About the IIG Awards
In 2005 the Steering Committee of the Independent Investigations Group
(IIG) approved the creation of an awards program to recognize the promotion
of Scientific and Critical Thinking in mainstream entertainment, i.e. movies
and television. The awards are presented annually. They are presented to
those movies or television programs providing the best and worst examples of
scientific and critical thinking during the previous year, as nominated and
voted by the members of the IIG. The ‘good’ award is presented to the
production(s) which had the most positive presentation of scientific,
rational, and critical thinking during the previous year. The ‘bad’ award is
presented to the worst example.
Number of Awards
The number of awards presented annually is normally one each ‘good’ and
‘bad’, however in the case of close voting, and at the discretion of the IIG
Steering Committee, additional awards may be presented in either category.
For example, in a given year an award for both a TV show and a movie may be
indicated. Or, if several episodes from the same TV series are nominated
within the same year, the committee might decide to offer one award for the
best episode, and another for the series as a whole. The type of trophy and
the wording on it vary, depending on the category of the award.
Exempt
According to the consensus of the members of the IIG, this award program is
intended to recognize material in the popular, mainstream media. Movies and
TV shows that are by their nature specifically intended as “educational,” or
produced with the primary intention being to promote science or critical
thinking shall normally be exempt from consideration for an award, except in
extraordinary circumstances. The award is intended to apply to standard,
mainstream “Hollywood” type dramatic titles. However an educational or
science-related production might be considered eligible for the ‘bad’ award,
should it fail to deliver good science according to its mandate.
The Houdini Hall of Honor
There is another, special category of award, which is the induction of an
individual into the IIG “Houdini Hall of Honor,” named after Harry Houdini,
the role model for the IIG and all other investigators of the supernatural,
and the first inductee. Houdini was really the first one to attempt to
educate the public about phony psychic mediums through his entertainment,
completing the prerequisite for inclusion in these awards. Inductees are
listed on a perpetual plaque which is displayed on the wall at the
headquarters of the IIG in Los Angeles. The other inaugural member, along
with Houdini, is Carl Sagan. The inscription on the plaque reads as follows:
For their commitment to educating the public
in skeptical thinking through entertainment,
these individuals are inducted into the
IIG Hall of Honor
Nomination Procedure
At every regular monthly IIG meeting the attendees are polled for recent
contenders which might represent potential candidates for awards. This is
done monthly to avoid the problem of having to remember all the shows of the
year at the end of the year. Movies and TV shows are only eligible for
consideration within the same year they are originally released or
broadcast. Following the proposals of nominees at the meeting, there is a
short discussion to determine whether others at the meeting have also seen
the piece of material in question, and if they agree with the nomination. If
the consensus is that the material is worthy, an official nomination form is
completed, and the title is added to the list of nominees for the year.
The IIG member nominating a movie or TV show must provide the following
information:
- The name of the movie or TV show
- The studio or releasing company, if a movie (Universal, Paramount, Disney, etc.)
- The network, or channel presenting the program, if a TV show
- The date of release, or air date and time
- A brief description of why it deserves consideration
- A rating evaluating the relative worth of the material
Balloting
At the end of each calendar year the IIG Steering Committee (or an appointed
Award subcommittee) compiles the results of the monthly polling. A ballot is
created and distributed to the general IIG membership. The voting system
employed is “preference voting”, where the voter assigns a preferred order
to the nominees. This assists in determining how many awards should be given
that year, and essentially guarantees no ties.
Presentation
Upon selection of award recipients, winners are notified and invited to
attend an informal presentation ceremony, to be held each Spring. Besides
the award winners and members of the IIG, the press and various local
dignitaries may also be invited to be present. The awards are hosted by the
chair of the IIG, with guest presenters for each category, including IIG
members and occasional celebrities. An opportunity is provided for the
recipient(s) to make some remarks in acceptance. The proceedings are
photographed and videotaped, and made available to the public on the IIG
website.
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IIG Award trophies and Hall of Honor Plaque |
The Independent Investigations Group meets every month
The Center for Inquiry - West
4773 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood CA 90027
info@iigwest.com
(323) 666-9797, ext. 159
