“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within...”
Romans 12:2

Pure Fiction

Hilary Butler - Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Screenplay Title. Mouldy Morals.

Page 187: Scene: "The Bunker"

Setting: Board room. Yellow light from upper left to focus on wooden table centre stage: light to expand to encompass a scene of many people talking loudly, eating finger food off plates scattered across a U-shaped table.

Justina Fogg (minute taker of the meeting) rings the bell on the table. "I just need quiet to think." (curls hair in fingers.) "Whose not here? Hmmm... Wylie Fox, and Delilah Dobbin..?"

Dr Opin Yun (butts in): "They aren't needed to discuss this little plot... they've been briefed as to their part at the other end of the study." (Taps pen on table.) "After all, our business is really to provide material for this wee drill looking at just how stupid anti-vaxxers can really be."

Hyre Ling (laughs.  first sentence in short clipped tones) "That's ... real .... easy. They ...constantly .... grasp ... at .... straws, so it doesn't matter how ridiculous we make this plan look." (Drops head back, gazes at ceiling, then looks back to Justina.) "They jump into print at the drop of a hat really....(voice trail off.. leans forward) "This is going to be fun, watching how fast this spreads around blogs, Mothering.com, and all the other nincompoops around the place. REAL fun." (sits back, tapping pen on table.)

Charma Foboff (looks up from fiddling the corner of her dossier) "Whose idea was this study anyway?" (chuckles) " Roulette Brewer from Smirk, Dark and Loan? Or was it cahoots between...?"

U Sing Lysaght (leans forward cuts in on Foboff) "Shhhh.... shut yet mooth wuzza... some things are best left unsaid, but it's a brilliant piece a drama, doncha think? We can set this up just so, with a little help from our media friends and Google. But we've gotta have it set up fast, to happen in a very short space of time..."

Justina Fogg (leans back, frowning..) "But what's the bottom line here? I don't quite understand?"

Dr Ignor Factz (sighs, drums fingers on the desk.) "It's really simple, Justina. What we are doing is creating a story around the unproven "science" of Dr Andrew Moulden.  We've got hold of this incredulous "PowerHour" story about strokes causing death from every every disease and vaccines, and we're using it to gather data on just how quickly this story will be eagerly spread through the internet. We're using this information as a keynote internet study into the minds of the anti-vaccine movement. Here's the basic plan. Underline these points on your folder cover sheet..." (gets up quickly, picks up red pen, moves to white board, and writes:

(writes) 1) Build a really tacky looking website which is all gimme, gimme, gimme and no CV showing published work.

Ignore Factz (continues talking while writing) "Modus Operandi here sorted the detail. We're making him look like a hippy, and putting up photos of him with the people like Andrew Wakefield.  Moulden will, of course drip confidence and ego everywhere, and be emboldened by his own marvellous CV.  It should be a given that his statements about strokes are questionable, given that he hasn't a relevant paper published, to his name, and expects everyone to believe him, because of his CV.

(writes) 2) You-tube Video.

Ignor Factz: (swings round with big grin to face table) "The You-tube pearl will be constructed with the help of Donna Scoop, who will construct similarly uninformative radio broadcasts too!" (turns back to whiteboard, then back to table) "Oh, yes! And he will have his 'debut' at an international vaccine conference in China.  He stood for parliament in Canada."

(writes) 3) Personal emails to those most open to suggestion.

Ignore Factz (quietly and slowly as writing next line says) "Chose those perceived as the most desperate; parents with badly damaged kids going nowhere."

(writes) 4) Use the 2007 Posts on Oprah's board, and anywhere else he's posted about where anti-vax people read, as quickly as possible. Make sure what is written is semi incoherent, and sounds like said author is on speed or something...

Justina Fogg looking puzzled."Why does this all have to all happen in just a few days? I still don't understand. The whole idea looks silly to me."

Ignor (sighs while writing on board 5)  Change website fast if any antivaccine people question it's professionalism, but leave content same)   "People will solely focus on his extensive CV.  But if they check his previous publications they will pretty soon ask lots of questions about this amazing new breakthrough he alleges. The exhorbitant high scale of fees will be removed when his site changes to the Mark II version. We just want to see how fast the story is picked up, by whom, and how much hook is swallowed before serious legitimate questions are asked!"

Justina (closes her folder) "What's the point in doing all this???!!! You might think I'm in a fogg, but this is totally infantile, and frankly, beneath the dignity of the pro-vaccine mo..."

Modus Operandi (cutting in) "Oh stop being such a spoilsport Foggy, this is going to be such fun!!! We all enjoy making people squirm, and look exposed on candid camera. This is the internet version. They've had it coming to them you know, all this constant support for Wakkers. And we have approval from the Ivory Tower. It's gonna make their day, as they watch from afar..."

Justina Fogg (gets up, slamming the folder on table - throws filthy look at Modus Operandi) "Well, I for one am not taking part in this stupid idea. It was bad enough when you blokes were flitting around the internet putting comments up on Leitch's blog like you were Dr Offit when you weren't. Then you had the gall to hatch some story about it being anti-vaxxers posing as him, when it was you all the time, sitting their laughing, while the people you accused couldn't prove their innocence."

Justina Fogg (whips around, points finger at Ignor Factz) "And another thing.  Isn't it about time parents were told that HPV is actually contracted by babies and children?  You know there have been studies showing that for years, so why are parents being told it's an STD only?  When are you lot going to tell parents the truth! So many of the media releases put out are jury-rigged, slanted and skewed to make it look like you know what you're doing when actually you don't!"

Ignor Factz (rises slowly to his feet portraying cold steelly eyes locking with Justina's) "Careful, Justina.  You know, in this industry, what happens to people who open a door on the plans made in The Bunker. Life is never the same again. Remember the one-way tickets offered to Bernice Eddy? Remember too, what we did to Tony Morris? Seven years in the wilderness, and then skewered in oblivion. (Points to wood board on back curtain of stage) Consult that honours board up there, Foggy, listing the legions of notches on our belt, of scientists we've silenced."

Sir Pent Athol Adder. (enters Right stage carrying black suitcase.  Mimics shutting door.) "Sorry I'm late. Just fired an employee."

Justina Fogg (sitting down slowly) "Anyone we know?"

Sir Pent Athol Adder (walking over to table. Puts case on table, saying while sitting down) "Yes, a colleague of yours Justina. A young doctor called Dr Luke Warm. He never could quite warm to the dogma.  Orders from above to sort out  wavers, ditherers and the unsupportive. So where were you up to?"

Ignor Factz (leans forward) "Just trying to sort out hitches in The Plan".

Sir Pent Athol Adder (removing folder, shuts case, jovial voice, singsong tone) "Can't have that now. Just what appears to be the problem?"

All eyes settle on Justina. Justina shrinks in chair slightly. says "Nothing. Nothing at all. Shall we proceed?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This uncensored screenplay, inspired by the authentic version of "The Great Divide", has been given priority clearance to go on air without delay.

The Truth about any statements, and people, must be uncovered.  Suspect strategies frequently employed, need to be made public so that thinking people can be equipped to analyse carefully, any so-called "facts" disseminated by the birds of a feather that flock together.

Further installments of this enthralling screenplay may be scripted as undercover agents put themselves at great risk to ferret out, and "decode", emissions wafting from "The Bunker" or similar hatcheries.

Security is tight and vested interests may have to be protected at all costs, but unholy huddles can lead to more than mouldy muddles.

Moles, ferrets, turtles and decidedly different doggedness might unearth all sorts of intrigue. 

The script writers of future episodes are ready and waiting.  One thing is for sure, this website will help you live out of the mould(y)!

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