Bigsploitation: The Making and Selling of Bigfoot

[parnassus]

There is a certain thrill in hoaxing children about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny...happy children, engaged in activities, getting surprises.

There is a similar thrill in hoaxing the "bigfoot" of modern folklore, a little sadism, or call it a "practical joke," pulling it off, watching the victims get all goose bumpy. Seeing your video go viral. "Finding Bigfoot" shows it in microcosm. Cliffy is the perfect victim. Unlike parents/bunny/Santa, the hoaxers usually don't finally fess up, perhaps because their victims are adults who have guns and lawyers. Perhaps because they discover they can become rich and famous. Perhaps because they're sick.

[Sonny2]

The problem is, we live such soft lives anymore - not having to hunt or gather our food - that people really want to be scared and will pay big bucks for it - maybe it makes them feel alive. Why else would monster and vampire and ghost and Bigfoot stuff be so popular? And the Bigfootery types, well, I have to give some of them credit, at least they like to be out in nature. The rest of the world seems to think the natural world can be found at the mall.

[William Parcher]

Also, when a society accepts things as myth (such as Easter Bunny and Bigfoot) the pretense of honesty is dropped. It no longer applies and it is not expected to apply.

IOW, when a person starts talking about Bigfoot there is no expectation that they will be honest even when talking about others. In general our society is this way right now regarding Bigfoot.

Our public society does treat Bigfoot as a myth and will commonly satire and ridicule Bigfoot believers as if they "just don't get it". When somebody takes the microphone and says "I saw a Bigfoot. They exist." we don't even expect that they might be telling the truth. We are free to crack a joke about them (and it usually involves booze) and the audience (if any) laughs. It's because we already know that Bigfoot is a myth and we already know that we should expect people to come forward and say that they have seen Bigfoot. It's what people do... just like coloring eggs. We expect people to color eggs and then hide them. We expect people to make up Bigfoot encounter stories and then insist that they are true.

Skeptics may be mistaken if they think that there is still "a lot of ground to cover" because there are still a lot of people out there who believe that Bigfoot exists. These Bigfooters need help in improving their critical thinking skills. Well, we may be looking at the best that it could ever be right now. IOW, we never really have fewer (percentage) Bigfooters at any point in the future, even many hundreds of years from now, than we do right now. The mistake is thinking that eventually our society members will all say that Bigfoot doesn't exist and nobody plays the myth game (by saying it does exist or hoaxing its existence).

[LTC8K6]

Fred G. Sanford: You don't believe nothin'. Even when you was a kid, you didn't even believe in Santa Claus.
Lamont Sanford: Well, you were the one that was responsible for that.
Fred G. Sanford: Who, me?
Lamont Sanford: Yes, you. You told me there was no Santa Claus.
Fred G. Sanford: I ain't told you there was no Santa Claus. I said wouldn't no white man be coming 'round in our neighborhood wearing no red velvet suit at 12 o'clock.

[Deacondark]

Originally Posted by Drewbot

I am so excited about the recent development that Finding Bigfoot has caused, even amongst people who know that Bigfoot doesn't exist.

People like my 9 year old daughter.

We were walking through some trails, and I think an ORV backfired a little ways away from us, it was loud but indistinct, clearly man-made, she looked at me and said "Oooh that was Bigfoot!" we both laughed and thought that was funny. I started doing my Patty walk along the trail, and she grabbed the camera and was all like "I can't get this thing to focus on you! it won't focus"

Pure gold!

[RedRatSnake]

Awesome LTC8K6 LMAO

[AttorneyTom]

yes.. as she "hopped up and down on her imaginary horse !"

[RedRatSnake]

Originally Posted by Deacondark

Pure gold!

That kinda grabbed me by the boo boo also.

Tim

[Night Walker]

Originally Posted by parnassus

There is a certain thrill in hoaxing children about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny...happy children, engaged in activities, getting surprises.

There is a similar thrill in hoaxing the "bigfoot" of modern folklore, a little sadism, or call it a "practical joke," pulling it off, watching the victims get all goose bumpy. Seeing your video go viral. "Finding Bigfoot" shows it in microcosm. Cliffy is the perfect victim. Unlike parents/bunny/Santa, the hoaxers usually don't finally fess up, perhaps because their victims are adults who have guns and lawyers. Perhaps because they discover they can become rich and famous. Perhaps because they're sick.

Originally Posted by LTC8K6

Fred G. Sanford: You don't believe nothin'. Even when you was a kid, you didn't even believe in Santa Claus.
Lamont Sanford: Well, you were the one that was responsible for that.
Fred G. Sanford: Who, me?
Lamont Sanford: Yes, you. You told me there was no Santa Claus.
Fred G. Sanford: I ain't told you there was no Santa Claus. I said wouldn't no white man be coming 'round in our neighborhood wearing no red velvet suit at 12 o'clock.

"There are three stages of a man's life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus" can then also be applied to Bigfoot:

Believes in Bigfoot (there are sooo many stories)
Doesn't believe in Bigfoot (no evidence; people get things wrong and fake it all the time)
Becomes Bigfoot (a traditional means of folk-fun which inspires the next generation)

Sometimes there is also a 4th stage: Look like Santa/Bigfoot - which is what I intend to do by going feral in the bush post-retirement...

[River]

Originally Posted by Night Walker

"There are three stages of a man's life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus" can then also be applied to Bigfoot:

Believes in Bigfoot (there are sooo many stories)
Doesn't believe in Bigfoot (no evidence; people get things wrong and fake it all the time)
Becomes Bigfoot (a traditional means of folk-fun which inspires the next generation)

Sometimes there is also a 4th stage: Look like Santa/Bigfoot - which is what I intend to do by going feral in the bush post-retirement...

I like that analogy! I've said for a long time that we are bigfoot, and bigfoot is us. Most literally. People will always enjoy a good story, or a good prank.

[OntarioSquatch]

Are you guys still comparing Bigfoot to Santa Claus, fairies and dragons? Unreliable evidence doesn't mean no evidence.

[River]

Originally Posted by OntarioSquatch

Are you guys still comparing Bigfoot to Santa Claus, fairies and dragons? Unreliable evidence doesn't mean no evidence.

Which evidence specifically are you refering to as being "evidence of bigfoot"?

[Drewbot]

Originally Posted by OntarioSquatch

Unreliable evidence doesn't mean no evidence.

Think about what you are saying.

When Santa Claus comes to my house, we leave a little plate with cookies on it, and a full bottle of a Michigan Craft Beer, typically an IPA.

The next morning there are only crumbs on the plate, and the bottle is empty, there are presents under the tree, clearly evidence that Santa was there.

Burp.

[LTC8K6]

Originally Posted by OntarioSquatch

Are you guys still comparing Bigfoot to Santa Claus, fairies and dragons? Unreliable evidence doesn't mean no evidence.

I haven't seen any popular and very old illustrations of humans slaying sasquatch...

Or sasquatch attacking mariners...

They had unicorns and sea serpents and dragons back then, and they drew them, wrote about them, painted them, and sculpted them...

Strange that sasquatch was roaming the planet and didn't get any respect...

[xtifr]

Originally Posted by OntarioSquatch

Are you guys still comparing Bigfoot to Santa Claus, fairies and dragons? Unreliable evidence doesn't mean no evidence.

There's plenty of evidence of fairies, and it's every bit as reliable as the evidence for bigfoot. At its peak at the beginning of the 20th c., belief in fairies was more widespread, and more mainstream, than belief in bigfoot has ever been.

Santa Claus and dragons may not be an ideal comparison, but fairies very much are.

[Resume]

Originally Posted by OntarioSquatch

Are you guys still comparing Bigfoot to Santa Claus, fairies and dragons? Unreliable evidence doesn't mean no evidence.

You're correct; it's actually worse.

[I Am He]

Originally Posted by OntarioSquatch

Are you guys still comparing Bigfoot to Santa Claus, fairies and dragons? Unreliable evidence doesn't mean no evidence.

You always pop in now and then with these little tidbits but never ones have you shown anything to back it up, why is that, OS?








I Am He

[AttorneyTom]

Originally Posted by Drewbot

Think about what you are saying.

When Santa Claus comes to my house, we leave a little plate with cookies on it, and a full bottle of a Michigan Craft Beer, typically an IPA.

The next morning there are only crumbs on the plate, and the bottle is empty, there are presents under the tree, clearly evidence that Santa was there.

Burp.

I missed out ! Not the cookies the other !! All of that milk that went down the drain... sigh.

[GT/CS]

This is just getting weird, and stupid.

http://www.ghosttheory.com/2012/10/05/bigfoot-ipo

[parnassus]

NY to footer: Not havin' it.

Quote:

In a response letter to Peter Wierner, the founder of the Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo, who called for a ban on hunting Squatches in New York, the [state Department of Environmental Conservation] wrote the following:

Quote:

The mythical animal does not exist in nature or otherwise. I understand, however, that some well organized hoaxes or pranks have occurred, leading some people to believe that such an animal does live. However, the simple truth of the matter is that there is no such animal anywhere in the world. I am sorry to disappoint you. However, no program or action in relation to mythical animals is warranted.

(signed)
Gordon R. Batcheller
Chief Wildlife Biologist
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

I'm sure that the bleevers will submit that Mr. Batcheller's judgement is apparently clouded by his intelligence, education, training, experience, common sense, and the fact that no biologic evidence of the mythical animal has ever been shown to exist.

I myself must wonder whether Mr. Batcheller's comments may also be related to a certain unease with the sincerity of Mr. Wierner and a certain cynicism regarding the "Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo", which was first held last year and appears to be a blatant tourist trap; interestingly, the location is also the site of the Jack Links fishing contest.

I am not kidding you. Google is your friend.

But I am sure that the cleverly named We Wan Chu Cottages, hosts of the "Expo" on Lake Chautaqua really don't "Want You' enough to waste the time of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation with a silly publicity stunt letter intended to aid in some sort of flim flam operation.

Right.

[The Shrike]

Now that's an appropriate response, and it's extra-cool because I've met that guy.

[parnassus]

obtw, Mr. Wierner, "founder" of the Bigfoot blah blah Expo and courageous advocate (oh my yes) for bigfoot protection, is, in real life, in fact, the owner of We Wan Chu Cottages. Who would have guessed?

on a related note, does the "bigfoot protection" letter mean that Sally Ramey (erstwhile PR flack for the estimable Dr. Ketchum) has surfaced in NY state? or Did Mr. Wierner simply cop the idea from Ramey/Ketchum's hugely successful Facebook campaign?

[parnassus]

Originally Posted by The Shrike

Now that's an appropriate response, and it's extra-cool because I've met that guy.

He prolly is just paraphrasing your statements. Or perhaps you are his sockpuppet. Happens....
(to mods: just kidding.)

[Sonny2]

Apparently New York got tired of footers trying to manipulate them:

Dear Mr. Weimer,
Commissioner Martens asked me to reply to your letter concerning the protection of an animal known to some as “Bigfoot” or “Sasquatch.”
This mythical animal does not exist in nature or otherwise. I understand, however, that some well organized hoaxes or pranks have occurred, leading some people to believe that such an animal does live.
However, the simple truth of the matter is that there is no such animal anywhere in the World.
I am sorry to disappoint you. However, no program or action in relation to mythical animals is warranted.
On the other hand, New York State has a great richness of naturally occurring wildlife, and we work hard to ensure that these species are managed appropriately, including highly regulated hunting and trapping opportunities. We also work hard to restore and protect rare species. I wish you the best as you enjoy New York’s abundant wildlife resources.
Thank you for writing us.
Sincerely,
Gordon R. Batcheller
Chief Wildlife Biologist

I like the part about protecting actual endangered species. (from BF Lunch Club)

[The Shrike]

Yep, I've met Mr. Batcheller. I took him birding once about 5 years ago. We didn't talk bigfoot, so I can't claim credit for his awesome response on behalf of the DEC.

[Sonny2]

Whoops, guess Parnassus is already on this one above. Oh well, it deserves repeating.

[AlaskaBushPilot]

Originally Posted by Sonny2

The problem is, we live such soft lives anymore - not having to hunt or gather our food - that people really want to be scared and will pay big bucks for it - maybe it makes them feel alive. Why else would monster and vampire and ghost and Bigfoot stuff be so popular? And the Bigfootery types, well, I have to give some of them credit, at least they like to be out in nature. The rest of the world seems to think the natural world can be found at the mall.

Well, this is my peeve with the whole thing and I don't give them credit.

You can have real adventure. In a thousand ways too, from scuba to sky diving, to mountain climbing, to expeditions in the deep Amazon. There are challenges having nothing to do with nature per se too, like running the Boston Marathon or whatever - something that takes honest to goodness guts.

This is a way of pretending to do so. I disagree that they get out in nature, beyond staging photos of themsleves to conceal the fact they are five feet from the road. They generate the appearance of getting out in nature. This is the lazy man's con-game, where they are specifically avoiding any kind of real work or challenge.

Tens of millions of people regularly go to exactly the same places they stage these Finding Bigfoot shows, to cook weenies on the fire, play frisbee, walk their dogs, drink a couple of beers - and they aren't pretending to be stalking dragons.

Speaking of which! My mother and her 95 year old boyfriend rent a cabin at Chatauqua every year. They have a big cultrural center with plays and musical performances, so this is what she says she is doing whereas you have people 75 years younger than Fred saying they are at the very same place facing 800 lb. monsters.

[Sonny2]

Originally Posted by AlaskaBushPilot

Well, this is my peeve with the whole thing and I don't give them credit.

This is a way of pretending to do so. I disagree that they get out in nature, beyond staging photos of themsleves to conceal the fact they are five feet from the road. They generate the appearance of getting out in nature. This is the lazy man's con-game, where they are specifically avoiding any kind of real work or challenge.

I see your point, but there are indeed footers who get out in the woods. Wasn't referencing the Bobo clowns. And sure, there are lots of armchair footers, too.

But in general, most of the people I know who get out in the woods on a regular basis don't believe in Bigfoot. They know if it were real, they would've seen one by now.

And very cool that your mom gets out. I was staying at a cabin in the Tetons one summer and met a very elderly gal who had been coming there every summer since she was about 5 - she said it had been for 92 years she'd been going there every summer.

[Sonny2]

This is kind of old news, but funny in a British sort of way:

http://www.popehat.com/2012/06/21/if...-does-he-have/

This could not stand. Johnsen had no choice but to defend his reputation. Duels having sadly fallen out of favor — for let me assure you, a duel between experienced Bigfoot hunters is a thing of grave and terrible majesty

[Jodie]

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm just thankful we have the luxury of being concerned about the fate of all bigfoot hunters.

[RedRatSnake]

Originally Posted by Jodie

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm just thankful we have the luxury of being concerned about the fate of all bigfoot hunters.

Well ! I should hope so.. If those stupid bastards weren't out there ~ What The HELL would we have to do ????

[Jodie]

I'm still getting over The Life of PI. It's not the next Avatar despite what the reviews might say.

Which kind of reminds me of bigfootery in that there are plenty of magical tales with more realistic explanations but the outcome is always the same, no bigfoot. Which story is better?

[AlaskaBushPilot]

Originally Posted by Sonny2

I see your point, but there are indeed footers who get out in the woods.

This is a pleasant conversation so I hope I don't convey otherwise.

I would like to see what any self-proclaimed 'footer actually does insofar as getting out in the woods. None of the ones I see offering themselves as "researchers" put any significant time at all into it.

The TBRC people for example - what a pack of clowns. They put a few nights into a cabin a year, cowering inside and taking notes of themselves peeing their drawers. Not even opening the window to shine a headlamp outside.

People live full time in that area and they're out on their porches drinking iced tea like any other night and the bigfoot idiots are pretending they're under attack by martian invaders. This is indicative of being a complete moron, not indicative of experience.

That is to say, even the time the bigfoot researchers accredit to themselves on their major "expeditions" - this is less experience than my elderly mother got visiting here last month. It's sort of like going to a museum and hiding in the closet instead of looking at exhibits. Sure, you went to the museum but the way you did it doesn't actually get you any museum experience worth talking about.

I don't know because I do not follow the Bigfoot Forum, but if this were populated by people who got out regularly wouldn't there be a whole section of the forum where all three thousand members reported on their weekly expeditions? Wouldn't there be a hundred thousand threads going at the same time called "expedition reports" or something like that?

That was a cute article.

[clayflingythingy]

Originally Posted by AlaskaBushPilot

I would like to see what any self-proclaimed 'footer actually does insofar as getting out in the woods. None of the ones I see offering themselves as "researchers" put any significant time at all into it.

The TBRC people for example - what a pack of clowns. They put a few nights into a cabin a year, cowering inside and taking notes of themselves peeing their drawers. Not even opening the window to shine a headlamp outside.

Since I lean toward the TBRC thing as a complete pack of lies (and not 3rd party hoaxing) one does wonder why the footers so often describe themselves in less than flattering terms.

Coward in Indiana (AKA Guy in Indiana) of the Michigan liars had a BF cross the road in front of his vehicle and it scared him so bad he high tailed it back to camp. He's been camping out in a cow pasture for years, finally sees a BF, and then hightails it to camp without bothering to investigate.

And read the whopper of a tale spun by WGBH. A peaceful, leaf munching wood ape causes him decades of mental anguish. WTH?

If you are going to lie about BF, why make youself out to be cowardly, etc?

[parnassus]

I seriously doubt that a group of men would devote as much time and energy to their project, as do the TBRC, unless the great majority, if not all, were convinced of the reality of their goal. I strongly suspect the locals/owners of the property as being the primary hoaxers...I could list a dozen reasons why. Once they "got the ball rolling", it would tend to self-perpetuate. This is a snipe hunt on a mega scale. The rich Texans are being played for fools. Hilarity ensues amongst the Sooners (that is slang for people from OK).

[clayflingythingy]

Parn,

Please list your dozen reasons. While it is possible there is a 3rd party hoax going on, based on statments by Bipto and Hairy Man I tend to discount it. I see it as a "big lie" in an attempt to attain top tier footer status.

Despite the oft repeated claim there is no money in BF, Moneygrubber, Meldrum, Noll, etc have shown there is money to be made from BF. I see the TBRC as a hoax and attempt to position themselves to make $. Hairy Man, in this scenario, is attempting to position herself as the female Meldrum.

ETA: Look at the $ TheMelba apparently scammed from a fool. IIRC, at one time Parn, you actually thought there would be a paper, of some sort, some where. It was apparently a BF scam from the beginning. That how I view the TBRC. A scam while they try to figure out how to profit from their hoax. In the meantime, they get away from the pressures of work and family, drink a few beers (probably) and have a good time. That's all reason enuff to lie about BF.

Please post your 12 reaasons as to why the enitre TBRC are gullible fools as this is a third party hoax.

[Castro]

Originally Posted by parnassus

I seriously doubt that a group of men would devote as much time and energy to their project, as do the TBRC, unless the great majority, if not all, were convinced of the reality of their goal. I strongly suspect the locals/owners of the property as being the primary hoaxers...I could list a dozen reasons why. Once they "got the ball rolling", it would tend to self-perpetuate. This is a snipe hunt on a mega scale. The rich Texans are being played for fools. Hilarity ensues amongst the Sooners (that is slang for people from OK).

That would imply that all of the TBRC members are either stupid or gullible. I don't think it's the case, at least for their "Marketing and Communications Coordinator", IMO.
Who needs a "Marketing and Communications Coordinator" BTW, and what is he supposed to do ?

[mikeyx]

Originally Posted by clayflingythingy

Parn,

Please list your dozen reasons. While it is possible there is a 3rd party hoax going on, based on statments by Bipto and Hairy Man I tend to discount it. I see it as a "big lie" in an attempt to attain top tier footer status.

Despite the oft repeated claim there is no money in BF, Moneygrubber, Meldrum, Noll, etc have shown there is money to be made from BF. I see the TBRC as a hoax and attempt to position themselves to make $. Hairy Man, in this scenario, is attempting to position herself as the female Meldrum.

ETA: Look at the $ TheMelba apparently scammed from a fool. IIRC, at one time Parn, you actually thought there would be a paper, of some sort, some where. It was apparently a BF scam from the beginning. That how I view the TBRC. A scam while they try to figure out how to profit from their hoax. In the meantime, they get away from the pressures of work and family, drink a few beers (probably) and have a good time. That's all reason enuff to lie about BF.

Please post your 12 reaasons as to why the enitre TBRC are gullible fools as this is a third party hoax.

They're already seen as top footers by their BFF buddies, but I don't discount the financial leverage angle.

[Sonny2]

It's just a members-only club for these guys to go and pretend they're doing something while they cook up their own entertainment.

[GT/CS]

Agreed, it's a way to play in the woods and write it all off.
I doubt there is any hoaxing going on, except by them on their occasion visitors.