2008-03-20 Expelled screening
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Quotes
| Stuart Blessman said: |
|
...the real highlight of the evening occurred after the showing, during the Q&A. Mathis led this discussion, and the second question was asked by a surprise member of the audience: Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion,” and arguably the biggest name in the movie other than Mr. Ben Stein himself. As this screening was by invitation only, Dawkins appearance was quite a surprise to both the audience and Mathis. Dawkins asked a simple question: Why was one of his colleagues interviewed in the movie denied a chance to come see this movie and protest it and in fact was escorted out by security prior to admittance to the theatre? The irony apparently escaped Mr. Dawkins that he himself was a gatecrasher to the movie and was uninvited; nevertheless, he wanted to know why his colleague was turned away even though he himself was admitted as were his colleague’s family. I just happened to be standing directly in line behind Dawkins’ academic colleague. Management of the movie theatre saw a man apparently hustling and bothering several invited attendees, apparently trying to disrupt the viewing or sneak in. Management then approached the man, asked him if he had a ticket, and when he confirmed that he didn’t, they then escorted him off the premises. Nowhere was one of the film’s producers to be found, and the man certainly didn’t identify himself. If a producer had been nearby, it’s possible that he would have been admitted, but the theatre’s management didn’t want to take any chances. |
| Kristine said: |
|
That's a fucking lie. I saw PZ in line with Dawkins behind us. PZ came up to me, said hello, and said, "They're kicking me out." Then "Jared" told him that he had to have a ticket and that this was an invitation only private screening. I had no ticket or invitation. It's up at Christianity Today as well. I can tell you that I heard what I heard. Mark Mathis also repeatedly stated that the reason PZ was not let in was that he had no ticket. He said nothing about creating a disturbance. |
| PZ Myers said: |
|
Stuart Blessman, the student at UM who made that claim at the lookingcloser blog, is a liar. A shameful liar and a disgrace to the university. No, I was not bothering anyone. I went forward and got copies of the form we had to sign to get in, brought them back to my group, and the people in front of us asked me if they could have some, too. That was my only interaction with other people in line. Nobody had a ticket. You reserved a seat online, and they checked your name off their list at the front of the line. I was not trying to sneak in. I reserved my seats under my own name. I was called aside by a security guard, who asked if my name was PZ Myers, and who said that the producer had specifically asked that I be removed. We do have some idiots who get enrolled at this university. I like to think that they're a minority, but I'm rather surprised that someone so ethically challenged is a student here. |
Links
Sources
- 2008-03-20 20:26 EXPELLED! by PZ Myers: Myers' account of the event immediately after being sent away
- re-posting on richarddawkins.net, with different comments
- 2008-03-20
- Richard Dawkins crashes the party at a screening of “Expelled” relays a contradictory account by University of Minnesota student Stuart Blessman; Blessman defends himself somewhat in the comments
- forum comments on antievolution.org
- EXPELLED from "Expelled"!: Kristine, also in the Myers/Dawkins group, backs up PZ's account
- 2008-03-21 03:09 A late night quick one by PZ Myers: follow-up after talking with those who were able to attend the movie