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Much like the poly community, the pro-science and skeptical communities are suspiciously lacking representation in culture and art. Obviously, this doesn't mean there is NO art or culture with a science base, it means that, in the general population, entertainment and art seem to favor mysticism, supernaturalism, ignorance, and fear.
Now, like most skeptics I know, I can enjoy a wide range of entertainment and art, even that with a supernatural bent, providing it's at least internally consistent. I mean, in a universe where thinking really hard really does make lightning shoot out of your fingertips, I'd probably be inclined to believe in mysterious forces too - after all, there would be evidence for them.
But what bothers me is the sheer preponderance of movies and books and other forms of art and entertainment whose moral is to punish for curiosity and scientific advancement. Even with our predilection for trying to kill ourselves with ever more advanced technology, we have ALSO managed to increase the quality of life for every human on this planet when not blocked by conservative, superstitious, fearmongering dictators. In spite of our ever-increasingly devastating methods for death, our wars have gotten progressively less bloody, & with a lower body count. The higher and messier death tolls remain with older methods of war. Of course, war, by its nature, is bloody and deadly, so please, let's not get off on a tangent debating war - I'm not saying I'm in favor of it, regardless of how advanced the battle technology is. The point is that technology, in addition to being used for evil, has, by and large, been used for good and every time something new is discovered & the troglodytes cry out "it's the end of the world, you'll destroy us all", it hasn't been and we haven't, even when we could have.
So, I bring you two things. The first is a new Pro-Science & Pro-Skeptic Movie list. I'm creating a Movie List on Netflix - movies that I have personally watched, or can take on very good authority, that show things like: the hero using science or skepticism to solve the day; the bad guy being a proponent of mysticism, woo, pseudo-science, magic, or religion; the bad guy NOT being a Mad Scientist who will destroy the world because of his tinkering; a message of enthusiasm for responsible science; etc. I will include TV shows, but for the sake of brevity, since Netflix lists each season individually, I'll just list the first season & let ya'll figure out that the entire show is probably more of the same. I like using Netflix lists, in spite of requiring you to have an account to view it, because people can immediately put suggested movies in their queue, rather than going out to find it on Amazon or Blockbuster and purchasing something they don't know if they will enjoy.
I suppose, like my Poly-ish Movie List, I will include documentary or non-fiction - for those exceptionally entertaining examples like Carl Sagan's Cosmos and Mythbusters, but I'd like to focus on fiction. There are entire networks devoted to nonfiction, pro-science stuff, and tons of educational materials, and that would completely overwhelm the list if I included all examples of non-fiction. So let's focus on *entertainment* and *art* that happens to be pro-science or pro-skepticism or uses science/skepticism as the vehicle for the story. There are some good ones out there. This is intended to be a growing, dynamic, list, so keep checking back. I welcome suggestions!
The second thing is a comic strip that illustrates and supports my point. What would sci-fi movies look like if cavemen made movies using our sci-fi plots? We, as a society, are constantly yelling about the threat that science is to us, our culture, and our planet, and we make movies that exaggerate this perceived threat, which only adds to the fear the public has about science. Yet, every time we go back and watch a sci-fi movie from a past era, those of us in the "future" laugh at the totally wacky fears portrayed in the movie. Of COURSE it wouldn't happen like that! With our 20/20-hindsight vision, we can see how ridiculous that fear is! But then we go right back to accusing today's scientists of "playing god" and "messing with nature" and "things we can't possibly understand".
http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/
And, because it ALWAYS happens, yes, I KNOW that sometimes science screws up. Sometimes we create medicines that do more harm than good. We create weapons of mass destruction. We fuck up the environment & lose species to extinction. That's not the point. I, and all proponents of science, are not now saying, nor have we ever (to the best of my knowledge) said, that science is a utopia of technology, always done for the betterment of mankind, etc. I am saying that more good than harm has come from science - that the good that has come out far exceeds the harm that has happened, and the fears that science will be the destruction of all have been unfounded every time they've come up so far.
Out of all the tragedies that science has actually contributed to, it was science that managed whatever corrections were developed in response. Wars kill people, but medical technology advances at a faster rate during war & are built upon after the war ends. Environmental disasters happen, but technology is what is ultimately used to clean up the mistake and prevent it from happening again. People live longer, eat more, are overall healthier, and with more leisure time, can afford to help people not of their own tribes (who are often prevented from enjoying the same luxuries as health and longer life span by superstitious leaders) and choose more conscientious environmental endeavors. These things would not be possible without scientific advancement, and refraining from scientific advancement has never prevented death and destruction and, in many cases, encourages it.
**UPDATE**
Stupid LJ and their stupid no-javascript rules! I am unable to post any rss feeds anywhere in LJ, after searching for a way all day. I did, however, finally manage to build an rss feed reader onto my website that I am happy with. So, here is a list of Skeptic Movies and here is a list of Poly-ish Movies, both of which are pulling content directly from the Netflix lists and will self-update so I don't have to maintain multiple lists.
Now, like most skeptics I know, I can enjoy a wide range of entertainment and art, even that with a supernatural bent, providing it's at least internally consistent. I mean, in a universe where thinking really hard really does make lightning shoot out of your fingertips, I'd probably be inclined to believe in mysterious forces too - after all, there would be evidence for them.
But what bothers me is the sheer preponderance of movies and books and other forms of art and entertainment whose moral is to punish for curiosity and scientific advancement. Even with our predilection for trying to kill ourselves with ever more advanced technology, we have ALSO managed to increase the quality of life for every human on this planet when not blocked by conservative, superstitious, fearmongering dictators. In spite of our ever-increasingly devastating methods for death, our wars have gotten progressively less bloody, & with a lower body count. The higher and messier death tolls remain with older methods of war. Of course, war, by its nature, is bloody and deadly, so please, let's not get off on a tangent debating war - I'm not saying I'm in favor of it, regardless of how advanced the battle technology is. The point is that technology, in addition to being used for evil, has, by and large, been used for good and every time something new is discovered & the troglodytes cry out "it's the end of the world, you'll destroy us all", it hasn't been and we haven't, even when we could have.
So, I bring you two things. The first is a new Pro-Science & Pro-Skeptic Movie list. I'm creating a Movie List on Netflix - movies that I have personally watched, or can take on very good authority, that show things like: the hero using science or skepticism to solve the day; the bad guy being a proponent of mysticism, woo, pseudo-science, magic, or religion; the bad guy NOT being a Mad Scientist who will destroy the world because of his tinkering; a message of enthusiasm for responsible science; etc. I will include TV shows, but for the sake of brevity, since Netflix lists each season individually, I'll just list the first season & let ya'll figure out that the entire show is probably more of the same. I like using Netflix lists, in spite of requiring you to have an account to view it, because people can immediately put suggested movies in their queue, rather than going out to find it on Amazon or Blockbuster and purchasing something they don't know if they will enjoy.
I suppose, like my Poly-ish Movie List, I will include documentary or non-fiction - for those exceptionally entertaining examples like Carl Sagan's Cosmos and Mythbusters, but I'd like to focus on fiction. There are entire networks devoted to nonfiction, pro-science stuff, and tons of educational materials, and that would completely overwhelm the list if I included all examples of non-fiction. So let's focus on *entertainment* and *art* that happens to be pro-science or pro-skepticism or uses science/skepticism as the vehicle for the story. There are some good ones out there. This is intended to be a growing, dynamic, list, so keep checking back. I welcome suggestions!
The second thing is a comic strip that illustrates and supports my point. What would sci-fi movies look like if cavemen made movies using our sci-fi plots? We, as a society, are constantly yelling about the threat that science is to us, our culture, and our planet, and we make movies that exaggerate this perceived threat, which only adds to the fear the public has about science. Yet, every time we go back and watch a sci-fi movie from a past era, those of us in the "future" laugh at the totally wacky fears portrayed in the movie. Of COURSE it wouldn't happen like that! With our 20/20-hindsight vision, we can see how ridiculous that fear is! But then we go right back to accusing today's scientists of "playing god" and "messing with nature" and "things we can't possibly understand".
http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/
And, because it ALWAYS happens, yes, I KNOW that sometimes science screws up. Sometimes we create medicines that do more harm than good. We create weapons of mass destruction. We fuck up the environment & lose species to extinction. That's not the point. I, and all proponents of science, are not now saying, nor have we ever (to the best of my knowledge) said, that science is a utopia of technology, always done for the betterment of mankind, etc. I am saying that more good than harm has come from science - that the good that has come out far exceeds the harm that has happened, and the fears that science will be the destruction of all have been unfounded every time they've come up so far.
Out of all the tragedies that science has actually contributed to, it was science that managed whatever corrections were developed in response. Wars kill people, but medical technology advances at a faster rate during war & are built upon after the war ends. Environmental disasters happen, but technology is what is ultimately used to clean up the mistake and prevent it from happening again. People live longer, eat more, are overall healthier, and with more leisure time, can afford to help people not of their own tribes (who are often prevented from enjoying the same luxuries as health and longer life span by superstitious leaders) and choose more conscientious environmental endeavors. These things would not be possible without scientific advancement, and refraining from scientific advancement has never prevented death and destruction and, in many cases, encourages it.
**UPDATE**
Stupid LJ and their stupid no-javascript rules! I am unable to post any rss feeds anywhere in LJ, after searching for a way all day. I did, however, finally manage to build an rss feed reader onto my website that I am happy with. So, here is a list of Skeptic Movies and here is a list of Poly-ish Movies, both of which are pulling content directly from the Netflix lists and will self-update so I don't have to maintain multiple lists.
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no subject
Date: 5/26/10 10:56 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/26/10 11:02 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/26/10 11:22 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/27/10 05:15 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/27/10 05:51 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/26/10 11:33 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/27/10 05:15 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/27/10 08:16 am (UTC)From:Have you seen Gazon Maudit (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113149/)? Also a poly-ish movie. I remember liking it 10 years ago.
Also, how about Vicky Christina Barcelona (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497465/)?
no subject
Date: 5/27/10 08:26 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/27/10 08:53 am (UTC)From:I know, I know -- if you or I were in such situations, we would probably be a lot more self conscious about what exactly caused the change of heart, and we would invest a lot in trying to correct the wrong and salvage the relationship. But some people are not like that. They just leave. I can't say I like it -- but it is quite realistic. Don't forget that Christina is pretty young, too. Overall, I thought that the movie displayed poly in a very sympathetic way.
no subject
Date: 5/27/10 07:04 pm (UTC)From:The "social pressure" comment was actually a reference to an earlier online conversation debating when to include a movie that doesn't end happily, and when not to, so I used it as a catchall phrase. I want the movie to be very clear that it was non-poly reasons if the family breaks up, before I'll support it as a "poly movie", rather than someone else moralizing at us about how we're all wrong & our relationships are doomed to end and if we'd just be monogamous, none of this would happen. And I'm not sure VCB wasn't of that sort yet.
Vicki was the flighty artist, of course we'd expect a scatterbrained flibertygibbit like her to try something kooky like a triad. And, naturally, she got bored with it soon enough and just up and left. The other two were also artistic temperments, and quite destructive ones at that, no *sane* person would try this, and look, they couldn't hold it together. That's the feeling I came away with when I watched the movie. We have flighty artists and psychopathic deranged lunatics whose crazy manages to balance each other out briefly, until it implodes.
So I'm not really sure this is an accurate portrayal of polyamory, but it does seem to be an accurate portrayal of crazy people who managed to live a fabulous lifestyle in the Spanish countryside while not garnering any form of income.
no subject
Date: 5/27/10 08:25 pm (UTC)From:Wow, that was an excellent recap of that relationship! Took me way more words.
So I'm not really sure this is an accurate portrayal of polyamory, but it does seem to be an accurate portrayal of crazy people who managed to live a fabulous lifestyle in the Spanish countryside while not garnering any form of income.
He-he, right on the money again :-)
Maybe it's just me, but when a movie displays a poly relationship and is not unequivocially negative about it, I give it the benefit of the doubt... but I definitely understand your point.
no subject
Date: 5/27/10 08:28 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/26/10 11:36 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/27/10 12:17 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 5/27/10 12:37 am (UTC)From:They also killed the Jews, which is just kind of historically par for the course. They figured the Jews must be responsible somehow. Plus, the Jews had lower rates of plague deaths, which is most likely due to ritual handwashing and bathing required at various times by Jews. Possibly some of the other hygiene laws as well. But it didn't work for the Jews, because the Christians then killed them because they were surviving. Sometimes you cannot win.
no subject
Date: 5/27/10 01:37 am (UTC)From: