Discovery Channel spews disinformation

[dsade]

I wandered into the Living room to find the Discovery Channel on. There was a show on called " The Science of Supplements". This was the biggest pile of drivel I had seen in a long time, rivalling Oprah and the local news for it's shoddy reporting.

This whole thing sounded like FDA/Olympic scare propaganda - using the standard bullshit

Mcgwire and Andro, Bechler and Ephedrine Death, Steroids and Little Kids, supposed "dysmorphia" of ALL bodybuilders (as described by a bald, out-of-shape, geeky little man of course), lumping DHEA and Creatine in with the "Evil Steroids".

This really sickens me, as Discovery Channel was supposed to be founded on Developing the Mind. "Science" was the last thing that was discussed in this tripe. I would urge anyone to at least send an email to Discovery Channel chiding them for perpetuating the lies.

 

[Matthew D]

true about that part of the show but the parts before that were good.. btw nice copy and paste

 

[dsade]

Yeah, I posted at AL and CEM as well, but didn't want to type the whole thing over again each time.  Gotta love c/p - though the formatting at AL stuck those weird tags on it.

 

[Matthew D]

Yeah I know what you mean.. I usually cut paste to notepad the copy and paste to where I want it to show up... extra step but it looks good

 

[dsade]

There...fixed it  

 

[jweave23]

Doesn't surprise me really. It is a rather specific niche that, unless fully explored, is easy to put out false info on, most people will not be able to tell if it is true or not, so the burden of thoroughly accurate info isn't as heavy for most TV show research teams IMO.

 

[Biggs]

meh... I like TLC and The History Channel... Discovery has become sub-par IMO anyway

 

[dsade]

The reason I am so angry is that when the debate comes up for vote, this will have had an influence on some people. They will buy into the propaganda based on some limited recall of all of the negatives put forward in the show. I will even go so far as to say that the people who watch discovery channel are more likely to be voters than people who tend to watch other channels, though I have no proof of this.

Either way, perpetuating the bullshit is wrong no matter the excuses.

 

[Biggs]

I will even go so far as to say that the people who watch discovery channel are more likely to be voters than people who tend to watch other channels, though I have no proof of this.

totally plausible. the proof: discovery channel caters to a more intellectual crowd (certainly moreso than fox, for example), and education and voting are positively correlated

 

[windwords7]

Did anyone see the show they just did on the science of superhero's? That was pretty damn cool! The science that is geneticaly altering rats with IGF-1 gene manipulation and thereby producing rats that twice the size with huge muslces that NEVER get weaker or smaller with age. They deliver the IGF-1 in what the body believes is a virus but once it opens its the IGF-1 that thereby changes the acutal genes of being. Over my head but freaking incredible. It will be the creation of a whole new "Hulk" like human if ever done to one.

 

[bigpetefox]

HULK SMASH!! WANT EPHEDRA BACK IN STORES!!

 

[Zack]

the media is always biased, weather it be bodybuilding, politics, scandles, even **** like street racing and skateboarding. another thing. is it just me or is it every time a news station is doing a story on a controversial issue the interview the dumbest pieces of **** to defend it.

 

[dsade]

Supply and demand. Most people refuse to take the effort required to figure out issues for themselves, which makes them ripe for propaganda.

Perhaps I had just always assumed Discovery was positioning itself to fight AGAINST that, by helping people develop critical thinking skills. Silly me.

 

[Ibanez]

hmm...I heard it was filled with inaccuracies such as calling creatine a prohormone. Ah....spreading misinformation isn't that what's the media is for?

I want to see this just to see how much inaccuracies it's filled with. Anyone know if it's going to be on again?

 

[jweave23]

Originally posted by dsade
Perhaps I had just always assumed Discovery was positioning itself to fight AGAINST that, by helping people develop critical thinking skills. Silly me.

Unfortunately, you said it.

And as Zach said above, this type of misinformation is prevalent in many areas, especially one's that have a......sort of "scene", if you get my drift.