Entertainment

This 'OITNB' Star Might've Failed Science

by Alex Kritselis

Kate Mulgrew, star of Orange Is the New Black and Star Trek Voyager, is lending her voice to an upcoming documentary that, among other things, makes the absurd claim that the sun revolves around the Earth. I’m disappointed in you, Red. A trailer for The Principle, a documentary about geocentrism, or the belief that the sun revolves around the Earth, just hit the Internet. In it, Mulgrew’s distinct voice can be heard saying mysterious things like, “Everything we think we know about our universe is wrong.” But does Mulgrew really believe in geocentrism? Or is she just in it for the money?

It’s kind of hard to say. Slate notes that Lawrence Krauss, one of the physicists featured in The Principle’s trailer, has called geocentrism “nonsense” in the past — so what on Earth (gotcha!) is he doing in the movie? Krauss took to Twitter to clear that up, writing, “For all who asked: Some clips of me apparently were mined for movie on geocentricism. So stupid does disservice to word nonsense. Ignore it.” Apparently, it’s common practice for producers not to tell people what their movie is about before they interview them. I had no idea! Maybe Mulgrew is in the dark about all this stuff, after all. Please?

I beg because Robert Sungenis, the man behind The Principle, is reportedly a noted anti-Semite and Holocaust denier. He’s not exactly the kind of guy you want to align yourself with, even if you’re just providing the narration for his planetary passion project. I don’t know when The Principle will be released, but I do know that watching the trailer made my brain hurt. It’s like spinning around on a merry-go-round while a series of strange men yell confusing, melodramatic things at you, like, “This is the moment of truth!” “Everything has changed!” and “God made a mistake!”

It’s an experience, to say the least. Check out the trailer for The Principle below.

Update: Mulgrew posted a response to Facebook. Thankfully, she does, in fact, believe in science.

I understand there has been some controversy about my participation in a documentary called THE PRINCIPLE. Let me assure everyone that I completely agree with the eminent physicist Lawrence Krauss, who was himself misrepresented in the film, and who has written a succinct rebuttal in SLATE. I am not a geocentrist, nor am I in any way a proponent of geocentrism. More importantly, I do not subscribe to anything Robert Sungenis has written regarding science and history and, had I known of his involvement, would most certainly have avoided this documentary. I was a voice for hire, and a misinformed one, at that. I apologize for any confusion that my voice on this trailer may have caused. Kate Mulgrew

Image: orangeskins/tumblr