That was one-sided, they should have sent someone a little more knowledgable, Mathis didn’t even know the factual basis behind the allegations. Considering he was one of the researchers, that does not bode well for the film. Of course, it sounds like the Nat’l Geographic publisher was not really forced out.
I read the Dover opinion and that 92% claim is demonstrably false. A good part of the opinion related to whether the court had the power to intervene. I sincerely doubt the Court lifted the ACLU’s brief. In these cases it is necessary to set forth the legal standard (in the is case the Lemon Test) and it is possible all sides used the same language since the prongs of the test come from the same source. Some judges do lift parts of the briefs of one side when making their ruling, but it’s considered lazy.
I haven’t seen this discussed before and the SciAm round table with Mark Mathis doesn’t bring this up either( There were obviously many more important issues and this is a bit trivial). In many of Ben Stein’s acting roles he plays a teacher, and often its a science teacher. In fact I couldn’t name a single role of his other than the economics professor he played in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, and the science teacher role ( teaching biology of all things) in The Wonder Years. Do you think it’s an accident that they chose him as the narrator, or do you think it was a deliberate act of deception ( hard to imagine) hoping viewers of this movie will give him more credibility than he deserves because subconsciously they see him as a “man of science”. Nah, what was I thinking. I’m sure it was his good looks an mellodic voice that got him the role
Interesting video. Thanks for the link. It makes you wonder about the sub-title of the movie. “No Intelligence Allowed”. It seems like it applies very well to the director and narrator.
Unfortunately, Ben Stein was seen by millions on CNN making these irrational statements. The rebuttal video, which was very much on-point and logically explained, was only viewed by 62,864 people — most of whom I suspect are already pro-evolution.
Stein understands the simple strategy of planting memorable statements in the public mind knowing such seedlings blossom into public sentiment i.e. “Lightning Hitting a Puddle of Mud IS evolution.”
Unfortunately, Ben Stein was seen by millions on CNN making these irrational statements. The rebuttal video, which was very much on-point and logically explained, was only viewed by 62,864 people — most of whom I suspect are already pro-evolution.
Stein understands the simple strategy of planting memorable statements in the public mind knowing such seedlings blossom into public sentiment i.e. “Lightning Hitting a Puddle of Mud IS evolution.”
Thanks for the info. I just checked and the Larry King Shows are available as a free podcast on iTunes for anyone who can’t catch the show live. Just search the itunes store.
Stein is brilliant!
He obviously has no knowledge of science - and he admits that - but the money he will easily make from this fiasco is likely large. Tiny Tim could not sing, but he ended up wealthy and married to a Playboy playmate (well, the French equivalent in Oui Magazine).
If you do something poorly enough, you get attention - lots of it! I would love to see a pirated copy of Expelled because I like to laugh, but I WILL NOT pay to help fill Stein’s coffers. How can someone I used to admire turn so sour?
Just curious if anyone has actually gone to this movie. I would be interested in seeing it just so I can speak intelligently about it ( Is that an oxymoron? ), but damned if I’m going to funnel any money into the pockets of Ben Stein and the discovery institute. Would love to know if anyone succeeded in acquiring a pirated copy yet?
