I think those of us who criticize it just see that sometimes better science is better TV.

Ohio is a long-term hotbed of reports, one of the go-tos to show to everybody who thinks the Pacific Northwest is the only viable sasquatch habitat. It was one of the states that most impressed Dr. John Bindernagel with the availability of potential habitat (after he was drawn there in puzzlement at the volume of reports). Wildlife biologists like him quickly grasp the superiority of hardwood over conifer forests as wildlife habitat in general.

That said: why not focus on that, rather than take a walk and everything’s a “squatch”? I know you’re pretty much agreeing in your post with what I’m about to say, but it’s an opportunity to Stress Important Stuff. A scientist might have problem with:

1) An elusive cryptic animal signaling its presence everywhere (shoot, these guys are encountering more bigfoot than I do deer, and I’m in country loaded with deer);

2) Stating things as facts that science doesn’t accept yet (sorry, guys, but it hurts your credibility. Read the TBRC website, which sometimes may err too much on the side of caution…which in science is always better than erring the other way);

3) …then going “um….aaahhhhh….naaaaahhhhh” at what might ACTUALLY BE SOMETHING INTERESTING (the figure moving the tree).

Clearly, these guys are driven to come up with something every show. That will be hard to do with something elusive. You won’t see a TV show (at least not a series) called “Finding the Wolverine” any time soon, because, well, basically people don’t. (Wolverines find us.) Bad TV there. But when you have a show called Finding Something, you better find something! So suddenly everything’s squatchy. And because a skeptical linchpin is All These Blobsquatch, video comes in for the hard-eye treatment, and they’re afraid to even say it might be interesting because, well, that’s playing into the skeptics’ hands, is what it is! But WE know what squatches eat, and sound like, so let’s have lots of that!

And saying the figure moving the tree isn’t a bigfoot because Bobo is bigger? Reports show a range of sizes, and, you know, animals start small and grow, males and females frequently show size differences, juveniles like to have fun, etc. A scientist wouldn’t make that mistake if the video were otherwise interesting.

Not only the seriousness quotient but the good-TV quotient would skyrocket if the producers trusted the audience. But haven’t we been here before. Who trusts the audience?

And, well, yeah, you have to get a scientist or two interested first, and good luck there.

The only bigfoot show that may be successful in this area, is if they took a group of trained marine snipers, packing barrett 50 cal sniper rifles and had them stalk a bigfoot. If bigfoots do exist, then the best way is to have someone who has training on stalking people find it. Also, if a show like this were to exist, you would have to shoot one to get the big ending you all want. I don’t think the BFRO will do this.

For the common viewers, it is entertainment.

For the cryptozoologists, it is entertainment.

For the skeptics, it is entertainment.

The only difference is that for the cryptozoologists and for the skeptics, it is humorous entertainment. And they are not laughing with them but rather, laughing at them.

One thing can be said for this show, both recent and past episodes, that it is the one Bigfoot program that unites both the skeptics and the cryptozoologist, in that they both share common laughing ground. I wanted to be positive in my analysis of this episode, since we were asked what we thought about it. I have not posted any comments here before, about any of the Finding Bigfoot episodes. I did feel compelled this time to post because we were asked to come back and share our thoughts. And also, since there is a pattern growing with each episode. It’s Squatchy!

The positives: So the show has appeal, but not for what it was originally intended. It has been a uniting factor for two oppositional camps. It is entertainment for many people. It is interesting as far as seeing old footage and some footage that may not have been seen before for some viewers. It has a unifying result for both skeptics and cryptozoologists. It is humorous. Hopefully, something beneficial will result from the program such as getting some more people interested in cryptozoology or in their own searches for Bigfoot. And that is a good thing! That is what I can say positively about this episode and the program in general.

The negatives: I lost count of the number of times “Squatch”, “Squatchy”, or some other form of the word “Sasquatch” was thrown around. It was a bit too much for my liking. It makes me cringe every time I hear that terminology being used for a show that reports to be a “scientific” investigation. Enough said there! This episode as almost every episode is predictable! Before I even watched the show, I knew what the format would be and how the show would play out. I even could predict the end result and that was nothing was proven. I could even predict that some form of the word “Sasquatch” would be used. The unknown factor was how many times some form of the word would be used. It is predictable as well, in that there would be some squatchy calls by members of the team. It was predictable that with the exception of Ranae, that the team members talk about Sasquatch and a definite and proven animal. “Squatches are definitely here.” “That is what Squatches do”. So on and so on, they talk about Sasquatch as if it has been proven to exist. This is demeaning to true cryptozoologists both amateur and professional! It is also cannon fodder for skeptics who take delight in making fun of the entire cryptozoological community. It sets true research back many steps. The overuse of the word “Squatch” in it’s various forms is a huge negative. The “scientific methods” employed by the team members is truly not scientific at all. Everything is a “squatch” is tiring. Definitively repeating that this is a Squatch and this is what squatches do, is ludicrous. The predictability of the show is obvious to anyone that has watched even one episode. It sets real cryptozoological study back, many steps. And one last negative about the show, it is entertainment!

I would rather it be much more scientific and objective in it’s approach, but apparently, that is not what the viewing public wants to see. So the show is what it is!

The post initially did list the incorrect episode name.

I corrected it last night after you initially pointed it out, for which I am grateful.

I had cut and pasted it from the previously aired episode and had overlooked changing it.

Thanks, Craig