24 reviews
- Mark_H_Smit
- Apr 1, 2024
- Permalink
Alex Jones has asserted that the lawsuits against him concerning his bogus claims that the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Dec, 2012 was a massive hoax violate his Free Speech rights. He has also claimed that the removal of his videos which made the same claims on Youtube or Facebook also violated his First Amendment Rights. Or if someone challenges his views, that's also a violation of his First Amendment rights. Wrong.
Here's what the First Amendment says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
So freedom of speech is about prohibiting any government of the US, from a city council to the US Congress, passing a law to prohibit freedom of speech and/or press. This does not mean that a private company such as Youtube or Facebook are somehow prohibited from denying someone their point of view on anything at anytime. In the case of Alex Jones, if individuals find his views objectionable and/or are harmed by them, that somehow they are violating his rights to speech if they protest or file a lawsuit. Yes, most free speech is protected from government intervention but they may be subject to defamation lawsuits if proved to be false and/or harmful.
This documentary is about the defamation lawsuits and trials against Alex Jones and InfoWars who repeatedly for now going on 10+ years claimed that the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary was somehow a hoax and the grieving parents were actors, and the city of Sandy Hook staged the event. And if anyone was harmed by his assertions, they have no case because Jones is protected by the First Amendment. Again wrong.
Yes, an individual does have the right to propagate just about anything they desire without government hindrance, more or less, but there are limitations including injunctions as a result of due process of law. For example, yelling "Fire" in a packed movie theater when there is no fire is not protected under the First Amendment. Also, anyone making false claims can be subject to a civil lawsuit and/or trial if they propagate falsehoods and people are harmed by such propagation. There are yet others such as leaking classified government documents. Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the Pentagon Papers was going to be tried for the leak in a criminal case which was eventually dismissed. (I'm sounding like someone with a law degree!)
The parents of the slain children at Sandy Hook Elementary filed two defamation lawsuits against Alex Jones when for 10 years he claimed that no child actually died at SH Elem late 2012, the parents were actors, and the activities of law enforcement and EMT's were all staged. Why? Because, according to Jones, it was a left-wing hoax designed to motivate the US Government to pass laws to take away people's guns.
In fact, in the wake of the shooting, a loophole in the law about gun control was put up for a vote by the US Congress, insisted upon by then President Barack Obama. Five Republican Senators who were pressured by the NRA and other pro-gun groups voted against it, fearing retaliation in a primary. So, even if Jones was correct about the shooting being a hoax to promote the ultimate prohibition of guns, which of course it wasn't, the "hoax" failed miserably.
These parents for over 10 years have been harassed, being accused of being liars and at worst experiencing death threats. I know one parent continually moved under false names and was still "found" by conspiracy fantasists. One of the most poignant moments of the doc is when one of the parents talked to someone who noticed her pendant as a memorial to her child. She was asked about it and the mother explained it was for her child who died at Sandy Hook. To which this person said "They said it was a hoax" (I'm paraphrasing). I would be really curious who this "they" that were referring to. Obviously most likely Alex Jones on his InfoWars.
One item which should be noted but hasn't actually been addressed: it is a serious crime, a felony no less, to impersonate a police officer or a government official. So Jones was also alleging that the police officers and government officials who arrived on the scene are all actors. If so, Jones should have pressed that these people also be arrested.
I think the term "conspiracy theory" should be substituted with a new term: "Conspiracy Fantasy". There are conspiracy theories which have proved to be true, such as the Watergate scandal which began as a theory based on the reporting of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. A real theory is based on concrete evidence, only the "theory" designation means that there is no means to prove something to be absolutely true or could be refuted with new evidence. When government officials under then President Nixon admitted to the Watergate break-in and the ensuing cover-up, the "theory' became fact. The Watergate Scandal is no longer regarded as a conspiracy theory but a fact.
Jones did not create a theory about the Sandy Hook shooting based on hardcore investigation and evidence. He didn't interview the parents, he didn't interview the police officers and government officials who arrived on the scene. So far as I know he never even visited Sandy Hook in Connecticut. He concocted a "fantasy conspiracy" and then found tiny bits and pieces to somehow prove that Sandy Hook never happened.
One of the saddest moments of the incident was Robbie Parker's speech a day after the shooting. His daughter Emilie was one of the slain children. But it ended up being one of the nuttiest pieces of "evidence" offered by Jones. When Parker went up to the microphone he was shocked to see all the reporters and onlookers. He had never been in such a spotlight before. He then made a brief chuckle out of embarrassment. (I have been a performing musician for several decades and I know what he was going through. I still get nervous when I get out on stage.)
But Jones propagated on InfoWars that Parker's "chuckle" proved he was in fact an actor who never had a daughter. One question I've always had for Jones: if these people were all trained actors as he claimed, where did they get their training? What degrees had they earned? AFI in Los Angeles? Juilliard? Yale School of Drama? Had they appeared in theater, commercials, TV shows or even movies?
If Jones was really a diligent reporter and journalist, wouldn't he feel obligated to find which acting schools and work these people had on their resumes since he claimed there were "trained actors". Parker in particular claimed he had never been in front of an audience before his speech. He was just a grief-stricken father trying to cope with the loss of his daughter. Even though it goes without saying: he is not an actor. And Jones is not a journalist but a political entertainer. Period.
Here's what the First Amendment says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
So freedom of speech is about prohibiting any government of the US, from a city council to the US Congress, passing a law to prohibit freedom of speech and/or press. This does not mean that a private company such as Youtube or Facebook are somehow prohibited from denying someone their point of view on anything at anytime. In the case of Alex Jones, if individuals find his views objectionable and/or are harmed by them, that somehow they are violating his rights to speech if they protest or file a lawsuit. Yes, most free speech is protected from government intervention but they may be subject to defamation lawsuits if proved to be false and/or harmful.
This documentary is about the defamation lawsuits and trials against Alex Jones and InfoWars who repeatedly for now going on 10+ years claimed that the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary was somehow a hoax and the grieving parents were actors, and the city of Sandy Hook staged the event. And if anyone was harmed by his assertions, they have no case because Jones is protected by the First Amendment. Again wrong.
Yes, an individual does have the right to propagate just about anything they desire without government hindrance, more or less, but there are limitations including injunctions as a result of due process of law. For example, yelling "Fire" in a packed movie theater when there is no fire is not protected under the First Amendment. Also, anyone making false claims can be subject to a civil lawsuit and/or trial if they propagate falsehoods and people are harmed by such propagation. There are yet others such as leaking classified government documents. Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the Pentagon Papers was going to be tried for the leak in a criminal case which was eventually dismissed. (I'm sounding like someone with a law degree!)
The parents of the slain children at Sandy Hook Elementary filed two defamation lawsuits against Alex Jones when for 10 years he claimed that no child actually died at SH Elem late 2012, the parents were actors, and the activities of law enforcement and EMT's were all staged. Why? Because, according to Jones, it was a left-wing hoax designed to motivate the US Government to pass laws to take away people's guns.
In fact, in the wake of the shooting, a loophole in the law about gun control was put up for a vote by the US Congress, insisted upon by then President Barack Obama. Five Republican Senators who were pressured by the NRA and other pro-gun groups voted against it, fearing retaliation in a primary. So, even if Jones was correct about the shooting being a hoax to promote the ultimate prohibition of guns, which of course it wasn't, the "hoax" failed miserably.
These parents for over 10 years have been harassed, being accused of being liars and at worst experiencing death threats. I know one parent continually moved under false names and was still "found" by conspiracy fantasists. One of the most poignant moments of the doc is when one of the parents talked to someone who noticed her pendant as a memorial to her child. She was asked about it and the mother explained it was for her child who died at Sandy Hook. To which this person said "They said it was a hoax" (I'm paraphrasing). I would be really curious who this "they" that were referring to. Obviously most likely Alex Jones on his InfoWars.
One item which should be noted but hasn't actually been addressed: it is a serious crime, a felony no less, to impersonate a police officer or a government official. So Jones was also alleging that the police officers and government officials who arrived on the scene are all actors. If so, Jones should have pressed that these people also be arrested.
I think the term "conspiracy theory" should be substituted with a new term: "Conspiracy Fantasy". There are conspiracy theories which have proved to be true, such as the Watergate scandal which began as a theory based on the reporting of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. A real theory is based on concrete evidence, only the "theory" designation means that there is no means to prove something to be absolutely true or could be refuted with new evidence. When government officials under then President Nixon admitted to the Watergate break-in and the ensuing cover-up, the "theory' became fact. The Watergate Scandal is no longer regarded as a conspiracy theory but a fact.
Jones did not create a theory about the Sandy Hook shooting based on hardcore investigation and evidence. He didn't interview the parents, he didn't interview the police officers and government officials who arrived on the scene. So far as I know he never even visited Sandy Hook in Connecticut. He concocted a "fantasy conspiracy" and then found tiny bits and pieces to somehow prove that Sandy Hook never happened.
One of the saddest moments of the incident was Robbie Parker's speech a day after the shooting. His daughter Emilie was one of the slain children. But it ended up being one of the nuttiest pieces of "evidence" offered by Jones. When Parker went up to the microphone he was shocked to see all the reporters and onlookers. He had never been in such a spotlight before. He then made a brief chuckle out of embarrassment. (I have been a performing musician for several decades and I know what he was going through. I still get nervous when I get out on stage.)
But Jones propagated on InfoWars that Parker's "chuckle" proved he was in fact an actor who never had a daughter. One question I've always had for Jones: if these people were all trained actors as he claimed, where did they get their training? What degrees had they earned? AFI in Los Angeles? Juilliard? Yale School of Drama? Had they appeared in theater, commercials, TV shows or even movies?
If Jones was really a diligent reporter and journalist, wouldn't he feel obligated to find which acting schools and work these people had on their resumes since he claimed there were "trained actors". Parker in particular claimed he had never been in front of an audience before his speech. He was just a grief-stricken father trying to cope with the loss of his daughter. Even though it goes without saying: he is not an actor. And Jones is not a journalist but a political entertainer. Period.
- classicalsteve
- Mar 30, 2024
- Permalink
This is a documentry in English based in USA and covers the trails (two of them) that held Alex Jones accountable for lies and harressment of the families who lost their children and other loved one during the aftermath of Sandy Hook killings.
For me it was heartbreaking to watch. The pain and suffering one would experience when loosing a child that young is, described in vivid detail. (I have used the word loss twice now, please remember this word means murder, and killing).
Some reviews here still show a belief that this event never happened, so devasting was the reach of Alexs Jones. Its a tragedy, and in some way ALL Americans are responsibile for the murders of the 26 people, most children under six years. The Americans share the responsibility as they have failed to secure their gun laws so damaged people like Adam Lanza (the murderer) could not kill so many and so many so young.
It might be easier to believe that this never happened, than to say did we do all we could to prevent this from happening? Should we attack our laws, our legislator, our morality?
But instead of doing that, people looked to hid behind the lies of this man, this broken, pain inflicting man, this Alex Jones. The fear of loosing their guns sems to give people a right to lash out and inflict further pain on strangers than to acknowledge the truth.
Alex Jones lied.
The court found that he had lied.
This documentry is ablout his lies, and the continuation of him lying.
Sadly though; people will continue to believe lies no matter what truth they are presented. And era of the avoidance of truth seems just to have began!
Do watch this, no matter your beliefs.
For me it was heartbreaking to watch. The pain and suffering one would experience when loosing a child that young is, described in vivid detail. (I have used the word loss twice now, please remember this word means murder, and killing).
Some reviews here still show a belief that this event never happened, so devasting was the reach of Alexs Jones. Its a tragedy, and in some way ALL Americans are responsibile for the murders of the 26 people, most children under six years. The Americans share the responsibility as they have failed to secure their gun laws so damaged people like Adam Lanza (the murderer) could not kill so many and so many so young.
It might be easier to believe that this never happened, than to say did we do all we could to prevent this from happening? Should we attack our laws, our legislator, our morality?
But instead of doing that, people looked to hid behind the lies of this man, this broken, pain inflicting man, this Alex Jones. The fear of loosing their guns sems to give people a right to lash out and inflict further pain on strangers than to acknowledge the truth.
Alex Jones lied.
The court found that he had lied.
This documentry is ablout his lies, and the continuation of him lying.
Sadly though; people will continue to believe lies no matter what truth they are presented. And era of the avoidance of truth seems just to have began!
Do watch this, no matter your beliefs.
- forjunkmailhere
- Mar 29, 2024
- Permalink
I tried to stay away from political discussions and concepts because I am not comfortable with being in that environment but Alex Jones really is one absolute egocentric and self-centered a person. The Truth vs. Alex Jones is a pretty good documentary about how Jones misinformation about the Sandy Hook shootings have damaged the victim's families and the insanity and craziness of Jones himself.
With interesting discussions explored, the documentary offers interesting and sometimes, frustrating discussions and scenarios that helped bring forth the information and the situations to light. Including some good uses of music and emotional atmospheres throughout. Filmmaker Dan Reed, previously made Leaving Neverland which I didn't like due to it's poor structure and annoying pacing, improves his direction with how he handles the materials and the standards of not being too exploitative nor offensive to it's subject and victims.
There are some moments that are pretty terrifying regarding some subjects, certain individuals and Jones himself as they perfectly capture how America has become fundamentally broken and damaged. While the structure is the typical HBO style of documentaries and there are some topics I kinda of wish they would explore a little more, I think this documentary does a good job on exploring it's subject.
Not easy to watch for some but I recommend it.
With interesting discussions explored, the documentary offers interesting and sometimes, frustrating discussions and scenarios that helped bring forth the information and the situations to light. Including some good uses of music and emotional atmospheres throughout. Filmmaker Dan Reed, previously made Leaving Neverland which I didn't like due to it's poor structure and annoying pacing, improves his direction with how he handles the materials and the standards of not being too exploitative nor offensive to it's subject and victims.
There are some moments that are pretty terrifying regarding some subjects, certain individuals and Jones himself as they perfectly capture how America has become fundamentally broken and damaged. While the structure is the typical HBO style of documentaries and there are some topics I kinda of wish they would explore a little more, I think this documentary does a good job on exploring it's subject.
Not easy to watch for some but I recommend it.
- Bleu-Le-Fluff-0969
- Mar 29, 2024
- Permalink
One of the biggest ironies in this whole tragedy is Alex Jones claiming the Sandy Hook families faked and acted the whole thing - when Jones himself is just an actor. And not a very good one.
He is a charlatan who preys on a vulnerable audience to make money.
This is a great documentary which shows the rise of fringe groups that have sucked in a group of people who doesn't even believe in basic science. A decent percentage of the population really needs to grow up and learn from this whole situation.
Grifters will always grift but they can't if they don't have a market.
I just feel so sorry for all the families and victims who lost everything and those poor children who were robbed of their future while a redneck continues to con people without any remorse or guilt for what he is doing or what he has done.
He is a charlatan who preys on a vulnerable audience to make money.
This is a great documentary which shows the rise of fringe groups that have sucked in a group of people who doesn't even believe in basic science. A decent percentage of the population really needs to grow up and learn from this whole situation.
Grifters will always grift but they can't if they don't have a market.
I just feel so sorry for all the families and victims who lost everything and those poor children who were robbed of their future while a redneck continues to con people without any remorse or guilt for what he is doing or what he has done.
- tuggerwaugh
- Apr 1, 2024
- Permalink
The Truth vs. Alex Jones is mainly two things. On one hand, it is a documentary on the lawsuits filed against alt-news provocateur and InfoWars founder Alex Jones following his coverage of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, which he called a "false flag operation" that thousands of people were in on, including the grieving parents who he notoriously dubbed "crisis actors", inciting ceaseless harassment. (He has since also been blacklisted from YouTube.) On the other hand, it is an exploration of Jones as a persona and what it is that intrigues even those who revile him.
This is, most would say, one of the absolute worst human beings alive. As we see the Sandy Hook court proceedings and interrogations, where Jones is finally confronted about his lies in a way where he can't get away the same as he would've done if the cameras were at his command, the film inevitably ends up satisfying -- even as the subject matter is harrowing.
And yet, there's something about Jones as a character -- a boisterous loudmouth whose explanations for things will get so outlandish they read like a Reddit theory about The X-Files as orated by a WWE champion -- that intrigues pretty much all of us. One interviewee explains that you may become glued to the show because "You want to see what else he'll say", echoing the scene from Private Parts where both fans and haters of Howard Stern give their answers to why they keep tuning in.
The movie, which is refreshingly concise given the popularity of the "docuseries", underscores just what a cartoon of a man this is; not in an affectionate way, but in a "car crash that you can't look away from" sort of way (only instead of a car crash it's a great ape who figured out microphones and Rolexes but little else). Even in the courtroom, he can't seem to help doing/saying something goofy.
It also explores his beginnings on Austin public radio and we learn some damning, yet unsurprising details from former colleagues of his about how IW does its fact-finding. In 2011, when there were fears that radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown had made it to the coast of California, and Jones' research team reported that their instruments showed this wasn't the case, IW producers immediately gave them a call demanding that all those logs/videos be destroyed, as they went against the narrative Jones wanted to tell and thus advertise the hot new IW product, in this case an iodine supplement meant to shield against fallout. Few things could more perfectly capture what this website -- and most alternate news in general -- is ultimately about.
In my review of Mike Cernovich's Hoaxed, I wrote that, yes, it's good to be critical of mainstream news/opinion; it's just that you shouldn't switch off your scrutiny just because the news is now coming from a sphere whose politics you happen to like (especially when they'll very provably base their reporting on what they're trying to sell). Looking at the current state of conspiracy theories -- where you seemingly can't go two minutes without seeing a post about space lasers and Satanic agendas -- I'd say my supplication fell on deaf ears.
It may sound like a slippery-slope fallacy, but I've seen it occur in real-time with a friend, whose thought process basically went "Well this guy validated by opinions about Islam and the anti-gun media, so he MUST be correct about chemtrails". It's often said that Alex Jones only appeals to those who already agree with him -- that he exists, not to change your mind, but to tell you that you're already right and get you to pay him to say it more -- and while it's true that that's how he gets ya, those people go from bad to worse (whichever tier of "bad" they were already on) once Jones starts telling them about some other things the Bad Guys are up to.
As this film shows, Jones is arguably the most important figure in the normalization of conspiracy nonsense we've seen during these past few years. We're reminded that during the 2016 presidential race -- which involved a considerable boost for alternate news -- the Trumpster himself sang Jones' praises. We're shown there was a period where InfoWars garnered more viewers than CNN.
I myself once wrote about how this magnitude of conspiracy-theorist thinking was well underway to becoming more mainstream, due in no small part to the popularity of InfoWars. And like I said, now it's everywhere. Hell, compared to some of the theories I covered in The Big Conspiracy Guide of 2023, Jones is falling behind (which is another prediction I had; that he would soon be deemed "too vanilla" if this keeps spiraling out of control).
In 2021, many of us learned that even he -- the guy with the gay frog water thesis and the spiels about "weather weapons" -- still isn't insane enough for the QAnon theories (which is to say nothing of how normal he looked next to Kanye West in 2022). Regardless, he is become Death, the destroyer of non-flat worlds.
Again, it's very satisfying to see him confronted in a setting where he can't hide or yell loudly enough at reality until reality gives up, but in a lot of ways, this is a horrifying film. Like the recent Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, its presentation is sometimes cheesier than seems appropriate for the topic, but it doesn't take away from the film's importance.
This is, most would say, one of the absolute worst human beings alive. As we see the Sandy Hook court proceedings and interrogations, where Jones is finally confronted about his lies in a way where he can't get away the same as he would've done if the cameras were at his command, the film inevitably ends up satisfying -- even as the subject matter is harrowing.
And yet, there's something about Jones as a character -- a boisterous loudmouth whose explanations for things will get so outlandish they read like a Reddit theory about The X-Files as orated by a WWE champion -- that intrigues pretty much all of us. One interviewee explains that you may become glued to the show because "You want to see what else he'll say", echoing the scene from Private Parts where both fans and haters of Howard Stern give their answers to why they keep tuning in.
The movie, which is refreshingly concise given the popularity of the "docuseries", underscores just what a cartoon of a man this is; not in an affectionate way, but in a "car crash that you can't look away from" sort of way (only instead of a car crash it's a great ape who figured out microphones and Rolexes but little else). Even in the courtroom, he can't seem to help doing/saying something goofy.
It also explores his beginnings on Austin public radio and we learn some damning, yet unsurprising details from former colleagues of his about how IW does its fact-finding. In 2011, when there were fears that radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown had made it to the coast of California, and Jones' research team reported that their instruments showed this wasn't the case, IW producers immediately gave them a call demanding that all those logs/videos be destroyed, as they went against the narrative Jones wanted to tell and thus advertise the hot new IW product, in this case an iodine supplement meant to shield against fallout. Few things could more perfectly capture what this website -- and most alternate news in general -- is ultimately about.
In my review of Mike Cernovich's Hoaxed, I wrote that, yes, it's good to be critical of mainstream news/opinion; it's just that you shouldn't switch off your scrutiny just because the news is now coming from a sphere whose politics you happen to like (especially when they'll very provably base their reporting on what they're trying to sell). Looking at the current state of conspiracy theories -- where you seemingly can't go two minutes without seeing a post about space lasers and Satanic agendas -- I'd say my supplication fell on deaf ears.
It may sound like a slippery-slope fallacy, but I've seen it occur in real-time with a friend, whose thought process basically went "Well this guy validated by opinions about Islam and the anti-gun media, so he MUST be correct about chemtrails". It's often said that Alex Jones only appeals to those who already agree with him -- that he exists, not to change your mind, but to tell you that you're already right and get you to pay him to say it more -- and while it's true that that's how he gets ya, those people go from bad to worse (whichever tier of "bad" they were already on) once Jones starts telling them about some other things the Bad Guys are up to.
As this film shows, Jones is arguably the most important figure in the normalization of conspiracy nonsense we've seen during these past few years. We're reminded that during the 2016 presidential race -- which involved a considerable boost for alternate news -- the Trumpster himself sang Jones' praises. We're shown there was a period where InfoWars garnered more viewers than CNN.
I myself once wrote about how this magnitude of conspiracy-theorist thinking was well underway to becoming more mainstream, due in no small part to the popularity of InfoWars. And like I said, now it's everywhere. Hell, compared to some of the theories I covered in The Big Conspiracy Guide of 2023, Jones is falling behind (which is another prediction I had; that he would soon be deemed "too vanilla" if this keeps spiraling out of control).
In 2021, many of us learned that even he -- the guy with the gay frog water thesis and the spiels about "weather weapons" -- still isn't insane enough for the QAnon theories (which is to say nothing of how normal he looked next to Kanye West in 2022). Regardless, he is become Death, the destroyer of non-flat worlds.
Again, it's very satisfying to see him confronted in a setting where he can't hide or yell loudly enough at reality until reality gives up, but in a lot of ways, this is a horrifying film. Like the recent Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, its presentation is sometimes cheesier than seems appropriate for the topic, but it doesn't take away from the film's importance.
- TheVictoriousV
- Apr 2, 2024
- Permalink
The world got a horrible shock in December 2012 when a psychopath walked into a school in Connecticut and murdered several children. Most people were rightly horrified. Unfortunately, radio host Alex Jones - known for whipping up conspiracy theories - called it a false flag event, and his listeners ate it up.
Dan Reed's documentary "The Truth vs. Alex Jones" looks at Jones's rumor-mongering and how this led to harassment of the victims' parents. The harassment got to the point where the parents filed a lawsuit against Jones. Much of the documentary shows scenes inside the trial, with Jones trying to pretend that he didn't try to harm the parents.
The main thing to take away from the documentary is that Jones is the latest in a long line of blowhards making things up to further their careers (such as Joe McCarthy and Rush Limbaugh). Sadly, their fans - one might call them cultists - believe the lies and proceed to torment the victims. One can only hope that criminal prosecution will bring down these mendacious goons.
Not the greatest documentary, but I recommend it.
Dan Reed's documentary "The Truth vs. Alex Jones" looks at Jones's rumor-mongering and how this led to harassment of the victims' parents. The harassment got to the point where the parents filed a lawsuit against Jones. Much of the documentary shows scenes inside the trial, with Jones trying to pretend that he didn't try to harm the parents.
The main thing to take away from the documentary is that Jones is the latest in a long line of blowhards making things up to further their careers (such as Joe McCarthy and Rush Limbaugh). Sadly, their fans - one might call them cultists - believe the lies and proceed to torment the victims. One can only hope that criminal prosecution will bring down these mendacious goons.
Not the greatest documentary, but I recommend it.
- lee_eisenberg
- Apr 13, 2024
- Permalink
The Truth Vesus Alex Jones functions as a two hour summary of four years of legal hell, and a decade of harassment inflicted by Alex Jones and his fanbase on the grieving families of the children slain at Sandy Hook Elementary. While the film hits on the major milestones in this event and is accurate, there is so much texture that was left on the cutting room floor, so many details that make this proceeding far more alarming than the film's solitary focus on a charismatic sociopath's ability to shape reality and turn grieving families into villains for political and economic gain. This matter is really the tip of the ice berg when you realize that Jones has not only rewritten history for at least 24% of Americans, and has written the playbook for other unsavory characters to do the same, he's twisted our legal framework in his favor to allow him to continue sowing his lies for the foreseeable future.
I watched about 80 percent of both trials, I listened to a significant amount of the deposition regarding these cases and what's shocking is that at no point did Jones or FSS seem to attempt a credible defense, their efforts were instead dedicated to delaying the proceedings as long as possible, and, now that verdicts have been rendered, they continue to do the same thing with the bankruptcy court. The documentary sticks to the basic facts of these cases but misses the true insanity of this whole endeavor. It doesn't mention the revolving door of lawyers that Jones employed, it doesn't really enumerate the ways in which Jones failed to comply with discovery which resulted in the default judgement, it doesn't really touch on the abhorrent silliness in the deposition and it barely touches the jaw dropping moment's of Jones and other FSS employees on the witness stand. I'm afraid that, to the average person who hasn't really digested four years worth of these cases, the real horror of this whole circus isn't adequately enumerated.
Most of the time, I believe docuseries are padded and disrepelspectful of their audience's time, but this is one case where instead of getting a two hour film, it might have been better to have four total hours spread across four episodes. Fundamentally, The Truth Versus Alex Jones is a starting point that should be followed with additional exploration of the topic.
I watched about 80 percent of both trials, I listened to a significant amount of the deposition regarding these cases and what's shocking is that at no point did Jones or FSS seem to attempt a credible defense, their efforts were instead dedicated to delaying the proceedings as long as possible, and, now that verdicts have been rendered, they continue to do the same thing with the bankruptcy court. The documentary sticks to the basic facts of these cases but misses the true insanity of this whole endeavor. It doesn't mention the revolving door of lawyers that Jones employed, it doesn't really enumerate the ways in which Jones failed to comply with discovery which resulted in the default judgement, it doesn't really touch on the abhorrent silliness in the deposition and it barely touches the jaw dropping moment's of Jones and other FSS employees on the witness stand. I'm afraid that, to the average person who hasn't really digested four years worth of these cases, the real horror of this whole circus isn't adequately enumerated.
Most of the time, I believe docuseries are padded and disrepelspectful of their audience's time, but this is one case where instead of getting a two hour film, it might have been better to have four total hours spread across four episodes. Fundamentally, The Truth Versus Alex Jones is a starting point that should be followed with additional exploration of the topic.
Within the first 6 minutes of the documentary that point is made clear when Alex Jones is trying to force another group not to expose the facts behind lies he extolls so he can sell a product.
There has been a long history of profiteers but with the speed of communications we have now, it can be more far-reaching. My biggest hope, is when these fraudsters are exposed not just they but they people that helped support their lies also have to pay or go to jail.
Hiding behind the First Amendment when you know you are lying does not give you freedom of speech.
The documentary is worth watching though to see all the details of the lunacy that was exposed.
There has been a long history of profiteers but with the speed of communications we have now, it can be more far-reaching. My biggest hope, is when these fraudsters are exposed not just they but they people that helped support their lies also have to pay or go to jail.
Hiding behind the First Amendment when you know you are lying does not give you freedom of speech.
The documentary is worth watching though to see all the details of the lunacy that was exposed.
It's one thing to question authority and official explanations of highly public events; it's something else entirely to portray them in a wholly falsified light, especially when done so in a ridiculing manner that causes tremendous personal pain. Such is what happened when conspiracy theorist broadcaster Alex Jones fanatically contended that the December 2012 mass shooting at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School was a staged false flag event aimed at prompting the seizure of the private citizens' firearms, essentially gutting the guarantees of the Second Amendment. Jones vociferously claimed that the event didn't happen as reported in the mainstream media, that it was all pulled off with actors and that no one was killed. He openly mocked the public grieving of devastated parents through a relentless campaign of blatant disinformation, effectively enabling him to convince nearly a quarter of the nation's population into believing his story. Finally, after many anguishing years (including unbridled derision, public ridicule and death threats from disbelieving fanatics and hecklers), those who lost loved ones fought back, filing defamation suits in Jones's home state of Texas and in Connecticut, site of the tragedy. Documentarian Dan Reed's latest feature chronicles the events of this troubling story with no-holds-barred candor, capturing the searing pain of the Sandy Hook families, Jones's cartoonish out-of-control bluster and extensive courtroom footage of the two trials. Shot over four years, the filmmaker effectively captures the crazed ravings of a two-faced, delirious conman whose self-serving self-promotion efforts made P. T. Barnum look like a rank amateur by comparison. But what's perhaps most unsettling here is the film's uncompromising depiction of someone who honestly believed he could publicly say whatever he wanted through today's powerful, far-reaching communications technology - regardless of its truthfulness - and get away with it, a truly potent cautionary tale for our times. "The Truth vs. Alex Jones" poignantly reminds us of the precious nature of freedom of speech and the need to protect it, especially where matters of responsibility are concerned. Indeed, the First Amendment may allow us to express ourselves, but it doesn't give us license to lie.
- brentsbulletinboard
- Apr 1, 2024
- Permalink
A friend once said that "Alex Jones never met a conspiracy theory he didn't like." I avoid AJ like the plague, so ... maybe? In any case, AJ comes across as a manipulative ego-maniac in this film.
This documentary is of limited value to anyone already familiar with the horrific Sandy Hook school shooting, but I think many will find it watchable. I think the film does a good job of bringing up issues and posing questions (without jumping to biased conclusions).
I have frequently argued with conspiracy theorists online, as many do not believe man ever set foot on the Moon, despite ample (and obvious) evidence. These people seriously believe that they have esoteric knowledge, and anyone who believes the "mainstream narrative" does so for "religious" reasons. These people cannot be reasoned with (as one of the Sandy Hook parents explains); they simply believe all counter-evidence is fake. The sad reality is that these know-nothings promote their garbage with a religious zeal that they project onto others; they believe they're entirely rational, despite their invariably poor understanding of science and engineering. A popular topic is 9/11.
Some liberals say censorship is the answer, but I believe MORE speech, not less, is the best approach, or we go down a slippery slope towards an Orwellian Ministry of Truth. This documentary is a fine example of *more* speech; I think it's important to acknowledge that.
I would have preferred crisper editing to make room for more legal details. There is a LOT of human-interest footage involving the parents, but these poor folks were demonized for being "crisis actors", and so it's understandable for the film to focus on their plight. While this documentary isn't overly informative, it showcases basic reality here. However, the slow pacing seems designed to fill up an arbitrary 2-hour run length.
It feels trite to rate this, but I give it seven (7) stars. My heart goes out to all the victims' families (my rating isn't about them; it's purely technical). The tombstone footage at the end was very moving.
PS: There are only 10 reviews preceding mine, and already we have a one-star review by an AJ foot soldier (aka "true believer"). It's disturbing how common (and loud-mouthed) these "hoaxer" types are. I say learn to recognize (and ignore) them.
This documentary is of limited value to anyone already familiar with the horrific Sandy Hook school shooting, but I think many will find it watchable. I think the film does a good job of bringing up issues and posing questions (without jumping to biased conclusions).
I have frequently argued with conspiracy theorists online, as many do not believe man ever set foot on the Moon, despite ample (and obvious) evidence. These people seriously believe that they have esoteric knowledge, and anyone who believes the "mainstream narrative" does so for "religious" reasons. These people cannot be reasoned with (as one of the Sandy Hook parents explains); they simply believe all counter-evidence is fake. The sad reality is that these know-nothings promote their garbage with a religious zeal that they project onto others; they believe they're entirely rational, despite their invariably poor understanding of science and engineering. A popular topic is 9/11.
Some liberals say censorship is the answer, but I believe MORE speech, not less, is the best approach, or we go down a slippery slope towards an Orwellian Ministry of Truth. This documentary is a fine example of *more* speech; I think it's important to acknowledge that.
I would have preferred crisper editing to make room for more legal details. There is a LOT of human-interest footage involving the parents, but these poor folks were demonized for being "crisis actors", and so it's understandable for the film to focus on their plight. While this documentary isn't overly informative, it showcases basic reality here. However, the slow pacing seems designed to fill up an arbitrary 2-hour run length.
It feels trite to rate this, but I give it seven (7) stars. My heart goes out to all the victims' families (my rating isn't about them; it's purely technical). The tombstone footage at the end was very moving.
PS: There are only 10 reviews preceding mine, and already we have a one-star review by an AJ foot soldier (aka "true believer"). It's disturbing how common (and loud-mouthed) these "hoaxer" types are. I say learn to recognize (and ignore) them.
- Norman_French
- Apr 2, 2024
- Permalink
I lost an old friend to Alex Jones when Infowars did a special on the Bilderberg group (basically "Jewish cabal controls the world"). This friend, a successful game designer with a college degree, accused me of not being open to different interpretations of facts, and I cut ties with him because I had to admit to myself that you cannot penetrate a wall of BS with rationality when people want to believe what they want to believe - in his case, antisemitism.
I was hoping this documentary would dwell a little more on how we have come to this distorted scary place and what a major part Alex Jones has played in this. It is fitting to give the Sandy Hook parents so much room, to show that they are real people whose kids were really murdered. And you can deduct from Jones' own statements that he thought he could escape justice with the mob power of his (ab)user base. But unfortunately the film plays out as a courtroom drama and will therefore do little to dissuade the (mis)believers. Don't get me wrong, it's great material, and I understand that the director wants to use as much of it as he can. But those who think Alex Jones is a false prophet will just receive yet another confirmation, while those who take him for a civil rights hero will still find it possible to confirm that.
It's an important documentary in terms of respecting real victims and giving them a voice. But I wish the approach had been broader so as to describe just how many myths on how many subjects this man has created and how many millions of people he has harmed.
I was hoping this documentary would dwell a little more on how we have come to this distorted scary place and what a major part Alex Jones has played in this. It is fitting to give the Sandy Hook parents so much room, to show that they are real people whose kids were really murdered. And you can deduct from Jones' own statements that he thought he could escape justice with the mob power of his (ab)user base. But unfortunately the film plays out as a courtroom drama and will therefore do little to dissuade the (mis)believers. Don't get me wrong, it's great material, and I understand that the director wants to use as much of it as he can. But those who think Alex Jones is a false prophet will just receive yet another confirmation, while those who take him for a civil rights hero will still find it possible to confirm that.
It's an important documentary in terms of respecting real victims and giving them a voice. But I wish the approach had been broader so as to describe just how many myths on how many subjects this man has created and how many millions of people he has harmed.
I would classify my self center left political leaning. Previously I enjoyed some of Alex's shows, like the "Dark Secrets Inside Bohemian Grove", even though, from the get go, he was someone who propagated right wing conspiracy theories.
So, I mean it was clearly an over exaggerated comedy show, with anti-elitist tendencies. From there he just got more ridiculous as time went on. Alex's defence is, is that it is not his fault Americans do not know what to believe anymore. Lets face it, he has a point there!
He talks of political lies like WMD claims etc, made by the government. Again a fair point; a small fish, in a big pond full of lies.
Alex Jones seems to be a rare case, where the conspiracy theory became the main stream, and the authorities were having none of it. Of course he always knew it was not true in my opinion. I'm really worried about that 25%. He sees himself as a counter balance to the corruption, and the government corruption gives him the obligation he believes, to spread his own lies.
Am in UK and don't give 2 hoots about gun laws. There has been non-stop mass shootings since then in US, so must be like a shadow Hollywood industry operating on a large scale to capture all the coverage. Fact is if guns were banned, many kids may still be alive in US today.
Of course it is very upsetting to see the parents of these kids and how they have been affected. It's kinda of an incredible phenomena not unlike QAnon.
Alex Jones justifies himself on the basis of government wrong doing, and seems able to emotionally isolate himself from this. Obviously he knows its lies, but it part of his political agenda, and easily avoid accountability by flagging political scandals.
Although I was disgusted, there does seem to be a kinda method in his madness. Freedom of speech! I'm with him on that one. I don't hate him or think he's evil. He deserved to be taken to court but the fines were astronomical high. What's he paying out, $1billion? Come on, he's got more hope of alien abduction or something specifically rare than being able to pay that amount. It does state in documentary that the fines are designed to shut Info.wars down, rather than simply compensate the victims in the defamation cases.
Sadly, you are left asking who is this court case in the aid of-the victims parents, or the state. At least they can now start to put their lives back together in some shape or form-hopefully.
So, I mean it was clearly an over exaggerated comedy show, with anti-elitist tendencies. From there he just got more ridiculous as time went on. Alex's defence is, is that it is not his fault Americans do not know what to believe anymore. Lets face it, he has a point there!
He talks of political lies like WMD claims etc, made by the government. Again a fair point; a small fish, in a big pond full of lies.
Alex Jones seems to be a rare case, where the conspiracy theory became the main stream, and the authorities were having none of it. Of course he always knew it was not true in my opinion. I'm really worried about that 25%. He sees himself as a counter balance to the corruption, and the government corruption gives him the obligation he believes, to spread his own lies.
Am in UK and don't give 2 hoots about gun laws. There has been non-stop mass shootings since then in US, so must be like a shadow Hollywood industry operating on a large scale to capture all the coverage. Fact is if guns were banned, many kids may still be alive in US today.
Of course it is very upsetting to see the parents of these kids and how they have been affected. It's kinda of an incredible phenomena not unlike QAnon.
Alex Jones justifies himself on the basis of government wrong doing, and seems able to emotionally isolate himself from this. Obviously he knows its lies, but it part of his political agenda, and easily avoid accountability by flagging political scandals.
Although I was disgusted, there does seem to be a kinda method in his madness. Freedom of speech! I'm with him on that one. I don't hate him or think he's evil. He deserved to be taken to court but the fines were astronomical high. What's he paying out, $1billion? Come on, he's got more hope of alien abduction or something specifically rare than being able to pay that amount. It does state in documentary that the fines are designed to shut Info.wars down, rather than simply compensate the victims in the defamation cases.
Sadly, you are left asking who is this court case in the aid of-the victims parents, or the state. At least they can now start to put their lives back together in some shape or form-hopefully.
- chrislawuk
- Apr 29, 2024
- Permalink
I wanted to watch this documentary to get some more insight into Alex Jones and the Sandy Hook school shooting, but it failed to really deliver. Rather it just covers the basic information that are already well known.
Yes, it exposes some of the lies of Alex Jones, but that is not hard as Alex Jones is (allegedly) continually lying and making bizarre conspiracy theories to sell stuff online. We get a little bit of information about this, but it doesn't expose the whole sorry mess of Alex Jones and Info Wars.
Basically, skip this if you already know the story of how Alex Jones made up conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook School shootings and then was taken to court, didn't cooperate, and then the plaintiffs were awarded a huge settlement.
Yes, it exposes some of the lies of Alex Jones, but that is not hard as Alex Jones is (allegedly) continually lying and making bizarre conspiracy theories to sell stuff online. We get a little bit of information about this, but it doesn't expose the whole sorry mess of Alex Jones and Info Wars.
Basically, skip this if you already know the story of how Alex Jones made up conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook School shootings and then was taken to court, didn't cooperate, and then the plaintiffs were awarded a huge settlement.
- flingebunt
- Mar 29, 2024
- Permalink
I found this incredibly distressing to watch. My heart goes out to all those beautiful children, taken too soon, and their memory defiled by the cretin, Alex Jones. The vile commentary from Infowars, is sickening. Hearing the testimony of the parents is heartbreaking, I just wanted to hug each and every one of them. As a mother who has lost a child (albeit very different circumstances), I feel their loss. I had to watch this documentary in instalments, it is so deeply affecting. Truth prevailed, and it should be a valuable lesson to anybody spreading hateful lies, but sadly this isn't always the case. Evidently the Alex Jones' of the world have no human decency, compassion or empathy and while the morons of the world are prepared to listen to the lies, there's no real motivation for change. Infowars and the like should never be given a platform to deliver their lies, and the cure for stupidity is education. I urge anyone to watch this documentary, it goes some way to restore faith in justice, and truth.
- nreginelli
- Jun 21, 2024
- Permalink
The title reveals the bias of the documentary in that they have picked sides. Since Alex Jones himself later said he was wrong we can conclude there is only 1 side to this issue. Despite the documentary finding a few people who still believe those old claims.
This whole case also made most social media ban Alex Jones and many giant podcast episodes on other channels were also removed. Joe Rogan had many episodes removed that contained now forbidden words and then Alex Jones. Joe Rogan lied about this saying it was just a technical error. It wasn't. Despite all the lies related to this case Alex Jones has never fully regained his footing as this civil trial loss is greater than his combined wealth. Only right-wing platforms like Twitter host him today. And Infowars is also being sold to pay the trial costs.
Overall it's a fine enough documentary. But I don't quite understand what is happening. The trials sorta start and end without any talking head explaining anything. This is extremely lazy movie making. Just reusing trial shots and interviews with parents. But no one is here to explain how the trials are going or why he lost them. Did he say something at some point? Did he mess up in a big way so that the first trial didn't even go to a jury verdict. The judge just said he was guilty without waiting for all evidence to come in. But why? Why did he lose the trial this way? The interviews with the parents being overly sad feel hollow in the context of us lacking any meaningful details.
This is basically a collection of scenes and interviews. Which is still something curious, but it's not on par with the true crime genre where we get the whole mystery presented step by step. This documentary doesn't really present either of the 2 trials clearly. We just know he lost them. Which I knew already. I also knew the event did happen and that Alex Jones lied about this stuff. So I learned nothing new. There is actually way more to the cases like his team releasing his phone messages by mistake and then the economic scale of his channel that is enormous and could have turned into a billion dollar business over time. We just get hints of this stuff as without a talking head or expert we can't get the facts. Which is a great shame for the parents too. I'm sure they wanted to present their facts clearly.
This whole case also made most social media ban Alex Jones and many giant podcast episodes on other channels were also removed. Joe Rogan had many episodes removed that contained now forbidden words and then Alex Jones. Joe Rogan lied about this saying it was just a technical error. It wasn't. Despite all the lies related to this case Alex Jones has never fully regained his footing as this civil trial loss is greater than his combined wealth. Only right-wing platforms like Twitter host him today. And Infowars is also being sold to pay the trial costs.
Overall it's a fine enough documentary. But I don't quite understand what is happening. The trials sorta start and end without any talking head explaining anything. This is extremely lazy movie making. Just reusing trial shots and interviews with parents. But no one is here to explain how the trials are going or why he lost them. Did he say something at some point? Did he mess up in a big way so that the first trial didn't even go to a jury verdict. The judge just said he was guilty without waiting for all evidence to come in. But why? Why did he lose the trial this way? The interviews with the parents being overly sad feel hollow in the context of us lacking any meaningful details.
This is basically a collection of scenes and interviews. Which is still something curious, but it's not on par with the true crime genre where we get the whole mystery presented step by step. This documentary doesn't really present either of the 2 trials clearly. We just know he lost them. Which I knew already. I also knew the event did happen and that Alex Jones lied about this stuff. So I learned nothing new. There is actually way more to the cases like his team releasing his phone messages by mistake and then the economic scale of his channel that is enormous and could have turned into a billion dollar business over time. We just get hints of this stuff as without a talking head or expert we can't get the facts. Which is a great shame for the parents too. I'm sure they wanted to present their facts clearly.
- JurijFedorov
- Nov 9, 2024
- Permalink
Alex Jones is such a clout hungry demon who is willing to go to the furthest of lengths with no situation being off limits to increase the clicks he gets.
He deserved way worse than this doc decided to show. They gave basic facts along the way and you absolutely do feel for the parents, the children, the people, but man.. he deserved to be destroyed for this.
It's hard to put into words how much of a subhuman POS you have to be to, with 0 evidence whatsoever, take the death's of children who were slaughtered and attempt to debunk their life's existence.
All in all, wish they went even deeper into Alex Jones and showed that weak joke of a human to the public.
He deserved way worse than this doc decided to show. They gave basic facts along the way and you absolutely do feel for the parents, the children, the people, but man.. he deserved to be destroyed for this.
It's hard to put into words how much of a subhuman POS you have to be to, with 0 evidence whatsoever, take the death's of children who were slaughtered and attempt to debunk their life's existence.
All in all, wish they went even deeper into Alex Jones and showed that weak joke of a human to the public.
No parent should have to bury their young child. For Alex Jones and his followers to put the survivors, family of deceased, the Sandy Hook community and anyone else who was affected by this tragedy, should be ashamed of theirselves. I'm have dedicated my career to school safety as a 25 year veteran of a police department. There is nothing more precious than our children. SHAME on Alex. I hope there is a special place waiting for for him. As far as assault rifles, although I do support the 2nd amendment, it was not attended for an AR-15. It is a killing machine and should be restricted to the military and law enforcement. God bless these victims!!!!
- aschultznt
- Sep 25, 2024
- Permalink
Before anyone calls Alex Jones, a Liar, they need to watch the "Sandy Hook Documentary" before viewing "The Truth Vs Alex Jones", which should be re-titled "The Corrupt Court VS Alex Jones". Alex Jones, is denied his Due process of the law and his Constitutional Rights by the corrupt judge. A person, by law is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, which is not the case in this trial. Any judge who tells a jury that the defendant is a liar and all they due is lie, and anything they say is a lie, Is not qualified to be a judge. These money hungry people, do not deserve one thin dime. No amount of money will bring back a dead child. One can see that the supposedly "bereaved" father, is laughing before he gets up to the mike to give his speech and then starts crying with "fake" tears. It is strange that no ambulances or emergency helicopters showed up at the school. No police or parents were admitted into the building. The hospital was not alerted. The one teacher who was supposedly taken to the hospital was much older than the teacher who was supposed to be in the ambulance. No one who knew Adam Lanza had seen him since his childhood. There were no pictures of Adam Lanza in the Jr High or High School yearbooks. The type and number of guns and calibers that were used was inconsistent. They also mentioned about guns being in a car. Where was the spent brass? No one could shoot over 100 rounds in the time that was done with a pistol or a rifle without reloading several times. An authority said that the decibel level would be too great in a small room for one to fire over 100 rounds. The police also said that their was more than one shooter. Alex Jones, Is a Liar, I Think Not. This is just another 3 ring circus to attack our 1st amendment and 2nd amendment Constitutional Rights which are Freedom of Speech and The Right to Keep and Bear Arms.