Ghost Hunters - wow

[RSLancastr]

Well, I finally got to see the shw. I caught several episodes today, in what I assume was a marathon of sorts.

It seemed that the entire show can be summed up in four words:

"Did you hear that?"

It looks like the pople on the show are enjoying themselves, but I am surprised the show has lasted this long, if today's sampling was typical.

Or, sadly, maybe I'm not surprised.

[Denver]

The sampling was very typical.

Some of the priceless segments are when they try to explain the tools and equipment they are using, and why it works on ghosts. "What does the EMF meter measure? Energy. What are ghosts? Energy!".

You may also want to check out the analysis of the Ghost Hunter's "Collar-gate" if you haven't seen that yet.

[Minarvia]

Collar-gate is great. Also, that silly cloaked figure with sneakers running down a runway at East State Penn and Brian and his cohort apparantly seeing something in another room and Brian yells, "Dude, run!!!" and the "ghost hunters" run like bats out of hell on the same episode. Too funny.

[Biscuit]

Its the same story with Monster Quest, Destination Truth, and a any show that deals with the paranormal. The majority of the show is about the actual people being filmed doing and saying silly or funny things. Next we are given some personal drama within the group. When we get to any investigation it is done in the most asinine method and as soon as there is any 'activity' they run like hell.

Its a formula that had me hooked for a little while but when I realized they would never bring in any genuine skepticism and would always end with a, "we may never know" I stopped watching.

[blue sock monkey]

These shows all seem to be aimed at teenagers whose critical faculties are in inverse proportion to their gullibility. Someday maybe they'll grow out of it.

[Audible Click]

Here is a skeptical site for the Ghost Hunters program.


http://www.skepticalviewer.com/

[Safe-Keeper]

The Skeptologists (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwD8Ay78diA) at least looks promising:).

[bryan]

The sad part is that the majority of the audience is middle america.
We have talked to people who are big fans of the show but after a while are sure that they have the same Demon/Ghost in their own homes.

This psychological damage that is being caused by people pretending to hunt for ghosts using equipment that they do not have a clue how to use properly (What it was designed for, not ghost hunting) and claiming that they have found ghosts and demons in a home where the family is usually in the worst pshychological condition to be told this type of nonsense.
People need to be shown the reality behind these "reality" shows.

We have talked to people who have encountered groups like this and they have bought into the "ghost hunters" stories so much that they have gone into foreclosure and lost everything rather than deal with the sounds of a house settling.

But then we all have to remember that this is all "For Entertainment Purposes Only"

[John Jones]

Is the UFO Hunters with Bill Birnes rubbish still on?

[jasonpatterson]

The sad part is that the majority of the audience is middle america.


I'm not sure why this is sad, in particular, nor where your information came from. I can't seem to find anything about the geographical distribution of ghost hunter viewers, just basic, age-based demographics. It's apparently terribly popular among 18-49 and 25-54 year olds (why these are two separate demographic groups, I don't know, but that's how they are listed fairly consistently.) That's kind of sad in general, in my opinion.

[ExactlyNothing]

The Ghost Hunters are frauds. They've been repeatedly caught faking their "evidence."

Type "Taps Lies" in YouTube and click on the "TAPS LIES - Ghost Hunters Live - 2008 - Fraud-O-Rama" video. It's a real humdinger.

[arthwollipot]

Some of the priceless segments are when they try to explain the tools and equipment they are using, and why it works on ghosts. "What does the EMF meter measure? Energy. What are ghosts? Energy!". Isn't that what the E in EMF stands for?

[Lucian]

Isn't that what the E in EMF stands for?

Yup, uh huh. It's Energy Magic Field.

[Biscuit]

The sad part is that the majority of the audience is middle america.
We have talked to people who are big fans of the show but after a while are sure that they have the same Demon/Ghost in their own homes.

This psychological damage that is being caused by people pretending to hunt for ghosts using equipment that they do not have a clue how to use properly (What it was designed for, not ghost hunting) and claiming that they have found ghosts and demons in a home where the family is usually in the worst pshychological condition to be told this type of nonsense.
People need to be shown the reality behind these "reality" shows.

We have talked to people who have encountered groups like this and they have bought into the "ghost hunters" stories so much that they have gone into foreclosure and lost everything rather than deal with the sounds of a house settling.

But then we all have to remember that this is all "For Entertainment Purposes Only"

I have stated this else where but I work for a large retail story where people can make an really good purchase. I am not a spokesman for this place.

About 3 months ago I had about 3 weeks of people coming into purchase camcorders with the direct purpose of filming the ghosts that live in their houses. Probably about a dozen or so people, I think it was around the time that paranormal state had a new season or maybe GHE.

They told me in great detail about their haunted houses and how they needed night vision in order to capture the ghost. I would politely ask questions like, 'Why not film them during the day?" The look on their faces seemed to say, "Wow, this guys an idiot."

I would also gently explain the distortions and artifacts that can occur when compressing and uncompressing digital video. I doubt I did much good.

Well I thought that was all over until yesterday a lady was complaining that her $100 pocket camcorder with a 2x digital zoom was not sufficient for filming the UFO's over her house. I pretended I heard something on my headset and passed her to another employee.

Also if anyone runs into a youtube series called "project recall" you can thank me for selling him the camera.:D

[MaryCBW]

Well, I finally got to see the shw. I caught several episodes today, in what I assume was a marathon of sorts.

It seemed that the entire show can be summed up in four words:



It looks like the pople on the show are enjoying themselves, but I am surprised the show has lasted this long, if today's sampling was typical.

Or, sadly, maybe I'm not surprised.

You missed "Are you a horse?" and Steve's opinion of books.
http://www.tv.com/ghost-hunters/star-island/episode/1260616/summary.html

Steve thought there actually was an underground railroad.
http://www.skepticalviewer.com/2008/04/02/gh-prospect-place/

For more giggles just check out what the posters on TAPS18+ have to say.
Just don't say anything negative about anyone on the show or the evidence or you will be banned in a couple of minutes.

The SyFy forums regularly rip the "evidence" to shreds and Dreamsinger has this site:
http://paranormal.darkrealmlabs.com/?author=1

You missed the collar tug? You are missing out on the fun.

[MaryCBW]

The sad part is that the majority of the audience is middle america.
We have talked to people who are big fans of the show but after a while are sure that they have the same Demon/Ghost in their own homes.

This psychological damage that is being caused by people pretending to hunt for ghosts using equipment that they do not have a clue how to use properly (What it was designed for, not ghost hunting) and claiming that they have found ghosts and demons in a home where the family is usually in the worst pshychological condition to be told this type of nonsense.
People need to be shown the reality behind these "reality" shows.

We have talked to people who have encountered groups like this and they have bought into the "ghost hunters" stories so much that they have gone into foreclosure and lost everything rather than deal with the sounds of a house settling.

But then we all have to remember that this is all "For Entertainment Purposes Only"

What you say is true except for one part. Jason and Grant claim that they did not/do not fake anything, ever. People believe them.

[bryan]

What you say is true except for one part. Jason and Grant claim that they did not/do not fake anything, ever. People believe them.

Even the production company of Ghost Hunters (Pilgrim Films) calls the show a "Docu-Soap".

According to Wiki:"In many reality television shows, the viewer and the camera are passive observers following people going about their daily personal and professional activities; this style of filming is often referred to as "fly on the wall" or "Factual television". Often "plots" are constructed via editing or planned situations, with the results resembling soap operas—hence the term docusoap or docudrama."

So by the production companies own admission the show is "For Entertainment Purposes Only"

The only show that we have found that is claiming that it is real is Paranormal State which is one of the worst.

[Nankay]

I have always wondered why they only "hunt" at night? Do ghosts work 3rd shift ? Is the astral plane even in the same time zone?

[Denver]

I have always wondered why they only "hunt" at night? Do ghosts work 3rd shift ? Is the astral plane even in the same time zone?

It's like that old joke: a man is searching for something in the front yard. "What are you looking for?" asks the wife.
"My keys.".
"Where did you last see them?"
"In the Kitchen".
"Then why are you looking for them in the yard?"
"Because the light is so much better out here."

In the case of ghost hunting, it's the opposite: the light is so much WORSE at night. Allowing for many more misinterpretations, ambiguities, and, therefore, evidence!

[MattusMaximus]

I watched some of The Ghost Hunters over the weekend while at Dragon*Con, and I thought the show was absolutely laughable. I really don't get how anyone can take that crap seriously.

It should be renamed Doofuses Who Stumble Around in the Dark Saying, "Did You Hear THAT?!!" :rolleyes:

[Denver]

...It should be renamed Doofuses Who Stumble Around in the Dark Saying, "Did You Hear THAT?!!" :rolleyes:

Dude!

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I watched some of The Ghost Hunters over the weekend while at Dragon*Con, and I thought the show was absolutely laughable.


Agreed.

When I first became a skeptic and got involved in the skeptical community, I caught a "Top Ten Moments" type episode of The Ghost Hunters while flipping through channels. I expected to see something really good to debunk to myself as an intellectual exercise. Some Amityville style alleged hauntings. Some really elaborate hoaxes or some really strange things.

I got a bunch of people with a video camera screaming "Oh my God! Oh my God!" to each other. One "haunted" moment was clearly the guy with the video camera hitting himself in the eye with it and blaming it on ghosts. Hysterical.

Charlie Chaplin couldn't have done it better. The staff of SNL must be jealous. It plays like the best parody of The Blair Witch Project ever done.

This show doesn't need debunking. It debunks itself.

[MattusMaximus]

This show doesn't need debunking. It debunks itself.

Epic win :D

[desertgal]

Ghost Hunters is my guilty pleasure. It proves that you can roll your eyes and laugh at the same time.

[Juniversal]

Delete.

[Juniversal]

Yup, uh huh. It's Energy Magic Field.I was actually gonna correct you until I saw the word magic lol.

[MaryCBW]

Agreed.

When I first became a skeptic and got involved in the skeptical community, I caught a "Top Ten Moments" type episode of The Ghost Hunters while flipping through channels. I expected to see something really good to debunk to myself as an intellectual exercise. Some Amityville style alleged hauntings. Some really elaborate hoaxes or some really strange things.

I got a bunch of people with a video camera screaming "Oh my God! Oh my God!" to each other. One "haunted" moment was clearly the guy with the video camera hitting himself in the eye with it and blaming it on ghosts. Hysterical.

Charlie Chaplin couldn't have done it better. The staff of SNL must be jealous. It plays like the best parody of The Blair Witch Project ever done.

This show doesn't need debunking. It debunks itself.


"This show doesn't need debunking. It debunks itself."
Try posting that on the TAPS18+ site and enjoy your three minute membership. Asking about Brent Fair and TAPScon will do the trick too.

Here is one fan's take about Moss Beach and tons of others wrote/said things way worse.
http://blogs.myspace.comindex.cfm?fuseaction=blog.viewcus tom&friendId=57981011&blogId=402883928&swapped=true
The place got slammed in phone calls and threats and Grant?/Jason?/both? wrote a My Space entry to get the fans to stop. It got out of control and it was scary to see how much Jason and Grant could stir up their fans.

[rjh01]

MaryCBW - your link did not work for me.

Edit. This link works http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=57981011&blogId=402883928&swapped=true
Is this the link you were trying to show?

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

South Park's parody is dead on:

http://digg.com/television/South_Park_Dead_Celebrities_Full_Episode

Dead on.

I saw only one episode of that show and some 4-5 years ago and I still remember how jaw droppingly laughable it was.

Anyone tuning in expecting to see something out of The Shining will be very, very disappointed.