Creationists Demand Airtime On Neil deGrasse Tyson's 'Cosmos'

[TomCADem]

This story just further illustrates how corporate and uninformative our media has become. With the advent of false equivalency being substituted for an objective and unbiased goal in media, we now have creationists demanding equal time to push superstition on a level playing field with science.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/22/creationists-airtime-cosmos-neil-degrasse-tyson_n_5009234.html

Creationist groups have made yet another complaint about Neil deGrasse Tyson's "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey."

Since the show debuted on FOX this month, creationists have not kept quiet about the science documentary series. What's the problem now?

While some have shunned the reboot of Carl Sagan's 1980 PBS series altogether, other creationists now have made a request: equal airtime.

Appearing on "The Janet Mefferd Show" on Thursday, Danny Faulkner of Answers In Genesis voiced his complaints about "Cosmos" and how the 13-episode series has described scientific theories, such as evolution, but has failed to shed light on dissenting creationist viewpoints. He said:

Tyson recently addressed providing balance when it comes to discussing science. In an interview with CNN, the astronomer criticized the media for giving "equal time" to those who oppose widely accepted scientific theories.

"I think the media has to sort of come out of this ethos that I think was in principle a good one, but doesn't really apply in science. The ethos was, whatever story you give, you have to give the opposing view, and then you can be viewed as balanced," Tyson said, adding, "you don't talk about the spherical earth with NASA and then say let's give equal time to the flat-earthers."

[WhiteTara]

1. Didn't anyone tell these buffoons that some (r) president

ended the fairness doctrine so that our airwaves could be filled with hate speech radio? F them.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Exactly! If they re-instate it, THEN it will be time to make their incoherent demands. n/t

[WhiteTara]

6. Unfortunately, they are so stupid (and I don't use that word

lightly) that they thought it was a great idea to have R*sh on 24 hours a day with no rebuttal. Too stupid to having voting rights.

[SheilaT]

14. The fairness doctrine had to do with political

ads. Even if repealed, it wouldn't apply to a science show. Or a show purely about creationism, which those people could certainly underwrite if they wanted to.

[w0nderer]

19. equal time vs fairness doctrine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-time_rule
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine

wasn't that the equal time?

fairness doctrine wasn't exclusively political

[SheilaT]

25. Not for something like this.

"holders of broadcast licenses [were required] to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable and balanced."

Evolution, cosmology, and science in general do NOT constitute controversial issues, despite what the ignorant masses want to believe. They've spent so long saying we need to "teach the controversy" that they've apparently convinced many who should know better that there is some controversy about evolution and other science matters. It's not helped by the mainstream media all too often presenting some minor and obscure and often wrong objection to something factual as if it had actual equal standing to the facts.

[Redfairen]

21. No, no, no, they want the fair and BALANCED doctrine. *

[w0nderer]

2. shouldn't have helped to kill the...fairness doctrine then should they

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine

The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable and balanced. The FCC decided to eliminate the Doctrine in 1987, and in August 2011 the FCC formally removed the language that implemented the Doctrine.[1]

[Mojo Electro]

3. What the fuck for??

The correct response to "Creationists Demand Airtime On Neil deGrasse Tyson's 'Cosmos'"

is "What the fuck for?"

[caraher]

36. Maybe then scientists could demand airtime on fundie TV shows

Could make the whole thing worthwhile

[imthevicar]

5. Really!? are you serious!?

[randr]

7. They already broadcast many more hours a week than Cosmos

[lunasun]

22. +1

[Mojo Electro]

26. This^ n/t

[progressoid]

8. Checking the link....nope, not The Onion.

Sweet Zombie Jesus.

[jtuck004]

9. Do the atheists and pastafarians get equal time on FOX, O'Reilly, and Pat Robertson?

Something could be deranged, I bet.

[blkmusclmachine]

10. The Buybull thumpers' rebuttal is 10am Sunday morning, in their Mega Church pews.

[AAO]

11. Let FOX SPEWS give them "equal time". The fairness doctrine is gone, assholes.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. And if they were to succeed in this endeavor,

I would hope that Neil deGrasse Tyson would quit. I hope he has a clause in his contract that he will not have to put up with this.

And we want equal time on talk radio and in the media. Tit for tat.

[Botany]

13. "they" get to push their bullshit 24/7 & 365 days a year @ .....

..... K- 12 schools, colleges, tv shows, radio programs, christian music venues,
in politics, and in their churches so HELL NO they don't get to go on a science
based program and get another chance to sell their snake oil.

[arcane1]

15. I demand that weather forecasts give equal time to believers in Thor!

Sure, YOU say it isn't going to rain tomorrow, but what if we do something to piss off the thunder god???

[blackspade]

16. This Faulkner guy is an idiot.

1) There is no requirement of 'equal' time on a science show. It's a science show, not family bible time.
2) All thirteen episodes are done so tough shit adding something to it.

I don't even know why I bother, these teahadists are lunatics.

[Botany]

39. "All thirteen episodes are done so tough shit adding something to it"

So the earth isn't the center of the universe?

[blackspade]

41. Apparently not!

[phantom power]

17. Awesome, then do we also get equal time on the fucking 700 club?

Or Benny Hinn?
Or Hour of Power?
Or any of the other hundred-or-so mega-church religious freak shows on TV?

Fucking ridiculous

[Gore1FL]

18. Didn't they have that dumb-assed series on the History <sic> Channel?

That's equal time enough. Fuck 'em.

[lastlib]

20. If theirs was an equal theory, I'd be fine with it.

But as a competing theory, theirs only competes in the minor leagues, with astrology, alchemy, and flat-earth geography. Sorry, bozos, you're too small to play with Neil and Carl. Go back to your sandbox. And STFU.

[DeadLetterOffice]

23. I read this shit, and I wonder...

...what the fuck people in other countries must think about us as a nation when wackos like this guy open their mouths and paint all Americans with teh stoooopid brush.

[imthevicar]

28. Teh Stooooooopid Brush!

[ancianita]

24. It's the demand that a minority of us put up with daily when the majority aren't college educated.

If this country had broadly committed to at least some college for everyone decades ago, none of this false equivalency crapy would have gotten this far.

[imthevicar]

29. Well, I have no college education...

But I read, ( I used to read 3 newspapers a day, But that's another story for another day.) and have an open mind, and don't believe in fairy tails. But the most Important of these is READ!

[ancianita]

42. Great! I've always believed that reading is not a part of life, it is a way of life, college or not.

[Ilsa]

27. No equal time for lies and fairy tales. nt

[2pooped2pop]

30. It's not a sitcom like The Big Bang Theory

Don't they know that?

[rocktivity]

31. Science is science and religion is religion

and never the twain SHOULD meet.


rocktivity

[JEFF9K]

32. Non-creationists need equal time on Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck ...

[Initech]

33. Science =/= religion. They never learn do they?

Although if they did try to learn something they wouldn't believe in creationism would they?

[3catwoman3]

34. They can take their "demands"...

...and put them where the star that warms our billions-of-years-old planet don't shine.

Demands, my ass. WTH do they think they are to be demanding anything from a science show?

[uriel1972]

35. When they come up with some evidence for their point of view...

Then I would consider it. Until then you might as well ask for equal time for all religions. Yep all creations, bring 'em on and let them fight it out.

[Kber]

37. The creationist view had dominated for most of the last 5000 years

We haven't even begun to give science "equal time" yet.

Talk to me in year 6650. (Approx 5000 years post Coprenicus).

[hatrack]

38. Well, they can have Ken Ham pass the hat, and maybe Mrs. Moose can hold a fundraiser . . .

And then they can take their dinosaur-and-pony show to Fox and sell it.

Magic of the Marketplace, baby!!

[Warren DeMontague]

43. Seriously. They already have their own amusement park.

What more do they need?

[Duppers]

40. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110222734