Thursday, May 18, 2017

"Everything that is wrong with the public perception of science"

Reddit users brutally destroy Bill Nye’s new Netflix science show: ‘This is absolute dog s**t’

 
Reddit users brutally destroy Bill Nye’s new Netflix science show: ‘This is absolute dog s**t’
Bill Nye's new Netflix show — "Bill Nye Saves the World," — has received low marks by commenters on Reddit. (Rob Kim/Getty Images) 

Reddit users destroyed Bill Nye’s new Netflix program Tuesday in a thread of a show review that became so popular that it found its way to Reddit’s front page and earned Reddit’s version of a “like” more than 60,000 times.
In recent years, Nye, who is known for his 1990s kids’ science show, has become one of the most outspoken critics of people who disagree that manmade climate change is a fact and “settled science.” He regularly appears on cable news shows to debate the topic of climate change and attempts to discredit and shut down anyone who don’t toe his progressive line.
And according to Reddit users, Nye uses the same tone and style in his newest show, “Bill Nye Saves the World,” which debuted on Netflix in April.
“In this show he simply brings up an issue, tells you which side you should be on, and then makes fun of people on the other side. To make things worst [sic] he does this in the most boring way possible,” Reddit user “Sloth859,” who described himself as a “huge fan” of Nye’s since the age of 10, wrote in a review of the new show.
“He doesn’t properly explain anything, and he misrepresents every opposing view,” the user explained.
Sloth859 went on to share in lengthy paragraphs three instances where Nye appeared mean-spirited and ignored other scientific theories and ideas in order to push a progressive agenda.
The user noted that in one episode on fad dieting, Nye misrepresented paleo dieting as “only eating meat.” In another episode, Nye “shuts down” nuclear energy as an alternate energy source to fossil fuel, arguing that “nobody wants it.”
In a third episode, “Sloth859” slammed Nye for dismissing vinegar as an alternative medicine source simply because it “doesn’t change the pH level of an acidic solution.” The user continued:
He dismiss [sic] the fact that vinegar has been used to treat upset stomach for a long time. How does vinegar treat an upset stomach? Does it actually work, or is it a placebo affect? Does it work in some cases, and not in others? If it does anything, does it just treat a symptom, or does it fix the root cause? I don’t know the answer to any of these questions because he just dismissed it as wrong and only showed me that it doesn’t change the pH level of an acidic solution. Also, there are many foods that are believed to help prevent diseases like fish (for heart health), high fiber breads (for colon cancer), and citrus fruits (for scurvy). A healthy diet and exercise will help prevent cardiovascular disease, and will help reduce your blood pressure among other benefits. So obviously there is some reasoning behind some alternative medicine and practices and to dismiss it all as a whole is stupid.
“I just don’t see the point of this show,” the user concluded the review. “It’s not going to convince anyone that they’re wrong, and it’s definitely not going to entertain anyone.”
Other Reddit users concurred with the sentiment of “Sloth859.”
“This show is everything wrong with the public perception of science. Science isn’t about dismissing critical views, and accepting everything you’re told at face value. It’s about critically analyzing the way the world works and challenging your own beliefs. This show is trash and deserves every piece of criticism it receives,” Reddit user “Daeysheperd” wrote in the top comment.
“It seems that most people, right or left, are in agreeance [sic] that this is absolute dog s**t,” user “zorkzamboni” quipped.
Reddit user “CMPluto” said: “This is my favorite Reddit thread of all time. Never have I seen, on Reddit, so many posters from seemingly many different walks of life, share such agreeement [sic]. Thanks Bill. You’ve become the idiot we don’t deserve, but we may need.”
According to movie and television review website Rotten Tomatoes, Nye’s new show has so far earned a 75 percent approval from professional movie and TV critics, but only a 29 percent approval from people who actually watched it. Rotten Tomatoes’ professional reviews, however, has so far been limited to only eight — six positive and two negative.
Meanwhile, the show has even poorer reviews on Mediacritic, which gave the show a 63 percent approval from professional critics. Audience members, on the other hand, give the show an average rating of 1.7 on a scale of 1-to-10. Among audience reviews, 146 were negative, 27 were positive, and three were mixed.

No comments: