Customer Reviews

Debunked!: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

In this age of new conspiracy theories being hatched daily, we are in need of a thoughtful work to shed the light of reality on many of them. Unfortunately, this book is not it. Most of the chapters, if submitted as Jr. High English or Creative Writing assignments, would be lucky to receive a passing grade. One problem is that it is too ambitious for the amount of work the author was willing to put in: He takes on 28 issues of varying significance (from 9/11 to the Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich,) and tries to cover them all in less than 200 pages of actual text. The results are necessarily superficial, but the author's attitude and choices make them even more so. For example, on the nuanced issue of media bias, the author merely compiles a simple list of 55 conservative columnists, publications, commentators and bloggers, sandwiches it between two sarcastic comments, and Presto! That's his chapter debunking "The Vast left-Wing Conspiracy." If you want to see urban legends debunked, go online to [...] and avoid wasting your time and money on this amateurish effort.

So many of the articles in this book have explanations for conspiracy theories "debunked" by explanations such as "how could so many people be fooled" or "wouldn't someone have seen it". If the book had more humor (OK, 9/11 isn't a funny subject, but many of the topics are), it would have gained at least one star from me. However, I found it flat, repetitive, and generally boring. I know Roeper can do better then this.

I have to hand it to Richard Roeper, he has taken on a task that should have been done a long time ago and achieved something worth while. Much like cleaning out an old garage, he has dared to throw down the gauntlet and show just how silly and stupid most theories are. What makes this work so entertaining is that Roeper doesn't bother to hide his contempt for the the theories themselves. He also has fun with the people who push these theories which I am sure he enjoys doing.

I read his columns and reviews and will admit I do not agree with all of his viewpoints. What makes this book enjoyable is that it is, like his columns, written in his own voice and opinion and very readable. Richard Roeper encourages debate and that makes it very enjoyable to read his work.

The NFL is completely rigged. Princess Di was murdered, 9/11 was an inside job, Barack Obama is a radical Muslim, the Virgin Mary's face can be seen in certain frying pans and grilled cheese sandwiches, Flight 93 secretly landed in Cleveland, where the passengers were whisked off to a NASA facility. Yeah, we laughed too. Popular film critic Richard Roeper tackles some of the most outlandish conspiracy theories, urban legends and evil plots of the 21st century in a thin tome that's a hoot . . . when it's not a holler. Pithy prose may put to sleep (or at least in a deep dormant state) all these notorious scandals and notorious scams, but you will read stay awake, giggling and guffawing, at just how gullible people can be. Now about Donald Rumsfeld being the mastermind behind the bird flu . . .

Just more idiocy from the left. Roeper never misses a chance to bash the usual targets on the right. Most of his selections for debunking are obvious and not necessary for people who can actually complete a sentence. If you are looking for something on these pages to win an argument or convince someone on the fence, you won't find it here. Unable to see beyond his own cloistered world of mini-minds confirming their version of "truth" to each other, Roeper has crafted a straight-to-bargain table "masterpiece". I picked up this book hoping for some factual commentary and some balance. This book, however, is just the right height for placing under a table leg to eliminate any wobbling. Save your money and your time. Even your table wouldn't appreciate this slop.

Roeper's "Debunked" is a witty, no-holds barred look at a few of the sacred cows of conspiracy theorists and believers in urban legends. Happily, he's an equal opportunity critic, skewering the icons of the left (Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey) with as much verve as the idols of the right (Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter). I'm delighted by his "fair and balanced treatment" of assorted conspiracy theories, urban legends and evil plots (just like on Fox "News"!). All in all, it's a pretty brave book: Roeper could have just as easily called it "Please Send Me Sackloads of Vitriolic Hate Mail," because that's what he's probably going to get.

Too bad, because "Debunked" does a nice job of explaining why 9-11 was caused by terrorists and not our government, why casinos don't cheat (your odds of winning are so low that they don't need to), why there's no good reason to think that Princess Di or JFK, Jr were murdered, why "The Secret" is hokum, and why there is no vast left-wing conspiracy. (On the last point, my own guess is that the left wing conspirators were murdered in a vast right-wing conspirancy organized by Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, and Elvis, but Roeper doesn't really mention that theory, probably because he's part of the conspiracy).

Speaking of extreme right wingers like O'Reilly and Coulter, I've always wondered why their evident love for conspiracy theories doesn't extend to traditional conservative institutions. I mean, who's to say, for instance, that the National Rifle Association isn't a front organization for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, or that the BATF hasn't by nefarious means secured access to the NRA's computerized mailing lists? You send the NRA your address when you become a member or subscribe to the National Rifleman, right? So they know where you live, that you probably own guns, and that you support the Second Amendment. Won't that put you in an awkward spot when the Shadow Government implements its evil plans? Since the NRA membership or subscription wouldn't tell the Bad Guys how many guns you own or where they are located, the Shadow Government would just have to kill or imprison everyone at that address. And if you think you are safe because you use a PO box--the US Postal Service is a government agency, right? Why don't O'Reilly and Coulter ever fret about that possibility unless---gasp!--they're part of the conspiracy!!! All of this is very silly, but no sillier than some of the other urban legends and conspiracy theories that Roeper debunks with great flair.

The bottom line is that Roeper's latest installment in a series that began with "Urban Legends" and "Hollywood Urban Legends," will upset people who hear the words "coming soon to a theater near you!" and scream "oh, my God, how did THEY know?!"

This was a fun informative read. It makes you shake your head to think that so many people buy into the strangest theories about how something happened rather than going to the most practical and common place. I guess people don't want simple and common place. My only complaint about the book was that some of the theories got a lot of explanation...almost too much. I was surprised to find several urban legends and conspiracy theories that I had never heard of. I guess those believers would say I had my head in the sand. Recommended.

This book was possibly the easiest to read book I've ever opened. Pages just seemed to fly. It covers a lot of conspiracies and urban legends and it never ceases to entertain you. If you're a skeptic, like I am, then you'll enjoy this book. However, Roeper doesn't give the strongest debunking arguments I've ever heard. So if you're looking for a book to give you ammunition to argue with that crazy conspiracy theorist you know, this may not be the best book. But if you want an entertaining romp through some well-known and lesser-known conspiracy theories out there, and you want to hear them from a skeptical viewpoint, then this is the book for you.

I just got the book today, great read, I like the chapter on the war on christmas, keep up the good work.

Richard Roeper again writes a book that is very enjoyable to read.I recommend every one to get yourself a copy to read.