Here are some quick, simple things you can do right now.
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The Florida Senate Education committee is meeting this afternoon to consider their bogus “academic freedom” bill. Florida Citizens for Science has a link to a very good analysis of the bill; it basically declares the bill pointless, vague, and self-defeating. You might try calling your Florida representative — the link has a list — and urging them to recognize the Bill Analysis and Fiscal Impact Statement of the Professional Staff of the Education Pre-K-12 Committee, and kill SB 2692.
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The New Humanist has an online poll (yeah, we know how valid those are) that asks Do you think the story [about getting evicted from a screening] could amount to good publicity for Expelled? Vote what you think.
Amusingly, it points out that the fourth most popular blog post in the entire world is mine — and this is what the movie producers are bragging about.
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Josh Timonen reviews Expelled. He was one of the guests we brought along to the movie, and he got in. There’s not much to do there, but you can read the post and comment.
Here is the Senate committee that will be considering the bill today. Keep in mind that Sen. Wise is a co-sponsor.
Only 4th place? Those noodly tentacles are deserving of the apex, the vertex, the quintessential exponent of the peak.
4th place? And here I just thought you were a fun read several times a day.
I wonder when Little Willie will show up and tell us that Josh Timmons is a liar because he’s a) cooberating your story and b) helping to further show what an utter troll little Willie and his idiotic “PZ wasn’t invited” arguments were.
Or did you put him in the dungeon for his mendacious lying?
Online poll = 97% think the current publicity is bad for the success of the film. The other 3 % are legally brain dead.
J.Dog said:
Shhhhh. . . . you’re framing it wrong. You don’t want to make poor Matt cry do you?
I don’t think this publicity will have a negative effect on the main demographic that this film targets i.e. evangelists and their networks. You only have to look at how the Uncommon Descent microcosm is rationalizing the incident to see that a lot of creationists will swallow Mathis’ excuses hook, line, and sinker.
Oh, but I think the story about being expelled from Expelled could be good publicity for them. If we’re going by the literal wording of the poll, I would have to vote yes.
(Of course, the “could” would require a situation in which the show wasn’t run by a bunch a drooling incompetent failures.)
4th place ftw, you are kind of a big deal. Gratz!
“The other 3 % are legally brain dead.” I don’t agree simply because lots of bad publicity is better than no publicity. I’m actually curious to see the movie now. I’m hoping to see some justification for why PZ got tossed out. Some reason to laugh at these idiots, damn it I need a good comedy.
I’m not sure if that is the film’s target demographic. I mean, sure, they’re going to make a mint off the drooling fan-boys, but that’s preaching to the converted. I rather had the impression the film’s target demographic is what I’ll call the “Scott Adams” demographic–people who aren’t necessarily biblical literalists, but don’t have a strong background in science and so are subject to being swayed. It’s with that segment of the population that the film is meant to reach, and it’s that segment that’s going to (hopefully) be turned off by things like this.
But yeah, of course, the drooling evangelical fan-boys are probably wanking all over the righteousness of this incident.
Yeah, I’m with Joe here, it’s all on the word ‘could’. And I think this publicity could indeed work Mathis’ favour. For instance, conservative xtians that would have otherwised not have heard/weren’t too bothered about it may now feel the need to go see it to stand up for Christianity.
May I be so bold as to draw your readers’ attention to the Expelled IMDB page? It’s languishing there with not one Trivia or Goofs entry. I’ve submitted PZ-gate and the whole Crossroads thing, but I’d really like to see it become as informative as the Wikipedia article.
Cross-post from Dawkins’ forum:
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
I checked out the IMDB page, and I have to know: what exactly is a “Neo-Darwinist”?
George Cohan famously said, “I don’t care what you say about me, as long as you say something about me, and as long as you spell my name right.” Ultimately this frenzy over Expelled is going to benefit them simply because of the publicity. Many people who aren’t regulars here or who haven’t followed the development of the “film” are now aware of it and considering more than 50% of the US wants creationism taught in schools, that means many of those previously unaware might attend a screening and fork over their $8. I’d say that is a coup for the producers of Expelled
Expelled schmexpelled. What else is happening?
I don’t know if this has been posted before in a comment on one of the ExpelledGate posts, but… I’ve been following some links, and came across this fascinating theory. (Be sure to sit down for it.)
PZ staged being thrown out of Expelled in order to help him gain tenure.
…
No, really. Here, read it for yourself:
http://www.overwhelmingevidence.com/oe/node/434
Not only are polls like this unscientific, but overwhelmingly often they are very strangely worded. This is no exception.
“Do you think the story could actually amount to good publicity for Expelled?”
Key word: Could.
Do I think it will be positive? No. Could I be wrong? Yes, absolutely.
Not only are polls like this unscientific, but overwhelmingly often they are very strangely worded. This is no exception.
“Do you think the story could actually amount to good publicity for Expelled?”
Key word: Could.
Do I think it will be positive? No. Could I be wrong? Yes, absolutely.
I don’t suppose the fact that I already have tenure will matter — those kooks are in a different reality altogether.
Is there any way I can read accounts of the people who are interviewed and claim to have be discriminated against for their beliefs in Expelled without actually having to go see it? I’d like to hear their claims and any evidence for myself, but without subjecting myself to the film (or sending any money or attendance stats back to the producers)
Hey, PZ, hope you realize th’t that #4 ranking is just a one day ranking. If you go back to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, your post was #1, and if you look at the trend lines for the top four posts, you actually blow #1, #2, and #3 away by a mile!
The General writes a letter.
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2008/03/expelled-2-fingering.html
#23
*applause*
Speaking of movies, tonight I’m going to the First Freedom First movie, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Separation of Church and State…but Were Afraid to Ask. I sent my RSVP on line to get on the guest list, or, as Mark Mathis would say, I’m going to crash the event without a ticket.
More popular than xkcd! (At least when I checked.)
Congratumalations!
I think Fatty Arbuckle would disagree. And Brittany Spears. And everyone else who’s had their career/life destroyed by bad publicity.
Which gets me to, why the hell anyone believes that trite saying. It’s patently false. Examples are everywhere. Yet, shit-storm happens, lives and careers are wrecked and wags pretend it’s a GOOD thing.
Action item:
Go to movies.com and vote: F – Vile. Some creationists have already been there.
Action item:
Screen writer for “Expelled,” Kevin Miller is answering questions.
Why not give him some hard questions and try to educate him?