2am off topic rant: Fuck Bill Nye [nsfw language]

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa) 05/01/2017 at 03:08 • Filed to: None

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I like science. I grew up around science. My dad is an engineer that follows the scientific process in his experiments with aerospace composites and probably told me a lot more about the process than I was ever supposed to know but along with a steady diet of Popular Science (before they were 90% advertisements) and NOVA on PBS (because we didn’t have cable) and I loved it. The documentary on string theory, especially, has stuck with me. So it pisses me off a bit when something like ‘bill nye saves the world’ or whatever that netflix show is called comes along and makes a mockery of science by posing as something scientific and not the sponsored shitpost of a political platform it is. This shit is to science as the oreilly factor was to calm political discourse.

Have I watched the show? No. I skimmed the plots and premises because I honestly couldn’t stand to sit (wat) through it all. It’s like Tumblr got netflix funding and threw up all over a screenwriter’s desk. Copy-paste below is a response I had to someone else who was defending Nye:

His new show is a clusterfuck of O’reilly-esque “debate” about politics that have little if any relation to science. Population control and sexuality are discussed in an extremely unscientific fashion that reeks of 3rd-wave feminism of the tumblr variety. For some reason he had that hack of a ‘programmer’ and model Karlie Kloss on the show so they could unproductively preach to the choir about climate change with a bunch of fearmongering bullshit about how if everyone else doesn’t start ranting and raving with equal fervor the coffee bean is going to go extinct and we can’t have Starbucks Mocha Frappuchinos anymore.

Wanna save the world with science? Be Elon Musk. Fucking do something. Or if you’re going to have a science show on Netflix do what NOVA or, for fuck’s sake, Bill’s old show did by making scientific concepts and emerging technologies accessible to the average Joe (or, in particular, the average Joe’s kids). Wanna help global warming? Educate people on various alternate energy sources such as geothermal, hydroelectric, *groan* solar, or atomic energy. Explore ways that are being used to make atomic energy safer and even cleaner than it already is in the wake of the recent disaster in Japan. But for the love of all that is holy get rid of the fucking song and dance numbers about transgenderism and fleshlights. Even that could have been done with some degree of tact and scientific rigor by having a psychologist on the show and discussing the particulars of gender dysmorphia as well as a human biologist to discuss the particulars of hormone imbalances, two very VERY different processes with different results that are very UNscientifically shoved together as “transgender and wonderful and we should accept them!!!” instead of actually doing anything remotely scientific to help people understand.

It’s bad science.

Furthermore, it’s bad politics.

It’s just bad and it’s hack bullshit by a man after a paycheck. and Nye should be soundly ridiculed for it. People latch onto their childhood heros like Nye. He could have made a real difference by educating people but it sounds like he’s just become yet another hyper-liberal echo chamber.

Pic related because the Tesla Roadster makes STEM sexy.

Sam > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 03:15

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I watched the gender episode with an actual transgender person. Her level of cringe at that was unreal. It really was pretty bad.

Berang > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 03:54

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You didn’t watch the show, but you’re going to bitch and moan about it?

I made myself sit through Sausage Party before tearing it apart. I knew it was going to be bad, but I’m not a huge enough of a fucking douche to rip something a new one before even watching it.

It’s one of my biggest annoyances, people who’ll tear something down before reading, seeing, watching, doing, it. You gotta pay your dues. I didn’t even read your post past that part because it’d be a waste of my time. Critique 101, man, come on.

I maybe overreacting a bit, but for the past two months I’ve been seeing a disturbing number of “this art is dumb because I don’t understand it” or “this movie I haven’t seen is offensive” bullshit critiques on stuff, and I’ve run out of patience with people who’ll shit on something before even really looking at it. I digress though.

Nye is a bad man because he’s in a TV show that places entertainment value over other considerations? Yeah. That’s never happened with a show before.

NoahthePorscheGuy > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 04:00

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Hate to break it to you but Elon Musk and his 5000lb battery powered cars aren’t saving the planet.

Berang > NoahthePorscheGuy 05/01/2017 at 04:31

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He’s spending lots of people’s money though. So there’s that.

AestheticsInMotion > NoahthePorscheGuy 05/01/2017 at 04:49

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But Elon Musk and his other endeavors might. I don’t think he’s the messiah that many proclaim him to be, but honestly... Who else has done what he has to forward science and humanity in such a short period of time? Who else, with money and power even care enough to try? This is a guy who’s pretty clearly trying to save the earth.

Credit where it’s due, he single handedly made electric cars relevant, sexy and potentially affordable (we’ll see). He made space—and our role in it—something to finally be excited about after decades of decline. And the industry is following after him in everything he does! Automotive, space— both private and government—tech... Hell, the battery plant? That alone has the potential to improve the world and it’s a relatively small part of what he’s doing.

Jared E > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 05:10

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He’s an actor with a bachelors degree. The amount of people my age that take him seriously because of a children’s show they watched 20 years ago is actually pretty scary. He came to UCF last year and people lost their minds.

Berang > AestheticsInMotion 05/01/2017 at 05:15

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I don’t think Elon has a sincere interest in saving the planet. Though giving the appearance of wanting to is certainly good marketing.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 05:36

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I agree. I hoped he’d make a level headed but enthusiastic show raising awareness about important stuff. Unfortunately its an oddly egotistical show where he builds himself up too much. He makes some important points and raising awareness is no bad thing, but his methods are terrible.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 06:44

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I want to like Nye because of how he brings science to the masses but I can’t bring myself to. These days you have a lot of more traditional scientists such as Astronaut Chris Hadfield (love that guy and his space antics) taking to social media to spread their work and I don’t really see the need for someone who is more of a show man such as Nye anymore.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > NoahthePorscheGuy 05/01/2017 at 06:45

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Not yet but once that technology develops and really starts to spread it will help in conjunction with cleaner power generation.

MyJeepGetsStuckInTheSnow > Berang 05/01/2017 at 07:19

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What? He sure as hell is not just sitting in the Bahamas drinking margaritas with his hundreds of millions. Seams like a lot of work for not caring.

DipodomysDeserti > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 07:20

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I got to the part where you started talking about Elon Musk and almost threw up. Isn’t Elon Musk’s whole plan to abandon the Earth after after stripping it of resources and rendering it uninhabitable for human life? Elon Musk is a business man, not a scientist. But yeah, Tesla roadsters are sexy...

The Earth doesn’t need saving, and if it did, scientists wouldn’t be the ones doing the saving. They’ve kind of done the opposite over the last few centuries.

Like I told the other kid who ranted on about Bill Nye: no one interested is learning about science watches Bill Nye.

Jayhawk Jake > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 07:26

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“Have I watched the show? No.”

Stopped reading there. You can’t argue about the science of a show if you’ve only read the synopsis. That’s like writing a paper about climate change having only read the abstracts of your supporting material.

TorqueToYield > Jared E 05/01/2017 at 07:32

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He presents grade school level science in an entertaining fashion. He’s never claimed to be a scientist, nor does he need to be to present the material he’s presenting.

TorqueToYield > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 07:42

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Didn’t see the transgender episode yet, but the climate change episode was pretty damn good, straight forward, not hyperbolic, fact based, entertaining.

He’s become the new favorite target of the anti-SJW alt-right-lite crowd. And it seems like you’re just regurgitating most of their favorite talking points without having even watched the show.

Slant6 > Berang 05/01/2017 at 08:02

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I’ve stoped trying to explain art on the internet. Some people just don’t want to understand.

Your boy, BJR > TorqueToYield 05/01/2017 at 09:58

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Oh shit liked your comment then saw you name.

Fuckin’ Jersey.

Dave the car guy , still here > NoahthePorscheGuy 05/01/2017 at 10:02

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I looked into the pollution from electric batteries when the electric car hoopla really started two decades ago. The marketing is all smoke and mirrors. As for Bill Nye stuff in the subject post, I pretty much gave up on him when he started hinting at the US needing government mandated population control.

https://www.wired.com/2016/03/teslas-electric-cars-might-not-green-think/

AM3R, lost another burner > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 10:30

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Didn’t read your post, but I skimmed through it... I disagree.

0/10

/s

dropthatclutch > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 11:00

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I’ve watched several episodes. My biggest issue was when his arguement against the man who used sound waves to heal was basically “duh, common sense...”

Now, do I believe that someone screaming at my belly will cure me of any ailments? No, but I also know that it takes more than “duh, common sense...” to disprove it.

I also don’t like his panel formatting. They talk over each other and don’t have nearly enough time to make any clear points. Also the editing isn’t very good and you can tell when that segment is cut up.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Berang 05/01/2017 at 11:14

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I’m going to attempt watching it this evening and I’m hoping everything I’ve read about it is wrong

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > dropthatclutch 05/01/2017 at 11:15

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I’m going to attempt to sit through an episode tonight in hopes that everything I’ve read is either hilariously out of context or gross exaggeration but damn I hope it isn’t.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > AM3R, lost another burner 05/01/2017 at 11:15

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I see what you did there

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > TorqueToYield 05/01/2017 at 11:18

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I’m gonna watch it tonight but I really hope everything I’ve read is an exaggeration or horribly taken out of context, but a couple of my trans friends watched the trans episode and said it was horrifying.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 05/01/2017 at 11:19

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There’s just... so much raising awareness. How much awareness can be raised? Once we’ve reached peak aware what happens? Awareness comes with education so why not educate?

AM3R, lost another burner > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 11:20

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Haha, I haven’t seen any of the new bill nye, so I don’t have an opinion. But I loved him back in the day.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Dave the car guy , still here 05/01/2017 at 11:20

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I forgot about that. Not looking forward to actually seeing him talk about that when I watch the show this evening.

dropthatclutch > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 11:31

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You can skip the one about how life started on earth. There is an unbelievably annoying song and associated skit that take up a huge chunk of the episode.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 11:32

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I guess people are confusing making people aware and making them understand. Were totally fucked if things dont change and I think people are aware of that, they just dont understand it.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > dropthatclutch 05/01/2017 at 11:39

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I’ve heard enough about the transgender song. My trans friends that watched that episode said it was horrifying.

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 05/01/2017 at 12:24

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I agree completely. I commented on another post somewhere in gizmodo with basically exactly what you said. Got some hate but a bunch agreed as well.

I think there is enough of us out here that there really should be shows like Bill’s old one and NOVA, but there isn’t because the many outweigh the few

AestheticsInMotion > Berang 05/01/2017 at 15:00

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I just want to drink a beer on a spaceship. Whoever gets me to that point is fine by me

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > DipodomysDeserti 05/01/2017 at 17:13

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