Global warming zinger in CBS “The Good Wife”
I was just watching the episode “The Art of War” in the drama “The Good Wife” on CBS and was shocked to see this very pointed put down about climate skeptics.
Scene: A judge is being seated at the bench in a Cook County Courtroom.
The judge (Judge Abernathy played by Denis O’Hare) sits, and then announces to the courtroom.
Thank you for being here on this exceptionally warm November day. I suppose it goes without saying, Global Warming 1, skeptics 0.
The episode will likely be available online tomorrow, and if so I’ll add a link here.
I think perhaps the Hollywood producers or writing staff might have a burr under their saddle about the global warming issue not being front and center anymore, and while some TV shows and movies offer “gratuitous sex” this seems to be a case of a “gratuitous global warming schtick”.
I do. The data says exactly the opposite of what the zinger implies. Yes I know, its fiction, but they’ve opened the door on creative license.
From Fox News Chicago:
Second consecutive month of below normal temperatures
The average low temperature for October was 42.4 degrees which is -0.4 below normal.
Therefore, the average temperature for the month was 51.5 degrees exactly 1.0 degree cooler than normal.
Hollywood deals with alternate realities as a matter of course. Of course they are receptive to fictional views of the earth.
Part of the fun of science fiction is playing the ‘what if’ game. What if I could travel through time. What if some aliens came to the earth.
A lot of actors confuse acting ability with expertise in the real world. So do a lot of their fans.
If I were a lawyer in a trial where the judge did make a comment of that sort, I would know right away the judge is not very bright. Certainly would not object; just file the observation away for future use in the trial.
The Television and Motion Picture Industry is perpetually and embarrassingly wrong about all scientific issues. It’s hard to believe any group could get it so consistently wrong. It’s as if they are engaged in a war to spread disinformation. They get it wrong even in cases where its easier to get it right.
It’s particularly strange since the Industry relies so extensively on some of the most advanced technology on the face of the planet.
I care about the damage they do to the education of the general public, sufficiently much that I say a little prayer that they should get their just deserts, every time they muck things up. Generally, that’s with every movie and TV show.
Yet another example of media/scriptwriter ignorance over the weather/climate issue.
Global warming, global cooling – it’s all the same meme : catastrophic change. No change? same thing: it should be changing, it always has! Whatever way one looks at it, the catastrophist meme covers it all. Science fiction at its worst, political control at its best.
Gilmore Girls. Smallville. Dr. Who… They’ve managed to ruin each show for me with such ideological claptrap.
Say, Anthony, OT and sorry about that, but I am guessing you will be posting a reminder for your webshow soon? I’ll post it in my journal.
One warm day in November is not, of course, evidence of global warming. But it is a funny quip nevertheless.
Michael says:
November 4, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Total water in earth, from your figures – 3.285 X 10**21 pounds.
Total energy in earth from fossil fuels – 1.0 X 10**21 BTU
See http://www.scribd.com/doc/27989321/Calculating-Earth-s-Total-Fossil-Fuel-Reserves
Divide former into latter, I come up with about 1/3 degrees F.
John F. Hultquist says: “Can I get a show of hands of those that have gotten rid of their TVs?”
I’m keeping mine to watch their faces as they announce the end of the Kyoto Commitment on the 31st December 2012. Or better still, to watch the utter lack of any comment what-so-ever from any news media, NGO or US or UK government as they try to ignore what the rest of the world is telling them as they ditch Kyoto and the Global Warming scam.
Then I want to have my TV, to watch the greens and NGOs as they first try denial to pretend it hasn’t finished, then they try anger to force people to listen, then they just go into childish screaming michael-mann fit on the floor.
And then I want to watch the faces of all the presenters who over all these years have told straight faced lies about global warming … as they try to pretend they were always sceptics.
But the best bit will be watching all those third rate reporters who have had the easy cop-out when asked “what caused it” … as they now struggle to make any sense of any science behind the real climate now that the pseudo clap trap religion that used to be their answer for extreme weather events as been exposed as carp.
John F. Hultquist says:
November 4, 2012 at 11:58 pm
Over the past couple of years many folks commenting have claimed to resign from organizations and not renew magazine subscriptions. A magazine might cost between $20 and $40 per year. What’s the TV costing you? Can I get a show of hands of those that have gotten rid of their TVs?
___________________________________________
I have.
I can not stand the drivel the broadcast, I rather read.
_Jim says:
November 4, 2012 at 11:20 pm
The real question Jim is why the interpretation of The Constitution changed from the Federal Government only being able to own land for a very limited number of ‘enumerated purposes’ to the Federal Government can ‘take ownership of any land or property for any purpose’.
The judge in the episode was clearly portrayed as an assclown more interested in not being overturned than doing his job. The actor conveyed it well. 🙂
Uk’s shivering as well!!
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/cet_info_mean.html
Who in their right mind would lower their precious intellect to watch an American [snip. . mod]??????
come on dudes, your joking, aren’t you??
regards,,
I viewed the show last night and noticed the goofball character making a comment the agw comment. I also noticed something far more egregious – the overall theme of that episode. The client was trying to sue a company for the after hours conduct of one of its employees.
Based on the silent clip the Judge Abernethy character appears to be a bit of a smug fellow and not very sympathetic. So maybe the line is meant to illustrate just what a smug little creep he is. Maybe.
Tallbloke reports snow in northern England. Eric H reports snow in southern England. I can report that two days ago in north Wales my 5-year old niece was throwing snowballs at me. When I told her there was a climate scientist who said a few years ago that our children simply aren’t going to know what snow is she replied, “what an idiot”.
Anthony – you are being too thin skinned. The judge is a repeat character and a knee-jerk ‘liberal’ jerk, the kind of person one would expect to say something like that. I laughed at him, not with him.
tallbloke says:
November 5, 2012 at 12:15 am
You are not polluting your own mind, or your kids’, and that’s a good thing. I haven’t had live TV in the house for years.
However, consider the legions of heads filled with garbage voting for mini-tyrants making dangerous policy. The opposition must either make us buffons or evil, and Hollywood is busy trying to fulfill that mission. These sorts of lib-cracks (not wisecracks) have peppered shows for many years, even ‘intelligent’ shows like House. The same juvenile humor is common in politics now, at least on one side (e.g. Petreus – betray us). We should at least be aware of it.
Fortunately, we have WUWT to arm ourselves with good science-based arguments, and I suspect we have the laws of Nature mostly on our side. Eventually, reality will reveal the truth. The question is by the time everyone knows the score, have we already given up our freedom to be kept “safe”. What happens Nov 6 will influence how fast we move down the road to serfdom, not just in the US.
not in any way surprising ABC radio etc in aus has been doing this(badly ad nauseaum) for the last few years. every show inc the religion ones have managed to intro warming into it somewhere.
they TOLD us they planned to ramp up media coverage and fight back at us nasty unbelievers:-)
this is just the beginning, and then theres all the thick actors who will happily say and do anything to gain media cover and a few more retarded fans..
I ditched TV in 1992 and havent missed it a bit.
the pc and the info via net is far superior.
“…The average high temperature for October was 60.5 degrees which is -1.8 below normal.”
Just being pedantic, but I always thought 2 negatives made a positive?
It was 22 F this morning in Mid Michigan. Skeptics 1 AGW 0
Scandal had an episode where the protagonists realize the CIA has doctored photos because of global warming. The growing season has moved over time ~1 decadee because of global warming, so the pics are taken now rather than when claimed.
michaeljmcfadden November 4, 2012 at 11:03 pm (and others).
Every entertainment work you see on TV and video is scripted. Some human wrote the script, word for word. All the ads are scripted. Doh? Oh, and even all the news programs as well as those great shows on MSNBC and “speical reports”. Yada yada yada.
Point is, the line presented was sincerely intentional. If the judge had said, for example, “this case is a stain on the blue dress of justice” do you think the writer meant the the signing of the Magna Carter? Throw away lines, sub plots and even entire stories are intentionally intended to convey exactly what they say. No need for Dr. Phil.
For the rest of use, the point is you all should be pro-choice in the sense that you can choice to not patronize and contribute to these shows and their actors/entertainers. It’s your choice.
This is not unusual at all.
Example: BBC TV had a program about architecture. The whilst a helicopter hovered over the City of London the voice over pronounced in its usual God-like manner; “The eighties gave us wide shoulderpads and global warming”…
The number of times this sort of sly insertion has been made by the BBC and others is too numerous to mention. We don’t call it the British Brainwashing Corporation for nothing.
John F. Hultquist says: “Can I get a show of hands of those that have gotten rid of their TVs?”
Count me in that group too. Got rid of mine 16 or 17 years ago. It is an unfortunate fact that modern programming, taken as a whole (and yes, there may be a few minor exceptions) is NOT an instrument of education. It is, as Fred Reed phrases it, a source of “enstupidation.” Once you ditch your TV you will be amazed at the mental fog which will leave your daily life. Give it a month and see the difference.
Leo Morgan says, “It’s hard to believe any group could get it so consistently wrong. It’s as if they are engaged in a war to spread disinformation. They get it wrong even in cases where its easier to get it right.”
Yes, exactly, they are engaged in a war of disinformation. Mass broadcasting has two purposes, neither of which is involved in the actual passing of truth. First, they wish to capture your eyeballs. Remember, YOU are not their customer. You are their product. They sell your eyeballs to people who purchase advertisements. Lies can be made into a better bait than simple truth. Secondly, mass programming relies heavily on governmental licensing and permitting. They disseminate disinformation as a favor to their governmental sponsors. The government is in the business of acquiring power, and the most potent weapon for gaining power is by retaining a populace which does not understand what the facts are. TV helps.
These points are very simple, and anyone who actually looks around can verify them. On the other hand, they are so unpleasant to internalize that few people are willing to admit them.