Science and Reason in Film and Television

Recent entertainment media portrayals of science and pseudoscience imply that skepticism is no longer useful and may even be dangerous.

WILLIAM EVANS

ho has the most dangerous job on prime-time entertainment television? The police officer? The Wsoldier? The private investigator? The answer is "none of the above." On prime-time entertainment televi- sion, scientists are most at risk. Ten percent of scientists fea- tured in prime-time entertainment programming get killed, and five percent kill someone. No other occupational group is more likely to kill or be killed (Gerbner 1987). Popular entertainment media have long portrayed scien- tists as mad, bad, and dangerous to know, but in the past few decades entertainment media portrayals of science have changed significantly, and these changes seem to have acceler- ated in recent years. Science remains dangerous, but it is also increasingly portrayed as useless in solving problems. The skepticism about paranormal claims that is a part of scientific thinking is portrayed as a handicap. And in many newer

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 1996 45 result, Carol Anne suffers repeated and terrifying encounters point, the real work of saving Carol Anne can begin, and with otherworldly entities. Dr. Seaton seems cruel, and his sure enough it is a combination of faith and benevolent psy- continued skepticism in the face of incontrovertible evidence chic power that in the end save Carol Anne and her loved seems almost pathological. ones from the malevolent spirits. Fortunately for Carol Anne, a psychic arrives to save her. While the portrayal of Dr. Seaton is perhaps unusually neg- The psychic, named Tangina, becomes aware of Carol Anne's ative, skeptics are frequently portrayed by Hollywood as being plight via telepathy and rushes to help her, only to be dogmatic, misanthropic, and just plain wrong. In films such as rebuked and ridiculed by Dr. Seaton. As the peril to Carol Poltergeist III, The Entity, and even Ghostbusters (where the Anne and others grows, and Dr. Seaton refuses to accept skeptic is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official Tangina's warnings about the great power of supernatural who insists diat it is the ghostbusters rather than ghosts who forces, Tangina demands that Carol Anne's uncle and aunt are responsible for an epidemic of strange phenomena and (with whom Carol Anne is living) make a choice: They must whose order to shut down die ghostbusters' "containment sys- choose between Tangina's mysticism and Dr. Seaton's ratio- tem" brings predictable, dire consequences), skepticism is nalism. The uncle and aunt decide to follow Tangina's rec- shown to be foolish and inefficacious, while psychics and para- ommendations and to reject Dr. Seaton's counsel. When Dr. psychologists step in to eliminate die paranormal threats. Seaton objects, the previously restrained uncle treats him Hess (1993) and Tudor (1989) identify die transition from harshly, calling the psychologist's diagnoses "stupid and idi- skepticism to credulity as a major theme and distinguishing otic." The outcome of this confrontation is meant to be feature of recent horror and suspense movies. People who live pleasing to an audience that has witnessed Dr. Seaton's in haunted houses (e.g., as in The Amityville Horror), or find increasingly strained and, finally ludicrous, attempts to find dieir loved ones possessed or pursued by demons (e.g., The prosaic explanations for fantastic events. Shortly after this Exorcist, Poltergeist), or find themselves immersed in satanic confrontation. Dr. Seaton is killed, pushed down an elevator conspiracies (e.g., Rosemarys Baby, The Omen) typically are at shaft by a teenager who is possessed by evil spirits. At this first skeptical regarding the supernatural; but their safety and

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 1996 47 even their survival require that they acknowledge the reality of Agent Scully plays "The X-Files'" token skeptic, but as the supernatural. In these films, to deny the reality of the Emery (1995) notes, Scully's skepticism is often a symptom of supernatural is to place oneself and one's loved ones at risk. As her closed-mindedness. Like Dr. Seaton in Poltergeist III, Scully audience members, we often find ourselves rooting for skepti- remains skeptical even after she has witnessed remarkable and cal characters to forsake skepticism. Sometimes a converted unequivocally paranormal events. Her skepticism is seldom skeptic must work to convert other skeptics, to make others shown to be useful or warranted, and in recent episodes she recognize the reality and danger of the supernatural. Here seems decidedly less skeptical (a change that should perhaps be again, audience members often find themselves rooting for expected given the many paranormal forces and extraterrestrial successful evangelization, since the survival of one or more lik- beings she has encountered in the show's first two seasons). able characters, and perhaps even the world, depends on it. "The X-Files" achieves a kind of realism that sets it apart from The power of diese narratives is such that even dedicated skep- previous television science fiction series such as "The Twilight tics often find themselves cheering when a skeptical character Zone" and "The Outer Limits." "The X-Files" adopts the quasi- comes to believe in the supernatural. documentary style of recent television police dramas, appropriates the authority and prestige of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, The Paranormal Becomes Normal and suggests that "The X-Files" cases are similar to real cases. "The X-Files" perhaps has more in common with shows such as While skeptics should be distressed by films t h a t portray the transi- "Unsolved Mysteries" and "Sightings"—shows in which allegedly tion from skepticism to credulity as a matter of life and death, at real paranormal events are often reenacted—than it does with least these films acknowledge that older shows such as "The Twilight skepticism is an understandable first Zone." In following the discussions response to fantastic claims and won- of "The X-Files" fans on the drous events. In these films, the major Internet, it becomes clear that, characters typically at first consider while most fans do not believe "The prosaic explanations, even though they X-Files" to be a documentary soon become convinced that supernat- (although a few fans seem to have ural forces are at work. These films trouble distinguishing fact from fic- reassure us that the major characters tion), many believe that "The X- are not eager to believe in the super- Files" cases are highly plausible and natural, that they are sensible, normal that the FBI and other government people. (In fact, very few mainstream agencies are actively, if secretly, entertainment media offerings portray investigating similar cases. the victims of the supernatural as hav- In popular entertainment prior ing had an interest in the supernatural before they became victims, even to "The X-Files," skepticism was though in the real world a previous necessary, if only to provide an interest in UFOs, demons, and other obstacle for the protagonists to paranormal phenomena is characteris- Actors Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny play FBI overcome. In "The X-Files," skep- tic of those who claim to have encoun- agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder on "The X-Files." ticism is almost wholly unneces- tered such phenomena.) sary. Although it remains to be seen if future entertainment media offerings will follow the In contrast to entertainment media offerings in which skepti- lead of "The X-Files," the total immersion of " T h e X-Files" i n cism is portrayed as a normal, if untenable, response to fantastic the paranormal is worrisome. It suggests that paranormal claims, the television series "The X-Files" presents a new and events are common and that even likable, educated, and potentially pernicious portrayal of the paranormal as entirely nor- attractive people like agents Mulder and Scully can embrace mal. In "The X-Files," FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully the supernatural. investigate paranormal events in the same routinized, "it's all in a day's work" manner in which "Dragnet's" Sergeant Friday and Skepticism and Hollywood Officer Gannon investigated armed robbery and petty theft. Paranormal events are mundane, "The X-Files" suggests, and even Skeptics have had some success in persuading journalists to an initial but quickly abandoned skepticism is no longer war- include a skeptical point of view in news stories about the ranted. Agent Mulder is always ready (and often eager) to con- paranormal, although, clearly, more needs to be done in this sider the possibility that paranormal forces account for the phe- regard. Unfortunately, Hollywood accords skeptics no stand- nomena he is investigating, and his hunches typically prove to be ing to address the portrayal (or the absence) of skepticism in correct. In conversation, Mulder and other characters are fond of film and television. Many film and television producers would offering offhand and even wholly gratuitous, credulous references no doubt claim that because their products are merely enter- to a wide variety of paranormal phenomena. Emery (1995) aptly characterizes these references as "extraneous poppycock." Science continued on 58

4 8 January/February 1996 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Science from page 48 abandon their reliance on skepticism as a References source of error and danger. Emery. C. Eugene, Jr. 1995. Paranormal and para- tainment, neither viewers nor Carl Sagan (1995) implores television noia intermingle on Fox TV's "X-Files." SKEP- researchers should take "The X-Files" producers to work with scientists and TICAL INQUIRER, 19 (March/April): 18-19. and similar offerings seriously. But this skeptics to develop a nonfiction series that Gerbner, George. 1987. Science on television: excuse is increasingly disingenuous as details how fantastic claims can be investi- How it affects public conceptions. Issue) in the evidence mounts that viewers' con- gated scientifically—a kind of "Solved Science and Technology 3(Spring): 109-115. Gerbner, George; Larry Gross; Michael Morgan; ceptions of reality are influenced by Mysteries." Such a series, Sagan suggests, and Nancy Signorielli. 1985. "Television media entertainment programming could make for entertaining television t h a t Entertainment and Viewers' Conceptions of (Gerbner et al. 1994). These same pro- would also encourage viewers to appreci- Science." Unpublished manuscript. ducers increasingly turn to docudramas, ate and cultivate the power of rational . 1994. Growing up with television: The "reality-based" shows, tabloid journal- thought and rigorous investigation. cultivation perspective. In Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, ed. by ism, and other program formats that Unfortunately, although many viewers Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillman, pp. 17-41. owe their success in part to the strategic would find such a series worthwhile, it Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum. blurring of fact and fiction. may never reach an audience watching Goldman. Steven L 1989. Images of technology in Hollywood television producers have tabloid television. As a culture, we have popular films: Discussion and f i l m o g r a p h y . Science. agreed in recent years to work with long preferred that our tales of the super- Technology, and Human Values, 14:275-301. Haynes, Roslyn D. 1994. From Faust to Strangelove: experts to design portrayals that inform natural be credulous rather than skeptical. Representations of the Scientist in Western viewers about various health and environ- Still, the breathless celebration of the para- Literature. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins mental issues. Perhaps entertainment tele- normal in current films and television pro- University Press. vision and film producers can be recruited grams must be addressed. Understanding Hess, David J. 1993. Science in the New Age: The by scientists and skeptics to help ensure the need for media portrayals of skepti- Paranormal, its Defenders and Debunkers, and mat critical thinking does not disappear American Culture. Madison, Wis.: University cism is a necessary first step toward of Wisconsin Press. from our entertainment media environ- change. Skeptics would do well to iden- National Science Foundation. 1989. Science and ment. Of course, it is perhaps easier to tify or invent commercially viable alterna- Engineering Indicators-1989. Washington, remind viewers mat unprotected sex is tives, and entertainment media producers D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. dangerous or that aluminum cans can be would do well to more often and more Sagan. Carl. 1995. What TV could do for recycled than it is to invite viewers to America. Parade. June 4, pp. 12-14. explicitly acknowledge in their program- develop critical thinking habits, an invita- Tudor, Andrew. 1989. Monsters and Mad ming the important roles of science and tion that would require producers to Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror reason in maintaining our civilization. Movie. Cambridge, Mass.: Basil Blackwell. •

ligations. International Criminal Police Review, Psychics from page 40 mechanisms that might cause individu- 134, 3-9. als to believe erroneously that they are that all three psychics believed that the Hoebens, P. H. 1985. Reflections on psychic able to solve crimes by psychic means. sleuths. Edited by Marcello Truzzi in A Skeptic's scarf was involved in a suffocation, had Handbook of Parapsychology, ed. by P. Kurtz, had trouble with Crime 2, but had pre- Notes part 6, pp. 631-643. Amherst, N.Y.: dicted that the shoe-related crime Prometheus Books. involved some form of burial. This research was carried out with support from Lyons, A. and M. Truzzi. 1991. The Blue Sense. (he Committee for the Scientific Investigation of New York: Warner Books. Psychic 3 also thought that there had Claims of the Paranormal. Herts police admit to using psychic help. 1994. been a consensus on the scarf and shoe. The authors would like to thank Granite Psychic News, Nov. 2 6 . 3259:1. Remarking on the lack of information Television, London, Melvin Harris, and Sergeant Reiser, M., L. Ludwig, S. Saxe, and C. Wagner. forthcoming on Crime 2, the psychic Fred Feather for helping to set up our study 1979. An evaluation of the use of psychics in noted that "sometimes access to infor- described in this paper. Thanks also to Matthew the investigation of major crimes. Journal of Smith for helping to run die experiment., and Police Science and Administration, 7(1): mation is not appropriate at certain Carol Hurst for carrying out the qualitative analy- 1825. (Reprinted in Nickel, J. [Ed.]. Psychic times." Despite this, he said that he was sis of the data. Finally, our thanks to the psychics Sleuths, Prometheus Books, Amherst, N.Y., "relatively pleased with the outcome." and students who kindly gave up their time to act 1994). as subjects. Correspondence regarding this article In short, this study provided no evi- Reiser, M., and N. Klyver. 1982. A comparison of should be addressed to Richard Wiseman. dence to support the claims of psychic psychics, detectives, and students in the inves- 1. Richard Wiseman contacted Sgt. Richard tigation of major crimes. In Police Psychology: detection and, as such, the results are in MacGregor of the Hertfordshire Police Force con- Collected Papers by M. Reiser, Los Angeles, accordance with other controlled stud- cerning this matter and received confirmation that Calif.: Lehi. ies. T h e study utilized a novel method of the above statement was correct (personal commu- Rowe. W F. 1993. Psychic detectives: A critical evaluating psychic detection. The way in nication. December 19. 1994). examination. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 17(2): which the participants responded to 159-165. being told the true nature of the crimes References Sweat. J. A., and M. W Dunn. 1993. Psychics: Do police departments really use them? SKEPTI- gives some insight into some of the Brink, F. 1960. Parapsychology and criminal inves- CAL INQUIRER. 17(2): 148-158. D

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