Expelled...bribing schools to see the movie...

[headscratcher4]

http://scienceblogs.com/laelaps/2008/01/schools_get_paid_to_see_expell.php

[tsg]

Your school will be awarded a donation based upon the number of ticket stubs you turn in (see submission instructions in FAQ section). That structure is as follows:

* 0-99 ticket stubs submitted = $5 per ticket stub
* 100-299 ticket stubs submitted = $1,000 donated to your school
* 300-499 ticket stubs submitted = $2,500 donated to your school
* 500 ticket stubs submitted = $5,000 donated to your school

Each school across the nation will be competing for the top honor of submitting the most ticket stubs with that school having their $5,000 donation matched for a total donation of $10,000!

If I were an enterprising young student, I'd be standing by the exits gathering stubs from people who've seen the movie.

[Wolverine]

...the creators of Expelled have set up a contest encouraging fundamentalist schools to set up mandatory field trips to see the film...

I thought fundamentalist groups (i.e. biblical literalists) were miffed by ID since it doesn't actually identify "the designer" as God.

Ah well. Lame no matter what.

[KingMerv00]

I hope this idea doesn't catch on with the Loose Change guys or Oliver Stone.

[Ocelot]

OK how do we scam them to win this?

[Tokenconservative]

I thought fundamentalist groups (i.e. biblical literalists) were miffed by ID since it doesn't actually identify "the designer" as God.

Ah well. Lame no matter what.

Agreed. Mandatory viewings of secular religous nonsense like An Inconvenient Pack of Hyperbolic Exagerations, Mistrepresentations, Misunderstandings and Outright Lies however, is a different kettle of Chilean sea bass.

Tokie

[headscratcher4]

So...where are there mandatory viewings of an Inconvient Truth? I would imagine no school system -- save maybe San Franscico -- is taking kids to "mandatory" viewings of that movie. They hyperbole is nice...but not quite the same. Also, this is not, of course a "mandatory" viewing...save that they are private, reliigiously affiliated schools. The thing that intrigues me and why I posted isn't that fundumentalist and evangelical schools might view the movie (as a "mandatory" exersize) but that the producers have created a financial inducement for them to do so...suggesting, perhaps, that unlike Gore or Moore, the draw to this film hasn't been big without a financial inducement. Say what you will about Gore or Moore, but they figured out how to get people to see their movie...in a good old capitalist way: advertising, word of mouth, good reviews, etc.

Just want to make sure my original point is made: I'd be facinated with any actual proof you might offer that any public school system, or even one, forced kids to a mandatory viewing of An Inconvient Truth. Not saying it isn't so, just that I would bet there would be some parent there who was in an up-roar and sued the school. So, I'd also like to know if there was any fall-out, i.e. law suit, protest, etc.

[Leicontis]

OK how do we scam them to win this?
I think tsg gave a good suggestion how...

[bokonon]

The challenge is designed to help Christian schools, so I suspect that only such schools will be eligible for the funds. It might be possible to register a "home school," but who knows what verification will be required. If there are 6 "students" in my home school, and I turn in 200 tickets by standing near the exits for a week, will they really pay me $1000, or will I retroactively be disqualified?

[headscratcher4]

Couldn't the JREF establish a Fundumentalist School there in Fla? We could all go, collect ticket stubs and send the to JREF who could use the money to supplement the challenge.

[Ocelot]

I was thinking more along the lines of having an empolyee of a cinema procuring a reel of tickets.

The Registration form says School/Organisation and provides no entry criteria e.g. loony fundamentalist schools on - as far as I can see the JREF would actually be eligable whether or not it were an educational foundation.

[bokonon]

If JREF registers, I'll be happy to donate a couple of hours to testing how many tickets I can collect.

[DrBaltar]

the producers have created a financial inducement for them to do so...suggesting, perhaps, that unlike Gore or Moore, the draw to this film hasn't been big without a financial inducement. Say what you will about Gore or Moore, but they figured out how to get people to see their movie...in a good old capitalist way: advertising, word of mouth, good reviews, etc.And don't forget outright lying. At least in the case of Moore's movie. I don't know about Gore's.