OK, so tonight 2012 hits theaters. I ain’t seeing it, but I’m fascinated by humanity’s arrogance that they might live to see the end of the world. I feel people have this deep-seeded self-interest in the apocalypse that fuels the conceited notion we might be around to see the end of the world.
Some perspective: The world is billions of years of years old. Dinosaurs roamed the earth as early as 290 million years ago and went extinct 65 million years ago. That means dinosaurs existed 225 million years (thank you to Prehistory.com for reminding me!). Despite what Hollywood might have you think, humans had not even appeared on earth until the last dinosaur went extinct, and western civilization goes by a calendar that dates back a little over 2000 years, which will supposedly mark the end of the world? Then the average lifespan of a human being is about 80 years (dumber people last even fewer years). If it’s not vanity that fuels this interest in taking part in the end of the world, I don’t know what it is.
Like Sony preying on the feelings of mourning Michael Jackson fanatics by hastily releasing a concert movie of rehearsal footage of what would have been is final live shows, Columbia Pictures has taken advantage of those who believe they might be around to try and run from an imploding Earth (check out their angle promoting the movie in their official site, linked above). They’ve released this movie (on Friday the 13th, no less) two years before the end point of the Mayan calendar in 2012, triggering this idea that the end of the world is around the corner. People believe this stuff, that’s while people are going to make this the number one film this weekend, despite the fact the film earned a 35% on Rottentomatoes.com as of this writing. Heck, even NASA has a scientist writing up a rebuttal to the crazies fueling this idea (read it here).
So, a nice little diversion like Fantastic Mr. Fox will suit me just fine, instead.
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LOL, love this entry! Well, maybe I will see the end of the world, and prevent it… It’s just about time somebody defeats doomsday, and that ‘one’ should be ME!