Expelled (Oh, Stein - Really?)

I finally saw this poor excuse for a documentary the other day and since I'm up with one of those post-alcohol binge sugar rushes I figure I'll blog about it. It was available for instant viewing on my roommate's netflix account which means I got to see it for free, though I'm sure the makers of Expelled got some paltry compensation for my efforts, unfortunately. First off, I have this to say.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. HA.

And now for the serious review. Maybe.

Throughout the entire ... thing ... Ben Stein tried to affect this tragically thoughtful look as he thought about Soviet and Nazi regimes and Darwinism and instead of making me sympathetic (as, you should note by now, I so often am), it made me want to give him shaken baby syndrome. Secondly, if you understand the phrase 'argument from (pseudo-)authority' then you understand this film. How many times will you hear Stein say 'and now let's go find out from someone who really knows what's behind this' only to have him interview, say, the author of The Dawkins Delusion. Really moving objectivity. Point 3 - editing. Here I'm a bit confused because Michael Shermer comes off so sterling in his countenance and communication that I'm surprised the editors let it in. He doesn't harrass or attack or name-call. Unlike the others (Dawkins, Dennett, Myers, Hitchens, etc.) he is speaking with his audience in mind and it seems effective. Of course, later in the program Ben Stein learns that even Michael Shermer is 'wrong' but at least he got his foot in the door. As for the stuffier (though still absolutely correct) scientists, it's unfortunate that their valuable words were minced and turned into sound bites because I'm sure someone somewhere would have learned something had they been able to extend to discourse. The lovely Eugenie Scott was another who spoke with her audience in mind as well but, unlike Shermer, she was ripped a new one for it. Why? For being dishonest (basically, she disagreed with Dawkins and Dawkins must be in the right, so she must be lying ... wait, logic?).

I even got to be reunited through the lens with Casey Luskin and Anika for a short time when Stein took the Discovery Institute tour! I do believe Tiana and I had a longer and more interesting experience, however.

If you can manage to watch this, er, film for free or close to it, I urge you to do so - for the lulz and so you know what you're up against when people say they don't believe in evolution. When people say that creationism or intelligent design should be given equal time in the classroom, you'll know what sort of information they're basing this decision on. And now here's a photo of me enacting a fantasy in which I battle to death the 'reptilian' (you'll get why this is amusing if you watch) doom of the ID movement. Cuddles.