NBC's MOM reviews

From
Date
Several newspapers and magazines reviewed or commented on the Mysterious
Origins of Man program that NBC aired on June  8.   Sales of the video
have, depressingly, been huge.  There's a sampling below.

The Hare Krishna review seems to confirm that  it or its followers were
involved in the program and that it promoted their religious beliefs.
Clearly they are pushing it as a science program that crushes establishment
science and our methods, while the producer Bill Cotes (3d review) says the
same then backpedals.

NBC should be so embarrassed!  What a shambles!

In fact, I am embarrassed myself that I ever made an issue of it after
seeing the program again.  It's really outlandish!   But, we have already
received comments from teachers that their students were seriously taken
with the program.  Although it is apparent to any knowledgeable person that
the program is hookum, many gullible children and adults think its real!

---------------------------
>From the Hare Krishna ISKCON World Review, March/April 1996 :

TV SHOW BLASTS DARWIN

By Bhaktin Lori Erbs

  LOS ANGELES, US - Drutakarma dasa (Michael
A. Cremo) and Sadaputa dasa (Richard L. Thompson)
were featured on a nationally broadcast NBC prime-
time television special called _The Mysterious Origins
of Man_ that aired February 25 to a 15 million viewer
audience.
  With actor Charlton Heston hosting, the docu-
mentary shattered Darwin's theory of evolution and
questioned other commonly accepted scientific ideas.
The first half of the show was based on research
presented in the book _Forbidden Archeology: The
Hidden History of the Human Race_ authored by
Drutakarma and Sadaputa. The one-hour special
portrayed both authors as authorities in
archeology, with vivid footage of their cas-
tigation of the "scientific knowledge filter,"
whereby scientists routinely ignore physi-
cal evidence that does not fit in with ac-
cepted theories. For example, human foot-
prints have been excavated alongside dino-
saur footprints in deep river strata, 250
million years earlier (by modern scientific
dating methods) than scientists believe man
to have appeared on earth.
   As a direct result of this broadcast, view-
ers ordered 4,500 copies of _Forbidden Ar-
cheology_ ($40 each) within 12 days after the
program aired. They also ordered about
5,000 videos of the show at $19.99 each.
   The scientific community responded
with outrage that NBC televised what one
member called "pseudoscientific mush."
_Science_ magazine wrote a rebuttal to
show. Emmy Award winning producer Bill
Cote received over 200 flaming e-mail pro-
tests. He reported that university students
questioned their professors about the valid-
ity of science curricula after viewing the
program. Cote is selling the program to
broadcasting companies outside the US.
   Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter to
Dravida dasa (4-2-1977), "Also we have
formed the Bhaktivedatna Institute for or-
ganizing scientific presentations of Krishna
consciousness. This party is our most im-
portant preaching arm with which we will
be able to destroy the bogus speculation and
cheating which goes under the banner of
"scientific advancement."
   Readers may obtain copies of The Myste-
rious Origins of Man and A Companion Tape
to The Mysterious Origins of Man from ITV,
phone: 800-559-0380 or 310-559-7101; or
from Torchlight Publishing, 800-443-3361.
------------------------------------------

San Francisco Chronicle, June 7, page D-1:

By John Carmen, Television Reviewer.

Edited Excerpts:

A survey revealed that we are a nation of scientific simpletons. . . . Some
scientists think they've identified an active contributor to our collective
scientific vapidity--NBC.  "Hosted by the noted scientist Charlton Heston,
the special (MOM) gave credence to claims that would make scientists gag."


"You'd think the NBC brass would be a touch embarrassed by the program . .
. . "  "But then you really would be a simpleton.  NBC, a subsidiary of the
science giant General Electric, does not exist to sharpen minds."

"Science, schmience.  If there was money to be made from it NBC would tell
you the Earth is flat because of repeated indentations from space aliens on
pogo sticks (Hmm, possible NBC special for the '97-98 season?)."

"Were scientists appalled by the show?  Good!  To NBC, that means that
'controversy surrounds' a special that 'dare to challenge accepted
beliefs'.

"Aha, courageous NBC special runs afoul of academic pinheads".

Plus more.
---------------------------
>From the San Jose Mercury News, Sat. June 8 by Glennda Chui:

Generally this article goes over the MOM controversy in a business-like
fashion, reviewing the program and statements by various people involved.
She apparently contacted Bill Cote the producer.  He was identified as "an
independent producer with a philosophy degree whose interests range from
space-alien abductions to psychic healing" who was simply trying to
stimulate discussion with his program.   He is quoted as saying "There is
incredible proof all over the world that these things are real.  We're sort
of calling scientists on their hubris.  They can't explain everything in
the world and the things they can't explain, they ignore."

He also said:  "This was presented on a television show with an actor
hosting it.  I don't think anyone got the idea this was hard science.  We
didn't have an expert up there saying this is the way it is, and everyone
else is wrong."


Huh?
----------------------------

>From Science Magazine, June 7, p. 1411.

Titled:  "Flouting Criticism, NBC replays Origins show"

It recounts the protest at the reshowing of the pseudoscientific program
and that scientists have conspired to suppress evidence supporting the aims
of the program.  It quotes me and David Schimmer, who stated:  "That anyone
would nurture this level of ignorance is scary".



Jere H. Lipps, Professor and Director
Department of Integrative Biology and
Museum of Paleontology
University of California
Berkeley, California 94720 USA

Voice:  510-642-9006.  Fax:  510-642-1822.
Internet:  jlipps@ucmp1.berkeley.edu
WWW:  http://ucmp1.berkeley.edu/jlipps/jlipps.html