Documentaries: Truth? or Entertainment?

Watch a documentary. Doesn't matter what kind. It could be a 10 minute web series. A 30 minute special on History Channel. It could even be an epic, award-winning 10-hour miniseries on the BBC. But in every single one you have what are called "subject matter experts." These are people who are either in suits, or lab coats, who will spout off information for the camera and in turn the documentary.

I have been increasingly watching more and more documentaries of late. I think I am just curious about the world outside my own, and documentaries take me there. And That is the power of a good documentary, to be able to transport the viewer as well as informing them of things unknown. Documentaries can be very powerful, but just as easily be very damaging.

So, just because they are wearing the clothes of truth, with their so-called "experts," does that not mean they are true? I don't think so.

In the past few months I have been watching this show on DVD called Penn & Teller's Bullshit. The point of the show is to take something that is deemed to be fact, or believed by a group of people, and then to show you why it is complete bullshit. A quick example would be recycling. You think it's good? You think it's helping the environment? You think it's doing more good than harm? Well you'd be wrong, or so the show says.

Bullshit is a great show. Some of their points I disagree with, but overall I find it a fascinating watch. Every show I learn something I never knew before. But can I trust it?

I don't know.

A documentary can be skewed any which way the makers want it to be. Look at Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11." Complete B.S. right? What about something with a bit more (hot) air, let's say An Inconvenient Truth. I recently watched a fascinating doc named "Man on Wire." It won this year's Oscar for best doc and was about the man who walked a wire between the twin towers in the 70s. It was fantastic. You must check it out. Very good story.

I maintain the opinion that these are entertainments. Yes they are fascinating, yes they may show you some numbers or some statistics, but I don't think it is to be trusted. You can find an "expert" for anything. If you want to interview an expert on Pet Psychology, you can find one. If you want to find an expert on the latest appearances of Elvis in Vegas, you can.

There are nut heads everywhere. The planet is crawling with weridos, creeps, and plain idiots. But you know what? I could sit them down in a chair, put a nice light on them, ask them questions, and with a little creative editing I could get them to spin anything anyway I want. They could spout off information that would make your head spin, and I could sell it. Granted a certain amount of credibility must be achieved, i.e. PHDs, professors, and the like.

This is what I want to talk about. So often we see these interviews, these so called experts in these documentary style shows or movies. They will spell out the doom and gloom. Point to a couple of studies and wallah, documentary subject matter expert!!But are they right? Just because they have a doctorate hanging on the wall and wear a lab coat means we should be trusting them right?

I think differently, and I'll tell you why...

It all boils down to a source. Information comes from somewhere. The majority of us trust others to provide the information we don't know. We scour the web, googling or looking things up on Wikipedia. All of human knowledge is available, only a web search away. But where does this information come from. Where do these opinions form?

You could say research. But what exactly are you researching? Books? Tapes? Other people's opinions. You are researching the truth? But how do you know the truth? Unless you are the scientist in the lab, injecting that hormone into the rat, you don't know. Unless you are the Pharaoh of Egypt himself, and not some archaeologist interpreting remains at a site, you don't know. And you may never know.

The point is this, and it is very simple... Don't be quick to jump on a cause. Don't be hasty in making a judgement. And don't bandwagon on other people's ideas simply because somebody said it was true. Look at the data yourself. Judge from your own eyes, not what others put before you.

And if your watching that documentary, enjoy it for what it is; entertainment. Albeit, a good documentary can open up your eyes to things you weren't aware of. But it shouldn't convince you of anything.

I was watching a documentary on Wal mart over the weekend called : "Wal-Mart: the High Cost of Low Price." It was about several issues including the poor employment conditions, putting Mom&Pop's out of business, and outsourcing labor in Asia. It was very interesting. It made me aware of some things I had never though of before. But is it making me picket on the street corner? No. Is it making me boycott them and their abysmal employment standards? No.

Why?

Because I allow for the possibility that it isn't fact. I allow that it isn't the be-all, end-all source information source on Wal mart. And in truth, I have begun doing a bit of research into what exactly they are doing over in Wally-World, because it certainly peaked my curiosity. That is the most important thing a documentary can achieve; challenging it's viewers to ask questions, and search for answers.

I implore every reader of this to go out and watch or listen to these documentaries. They are an important part of television, film, and radio. But I urge you, don't be so quick to rage or to jump on the bandwagon. Because when your only source is a piece of enlightening fluff, you haven't really learned anything, have you.

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