# Evolution Blogger Kept out of Creationist Movie... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 21, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193 "2008-03-21T05:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/1 "2008-03-21T05:04:52Z")
Here’s recreational outrage with a touch of brilliant irony… [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/03/expelled.php](http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/03/expelled.php) [QUOTE=P Z Myers] I went to attend a screening of the creationist propaganda movie, Expelled, a few minutes ago. Well, I tried … but I was Expelled! It was kind of weird — I was standing in line, hadn’t even gotten to the point where I had to sign in and show ID, and a policeman pulled me out of line and told me I could not go in. I asked why, of course, and he said that a producer of the film had specifically instructed him that I was not to be allowed to attend. The officer also told me that if I tried to go in, I would be arrested. I assured him that I wasn’t going to cause any trouble. [/quote] Follow the link for the brilliant irony part. ---
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/2 "2008-03-21T05:15:37Z")
[QUOTE=cricetus] Here’s recreational outrage with a touch of brilliant irony… [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/03/expelled.php](http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/03/expelled.php) Follow the link for the brilliant irony part. [/QUOTE] :eek: That is the greatest story ever told. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/3 "2008-03-21T05:26:18Z")
Hmmm, it seems that there was some sort of natural selection on who could attend the screening. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/4 "2008-03-21T05:35:30Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] Hmmm, it seems that there was some sort of natural selection on who could attend the screening. [/QUOTE] I’d have called it “artificial selection”. You know, like a breeding program in which you reinforce the qualities you’d like to see more of. Oh, and the twist in the link is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/5 "2008-03-21T06:26:51Z")
I needed that laugh! I’d pay to be a fly on the wall in that room when the film’s producer finds out! :eek: 😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/6 "2008-03-21T06:33:01Z")
[QUOTE=appleciders] Oh, and the twist in the link is priceless. [/QUOTE] Oh, good gravy. That is **priceless**. Absolutely beautiful. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/7 "2008-03-21T07:01:04Z")
Hi-larious. I skimmed the responses, and it looks like this might get into the papers. I don’t know if we’d win Ben Stein’s money but we know he isn’t smarter than a fifth, or a third, grader. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/8 "2008-03-21T10:04:42Z")
Snigger. Double snigger, even. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/9 "2008-03-21T10:42:43Z")
I don’t click on links much, but I’m glad I did this time. The twist was truly beautiful! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/10 "2008-03-21T11:29:33Z")
Since it was a screening, that means that the producers had basically rented the theatre and could allow in anyone they choose. So I have no problem with them kicking anyone out. But letting Dawkins in is pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/11 "2008-03-21T12:11:34Z")
This seems extremely weird. This Myers is familiar enough to the producers that they’re aware of him, in fact, so well known (and apparently odious to them) that they specifically left instructions to exclude him? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/12 "2008-03-21T12:14:28Z")
Is there an alternate story that makes sense with the guy being told the producer had specifically asked that he not be allowed into the movie? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/13 "2008-03-21T12:22:38Z")
**cricetus** asks: > [@](#): > > Is there an alternate story that makes sense with the guy being told the producer had specifically asked that he not be allowed into the movie? That’s what this version already says: > [@](#): > > I asked why, of course, and he said that a producer of the film had specifically instructed him that I was not to be allowed to attend. The officer also told me that if I tried to go in, I would be arrested. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/14 "2008-03-21T12:27:29Z")
Then why did you ask if the producers knew who he was and left instructions to exclude him? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/15 "2008-03-21T12:34:33Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] This seems extremely weird. This Myers is familiar enough to the producers that they’re aware of him, in fact, so well known (and apparently odious to them) that they specifically left instructions to exclude him? [/QUOTE] Apparently he is _in_ the movie. He never mentions this in the blog entry, but some of the comments do. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/16 "2008-03-21T12:52:57Z")
Not only was he interviewed in the movie (as **Biffy** says), but [he’s been critical](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expelled_%28film%29#Claims_that_film_producers_misled_interviewees) of “dishonest” [tactics](http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/08/im_gonna_be_a_movie_star.php) used by the interviewers. Maybe they thought he’s make a scene in the theater. So, it’s perhaps not a _total_ surprise that the producers didn’t want him at the screening. Maybe Dawkins was wearing a good disguise… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/17 "2008-03-21T12:53:06Z")
Here’s [another take](http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/) on the episode, with some background on why they might have suspected the Ungodly might attend the film (there was an atheists’ convention in town, with Dawkins invited to speak). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/18 "2008-03-21T12:53:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Then why did you ask if the producers knew who he was and left instructions to exclude him? I didn’t ask if that WAS the case. I was surprised that it was the case. If the blogger were, say, James Randi, with his national reputation and his distinctive appearance, I could understand it. This sounds more like a case of a couple of people well-known in their local pond. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/19 "2008-03-21T12:55:10Z")
I misunderstood your use of the question mark. I thought you were questioning the story, not believing that the producers knew him, or something. I think if you read your post again you’ll see that it’s ambiguous. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193/20 "2008-03-21T13:57:50Z")
[QUOTE=Jackmannii] Here’s [another take](http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/) on the episode, with some background on why they might have suspected the Ungodly might attend the film (there was an atheists’ convention in town, with Dawkins invited to speak). [/QUOTE] Following a link in your link, I found Kevin Miller’s [blog](http://kevinwrites.typepad.com/otherwise_known_as_kevin_/2008/03/expelled-from-e.html) in which he defends his actions. Read the following comments in which he gets his ass handed to him. Pure comedy platinum! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-blogger-kept-out-of-creationist-movie/442193.md?page=2)