It was fascinating to watch the wave of attacks launched against spOILed and me personally just hours after the first stories about the film were published. It’s amazing how agitated and paranoid people get when someone has the audacity to challenge their ideologically driven ideas.
The first wave of attacks focused (inaccurately) on the work I did on Ben Stein’s “Expelled”. Several stone throwers claimed it was my film. It wasn’t. In fact, my role was that of “Line Producer”. I set the schedule, ran the crew and did some interviews, but I had no input into the assembly of the film. They also dredged up charges leveled against me for allegedly “tricking” scientists into being interviewed. The truth is these “acclaimed” academics were outraged that they agreed to appear in a film where their ideas were examined from a perspective they find repulsive. We may be able to detect design in nature? “Outrageous!” they say. “This idea is pushed by ‘creationists’ who just want to get religion into the schools! It’s not science!” Ideology is a very powerful thing.
In a wonderful bit of lucky timing, at the same time these people were attacking me for being part of Expelled it was announced that scientists appear to have proven that Einstein’s theory of relativity is wrong. What?! Rigorously tested experiments by some of the biggest brains on the planet have shown that neutrinos travel faster than the speed of light. This research is shaking the foundations of what we think we know about Physics, Astronomy and Cosmology. In spite of this kind of mind-blowing twist that occasionally happens in scientific research, academic elites in Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy and other disciplines say the facts are all in on the evolution of life. Evolution must be totally undirected; there can be no design. This isn’t just arrogant—it’s unscientific. All Expelled tried to do is show that academic researchers can be so committed to their ideology that they refuse to consider what may be possible.
In this way, Expelled does have some similarities to spOILed. My film challenges ideas that are so ingrained in our culture that we have stopped considering if they are actually true. In an interview with the Farmington Daily Times I was quoted as saying “fossil fuels are wonderful.” My criticizers were aghast at how I could say something they consider to be unbelievably stupid and were joyful that I had exposed myself as an idiot—or worse, some kind of tool for the oil and gas industry.
In response to all those people who have already determined spOILed is a film that should be rebuked, I would humbly ask that they actually hear the ideas presented in the movie before allowing their ideologies to run away from them. Hmmm—humility—that’s an interesting concept, one that is enjoying a refreshing resurgence in academic institutions the world over.
6 Responses to “spOILed critics dig for dirt with ideological shovels, before seeing film”
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We have a President who was never vetted. Why would these same people see the movie before they voiced an uneducated opinion.
Also, I am a big fan of Glenn Beck (www.gbtv.com) and I have been studying the effects of the NWO and Agenda 21. I suspect your prespective on oil will fall into place. I’m going to see it on the 26th in Roswell, NM
Amazing that you refer to evolutionary scientists as idealogues when intelligent design is entirely the invention of religious ideology.
Always good to see an open mind. Any “fact” can withstand the rigor of opposition. But declaring the debate closed merely because you can’t fathom something that opposes your paradigm (or that ALL RATIONAL THINKING PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME) just isn’t an open minded conclusion. Throw the debate out on the table and let the dust settle where it will. What do you have to be afraid of?
Everybody has a world view. They aren’t all the same as yours. The same is true of Peak oil. There are people that are convinced that everything will be just fine, and that there is no peak on the horizon. Whereas I am convinced that the PEAK is a past event. So it must be “FACT.” Naw, just my opinion based on other people’s opinions, and graphs and charts and statements made by the EIA, by Aramco, and so on. It is an opinion, but an informed one. I am still willing to run the debate and to allow both sides a place at the table of discourse.
Richard
Richard,
We are in agreement, let the discussion begin! I have wrestled with the issue of Peak Oil for years. I am now in a place where I think for the next several years the Geo Political side of the issue is probably more important than the Geologic, but I believe the Geologic side is going to exert its pressure soon. How soon? With all the breakthroughs happening in shale oil production, who can say? What I do know is that the production of this commodity is so vitally important to everything we do in the modern world we MUST get the public to understand the seriousness of maintaining oil production at a reasonable level and the consequences of cutting ourselves off from adequate supplies of oil long before we know where we are headed – especially in the critical area of transportation.
Mr. Mathis – I was brought to this site because I am interested in the movie Spoiled. I did not see Expelled; I’ve only read the description of it and some of your statements above. But after reading your comments regarding scientists who are proponents of natural selection / evolution and the disclosure that you would advance the fantasy of intelligent design over the scientific theory of natural selection – I have doubts that your movie Spoiled will be a balanced depiction of our energy issues. I will still watch it. But I’m not a fan of the Michael Moore-type ‘documentary’. I am skeptical that the information and portrayal of the issues will be objective because it seems likely that you have an axe to grind. Ironically, the tag lines for the movie propose that you will somehow break through our preconceived notions of energy – but then what – replace them with your preconceived notions? I am fine with hearing opinions as long as it is made clear that is what they are. I would prefer to be given cogent, verifiable data and information and make up my own mind. Will this movie broaden my perspective and deepen my understanding of the issues? Or will it be a predictable tirade against environmental concerns and alternative energy development? BTW – I spent half my life in an oil company in Saudi Arabia, in case you are thinking I spend my time terrorizing Japanese whaling boats in a Greenpeace boat.
As for natural selection vs. intelligent design (this is a waste of my time I’m sure): I agree that most intelligent, rational folks who have been educated about the principles and mechanics of evolution are pretty content with the explanation for how life on this planet has come to be. They have good reason to consider evolutionary principles are on solid ground. Natural selection over the geological time scale is the best explanation I have heard for evolution of life forms. Could there be a “man in the sky” or behind the curtain or whatever you can envision, running the big show somehow? Maybe…sure anything is possible. But this leaves the area of testable science and takes us to the area of fantasy and imagination. You would have to create a testable hypothesis and then provide data/evidence to prove or disprove the hypothesis that there is some “intelligent” force at work in evolution.
I wonder why people conjure up fantastical images and fabricate stories to fit their comfortable world view. In my opinion, natural selection is an awesome force in and of itself, especially when you appreciate and understand nuanced mechanisms of genetic mutation and gene family relationships.
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