Ask Lemmygrad

You've got a point there. There's a strong sense in which you need a sensation to sell a story and get engagement now (maybe it's nothing new but there's more to compete with today than ever). It's a terrible feedback loop. I can't say that in immune to it myself, either. So I can understand why filmmakers, etc, will go for one story over another, even if the decision maker has another reason why they prefer the anti-communist/pro-fossil narrative.