Two of my coworkers frequently mention shows like “Encounters” or “Ancient apocalypse” or whatever. I’m not the best at debating or forming arguments against these though I do feel strongly that bold claims require better evidence than a blurry photo and an eyewitness account. How do you all go about this?

Today I clumsily stumbled through conversation and said “I’ll need some evidence” and was hit with “there’s plenty of evidence in the episode ‘Lights over Fukushima’”. I didn’t have an answer because I haven’t watched it. I’m 99% sure that if I watch it it’s gonna be dramatized, designed to scare/freak you out a little and consist of eyewitness accounts and blurry photos set to eerie music. But I’m afraid I just sound like a haughty know-it-all if I do assert this before watching.

These are good people and I want to remain on good terms and not come across as a cynical asshole.

(Sorry if language is too formal or stilted. Not my native tongue)

  • Pons_Aelius@kbin.social
    70·
    11 months ago

    If they take a netflicks show as evidence, I seriously doubt you will be able to convince them otherwise.

    • SpaceAce@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
      17·
      11 months ago

      Yeah. Also it’s not my place to raise adults. But a part of me wishes to plant a seed of skepticism. I have a hard time nodding and going along with it. I feel compelled to question it rather than going along with this kind of small talk.

      • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netEnglish
        22·
        11 months ago

        Your answer is right there. Plant seeds of doubt. Ask questions about it. Wow! Did they get footage?! Really? There must be two sources for such a wild thing to have happened! What does Snopes say? Lmfao

      • Pons_Aelius@kbin.social
        12·
        11 months ago

        You don’t have to convince them but you also don’t have to listen either.

        You just have to decide that any issues with cutting them off when they start talking about it is worth the effort or if it may cause problems at work.

    • assembly@lemmy.world
      7·
      11 months ago

      Are you sure they are taking it seriously? I’ve watched a bunch of Ancient Aliens and it was fun entertainment so long as it is recognized as just entertainment. The main voice in the show makes me fall asleep so I’ve technically had most episodes play across my screen. Me and coworkers make comments regularly that “it’s aliens man” as the reason for things. None of us see it as more than humor and maybe that’s the case with your people.

      • SpaceAce@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOP
        4·
        11 months ago

        I’m not sure but they do talk about it a lot and I have been cornered with things like “did you know that all fighter pilots since the 1960s have had to take an oath of silence because they keep seeing aliens up there, anyway this whistleblower…”.

        I’m having a hard time navigating these but letting them have their fun while just asking what they believe and why is probably not a bad approach.

        Someone mentioned that going through with debunking them is a spoilsport move that’s a lot of work to do right and would probably just sour our relationship at work.

      • RoquetteQueen@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        11 months ago

        I genuinely love Ancient Aliens but it’s definitely a comedy for me. I really don’t understand how anyone can take it seriously. My husband had someone in one of his college classes who believed an Animal Planet mockumentary about mermaids was real, though, so I guess people have fallen for dumber things.

        • assembly@lemmy.world
          2·
          11 months ago

          Yarrr….im going to blame this on Memmy as I really believe I hit the correct button and Memmy moved my comment. It’s easier to blame the app than move the comment.

          • Pons_Aelius@kbin.social
            2·
            11 months ago

            All good. I linked spaceace so you wouldn’t have to move the comment and they would still be notified.