History Main / AppealToAuthority

* On ''[[QuiteInteresting QI]]'', when discussing the fact if you fire a bullet parallel to the ground and drop a bullet from the same height at the same time, they will hit the ground at the same time, StephenFry appeals to the audience, saying, "Are there any scientists here who will back me up on this?" Rich Hall then seems to [[LampshadeHanging point out]] this fallacy by following up with, "Or any assassins?"

*** Or, as ''{{Webcomic/XKCD}}'' puts it, "Did you know you can just ''buy'' lab coats?"
** Diploma mills allow you to do this. These uncredited, unsanctioned bodies allow you to get a degree in whatever field you wish based on your "life experience," without a peer-reviewed course of study. For a small fee, you can be awarded a doctorate in any field you wish and then appeal to your status as a doctor. Don't expect it to carry any weight in a real academic setting. Note that a for-profit school is not the same thing as a diploma mill, as a For-Profit school can still insist on proper academic rigor and only becomes a diploma mill if it drops its standards.

*** On that note, appeals to ''Creator/StephenHawking'' when discussing religion (both in a positive and negative sense) are very common, despite the fact that his main field of study is Science, and he actually has very little expertise/experience with Theology. Same with ''Creator/AlbertEinstein''.

* In one episode of ''{{Dinosaurs}}'', in a trial for the heretical view that the earth is round, the "expert" who testifies that the world is flat's stated qualifications are that he is wearing a white lab coat and his proof that the world is flat is the existence of a flat-earth "globe". If a man in a white lab coat has a flat-earth globe, ''he can't possibly be wrong''. And not just one flat-earth globe! The company that makes 'em has a whole warehouse full of the things! What more proof do you need?

*** On that note, appeals to ''StephenHawking'' when discussing religion (both in a positive and negative sense) are very common, despite the fact that his main field of study is Science, and he actually has very little expertise/experience with Theology.

* When the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' sex-scene fiasco was at its height, FoxNews brought in an "expert" who knew nothing about the game, and wasn't even regarded as an expert in her own field (child psychology).

* WordOfGod, when used in the context of what an author or creator intended in his work. By definition, WordOfGod is true. Unless you subscribe to DeathOfTheAuthor, of course, in which case, Word Of God carries no more weight more than Word Of The Guy Who Runs The Newspaper Kiosk or Word Of Your Sixth Grade Teacher.

* When the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' sex-scene fiasco was at its height, FoxNews brought in an "expert" who knew nothing about the game, and wasn't even regarded as an expert in her own field.

*** Parodied at [[http://thunderwoodcollege.com/ Thunderwood College]], a website by Brian Dunning of {{Skeptoid}}, which allows any visitor to instantly create a very valid-looking diploma in just about any field of nonsense. It's actually useful for making cheap theater or table top game props.
** Also addressed seriously by {{Skeptoid}} in an [[http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4025 episode ]] called "All Scientists Are Not Created Equal", pointing how much the media and other advocates of a particular position love to bring on 'a scientist' to back up their position without much in the way of context: "You need to know who they are, what their interest is, and especially what the preponderance of opinion in the scientific community is. You need to know if the scientist being quoted actually has anything to do with this particular subject."

* Urban legends site Snopes has a [[http://www.snopes.com/lost/lost.asp section]] called [[FunWithAcronyms The Repository Of Lost Legends]], which consists of completely ridiculous stories marked as true and obviously true stories marked false. The "additional information" section for each page links to an essay about why you shouldn't believe a story just because it comes from a seemingly reliable source.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'', Dlanor A. Knox cites Knox's Decalogue several times despite the fact that whether the story is a mystery is disputable in and of itself. She even uses it as basis for ignoring the [[LanguageOfTruth Red Truth]].
** And she cites the Decalogue ''in'' the Red Truth for that matter.
[[/folder]]

* When the ''MassEffect'' sex-scene fiasco was at its height, FoxNews brought in an "expert" who knew nothing about the game, and wasn't even regarded as an expert in her own field.

->"Newton said that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, so there is."\\

!! [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority Appeal To Authority]] (argumentum ad verecundiam):

!Appeal to Authority (or Argument from Authority)

!! The Fallacy

[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]

[[AC: Web Original]]

!! The Fallacy:

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In ''{{Rain Man}}'', the title character is an autistic savant, and his condition proves to be a major asset in blackjack. Tom Cruise's character, impressed at his ability, then trusts his judgment at roulette, only to find that the advanced math skills that allow him to count cards accurately do nothing to predict the outcome of a roulette spin.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]

[[AC:VisualNovel]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

!!Looks like this fallacy, but isn't.

* WordOfGod, when used in the context of what an author or creator intended in his work. By definition, WordOfGod is true. Unless you subscribe to DeathOfTheAuthor, of course, in which case, Word Of God carries no more weight more than Word Of The Guy Who Runs The Newspaper Kiosk or Word Of Your Sixth Grade Teacher.

[[AC:{{VisualNovel}}]]
* [[VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi Dlanor A. Knox]] cites Knox's Decalogue several times despite the fact that whether the story is a mystery is disputable in and of itself. She even uses it as basis for ignoring the [[LanguageOfTruth Red Truth]].

[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]
* In ''TheSimpsons'' episode "The Monkey Suit", creationists seeking to ban the teaching of evolution succeed by getting a scientist to testify in court that evolution is a myth -- a scientist with a degree in "Truthology" from "Christian Tech".

[[AC:Real Life]]

** The ol' lab coat routine. Lap coats are appropriate if you are in a clinical setting or worried about contaminating your clothing. Donning one out of context is an attempt to look like a scientist or physician. Lab coats are safety gear. They're designed to resist chemicals or catch pathogens, then be removed to minimize the amount of contamination or harm suffered by the wearer. It is like wearing a fireman's jacket while pretending to be an expert on safety.

*** Penn and Teller's show [[PennAndTellerBullshit Bulls--t!]] did an episode on multilevel marketing. A proprietary drink was marketed with Dr. Chopra's name getting dropped in the pitch. It did not impress the customer, who did not know who Dr. Chopra was.

* WordOfGod, when used in the context of what an author or creator intended in his work. By definition, WordOfGod is true. Unless you subscribe to DeathOfTheAuthor, of course.

!![[Looks like this fallacy, but isn't.]]
WordOfGod- because WordOfGod is by definition, true.

** Also addressed seriously by {{Skeptoid}} in an [[http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4025 episode ]] called "All Scientists Are Not Created Equal", pointing how much the media and other advocates of a particular position love to bring on 'a scientist' to back up their position without much in the way of context: "You need to know who they are, what their interest is, and especially what the preponderance of opinion in the scientific community is. You need to know if the scientist being quoted actually has anything to do with this particular subject."

** Also addressed seriously by {{Skeptoid}} in an [[episode http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4025]] called "All Scientists Are Not Created Equal", pointing how much the media and other advocates of a particular position love to bring on 'a scientist' to back up their position without much in the way of context: "You need to know who they are, what their interest is, and especially what the preponderance of opinion in the scientific community is. You need to know if the scientist being quoted actually has anything to do with this particular subject."

*** Parodied at [[http://thunderwoodcollege.com/ Thunderwood College]], a website by Brian Dunning of {{Skeptoid}}, which allows any visitor to instantly create a very valid-looking diploma in just about any field of nonsense. It's actually useful for making cheap theater or table top game props.