Paul Cameron's Latest Idiocy : Dispatches from the Culture Wars

Profile

Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of Michigan Citizens for Science and co-founder of The Panda's Thumb. He has written for such publications as The Bard, Skeptic and Reports of the National Center for Science Education, spoken in front of many organizations and conferences, and appeared on nationally syndicated radio shows and on C-SPAN. Ed is also a Fellow with the Center for Independent Media and the host of Declaring Independence, a one hour weekly political talk show on WPRR in Grand Rapids, Michigan.(static)

Search

Other Information

Ed Brayton also blogs at Positive Liberty and The Panda's Thumb

Ed Brayton is a participant in the Center for Independent Media New Journalism Program. However, all of the statements, opinions, policies, and views expressed on this site are solely Ed Brayton's. This web site is not a production of the Center, and the Center does not support or endorse any of the contents on this site.

Ed's Audio and Video

Declaring Independence podcast feed

YearlyKos 2007

Video of speech on Dover and the Future of the Anti-Evolution Movement

Audio of Greg Raymer Interview

E-mail Policy

Any and all emails that I receive may be reprinted, in part or in full, on this blog with attribution. If this is not acceptable to you, do not send me e-mail - especially if you're going to end up being embarrassed when it's printed publicly for all to see.

My Ecosystem Details

« Hentoff on Padilla and the Roberts Court | Main | A Roger Clyne Report »

Paul Cameron's Latest Idiocy

Category: Gay Rights
Posted on: April 17, 2006 5:20 PM, by Ed Brayton

Via Pharyngula comes this article debunking the latest insanity to come from the fevered mind of Paul Cameron. It seems that Cameron's latest claim is that being gay is contagious. It's based on his typically ridiculous attempts at designing studies, which generally rank up there with the "I asked all my friends and they agreed with me" method.

Share this: Facebook Twitter Stumbleupon Reddit Email + More

Comments

Ed, you missed the real meat of this story. This insane "study," with a dataset based on a search of AMAZON.COM was published by a reasonably respectable journal. Cameron is Cameron. But that journal is in for some real backlash for giving him a platform to claim that his work is legitimate.

Posted by: plunge | April 17, 2006 5:27 PM

Another piece to file under the "it would be funny if it was not so depressing" category. I sometimes wonder how people can think this way.

Posted by: Irrational Entity | April 17, 2006 6:33 PM

I don't know, I've been living with a gay room mate since mid June of last year. I have since found myself on rare occasions using the word fabulous and I've bought two Joni Mitchell albums in the last six months. I also enjoyed watching "Broke Back Mountain." I have yet to, in any way, appreciate Abba or Tom Cruise but it could be just a matter of time.

Posted by: Treban | April 17, 2006 9:35 PM

But you just can't wait to see a musical. Admit it.

Posted by: blogista | April 17, 2006 10:25 PM

Honestly, I just made it halfway through Jim Burroway's article before I petered out in shock. I will just have to keep my eyes open for some better news, about the backlash that the Journal of Biosocial Science is going to get on this. How possibly could they have mistaken Cameron's paper for a real article? You know, like, from a real scientist?

Posted by: blogista | April 17, 2006 10:34 PM

Wait a minute. So you're saying that the anecdotal approach is not a valid method of gathering evidence?

Come on! If that were true, we'd have to throw out the huge majority of political commentary.. the implications of this are staggering.

You cannot be serious.

Posted by: Ian B Gibson | April 17, 2006 10:54 PM

So you're saying that the anecdotal approach is not a valid method of gathering evidence?

It might not be logically valid, but hey if it works it woiks. That's all they care about, really.

"Time flies like an arrow. fruit flies like a banana." -- Groucho Marx

Posted by: 386sx | April 17, 2006 11:17 PM