2012: the sum of the IQ's of the makers?

There's a new film opening to capitalize on the current 2012 hysteria. In brief, a specific long period in the Maya (and other Mesoamerican) calendar will end in December, 2012, and ignorant people have decided that this means the end of the world for various stupid reasons.

Think I'm being too condemnatory? One seriously-stated reason: the Earth's poles will suddenly flip. Why? Because, that's why.

What I'm mocking now, though, is the publicity campaign for the movie. One of the official taglines and a major image in the trailer reads: "Mankind's earliest civilization warned us this day would come..." Really? The Sumerians? Perhaps you mean the Egyptians or Chinese? Is anyone really that ignorant? Well, clearly this movie's makers are either stunningly ill-educated or they think their audience is.

A Biblical curse on their houses.

Bad Journalism meets Stupidity

I have written before about the death of good journalism. I've also written about the mysterious appearance of Mary on an inappropriate surface. Oh, and Jesus on an even less appropriate one.

Now these two themes combine, as a reporter credulously reports the appearance of Jesus on a truck window. Now, this is bad journalism because it couldn't be more obvious that this image was faked. I mean, look at the image! It's visibly painted onto the window!

That isn't pareidolia, it's a lame fake. I don't think Mr. Stevens faked it, either. I can't be sure, but it looks like a ridiculous prank on Stevens that's being taken utterly, straight-faced seriously by this inane, embarassing parody of journalism.

Feh.