FUSION!!! (shaking fist at sky)

[Rezwan]

This is what we can pitch to Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart. They often have a bit where they shift camera angles and wave a fist at the ceiling and yell out a name of the thing that’s mocking them / eluding them / challenging them.

For fusion, the purpose of this frame is to shift the focus off of “scientists competence” (how come you haven’t figured it out yet – the way most documentaries approach fusion) and onto the common antagonist – the challenge of fusion itself.

It also reminds us what a worthy foe fusion is. The good kind of foe – the foe which requires you to grow and learn in order to “defeat” it.

This is the “Jacob wrestled the angel” approach to fusion.

[Brian H]

Colbert? The Colbert who just wished “Satan’s Death” on the Tea Party, Glenn Beck, et al? That Colbert? Nice.

[Breakable]

Probably endorsing any popular figure will claim supporters as well as alienate people.
In case of Stephen supporters are progressive, where alienated are some of the conservatives at least those that don’t threat it as a comedy show. In case of Oprah supporters are popular folk, where alienated could be rational thinkers, as Oprah pseudo-science bias starts to show.
As you Rezwan are probably the PR person for FFS/LPP, you should consider those statements very carefully, even if they are your own opinion.
While I think progressives are an excellent choice of fusion supporters, I believe there are a handful of conservatives which have big checkbooks and could be potential investors. This is probably the reason why most of the PR releases are politically correct and void of substance. Good luck in your work and I would love to see Eric on Stephens show.

[Ivy Matt]

I don’t watch much television lately but I seem to remember Conan O’Brien doing the same sort of thing. Or was it Craig Kilborn? *shrug*

[Rezwan]

Brian H wrote: Colbert? The Colbert who just wished “Satan’s Death” on the Tea Party, Glenn Beck, et al? That Colbert? Nice.

Doubtful. Do you have a link to that? Colbert LOVES Glenn Beck. Quotes him all the time.

[Rezwan]

Breakable wrote: This is probably the reason why most of the PR releases are politically correct and void of substance. Good luck in your work and I would love to see Eric on Stephens show.

Sanitized PR would be an issue for LPP, as they are a commercial corporation. FFS has more latitude as a social media, cultural science advocacy organization. Culture has more chaos.

Comedians shaking their fist at the sky are a stock externalization of the collective psyche confronted by a challenging problem. A way to blow off steam and rally.

I’m happy to get Glen Beck on board as well, but he’s not a comedian. Someone with a Beck pitch could start that topic.

[Rezwan]

Rezwan wrote:

Colbert? The Colbert who just wished “Satan’s Death” on the Tea Party, Glenn Beck, et al? That Colbert? Nice.

Doubtful. Do you have a link to that? Colbert LOVES Glenn Beck. Quotes him all the time.

Here he is, in fact, validating Glenn Beck’s divine credentials. No mention of Satan.

[Brian H]

Rezwan wrote:

Colbert? The Colbert who just wished “Satan’s Death” on the Tea Party, Glenn Beck, et al? That Colbert? Nice.

Doubtful. Do you have a link to that? Colbert LOVES Glenn Beck. Quotes him all the time.

Here he is, in fact, validating Glenn Beck’s divine credentials. No mention of Satan.
Yeah, I’ve got the name crossed up with someone else’s quote. Will correct when I can get the right ref; it’s someone whose last name begins with “C”, but it isn’t coming to the surface …

[Ivy Matt]

It looks like a case of the headline not quite matching the article. Fox News overreacted, in my opinion. Either that, or they made their satire a little too subtle.

[Breakable]

Here is the actual article and it is not Stephen Colbert, but John Cusack and it is not “SATANIC DEATH”, but to be exact “SATANIC DEATH CULT CENTER”
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/08/31/actor-john-cusack-calls-satanic-death-fox-news-gop-leaders/

“I AM FOR A SATANIC DEATH CULT CENTER AT FOX NEWS HQ AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICES ORDICK ARMEYAND NEWT GINGRICH-and all the GOP WELFARE FREAKS,” Cusack tweeted

[Rezwan]

What does that even mean? He’s for erecting a center for a cult of people who want the death of satan? And it’s to be located at Fox, etc? I hate to break it to Cusak, but Satan isn’t slated for death, rather he gets to live forever in a lake of fire. Speaking of a lake of fire, my Dad has always wondered if there was a way to harness the perpetual heat from hell for energy. We’ll need to start a new forum section for “theology of fusion and energy”.

It’s too bad about Cusack. I’m a big fan of his movies, but have previously found his twitters to be boring and shrilly political. All part of his dark, edgy persona, I guess.

And I don’t see any clear connection with Cusack and fusion – wait! There’s the “Igor” movie. We’ll want a clip of Igor flipping the switch one day. So he’s not a total write off : )

In any case, let’s not get off topic here. This post is about comedic approaches to fusion that reframe fusion using humor. Colbert and Stewart are great for that sort of strategic irreverence (especially as ITER & NIF require a bit of irreverence, and an upstart like LPPX could benefit from it.) Another candidate – South Park. That’s more right wing. Would love to see their take on fusion policy.

What we’re looking for here is wake-up-call, call-to-action humor. Constructive, awareness building humor that appreciates the absurdity of the current fusion policy, and helps us relieve anxiety about the enormity of the challenge. Strategic, case building humor, which is distinct from “slam fusion as impossible” ridicule.

[vansig]

no, a satanic death cult is about killing in the name of Satan.

[Ivy Matt]

I suspect Mr. Burns is behind current fusion policy.

[Rezwan]

vansig wrote: no, a satanic death cult is about killing in the name of Satan.

You seem pretty sure about that. Hmmmm.

Could that be the doctrine of The Satanic Death Church, but not the cults? If you’re talking about various satanic death cults (SDC’s) – these may have formed splinter groups and interpret things differently.

I wouldn’t know, of course, having no idea where my nearest SDC center is. Perhaps this is why Cusack wants to establish one.

Yet another thing I’ll never know, and won’t bother to find out.

Back to the topic:

Ivy Matt – but of course! Mr. Burns! And Homer, trying to protect his job at the fission plant. They would certainly have strong opinions on the fusion plant trying to muscle in. FUSION!!!!

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