Recently in Political Science class we watched The Inconvenient Truth. While the movie itself is highly informative it is also very opinion based and many of the facts are skewed. One major example of this is the relationship graph which shows the connection between CO2 levels and the relative temperature of the earth. When looking at the original draft of the graph which shows the two constants side-by-side one can see that they are skewed in the movie. At first I didn't understand how people could completely believe this movie when the facts like that were obviously skewed, but then it hit me. It is this revelation that revealed to me the convenience of The Inconvenient Truth. The name of this convenience is Al Gore....
Now before you stop reading this because you don't understand let me explain. Al Gore is the major convenience because simply, he is Al Gore. Basically he is the convenience in the movie because people know and respect him and therefore believe and trust what he says, which includes his beliefs on global warming. The fact that he was a former Vice President goes a long way too. People look at him and have a sense of security because he is experienced. That is why this movie went over so well. Just think about it, if it was just some person that you had never seen before and never heard of, would you take them as seriously as Gore? I wouldn't. Facts were changed and information was altered in the movie and yet people continue to back up everything that Al Gore said in it. That is the Al Gore Effect.
Personally I am an in-betweener on this issue based upon the fact that i agree with the arguments for both sides. This movie did nothing to change my stance at all.
Would I like to see change that betters the environment? -Yes
But, are there other issues that I feel are more important at this time? -Yes
That of course is personal opinion, and this blog is currently not discussing what I believe so that is for another time. What I do see, however, is that ironically The Inconvenient Truth was a success because it was held up by a convenience.
5 comments:
the film was a success because it set up the convenience...
it raised international discussion, got people to think and though it used extremes, those extremes caught people's attention and is one of the reasons why people care so much about the environment.
that maybe why he got a noble peace prize...
the fact that he got a nobel peace prize has nothing to do with my argument. the fact remains that the movie would never have been as successful if it had not had him in it. he is by far the most well known activist for change for the better of the enviornment so one cannot argue that his presence in the movie did not help make it a success. even with skewed facts and other negative aspects of the movies it was successful because people were able to lean upon Al Gore and his educated opinion. Having him in the movie is the biggest convenience for everyone who believes in global warming....
so apparently we're in the same Pols 150 and Journ 101 classes.
I agree whole heartedly and wrote a similar blog.
Al Gore was simply the figurehead for the movement, but with that said, he is no scientist. Kudos to Gore for opening the dialogue, but shame on Gore for not continuing it after his movie success.
http://weslowery.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/the-inconvenient-responsibility-of-the-truth-bearer/
i still think the movie is just a way for people to see his presentation. im sure he has still stuck to this "grassroot" movement of educating around the world. i doubt he's still sitting on his couch and he was not chosen to make this movie. he made the movie to show his presentation, so its less of a convenience that he was in the movie when he decided to make this "movement."
pols150 j101 too
http://aaronsgotnewsforyou.blogspot.com/
In my eyes it is still a convenience for those that see the movie. It is a convenient truth for them because they are backing up a person that obviously knows what he is talking about. It all comes back to who is presenting the information.
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