Saturday, October 31, 2015

Bigfoot Fever: Bigfoot and the Skeptibunkers

By Regan Lee
binnallofamerica.com

On what is probably the most famous (or infamous) "skeptic" forums,-- the JREF (James Randi Educational Forum) -- you can find threads about UFOs, Bigfoot, psychics; anything paranormal or Fortean, it's there. A favorite of theirs seems to be Bigfoot.

I find this fascinating, for they have not just one, or two, or even three, threads about Bigfoot. They have, at last count, twenty-seven separate threads concerning Bigfoot! I know! What fascinates me is why something that they don't believe exists would merit twenty-seven different threads?

They must love to hear themselves talk, as well as argue. Now and then some brave Bigfoot "believer" will engage in what they assume will be a debate (the poor dear) and soon find him or herself in an endless loop of bizarro world skepti -tactics. But that's okay, and to be expected, that's what they do. I just didn't realize they'd do it so much.

What do they hope to achieve? They're not going to convince anyone; they're preaching to the choir. At some point you just have to stop. But Bigfoot is on their skepti little brains, big time.

Here's a list of the Bigfoot threads:
* YETI Hair To Be Tested
* Bigfoot Body in Georgia!
* Bigfoot's Hanging Around Our Nation's Capital
* Is Bigfoot An Alien?
* Bigfoot Audio Scam?
* Bigfoot and Fox News
* Did Skepticism Kill Bigfoot?
* Grassman on Monster Quest
* BBC Article on Yeti
* Sweaty Yeti's Martian Civilization Evidence Thread
* Crow Logic's Extinct Bigfoot Thread
* Matt Crowley Shoots Down Dermal Ridges
* Moneymakin'! The BFRO Bigfoot Expeditions Thread
* Suppose Bigfoot was real and I had the proof?
* I Saw Bigfoot Kissing Santa Claus
* Juvenile bigfoot captured on game cam?
* Bigfoot - the Skookum Cast
* Native American myths/traditions support Bigfoot? A critical look
* Government Bigfoot Cover-up
* Bigfoot: The Invisible Variety
* Bigfoot is Real I Have The Proof
* Creekfreak's Bigfoot hair samples and other non-photo related claims
* Bigfoot: Patterson-Gimlin Film
* Another Bigfoot Video
* Man Accuses Bigfoot of Sexual Assault
* Bigfoot on Video? Memorial Day 1996
* 3 Toed SC Bigfoot   
* Bigfoot in West Virginia (You can find the actual links by visiting my Bigfoot blog Frame 352.)

I will acknowledge that the "Native American myths/traditions support Bigfoot? A critical look" is interesting. The "Patterson-Gimlin Film" is at times interesting, often entertaining, and of course, full of the expected insults, mocking and put downs. I mean they do go on!

Others are downright silly, like "I Saw Bigfoot Kissing Santa Claus," others are deadly serious, with deadly serious questions about some aspect or another of Bigfootness. Whatever.
Really, at some point you have to ask: what's the fascination with the fascination?