In 2011 America, this is where we are:
An episode of the BBC’s Frozen Planet documentary series that looks at climate change has been scrapped in the U.S., where many are hostile to the idea of global warming.
British viewers will see all seven episodes of the multi-million-pound nature series throughout the Autumn.
But U.S. audiences will not be shown the last episode, which looks at the threat posed by man to the natural world.
It is feared a show that preaches global warming could upset viewers in the U.S., where around half of people do not believe in climate change.
See below, Trailer for “Creation”, a film about Charles Darwin that no distributor in America would pick up, fearing reactions from the Fox news addled ignorati.
Creation, starring Paul Bettany, details Darwin’s “struggle between faith and reason” as he wrote On The Origin of Species. It depicts him as a man who loses faith in God following the death of his beloved 10-year-old daughter, Annie.
The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere on Sunday. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia.
However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.
Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as “a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder”. His “half-baked theory” directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to “atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering”, the site stated.
The film has sparked fierce debate on US Christian websites, with a typical comment dismissing evolution as “a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite over a century of trying”.
As an outsider (Aussie) I am appalled.
What would your wise and enlightened forefathers say about this state of affairs.
Maybe you (and we) need another Thomas Jefferson?
“It is feared a show that preaches global warming could upset viewers in the U.S., where around half of people do not believe in climate change.”
One wonders who it is who does the ‘fearing’, and where the other decider is, the one who speaks for the other half of USAns who do believe that climate change is a problem…
Half of the people do not believe in climate change? According to this report over on Dr. Romm’s Climate Progress, that’s not true at all.
thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/11/15/360335/experts-debunk-polls-americans-believe-in-global-warming/
Perhaps they’ve confused two issues–about half of Americans do not believe in evolution. (?)
But what can you expect from a country that thought replacing Sir Attenborough’s narration with that of Oprah Winfrey and Sigourney Weaver was a good idea. 😉
I find Attenborough’s style pedantic and irritating, at times. I don’t care who the narrator is, as long as the ideas and the science are not CENSORED.
2011 America status report addendum:
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough
Interestingly, although Attenborough’s documentaries have attained immense popularity in the United States, several have never been made available on DVD in NTSC format, most notably those that cast doubt upon conservative religious or political positions. These include:
Life on Earth, which examines the evidence for evolution.
State of the Planet
The Truth About Climate Change
First Life, which examines the origin of life.
The videos are not listed on Netflix or Amazon.com.
The videos are listed on http://www.amazon.co.uk
Creation was a great movie, but it had little to do with science or even religion. It was mostly about relationships. David Attenborough is one of my favourite personalities and he handles the issue of climate change nicely. Americans are missing out on some great film! (BTW, I hope that polar bear that he’s sitting next to is dead…)
Kate
http://climatesight.org
If this sad tale isn’t depressing enough, read the Daily Mail article’s best rated reader comments. Perhaps, English is the preferred language of ignorance.
One must look to see who the Discovery channels real ‘masters’ are-
deleting the last segment- because of ‘problems’ with the addition to climate change is a ‘problem’ to some US Audiences? Does airing silly programs on myths, UFO abductions, paranormal activity have more credibility?
The Discovery Channel is a bought and paid for prostitute by the T Party and Koch empire.
I agree that the Discovery Channel has become a bit too hokey with their UFO and paranormal activity type shows.
Still, what evidence is there that they are bought and paid for by Koch empire, etc? I’m curious, since I like to collect documents/data that show the link between the Koch, Exxon, etc funding and climate denial.
More about the “country of freedom”. => https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_internet/
@Kate…I suspect the bear is drugged, not dead. Still hope it is immobile…it would look bad for BBC if their icon was eaten by another icon.
@kokuaguy. Completely agree with your second sentence.
Oh great googly moogly. I take great exception to the people of my country being tarred and feathered with the same brush on this evolution/creation business. I suspect that the quoted Gallup poll was faulty in its choice of participants, and that the “61%” of respondents were the ones who felt strongly enough to speak their minds, whereas the people who don’t believe in creationism didn’t think it a big enough issue to respond (probably hangning up the phone on what seemed to be a telemarketer). I refuse to believe that the majority of Americans (most of whom are taught about evolution in schools…it’s usually just the deep south where they take issue) are that blind.