8 reviews
"Bought" is a movie by Jeff Hays which wants you to believe the dangerous idea that vaccines are ineffective and can cause autism, a notion that has been repeatedly debunked. They also combine this strain of paranoia with one claiming how dangerous "GMOs" are, even though they cite not a single study to support this discredited idea either.
The movie can be purchased for $16.99 or rented for 48 hours for $4.95. After the producers twice ignored my request for a review copy, I regret to say that I spent the $4.95. It is such tedious nonsense that by the time that I finally finished watching it my wife, listening from the next room was ready to climb the walls.
Much of the movie is narrated by Toni Bark, MD, who claims to practice Classic Homeopathy. You may recall that homeopathy uses medicines diluted many hundreds of times, so not a single molecule of the medicine remains behind. This nonsense was recently debunked by the Science Babe who swallowed an entire bottle of "homeopathic sleeping pills," without any ill effect (James Randi does a similar stunt.). Despite the MD in her title, Bark is no longer practicing science based medicine. But wait, there's more!
Toni Bark also runs something called the Center for Disease Prevention and Reversal, and through her web site, peddles something called Essential Living Foods and some others through another site called Skin and Chocolate. One of Bark's partners in the interviews that make up this film is Kelly Brogan, MD who practices something called "holistic women's health psychiatry." Brogan is a board certified psychiatrist, but the specialty she practices has no such certification (or even any meaning.) She also writes for the quack site GreenMedinfo and peddles food supplements from her web site. Neither of these women have any qualifications to discuss vaccines. The central conceit of the first part of this film is that pharmaceutical companies have paid their drug reps (and some physicians) to encourage off-label prescribing. Eventually a whistle-blower reported Glaxo and they paid a $3 billion fine for over-prescribing of Paxil to children and Johnson and Johnson paid a $2.2 billion fined for pushing Risperdal.
A suit is pending against Merck for misrepresenting the effectiveness of the mumps component of their MMR vaccine. These are the only significant facts in the entire movie, and while they represent corporate misbehavior at its worse, they in no way indicate that vaccines are harmful to children or anyone else. Bark launches the first sally, suggesting that pertussis vaccine can cause brain injury, but shows no research evidence. In fact, there is a 1989 paper in Vaccine by Griffin and a 1990 paper in JAMA by Cherry which both conclude there is no evidence of brain damage from pertussis vaccine. Such irresponsible claims as Bark makes do not deserve to be presented in a movie. In much of the rest of the film, the "experts" they interview seem to be mostly chiropractors. Now chiropractors may help you with your muscle pains and the like, but they are not trained in science-based medicine or medical research, and have no particular qualifications to pontificate about vaccines. Then we hear from Gayle DeLong, PhD. At least, someone with a real research degree! Oops, no, not a scientist, but she has a PhD in economics, but nonetheless claims to have found an association between vaccines and autism, thoroughly debunked here.
Moving right along, we next hear from Stephanie Seneff, who is an electrical engineer who uses a computer program for text mining to draw bizarre inferences, but never presents any experimental data to support them. Here she asserts without evidence that aluminum is very toxic and when used as a vaccine adjuvant "goes right to your brain." Did she actually look anything up?
Aluminum salts have been used in vaccines for over 70 years, and Paul Offit's 2003 paper in Pediatrics completely demolishes that nonsense. At this point the film takes a turn from crazy to stupid and uses some of the usual suspects to attack GMOs, failing to note that every major scientific organization worldwide has found that they pose no more harm than conventional crops, and that a review commissioned by an organic food group in Italy by Allesandro Nicolia found 1783 papers in the past 10 years, which showed no harm caused by GMOs.
The movie can be purchased for $16.99 or rented for 48 hours for $4.95. After the producers twice ignored my request for a review copy, I regret to say that I spent the $4.95. It is such tedious nonsense that by the time that I finally finished watching it my wife, listening from the next room was ready to climb the walls.
Much of the movie is narrated by Toni Bark, MD, who claims to practice Classic Homeopathy. You may recall that homeopathy uses medicines diluted many hundreds of times, so not a single molecule of the medicine remains behind. This nonsense was recently debunked by the Science Babe who swallowed an entire bottle of "homeopathic sleeping pills," without any ill effect (James Randi does a similar stunt.). Despite the MD in her title, Bark is no longer practicing science based medicine. But wait, there's more!
Toni Bark also runs something called the Center for Disease Prevention and Reversal, and through her web site, peddles something called Essential Living Foods and some others through another site called Skin and Chocolate. One of Bark's partners in the interviews that make up this film is Kelly Brogan, MD who practices something called "holistic women's health psychiatry." Brogan is a board certified psychiatrist, but the specialty she practices has no such certification (or even any meaning.) She also writes for the quack site GreenMedinfo and peddles food supplements from her web site. Neither of these women have any qualifications to discuss vaccines. The central conceit of the first part of this film is that pharmaceutical companies have paid their drug reps (and some physicians) to encourage off-label prescribing. Eventually a whistle-blower reported Glaxo and they paid a $3 billion fine for over-prescribing of Paxil to children and Johnson and Johnson paid a $2.2 billion fined for pushing Risperdal.
A suit is pending against Merck for misrepresenting the effectiveness of the mumps component of their MMR vaccine. These are the only significant facts in the entire movie, and while they represent corporate misbehavior at its worse, they in no way indicate that vaccines are harmful to children or anyone else. Bark launches the first sally, suggesting that pertussis vaccine can cause brain injury, but shows no research evidence. In fact, there is a 1989 paper in Vaccine by Griffin and a 1990 paper in JAMA by Cherry which both conclude there is no evidence of brain damage from pertussis vaccine. Such irresponsible claims as Bark makes do not deserve to be presented in a movie. In much of the rest of the film, the "experts" they interview seem to be mostly chiropractors. Now chiropractors may help you with your muscle pains and the like, but they are not trained in science-based medicine or medical research, and have no particular qualifications to pontificate about vaccines. Then we hear from Gayle DeLong, PhD. At least, someone with a real research degree! Oops, no, not a scientist, but she has a PhD in economics, but nonetheless claims to have found an association between vaccines and autism, thoroughly debunked here.
Moving right along, we next hear from Stephanie Seneff, who is an electrical engineer who uses a computer program for text mining to draw bizarre inferences, but never presents any experimental data to support them. Here she asserts without evidence that aluminum is very toxic and when used as a vaccine adjuvant "goes right to your brain." Did she actually look anything up?
Aluminum salts have been used in vaccines for over 70 years, and Paul Offit's 2003 paper in Pediatrics completely demolishes that nonsense. At this point the film takes a turn from crazy to stupid and uses some of the usual suspects to attack GMOs, failing to note that every major scientific organization worldwide has found that they pose no more harm than conventional crops, and that a review commissioned by an organic food group in Italy by Allesandro Nicolia found 1783 papers in the past 10 years, which showed no harm caused by GMOs.
Sadly the organisations and people who are supposed to regulate our foods and medicines have been severely compromised. It is a travesty that government, media and industry are colluding for profit, with a very severe cost to our children.
- bronwynmillar
- Jun 23, 2019
- Permalink
The very notion people put money into producing this fear mongering documentary that parades around families suffering from real human tragedy is an abomination.
The usual suspects of pseudoscience all takes turns with Tony Bark while she numbly nods to everything they say. There is no counter arguments. There is no position from public scientists or actual educators. It's all people trying to sell books and speaking engagements promoting fear of safe and proved technologies.
For the love of god don't let someone you care about watch this without allowing them the opportunity to truly read real information. Here's a hint: If you're worried about something (say, GMOs), when you go to 'Google University' try typing 'skeptic GMO' or 'skeptic vaccines'. If you just ask, 'Are whatever safe?' you'll be flooded with websites filling you full of fear and- oh hey, buy this magical snake oil that will cure your lupus for 6 payments of $99.99.
Pure nonsense.
The usual suspects of pseudoscience all takes turns with Tony Bark while she numbly nods to everything they say. There is no counter arguments. There is no position from public scientists or actual educators. It's all people trying to sell books and speaking engagements promoting fear of safe and proved technologies.
For the love of god don't let someone you care about watch this without allowing them the opportunity to truly read real information. Here's a hint: If you're worried about something (say, GMOs), when you go to 'Google University' try typing 'skeptic GMO' or 'skeptic vaccines'. If you just ask, 'Are whatever safe?' you'll be flooded with websites filling you full of fear and- oh hey, buy this magical snake oil that will cure your lupus for 6 payments of $99.99.
Pure nonsense.
- RottingLepha
- Sep 12, 2015
- Permalink
Hired mental midgets have swarmed the reviews of many films over the years. I would take all negative reviews with a grain of salt. Sure there are arguments and counter arguments available for anyone to read/watch. But, ask yourself, where do these arguments come from? Is there a conflict of interest anywhere? Where do these people work? Who pays them? Who are their friends? This stuff obviously matters. Besides that, if you think putting mercury (among other things) inside of you in any way, shape or form is ok, then I really hope natural selection runs it's course. Congrats.
- jerkassstore
- May 31, 2019
- Permalink
A "documentary", that is not only completely biased but is also full of misinformation in an attempt to turn people into skeptics and consequently will result in the detriment to families that make the mistake of believing the utter garbage that resounds from its blatant fear mongering.
In the typical anti-vaccination and GMO stance, one completely misinformed side of the argument is presented with statistics that are either untrue or manipulated to convey a causation that doesn't exist. The individuals that are interviewed are totally unqualified to discuss the matters in question (I don't recall Chiropracters being capable of talking about vaccines and GMOs) and only put forward their ridiculous arguments in a vain attempt to get money off the people they're misinforming, and the argument is totally one-sided; there is no sign of any counter argument from people who are actually capable of offering an informed opinion on the situation. The quote-unquote information offered in no way supports the idea that vaccines don't work (it is even more horrific that they think they can get away with the debunked idea they cause autism) or that GMOs are harmful, every single verified study conducted proves both of these things wrong.
When you want to research things like this, don't watch nonsensical "documentaries" like this one, and don't google 'vaccines cause autism' because you will end up on a site offering you fake information and expensive supplements that - if they don't actually cause harm - will have no benefit whatsoever. Look at verified studies, not biased accounts from people who aren't qualified to go anywhere near the realm of the topic they attempt to misinform you about.
To summarise, this movie is pure fear-mongering rubbish, and you should go elsewhere (ie to a proper study) for actual information.
In the typical anti-vaccination and GMO stance, one completely misinformed side of the argument is presented with statistics that are either untrue or manipulated to convey a causation that doesn't exist. The individuals that are interviewed are totally unqualified to discuss the matters in question (I don't recall Chiropracters being capable of talking about vaccines and GMOs) and only put forward their ridiculous arguments in a vain attempt to get money off the people they're misinforming, and the argument is totally one-sided; there is no sign of any counter argument from people who are actually capable of offering an informed opinion on the situation. The quote-unquote information offered in no way supports the idea that vaccines don't work (it is even more horrific that they think they can get away with the debunked idea they cause autism) or that GMOs are harmful, every single verified study conducted proves both of these things wrong.
When you want to research things like this, don't watch nonsensical "documentaries" like this one, and don't google 'vaccines cause autism' because you will end up on a site offering you fake information and expensive supplements that - if they don't actually cause harm - will have no benefit whatsoever. Look at verified studies, not biased accounts from people who aren't qualified to go anywhere near the realm of the topic they attempt to misinform you about.
To summarise, this movie is pure fear-mongering rubbish, and you should go elsewhere (ie to a proper study) for actual information.
- anthonybayley
- Dec 26, 2015
- Permalink
I find this movie to be amazing and it changed my life. After watching this I have not ate a GMO food and I refuse vaccinations. I feel that the slandering of this movie buy others is nothing more than an extremely transparent way to COVER UP the atrocities of todays big business. You people that refuse to believe the facts must simply be receiving a paycheck form Merck or Monsanto. The clinical studies done by Merck for a vaccine that is created by Merck are faked. They use the large sum of the money acquired from unknowing consumers to pay off government officials. Johnson and Johnson may have lost 3 billion in court settlement for their drug risperdal but they still made 40 billion off of the drug (Bought). "Those who give up their liberty (choice of GMO labeling and vaccinations) for more security (protection from the flu) neither deserve liberty nor security."- Ben Franklin
- walkerporterfield
- Oct 19, 2015
- Permalink
As someone who has experienced first hand the damage that CAN caused by the MMR vaccine, my wife and I are very pleased that movie has been made available. In fact, as of this writing, you can watch it for free on their web site.
This documentary contains IRREFUTABLE facts, and interviews with families that have been negatively impacted by the MMR vaccine. The vaccine industry is a multi billion dollar a year industry, and the lines between government agencies that are supposed to protect us, and the pharmaceutical companies have been blurred to the point where there is no difference between them. Classic case of the wolves guarding the hen house. This movie also takes on the FDA and GMOs as well.
Everyone should see this important documentary. It will not only change your life, it just might save it, or your children's.
This documentary contains IRREFUTABLE facts, and interviews with families that have been negatively impacted by the MMR vaccine. The vaccine industry is a multi billion dollar a year industry, and the lines between government agencies that are supposed to protect us, and the pharmaceutical companies have been blurred to the point where there is no difference between them. Classic case of the wolves guarding the hen house. This movie also takes on the FDA and GMOs as well.
Everyone should see this important documentary. It will not only change your life, it just might save it, or your children's.