Remember how scary “Contagion” was, and how you didn’t eat pork for a few months after you saw it (if you ever ate the stuff at all)? Yeah, well, here’s another movie to make you neurotic. National Geographic Channel and Kelton released today results from a new survey gauging the nation”s preparedness for impending disasters. Guess what? We’re not prepared! And to really drive that point home, Nat Geo has made “American Blackout” (Sun. Oct. 27 at 9:00 p.m.), a truly terrifying two-hour movie that walks us through what might actually happen if the lights went out. In this HitFix exclusive clip, get a glimpse of just how quickly civilization starts melting down. Then get better locks for your doors and windows.
But on the lighter side, the survey asked happier questions about what would happen in the dark. If the lights did go out, which celeb would Americans most like to get trapped in tight quarters with? Former sweethearts Brad Pitt (15%) and Jennifer Aniston (22%) topped the list in the male and female categories. Coming in a close second were talk show host Jimmy Fallon (13%) among famous men and comedian Tina Fey (17%) among famous women, chosen by Americans to keep the mood light while the U.S. is dark.
Fallon and fellow late night talk show host Jon Stewart (12%) convincingly beat out Hollywood hunk Ryan Gosling (6%). Fey topped celebrities like Megan Fox and Beyonce (10% and 8%). So, we like to laugh. And who cares about having a hot star by your side if it’s too dark to see him or her?
At the bottom of the list – Miley Cyrus (4%), whose twerking skills apparently have no use in a catastrophe.
And while Ben Affleck is gearing up to play Batman in the Superman sequel, it”s still the Man of Steel himself (played in this summer”s blockbuster by Henry Cavill) who is the superhero most trusted by more than half the nation (52%) to protect the U.S. in case of a catastrophic blackout.
Surprisingly, Americans have little faith in the abilities of Tony Stark to get the power grid back online, as Ironman comes in at a distant second (14%).
Jason Bourne (24%) and James Bond (24%) tie for first place in the fictional character most likely to bring the nation to safety if a blackout occurred. In this scenario, a bow and arrow just won”t do the trick – “Hunger Games” beauty Katniss Everdeen comes in third, with just 13 percent thinking she is the one for the job.
Finally – the number one song to play while you”re stuck in the dark (with or without a celebrity) was overwhelmingly Bruce Springsteen”s “Dancing in the Dark” (30%). Which didn’t show a great deal of originality, but hey, we like obvious choices.
The survey of 1,152 nationally representative Americans aged 18 and older was conducted online from September 27 to October 2, 2013, with a 2.9 percent margin of error.
Will you be watching “American Blackout” on Nat Geo?