 442
From: Fremont, CA, USA
Joined: 06-18-2004


Message 1 of 53 (193754)
03-23-2005 6:38 PM


IMAX theaters in the Southern States, including those in Science Museums, are coming under attack for using the E-word (evolution).
quote:
Carol Murray, marketing director of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in Texas, said audience members who had watched Volcanoes had commented, "I really hate it when the theory of evolution is presented as fact", or "I don't agree with their presentation of human existence."
As a result, the science museum had decided not to screen the film.
"If it is not going to draw a crowd and it is going to create controversy, from a marketing point of view, I cannot make a recommendation," Murray told The New York Times on Saturday.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/...

Gives a completely new meaning to the phrase, Popular Science.
Apart from the other implications of this topic, and apart from private IMAX theaters, how could one apply pressure against a ‘Science Museum’ presenting selective science?
{Note from Adminnemooseus: The full title of the cited film is Volcanoes of the Deep Sea.}
{Shortened display form of URL, to restore page width to normal. Also added note. - Adminnemooseus}
This message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 03-23-2005 07:29 PM

Replies to this message:
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Adminnemooseus
Administrator
Posts: 3974
Joined: 09-26-2002


Message 2 of 53 (193773)
03-23-2005 7:31 PM


Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.
Not a great deal of content in message 1, but it does seem to be a "lite" topic - So I promoted it.
Opinions on this topics promotion? Take them to the "Considerations..." topic, link below.
Adminnemooseus
This message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 03-23-2005 07:35 PM

New Members should start HERE to get an understanding of what makes great posts.
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commike37
Inactive Member


Message 3 of 53 (193777)
03-23-2005 7:49 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Trae
03-23-2005 6:38 PM


There's a lot more to this than the creationists.
Let's look at a simple economic cost-benefit analysis, since Murray uses a marketing point of view.
"If it is not going to draw a crowd and it is going to create controversy..." (from Murrary)
benefits: a crowd that is not large
costs: creating a controversy
Also, let's take a look at another thing that most people leave out: opportunity cost. I'm assuming that the Murray is going to screen another film instead (a pretty safe assumption, since it would be stupid to screen nothing). If instead, Murray chooses to screen Volcanoes of the Deep Sea, rather than the alternative film, you incur what's called an opportunity cost, which is what you could have gained by screening the alternative.
From this perspective, you can see that the decision is based more on economics than religion.

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Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by CK, posted 03-23-2005 7:55 PM commike37 has replied
 Message 6 by Minnemooseus, posted 03-23-2005 9:12 PM commike37 has replied
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CK
Member (Idle past 4128 days)
Posts: 3221
Joined: 07-04-2004


Message 4 of 53 (193778)
03-23-2005 7:55 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by commike37
03-23-2005 7:49 PM


Removed by author.
This message has been edited by Charles Knight, 23-Mar-2005 08:03 PM

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commike37
Inactive Member


Message 5 of 53 (193782)
03-23-2005 8:23 PM
Reply to: Message 4 by CK
03-23-2005 7:55 PM


removed by commike37 (the author)
This message has been edited by commike37, 03-23-2005 09:42 PM

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Minnemooseus
Member
Posts: 3941
From: Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. (West end of Lake Superior)
Joined: 11-11-2001
Member Rating: 10.0


Message 6 of 53 (193790)
03-23-2005 9:12 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by commike37
03-23-2005 7:49 PM


Controversy is Free Advertising
From my very limited knowledge of the films that the IMAX theaters show, I don't imagine a great deal of draw variation between one and another. The draw is nature scenery on a very large screen. I would think that Volcanoes of the Deep Sea should do at least as good in attendance as many of the films.
creating a controversy
My impression, is that someone is just too damn scared of offending the Christian right wing. Or maybe someone in management is part of the Christian right wing. I think that any controversy would be FREE ADVERTISING, and would help attendance.
Moose
Added by edit: Maybe the whole thing is a big trick, and they're going to bring the film back later, to greater success.
This message has been edited by minnemooseus, 03-23-2005 09:22 PM

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commike37
Inactive Member


Message 7 of 53 (193801)
03-23-2005 9:41 PM
Reply to: Message 6 by Minnemooseus
03-23-2005 9:12 PM


Re: Controversy is Free Advertising
While that would be true in the North, advertising would be outweighed by the controversy and normative issues in the South. That is bad, "as the loss of venues in the Southern states could be enough to turn profit to loss." Also, even though we may know about this article, the Mail & Guardian Online isn't well-known enough to generate massive advertising, especially in the North where this controversy doesn't exist.
On another note, I don't think that there is enough in the article to conclude that the offended people were from the Christian right. That seems more like a generalization to me.

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RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 8 of 53 (193805)
03-23-2005 9:46 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Trae
03-23-2005 6:38 PM


let me see ... these are people going to a science museum ... and then complaining about the science?
what better opportunity to demonstrate that science is about science and not about political pursuasion.
show the movie.
and have a discussion afterwords.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
{{{Buddha walks off laughing with joy}}}

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RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 9 of 53 (193806)
03-23-2005 9:49 PM
Reply to: Message 7 by commike37
03-23-2005 9:41 PM


Re: Controversy is Free Advertising
does it matter whether they are from the christian right if they are from the ignorant wrong?
false beliefs should not affect what is shown in science museums, or we better take the "science" off and put "dumbed down PC entertainment" in it's place
if there is a controversy then have a discussion to review it: what better opportunity to educate people.
just my opinion.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
{{{Buddha walks off laughing with joy}}}

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commike37
Inactive Member


Message 10 of 53 (193809)
03-23-2005 9:53 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by RAZD
03-23-2005 9:46 PM


They are not complaining about science; they are complaining about how science was presented.
All of this is quoted from the article Trae references at the beginning.
Audience Replies:
"I really hate it when the theory of evolution is presented as fact."
"I don't agree with their presentation of human existence."
Bayley Silleck, who wrote and directed Cosmic Voyage:
"They have to be extremely careful as to how they present anything relating to evolution,"

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Replies to this message:
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RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 11 of 53 (193812)
03-23-2005 10:05 PM
Reply to: Message 10 by commike37
03-23-2005 9:53 PM


thats a nit.
for one it is a fact that evolution is a science, an observed phenomenon and a theory.
human existence is what it is, whether sugar coated in fairy tales or scraped raw in reality doesn't change existence, doesn't change the facts that are known and doesn't change the best explanation of those facts.
it used to be that science museums wanted to promote thinking and further exploration of ideas encountered in the museums, either through discussions or individual study (with recommendations available). shying away from a good opportunity to do this is, frankly, disturbing. doing it for economic reasons is no justification in the long run.
I guess they have to decide whether they are a science museum or an entertainment facility. perhaps they should show animations like the baby talking dinos (forget the name) and "ice age" and not pretend to show science.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
{{{Buddha walks off laughing with joy}}}

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nator
Member (Idle past 2170 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 12 of 53 (193814)
03-23-2005 10:17 PM
Reply to: Message 10 by commike37
03-23-2005 9:53 PM


"I really hate it when the Germ Theory of Disease is presented as fact."
"I don't agree with their presentation of the idea that the Earth is a sphere and not flat.
"They have to be extremely careful as to how they present anything relating to The Atomic Theory of Matter"
Anybody who would complain about such things would be considered pretty stupid and backward, eh?

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jar
Member (Idle past 394 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 13 of 53 (193829)
03-23-2005 10:48 PM
Reply to: Message 10 by commike37
03-23-2005 9:53 PM


"I really hate it when the theory of evolution is presented as fact."
That is a comment that could only have been made by a fool. If it's a real comment (which I doubt) the person who stuttered it must be dummer than a Red Brick.
It's "The Theory of Evolution" stupid.
Dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

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commike37
Inactive Member


Message 14 of 53 (193855)
03-24-2005 12:38 AM
Reply to: Message 11 by RAZD
03-23-2005 10:05 PM


for one it is a fact that evolution is a science, an observed phenomenon and a theory.
But evolution is not the end-all, be-all. You're making it out to be a "holy grail," and some people don't like evolution as a "holy grail." You largely ignore about my point about how it is presented. There are two types of theories, empirical and explanatory. The problems do not lie with empirical evolution, it lies with explanatory evolution (namely, how empirical evolution is interpreted and presented). Although they didn't realize it, these people were complaining about the explanatory theory of evolution.
it used to be that science museums wanted to promote thinking and further exploration of ideas encountered in the museums, either through discussions or individual study (with recommendations available).
If evolution is fact, though, does that encourage exploration of the origins of life, criticisms to evolution, and alternative theories?
shying away from a good opportunity to do this is, frankly, disturbing. doing it for economic reasons is no justification in the long run.
But if this movie was rejected due to economic reasons, then would it be fair to blame it on the so-called "Christian right"? And whether you realize it or not, your argument does have relevance to economics, specifically normative economics.
guess they have to decide whether they are a science museum or an entertainment facility. perhaps they should show animations like the baby talking dinos (forget the name) and "ice age" and not pretend to show science.
That's just fallacious. It's just plain discriminatory to say that any movie that doesn't present evolution in the way that Volcanoes of the Deep Sea does is automatically not science. You are running a very extreme example of slippery slope.

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Trae
Member (Idle past 4307 days)
Posts: 442
From: Fremont, CA, USA
Joined: 06-18-2004


Message 15 of 53 (193866)
03-24-2005 1:13 AM
Reply to: Message 3 by commike37
03-23-2005 7:49 PM


I believe that capitulation to demands as a mean to reduce controversy is prone to backfiring and resulting in continued political pressure.

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Replies to this message:
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