For all those of you that were disappointed or surprised that NBC's movie didn't stir up the masses into a frenzied rush on the supermarkets: you should have known better. By this late in the game, people fall into three categories: 1) Those concerned about Y2K, 2) those not concerned with Y2k and 3) those who are totally unaware of the issue (very small percentage). The only one of these three groups that was likely to take drastic action based on what they saw is group #3, and if they were unaware of Y2K up until now, they probably were also unaware of the movie showing. Group #1, of course, is not panicking because it's what they already believe to be true. Group #2, the large percentage of the population, mainly just laughed at the movie. To them, it was just more fantasy sci-fi that only a kook would believe in. These people will not panic until they absolutely have to. Nothing short of a stock market crash, widespread power failure, or a statement by the government telling them Y2K is suddenly looking a lot worse than before will ever wake them up. In my opinion, we may not see any panic until on the very eve of the millenium, and possibly not until next year.

-- Randy Kochler (getused@toit.com), November 23, 1999

Answers

You forgot one point. 80% of the potential audience was watching "Who wants to be a millianair" on ABC. Those are the kind of people who might have taken notice.

-- Ned P Zimmer (ned@nednet.com), November 23, 1999.

I think you're right. The herd probably won't start its stampede until something goes seriously wrong - like no New Years bowl games because the TV/power is out.

Oh well, it means that I can still make trips to Sam's Club and Home Depot to round out my stocks.

-- rob minor (rbminor@hotmail.com), November 23, 1999.

That Y2K movie was so bad how could anyone believe it. Instead of how people will cope in ordinary life like food, clothing, shelter etc. They concentrated on a nuclear meltdown which you know would be fixed. this movie could have been really good but it was dumb.

-- Scott Fuller (scott123fu@aol.com), November 23, 1999.

With you, Randy. I'm glad that this movie was too bad to wake up Joe Sixpack, but it will - probably unfortunately now - had put a little thought in his mind. "Maybe," think Joe, "just MAYBE I should buy a couple of extra weeks of food just before Christmas. You know, just in case too many other suckers fall for that computer crap." :(

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), November 23, 1999.