Pop culture "obsession" may have been useful for overcoming blanket bans on research, funding, etc. It was obsession that created these bans in the first place, and obsession that triggered them.

Now obsession it's interfering with science and (especially) science communication.

Meanwhile, parent comment (the "trip" is the active substance) is a hypothesis... on the face of it. A reasonable hypothesis that needs to be considered, and if possible tested.

There's probably no getting around obsession here. This is literally the namesake "culture war," dating to 60s counterculture.