‘Evidence that Don’t Look Up is more of a documentary’
Richard Madeley interviewed a Just Stop Oil protestor on Good Morning Britain on Monday morning, and viewers couldn’t help but notice similarities with an iconic scene in apocalyptic dark comedy Don’t Look Up.
If you’ve seen the Netflix film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio you’ll probably already know the scene in question.
Lawrence and DiCaprio play scientists who realise that an asteroid is going to hit Earth, and spend the film trying to convince the world of the obvious threat it poses, whilst everyone ignores them.
The whole film is a thinly-veiled metaphor for the climate emergency facing the planet.
In one scene, the scientists go on a news programme to warn everyone, but are laughed at and not taken seriously by the hosts.
'I think the children and the future deserve that.'
'Just Stop Oil' activists protested across London this weekend to demand an end to the fossil fuel economy. Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis means many people are paying more & more for fuel. Are oil protests justified? pic.twitter.com/mnnIFlJvQT
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 11, 2022
When a climate activist from Just Stop Oil appeared on GMB on Monday, many felt she was given similar treatment by Madeley.
https://twitter.com/alexandrakuri/status/1513427638928482305?s=21&t=ipR0m6Fko8rE17Bbs-VvBg
One person said that Don’t Look Up is “more of a documentary about the mass media and political system than a comedy,” with another tweeting that they suddenly the Netflix film didn’t look like it was “overstretching things.”
Evidence that Don't Look Up is more of a documentary about the mass media and political system than a comedy. It's not that complicated. We phase out fossil fuels as quickly as possible or we are toast. https://t.co/vTx3Xcwq3M
— Galaxy Map (@galaxy_map@mastodon.social) (@galaxy_map) April 11, 2022
Well, I no longer think that don’t look up was overstretching things https://t.co/LWx2HbB0qy
— pele (@pelekoudasq) April 11, 2022
A third joked that it seemed that this Don’t Look Up “sequel” was a bit too similar to the original.
https://twitter.com/donne_mark/status/1513498173939007493?s=20&t=G-YtD412FxdUno_RJ3140Q
Several praised the woman for not losing her patience and managing to calmly explain the group’s aims and objectives and why they felt their protests were necessary.
https://twitter.com/jemimah_knight/status/1513493620782948352?s=20&t=G-YtD412FxdUno_RJ3140Q
I still think my time will now be best spent learning to say ‘I told you so’ while underwater. https://t.co/f0bqrJh0Pr
— Tiernan Douieb (@TiernanDouieb) April 11, 2022
Just Stop Oil have been carrying out protests across the Midlands and the south of England in recent days, blocking entrances to oil terminals in Essex, Hertfordshire and Warwickshire.
The group wants the government to commit to “immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.”
Alongside similar protests from Extinction Rebellion, Fair Fuel UK Campaign claimed the action had caused one in three petrol stations in southern England to run out of petrol and/or diesel.
But the government has since claimed only one terminal was out of action on Sunday afternoon because of protests.
A total of 338 arrests have been made since protests began on April 1, with Essex Police accusing the protestors of “exceptionally dangerous” behaviour that put “themselves and our officers at real risk of harm.”
The force has insisted it is not “anti-protest.”
Related links:
- Calls for motorway speed limit to be cut to 64mph to tackle oil crisis
- Richard Madeley sparks outrage on GMB by asking ‘how exactly is rape a weapon of war?’
- This is how you can join the nationwide weekly blackout protest event from your home
