Engineer Your Life (The Blog)
 
In an earlier post, we talked about engineering and its place in Hollywood. Sound engineers, animation artists, etc.---mainly those rock stars who work behind the scenes to make the magic happen. Well, our friends at the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC) are working on an initiative to celebrate Hollywood’s positive on screen portrayals of engineering and STEM related careers. By doing this, the EIC challenges these unfortunate (and rampant) negative Hollywood portrayals.

 

Check out this quote in a recent BusinessWeek article from Richard Stephens, senior vice president of human resources at Boeing, a company working with the EIC on this initiative.

 

There's no shortage of scientists and engineers on TV and the movies, says Richard Stephens, senior vice-president of human resources and administration at Boeing. Many, however, are portrayed in an unsympathetic light. "In movies and on TV, 10 percent of characters are scientists and engineers," Stephens said in Congressional testimony on Feb. 4. "Unfortunately, of those more than 70 percent kill others, are killed, or are overcome by lay people.”

 

Unacceptable. That just has to change. Let’s support EIC and do what we can to turn turn the tide. As part of their initiative, EIC has launched The S.E.T. Awards to shine a light on the entertainment industry's most effective, accurate and entertaining portrayals of engineering and STEM related careers. 

 

Check out the award application. The deadline for submissions has been extended to September 30th.

 

Know any great shows that portray engineering and STEM related careers in a positive light? Nominate them and give them their long overdue moment in the spotlight!



Dream big. Hollywood, name in lights movie star big.

 

Love what you do. Engineer Your Life.

 

PS Feeling warm and fuzzy about the field of engineering? Wish you could do something to help spread the word that engineering rocks? Then take the Engineer’s Pledge, our new initiative to help support the field of engineering by banishing stereotypes and polishing its image. Go to our Pledge Facebook page and “like it.”  

The Pledge page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Engineers-Pledge/139865679358530

 

Thanks much.

 

 

 

 

GL
9/8/2010 03:08:29 am

The award submission deadline was July 31, 2010.

Reply
9/8/2010 06:27:31 am

Hi, thanks for the feedback...they actually extended it until Sept 30th.

Cheers

Reply
9/9/2010 11:55:53 am

Wow, Kerry, I had not heard those stats quoted by Richard Stephens - simply staggering!

Reply
9/10/2010 01:25:33 am

Patty--I know! They are just mind boggling. Fascinating and frustrating at the same time. Education and advocacy can (and will!) change all that.

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