Monday, February 25, 2008

Because it's not like there's going to be a DVD boxed set

Our pal Joe Zamecki has posted the very first episode of The Atheist Experience to YouTube, from almost eleven years ago. I've never seen it till now. Hosting the program, which was not shot live in studio but taped at the cafeteria where the ACA used to have its Sunday brunches, are (from left) Joe, Mary Sue Osborne, and Don Rhoades, one of ACA's true gentlemen.

A little while before my time, '97. Yes, the technical quality is — ahem — crude. But it was a first effort from a fledgling atheist group trying something new and challenging. And the show it launched, that still runs to this day, has been an influence upon the media efforts of dozens of other little local godless organizations around the country. So here are its most humble origins, the first of several parts (the rest of which you can watch at YouTube itself). Thanks for unearthing and posting this, Joe!

5 comments:

  1. Just curious - why is this not going to be posted in full on google?

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  2. Probably because Joe posted it using his own YouTube account, rather than the current AE guys (who probably don't have a copy of it either) with their Google account. Just my guess.

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  3. There seems to have been some confusion...
    I posted this and other AE episodes from the first year because I felt this needed to happen soon, well sooner than ten more years from now. For about the last 5 years, this has been an on again/off again project of mine. I converted the original and copied VHS tapes over to DVDs when I worked at American Atheists. Then I moved back to Texas in 2004. After that, it took me several months to obtain those DVDs for upload. THEN it took me a few MORE months to coax my old computer into performing the videotape/conversion/upload feat which brings us this video. So after all THAT, I think I've been patient. The ACA doesn't have a fast, cheap, and easy way to post all these older episodes I have here, so technical quality be damned, you get it now. Some things take a full TEN years to happen, but by Science, I was eventually going to make it happen. Finally!
    Joe Zamecki
    Austin

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  4. Plus, I have more than enough episodes from the first year on DVD to eventually make a box set. But just imagine how long THAT would take! lol
    Joe Zamecki
    Austin

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  5. Plus plus, you should be able to find all of the episodes I've posted on Google. Just do a search for "Atheist Experience Joe Zamecki" and it should come up. I've posted a lot of videos...:o)
    Joe Zamecki
    Austin

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