Friday, May 11, 2012
Famous Astrologer Rejects "Labels", Makes Shit Up
World-renowned astrologer, Neil DeGrasse Tyson rejects the label of "atheist" because it's too messy and makes people feel things. Much like the the crew of The Sceptic's Guide to the Galaxy netcast (Rebecca Watson, netzine writer, & Skull Dr. Steven Novella), deGrasse Tyson ignores meanings and definitions of words if they are too pedantic, or cause him stress. Unlike pedants and other word Nazis, deGrasse Tyson rejects etymology and denotation for connotation and "whatever the fuck I feel like making a word mean", which I'm going to assume is typical of astrologers.
Like the astrologers, train engineers, and physicians involved in the Mars Climate Orbiter success, deGrasse Tyson only cares about words and their meanings in so far as they effect his work. Which is convenient for him and allows him the opportunity to appear "above the fray". A fine thing, until you get pushed out the window you are so intent on ignoring.
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Betty White and the rest of the PBS mafia are gonna hunt you down for picking on the Tyson. Can we say ritual killing, folks?
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, I caught a PBS special a couple of years ago that dealt with anthropology. It was a recruiting drive for the public broadcaster; the monotony of the sales pitches all but too much to take. In any event, during one of the hard sells, the guy making the pitch discussed just how edgy PBS was in showing this particular show. The idea being that Americans sure won't support initiatives that suggest that there is NO God--the fossil record making it hard to say that we were created in the image of the supreme being.
I thought about that for a while and the narrative of what it means for America's perception of itself and the world and how they deal with the world becomes a little more clearer. Considering that mentality, the complexity that the US's version of 'relative theocracy' is both imposing and significant.
Looking at the Yanks with that lens, I can see why the brainy nerds would want to say out of the fray. It may be bad for business.
Even a few days ago I didn't realise the extent to which Americans in the South could be financially penalised (through loss of business) for their atheism or liberalism. It is far, far worse than I thought previously.
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