What the fuck do we know?

Well, I was just catching up on Wii Vote when suddenly and without warning I found something online that really triggered my anger. The question on the Wii was what makes you angrier: Bragging or Lying. I picked lying. I hate lying. I think that (from an existential take) the truth is the most important thing we have when figuring out the world. Sure, sometimes self deception can help people cope but when trying to learn how things really are outside of your own head the truth is all we have. And that's why I hate the movie What the Bleep Do We Know. It presents itself as a documentary about the connections between quantum physics and philosophy. In fact it is not a documentary, not about quantum physics and not even about philosophy. It is a propaganda film by and for a cult about Atlantis.What really gets me is that people who don't really know about the topics it claims to be about keep touting it as a valid film. This is wrong on 2 levels.

1. These people (the ones who tell others to see it and how good it is) end up resenting themselves as someone who is at least moderately familiar with the ideas of physics and philosophy. So in fact this movie has a bit of a viral (real viral, not internet viral) spread pattern. And it makes people liars.
2. By "educating" people with it's mind numbingly awful content it actually holds people back from learning anything about these topics. I will warn people taking it out of the library (which so far have been thankfully few) that they are in for a cult promo video. Depending on the patron I might even joke that they should make sure to have plenty of Kool-Aid and a pair of Keds before popping this in. If they want I can even recommend books about quantum physics for laymen and philosophical survey texts. But to let things like this pass as real is unconscionable.

What sparked this tirade against a 3 year old movie is this article from the Huffington Post. Now, I'm not ranting against New Age ideas. As long as you realize, when embracing them, that you're making things up on your own just like every other religion then it's fine. What I am infuriated about is that concepts like this continue to pass as science and the general public doesn't call these people on their shit. I could tie it in to the case against Paul Myers. Currently he is being sued for writing a bad review of a book. Very mature. While this isn't a great comparison, there are similarities. The book is actually based on a theory that is currently being investigated, whereas What the Bleep simply mentions some science buzz words and then gives you cartoons. What is similar is that both the book and What the Bleep both tell you that they are going to prove a point and then use "evidence" which has nothing to do with their topics. In the book the author uses pictures of balloon animals where What the Bleep just makes shit up, falsifies actual scientists and dazzles the viewer with cartoons. And where Ethan Todras-Whitehill isn't furious at the fact that it tries to pass itself off as anything other than propaganda I am. When the Frey was exposed as falsifying his non-fiction book A Million Little Pieces he was nearly dropped by his publisher and there were articles left and right, all furious at what he had done. So why doesn't science get the same treatment as a memoir? Is it because the general population simply isn't educated enough about it to know when they are being lied to? The same reason that creationists argue that evolution and gravity are only theories? As much as I'd like to say no I think that may be the case. People out there may just be dumb enough and complacent in herd mentality that they'd rather just pass over instances of being lied to and, I feel this word is warranted, betrayed by books and films. Rather than get mad and smart they can be happy and dumb. Of course from the outside this sounds great. Less effort and more satisfaction. One issue with that is if everyone was dumb then we'd all be consumers and nothing would get developed/produced/refined/improved/made and we'd all die. The other is that once you're smart enough to realize the saying "Ignorance is bliss" really is true, you're a bit too far past being ignorant enough to live by it.God/Goddess/Ramtha help us.