Comments on: Expelled enjoined http://curricublog.org/2008/05/05/expelled-enjoined/ Tony Whitson's blog on curriculum-related matters Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:41:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Expelled — approaching extinction? « Tony’s curricublog http://curricublog.org/2008/05/05/expelled-enjoined/#comment-21267 Expelled — approaching extinction? « Tony’s curricublog Wed, 14 May 2008 00:10:06 +0000 http://curricublog.wordpress.com/?p=234#comment-21267 [...] Of course, that will be a matter of competitive fitness for survival in the film’s envivonment. My guess is that it will not survive out on the surface and in daylight. It might not be able to survive at all without some mutation to accommodate pressure from the legal environment. [...] [...] Of course, that will be a matter of competitive fitness for survival in the film’s envivonment. My guess is that it will not survive out on the surface and in daylight. It might not be able to survive at all without some mutation to accommodate pressure from the legal environment. [...]

]]> By: Tony Whitson http://curricublog.org/2008/05/05/expelled-enjoined/#comment-21238 Tony Whitson Mon, 05 May 2008 16:16:46 +0000 http://curricublog.wordpress.com/?p=234#comment-21238 When I wrote this post, I was thinking from my views on "Fair Use" in general. As I turn to thinking more about this case in particular, it's even worse. If <em>Expelled </em>is squelched through legal action, it will only confirm the ideological message of the film. We've seen the TV promo of Ben Stein sitting outside the principal's office, explaining to another student being disciplined that he's there for making a film. "Must be quite a film," says the other student. They could just re-edit the movie, replacing the Lennon's lyric with a bit about the lawsuit. Ben moves from the bench outside the principal's office to the defendant's seat in court. Same thing though ... the establishment can't face the truth, so they suppress it through disciplinary power. Add to that the irony (which has not escaped the film's supporters) of the lawsuit being brought to protect Yoko's property interest in <em>Imagine </em>(of all songs), Lennon's fantasy of a utopia with no borders or proprietary exclusions! Of course Yoko has every right to protect her property interests, but let's just not pretend that any victory for her in this case is a real victory for the larger cause of public enlightenment. When I wrote this post, I was thinking from my views on “Fair Use” in general. As I turn to thinking more about this case in particular, it’s even worse.

If Expelled is squelched through legal action, it will only confirm the ideological message of the film. We’ve seen the TV promo of Ben Stein sitting outside the principal’s office, explaining to another student being disciplined that he’s there for making a film. “Must be quite a film,” says the other student.

They could just re-edit the movie, replacing the Lennon’s lyric with a bit about the lawsuit. Ben moves from the bench outside the principal’s office to the defendant’s seat in court. Same thing though … the establishment can’t face the truth, so they suppress it through disciplinary power.

Add to that the irony (which has not escaped the film’s supporters) of the lawsuit being brought to protect Yoko’s property interest in Imagine (of all songs), Lennon’s fantasy of a utopia with no borders or proprietary exclusions!

Of course Yoko has every right to protect her property interests, but let’s just not pretend that any victory for her in this case is a real victory for the larger cause of public enlightenment.

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