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Have we talked about the new Bill Nye show?

Moxie

By Moxie,
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wendyroo

wendyroo

Posted
Posted

I've watched a couple episodes.  On average I find about 10% of each episode interesting and 90% pointless, stilted and awkward.  I doubt I will watch many more episodes.

 

ETA: Depending who you talk to, I am either one of the oldest millennials or one of the youngest Gen X'ers.

 

Wendy

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Spryte

Spryte

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Posted (edited)

If you've read his recent books, there's a similarity. And I'd say that at least Undeniable was heavily influenced by his debates. My kid has listened to both Undeniable and Unstoppable multiple times, but I'd say that those are also marketed more to the parents of kids he wants to reach.

 

Maybe this is the same? I have not watched yet.

 

ETA: just watched the linked video. The Gerard Depardieu bit made me LOL.

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Farrar

Farrar

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So... what is it you want to actually discuss here? The show in general? Rachel Bloom (dude, I'll discuss Rachel Bloom) or this clip in particular? Bill Nye? The political focus of the show? The view of sexuality being shown in the clip? I mean, I haven't seen anything other than clips yet. But there's a single episode about sexuality.

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6packofun

6packofun

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I think the show is TV-14.  I'm not sure I want my 14 or 15 yo *children* learning the specific names of sex toys when they thought they were going to maybe get a scientific explanation and discussion of gender.

 

At our house we're rarely impressed with exchanging rational debate for titillation-for-shock-value.  LOL  But it's OK if other people think it's something that it's not.  (Like brave. Or cool. Or funny. :P )

 

I will say that I thought the "best" part of that video was Bill Nye pretending he thought it was, like, rad, and that he knew what half of it meant.

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Garga

Garga

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I'd like to see the lyrics bc I can't get it to play again. But my impression was...have sex any way you want, with anyone you want bc that's the way humans are.

 

That's more of a social science message, I think.

 

 

That's what I was thinking, too.  

 

I'd have to see a full epsiode or two to see what I really think about the show.  That song was unexpected, and not in a good way for me.  

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Julie Smith

Julie Smith

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That was , ... odd. 

 

Recently I offered my boys a choice between three shows. I showed them trailers for the following: 

 

1. Bob Brier from the great courses teaching about Pharohs. (We have seen this twice before, but not for at least 2 years)

2. The Inexpilcable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries by Neil deGrasse Tyson (We just finished watching his version of Cosmos)

3. The new Bill Nye show.

 

After watching trailers, they both rated Bill Nye as their least favorite to watch. And after that clip you showed me, I'm glad. I couldn't imagine watching that show with them as part of their science education. 

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Farrar

Farrar

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I won't link, but Vox has an interesting review that's pro-Nye but critical of some aspects of the show if you're on that end.

 

Most of what the show explores are issues of current political or social controversy around science, like vaccines, GMO's, alternative medicine... that kind of thing. It's supposed to be a bit provocative. And it's a talk show format.

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bibiche

bibiche

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Um, I don't get what the problem is.  Granted, I only saw the linked video snippet and not the entire show, so maybe there is something really offensive in the rest of the segment that I didn't see... but it just seems to be saying that sexuality is a spectrum and everyone is on it. Which is true. So what's the big deal?

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GoVanGogh

GoVanGogh

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We watched two episodes last night and hated them both. Nye kept saying "science," "scientific facts" and "hard science," yet there was only a passing mention of anything scientific in either segment. I normally love BN, but we hated this program. It seemed almost an insult, esp the program on sexuality being a spectrum. DH and I both believe that, but BN seemed to just make a huge joke out of the topic when he really could have discussed the genetic impact of sexuality. (Like 1 in 1,600 babies are not identifiable as male or female at birth, how the Olympics commission has tested for gender for decades and their findings on women with naturally higher than normal testosterone, etc)

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kentuckymom

kentuckymom

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I tried to watch an episode, but then I remembered that Bill Nye is an arrogant jerk. Mind you, Bill Nye the Science Guy was a pretty good show, but he should have stuck to teaching kids basic science instead of getting involved in political science-y things he really doesn't know much about. There was a video going around FB a couple years back in which he said some things about abortion that were just scientifically untrue. I don't remember the details right now, but his lack of basic knowledge of the science he was talking about blew me away. Now, I'm pro-life, but I'm open to having a philosophical discussion with someone about whether the rights of a grown woman are more important than the rights of a fetus. If you say that, I will respectfully disagree with you. If you try to argue that scientifically a fetus isn't human, I'll just walk away. That's essentially what Bill Nye did in the Facebook video. I also heard part of the debate about creation vs. evolution that he had with Ken Ham a few years ago. Even though I'm a Christian, I am not a scientific creationist. In fact, people like Ken Ham really embarrass and frustrate me. I expected to like Bill Nye's argument more, but, yet again, he wasn't knowledgeable about the science and tried to make up for it with arrogance. Ken Ham was way off base both scientifically and theologically, but at least he was polite and gracious. Bill Nye just can't seem to be anything other than arrogant.

 

 

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Frances

Frances

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I'm sorry, but I CAN'T STAND Bill Nye.

I've never understood the appeal. My son was always interested in science and constantly surrounded by it, as his dad has two science doctorates. Even though we didn't have a TV when he was young, I had heard so many great things about the original show that I borrowed a copy from the library, and we took it to my husband's college to watch. None of us liked it at all, and found it way too frenetic and disjointed.
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bibiche

bibiche

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I found the lyrics...and this line:

 

"Sex how you want it; it's your g**damn right!"

 

Is not a healthy, safe message. It's not "science."

What is unhealthy about that? I thought it was actually a pretty affirming message to be yourself. As in, gay? Be gay. Pan? Be pan. Straight? Be straight. Asexual? Okay, yeah, this song probably didn't address that. ;)  But seriously, if our society were not so gender binary obsessed and sexually repressed there would be a lot less confusion and angst.  Free to be you and me, people.

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unsinkable

unsinkable

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Posted

What is unhealthy about that? I thought it was actually a pretty affirming message to be yourself. As in, gay? Be gay. Pan? Be pan. Straight? Be straight. Asexual? Okay, yeah, this song probably didn't address that. ;) But seriously, if our society were not so gender binary obsessed and sexually repressed there would be a lot less confusion and angst. Free to be you and me, people.

,

 

It's pro-rape.

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winterbaby

winterbaby

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It's sad to see science politically instrumentalized in this way. The idea that science compels a particular social perspective is bound to backfire, one way or the other, on those pushing it.

 

It seems self-evident that there are forms of sex which people may want, but aren't right.

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EmseB

EmseB

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Not if you assume that the line applies to *everyone* in a sexual encounter, which I absolutely do.

It couldn't possibly. If it's my gd right to have something, then that doesn't leave many options for the person I want it from.

 

I'm sure the way you interpret it is what they meant to say, but at the very least, it's horribly imprecise and illogical language to use when talking about an act that involves mutal consent and understanding.

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bibiche

bibiche

Posted
Posted (edited)

The line I quoted.

 

I don't read it that way at all. Not even a hint. Taken in the context of the rest of the song it is simply saying that you should be who you are and have sex the way you want to ie not necessarily missionary heterosexual.  Not getting any pro-rape overtones in this song at. all. 

Edited by bibiche
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