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Science

Where Science—And Sexuality—Goes To Die: Bill Nye's Netflix Show

There's bad and indescribably bad. And then there's "My Sex Junk," a segment on Bill Nye Saves the World.

Nick Gillespie | 4.25.2017 7:11 PM

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A few days ago, Netflix dropped its series Bill Nye Saves the World in which the eponymous host "explores various problems and misconceptions from a scientific point of view."

Well, at least when he isn't hosting godawful video bits like this one featuring Rachel Bloom, one of the creators and stars of the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Titled "My Sex Junk," I first saw this in my Twitter feed yesterday, where any number of people pointed out that whatever your feelings about the topics under discussion, this video pretty much makes all of humanity want to cringe and die.

There is so much wrong here, it's almost painful. But we should ask, who is the possible audience for this sort of thing? It seems both smug and off-putting in equal measures, so much so I can't imagine anyone wanting to be identified with it under any circumstances. But that only means I am not the target audience, I suppose.

Related: That time Bill Nye said he was open to jail time for climate change skeptics.

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Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

Science
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  1. Tak Kak   8 years ago

    We’re so far removed from God’s love.

    1. Palin's Buttplug   8 years ago

      You’re right. We’re not a Bible-believing nation anymore. Conservatives are correct – we need to turn back to Gawd.

      1. Tak Kak   8 years ago

        In five years this’ll be the centerpiece of conservatism.

  2. Palin's Buttplug   8 years ago

    WTF is “wrong” with this other than its just stupid?

    The singer is bi? So fucking what?

    When Natalie and Mila nipped on each other’s tidbits in ‘The Black Swan’ was that wrong? I thought it was hot – not wrong and not stupid at all.

    So it has little to do with science – so what?

    1. Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"   8 years ago

      Yeah, this was just like The Black Swan.

      1. Palin's Buttplug   8 years ago

        You must consider girl-on-girl action “wrong”.

        And you post here?

        Please tell us how wrong it is?

        1. Cynical Asshole   8 years ago

          Pretty sure he was being sarcastic, dumbass.

          Oh, and pay your bet, cockthistle.

          1. Palin's Buttplug   8 years ago

            No, Crusty is pretty fucking stupid. He thought I was elevating the lame vid to Black Swan status.

    2. Cynical Asshole   8 years ago

      The scene from The Black Swan was hot. This made my balls try to retract back up, like a reverse puberty.

      It wasn’t just that is was stupid, or vapid, or that the lyrics were embarrassingly bad, or even that Rachel Bloom is a horrible singer, or unattractive.

      All of the above are reasons why this sucks, yet somehow the total amount of suckage is greater than the sum of all of the sucky parts. I can’t fully explain why it was so bad, it just is.

      1. Palin's Buttplug   8 years ago

        Yes, ‘The Black Swan’ was hot – no question.

        But we are discussing WRONG. How is this video “wrong” (maybe I am the only one who interprets “wrong” in a moral way).

        This video is vapid no doubt. But how is it wrong?

        1. GILMORE?   8 years ago

          Its not “wrong” because its not even trying to say anything that amounts to a rational claim.

          e.g. *(quoting derptologist)

          – Wrong: 2+2 = 5
          – Wronger: 2+2 = -17
          – Not even wrong: Rotten Cantaloupe + Magnesium = January

          this falls in that last category = something so stupid, pointless and nonsensical that it simply is a waste of energy even attempting to comprehend what they were trying to communicate.

          Naturally, you can’t tell the difference between any of these things because you’re a complete fucking idiot

          1. Palin's Buttplug   8 years ago

            Of course it is not WRONG – as I have been saying you brain-addled dipshit.

            GO TEAM RED!! GILMORE TEAM RED!

          2. DanO.   8 years ago

            something so stupid, pointless and nonsensical that it simply is a waste of energy even attempting to comprehend

            As he comments anyway.

            1. utabintarbo   8 years ago

              Little too meta for you?

    3. MarkLastname   8 years ago

      “WTF is “wrong” with this …”

      Every. thing. Every last thing in it is so very wrong.

    4. OldMexican Blankety Blank   8 years ago

      Re: Peter Caca,

      WTF is “wrong” with this other than its just stupid?

      It’s tacky, it’s ridiculous, and it looks more like an attempt by people who, deep down, don’t like the LGBT community, to make fun of them and smear them, than an attempt by someone who supports the LGBT to make the community seem more mainstream.

      Bill Nye, The Saboteur Guy.

    5. jmg09   8 years ago

      What I’m getting out of all these comments is, I need to go see Black Swan!

      1. Half-Virtue, Half-Vice   8 years ago

        ^ THIS.

  3. Cynical Asshole   8 years ago

    There is so much wrong here, it’s almost painful. But we should ask, who is the possible audience for this sort of thing?

    Crusty? SugarFree maybe?

    1. Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs   8 years ago

      Who?

  4. Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"   8 years ago

    That was worse than the Tom Hanks/Dan Aykroyd wrap at the end of Dragnet.

    “Exactly the right message, Rachel.” If the message was that cultural appropriation should be banned, then yes it was the right message.

    1. Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting   8 years ago

      Reading about her show, it sounds a lot like Girls in that when you watch it, you think it’s satire, but then you slowly realize that these people are simply being themselves and they really are that horrible, miserable, and neurotic.

  5. This Machine Chips Fascists   8 years ago

    Back in ~2010 Bill was a neighbor of musician Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo. At the time Hanley was part of a project called Palmdale. She prevailed upon Nye to appear in the first video, which was filmed in part at her home.

  6. Longtobefree   8 years ago

    Bill Nye the engineering guy?
    What, exactly, are his science credentials? (No fair using “I played a scientist on TV”)
    As I often told the kids when they were young, “No, that is not real, it is just TV”.

    1. Palin's Buttplug   8 years ago

      He studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University (where he took an astronomy class taught by Carl Sagan)[10] and graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering in 1977.[11] Nye occasionally returns to Cornell as a guest-lecturer of introductory-level astronomy and human ecology classes.[12] (Wikipedia)

      Yes, he is a lowly engineer. I did not know that until now.

      Something tells me you would attack Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson too.

      It is sad that wingnuts have politicized science.

      1. Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs   8 years ago

        Sagan was all right. Tyson and Nye are insufferable morons.

        1. Robbzilla   8 years ago

          Tyson is more of an idiot-savant.

        2. Trigger Warning   8 years ago

          Tyson is an awful commie dbag.

        3. BYODB   8 years ago

          Go and watch some of Sagan’s video’s from back in the 1970’s, they’re worth it for the snooze factor and those ‘WTF 70’s’ moments.

          1. BestUsedCarSales   8 years ago

            Sagan was a powerful man, indeed:
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q55Uc2JCqo8

      2. MarkLastname   8 years ago

        I’ll make sure to be careful around you buttplug, I wouldn’t want to accidentally knock that chip off your shoulder, it looks like a big one.

      3. MarkLastname   8 years ago

        Oh, and btw, Tyson/Nye youtube videos aren’t science. They’re ‘popular science.’ Not the same thing, and often very adverse from each other.

      4. damikesc   8 years ago

        Hmm,

        1) Statement is made that Nye has few science credentials
        2) PBP states that the statement is correct.
        3) PBP still attacks the person who made the correct statement and has knowledge that PBP lacks.

        Odd.

        When Tyson discusses things outside of his immediate area of expertise, he tends to be a fucking moron. As most geniuses tend to be. In their field, they make sober and intelligent comments. Step outside of that and they become PBP.

        1. Nuwanda   8 years ago

          Tyson’s not impressive at all. His remake of Sagan’s old show was a yawn fest. Attenborough has more verve and intelligence in his little finger than Tyson does in his entire over-hyped person.

      5. Set Us Up The Chipper   8 years ago

        Tyson’s CV is very weak. Pay up.

      6. Finrod   8 years ago

        But does he have a state license to call himself an engineer? He better never go to Oregon.

  7. Incomprehensible Bitching   8 years ago

    Why in the fucking fuck don’t you fuckers love the fucking science?

    1. Finrod   8 years ago

      This shit has as much to do with science as astrology has to do with astronomy.

  8. Brandybuck   8 years ago

    This is why we can’t have nice things.

  9. Adans smith   8 years ago

    The end is Nye.

    1. Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs   8 years ago

      He is Nye-intolerable.

    2. BYODB   8 years ago

      Nice, I’ll be using this one.

  10. SUPERHEAVYDOODY   8 years ago

    Bill Nye. Please go back to “Almost Live”.

  11. Dread Pirate Roberts   8 years ago

    If you didn’t like the number, you must hate science, dumbass.

  12. Eeyore   8 years ago

    Picture Bill Nye singing it. Ha ha ha.

  13. neoteny   8 years ago

    How do we start decolonizing science?

  14. CharlesWT   8 years ago

    I guess it’s for videos like this one that Netflix did away with their rating system.

    1. BYODB   8 years ago

      I think it was an admission on the part of Netflix that their 5 star system sucked for predicting what someone would want to watch? Or maybe they think that somehow a binary option of ‘yes – no’ is somehow more useful? What’s really confusing is apparently Netflix remembers my star ratings…what the actual fuck are they doing?

      1. Half-Virtue, Half-Vice   8 years ago

        I’m going with political conspiracy and needing to virtue signal progressive by not letting people see Amy Schumer’s low movie star rating.

  15. KerryW   8 years ago

    After seeing that video, I’m amazed that anyone would believe anything that Bill Nye says about science (or anything else, for that matter).

    1. damikesc   8 years ago

      If you watch him an interview with anybody but a fawning fan of his, you’d doubt every word he said about science. He’s an imbecile.

  16. Dread Pirate Roberts   8 years ago

    This is what happens when we try to turn science into entertainment. It’s not science and it’s not entertaining.

    1. D.D. Driver   8 years ago

      Mr. Wizard would like a word with you. (Don’t go, it always ends with you getting submerged in liquid nitrogen.)

  17. gubos   8 years ago

    ??????O Do you know everybody can make $500 to $600 per day for just easiest work from home. I have made $634 Today and $18623 last month by just doing an easy job online from home. I am vey happy that I have this job now and am able to earn Thousands Dollars online. Every person can join this job now by just click on the link given below??????? ?????____BIG…..EARN….MONEY..___???????-

  18. granite state destroyer   8 years ago

    I think there was a moment when we all thought it was hilarious that women comediennes were talking openly about their vaginas, but that was probably back in 2005. Between Shumer and Silverman I think that topic has already been done to death.

    1. damikesc   8 years ago

      Yeah, don’t see why anybody would expect pussy jokes to have longer shelf lives than dick jokes, but man, female “comediennes” sure tapped that well dry fast, didn’t they?

    2. MikeNM   8 years ago

      A lot of the self-styled “feminist” comediennes don’t seem to understand that a vagina joke needs the joke part.

  19. Libertarian   8 years ago

    “But that only means I am not the target audience, I suppose.”

    This is the most egregious social signaling I’ve ever seen.

  20. DanO.   8 years ago

    Is Bill Nye the new Lena Dunham or the new Lindy West?

    1. Anomalous   8 years ago

      Yes.

  21. bartzman86   8 years ago

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *snort* HAHAHAHAHA. Ok, I think I’m going to have a pretty good morning now. Good stuff.

  22. OldMexican Blankety Blank   8 years ago

    Re: Peter Caca,

    WTF is “wrong” with this other than its just stupid?

    It’s tacky, it’s ridiculous, and it looks more like an attempt by people who, deep down, don’t like the LGBT community, to make fun of them and smear them, than an attempt by someone who supports the LGBT to make the community seem more mainstream.

    Bill Nye, The Saboteur Guy.

  23. Meh.   8 years ago

    I’m confused as to why they thought having a comedian sing a 2 minute hip hop song could effectively advocate and educate about complex issues like sexuality and transgenderism without turning the whole thing into a mockery, but they certainly created awareness, so check that box off.

    I personally couldn’t get past the line about having Skype sex with a sad clown. Seems to be promoting a lot less sexual/internet safety than most videos targeted at teens, but maybe this is just me being old.

  24. OGREtheTroll   8 years ago

    Well we should all give a hearty congratulations to Rachel Bloom here, for topping her previous record setting cringe fest with her “Holy Shit You’ve Got to Vote (for Hillary)” song

  25. JB Say   8 years ago

    I always wondered if Bill Nye was a conservative mole on a mission to make climate alarmists appear stupid, irrational and dangerous. This video supports my hypothesis. That video must be religious right agitprop to present sexual minorities and their allies as fucking dorks.

  26. qoheleth   8 years ago

    What is it about science “celebrities” that causes them to grow more arrogant and necessarily less scientific as time goes on. I used to enjoy hearing Nye talk about science. He had that “sense of wonder” as he elucidated actual scientific facts. He’s transformed into an aggressively overbearing, self-important, one-topic screamer.
    “Saves the World”? that’s the issue in a single phrase. He’s actually so full of himself that he thinks he can save the world.

  27. Entropy Drehmaschine Void   8 years ago

    OMFG.

    Bill Nye owes the world some brain bleach.

  28. joeboise   8 years ago

    Sexual degeneracy is dysgenic. That’s fucking science.

  29. ElDanimal   8 years ago

    What the fuck did I just watch??

  30. Ron   8 years ago

    Bill Nye has become such self absorbed narcist over his defense of climate change lies that he now believes he will save the world. BTW Bill Nye is not a Scientist so when will Oregon fine him $500 for making such wild claims without a license

  31. JagerIV   8 years ago

    Is this better or worse than the “beige power” thing Canada funded?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb55teb1gJ0

    1. BestUsedCarSales   8 years ago

      It’s worse simply by virtue of being Canadian and not one the following

      1) Rush
      2) Trailer Park Boys
      3) Red Green Show
      4) Corner Gas

      If it is Canadian and not one of those things, it is worse.

      1. Cy   8 years ago

        You left Strange Brew off that list you uncultured swine!

        1. Finrod   8 years ago

          He must not be from the Great White North, eh.

  32. Hank Phillips   8 years ago

    Nye even copies the Tony Heller bowtie!

  33. reasonreader0001   8 years ago

    carmen sandiego > bill nye

  34. conspiracygirl   8 years ago

    Remember when Jonathan Haidt gave that lecture called “It’s hard to gross out a libertarian…?” Well, this did it. I literally couldn’t stomach watching the whole thing.

    Not to mention that Bill Nye has revealed himself — again — to be the *My Feels are Facts* Guy.

    1. Finrod   8 years ago

      In other words he’s just another Generic Leftist “feelings” swine,

  35. Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs   8 years ago

    Holy shit, indeed. Michael Hihn thinks that Bill Nye is a comedic genius. The world is truly an amazing and unpredictable place. This is like a Japanese monk listening to a fight between two French schizophrenics, and reaching satori by falling through an open manhole.

  36. Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs   8 years ago

    So about the time you are posting comments to today’s PM links?

  37. damikesc   8 years ago

    Perhaps “Almost Live” had solid writing and Nye was, you know, just there.

  38. damikesc   8 years ago

    So, when did the writing on “Almost Live” turn to shit and it got carried on the back of Bill Nye?

    That is your contention, so I’d like some info behind it.

    I mean, one of the writers went on to win Emmys for writing Bill Nye’s “science” show for kids, so he apparently had SOME talent, but apparently only for a little while in Seattle.

  39. damikesc   8 years ago

    To have them rip him to shreds? I’d watch that.

    I have seen Tucker Carlson make Nye his bitch over global warming, asking him pretty basic questions that Nye, of course, was incapable of answering.

    Perhaps he should revert to “My science is for a comedy show” instead of his new, laughable “I’m a scientist for REALZ!” schtick.

  40. Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting   8 years ago

    Perhaps he should revert to “My science is for a comedy show” instead of his new, laughable “I’m a scientist for REALZ!” schtick.

    Why not? Vacillating back and forth between the two worked out quite well for Jon Stewart.

    Nye will do the same thing here–“It’s just a goofy sketch show, you can’t take it seriously!” Meanwhile, Millenial shitlibs will continue citing him as an authority on Science!! as if he isn’t Captain Kangaroo with a Bunsen burner.

  41. Ron   8 years ago

    I saw that but I think Nye had Carlson’s lunch

  42. Red Rocks Baiting n Inciting   8 years ago

    You’ve progressed from babbling to drooling.

    Hihnsanity speaks from experience.

  43. femeyagac   8 years ago

    I’m making over $7k a month working part time. I kept hearing other people tell me how much money they can make online so I decided to look into it. Well, it was all true and has totally changed my life.

    This is what I do…,.,.,,., http://www.careerstoday100.com

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