Bad Accidents: The Polarizing Effect of “Extreme Paranormal”
Let me preface this piece by stating that it is not a review so much as it is a statement. This was not a planned event for this week’s update and I never intended to write anything other than a news blurb about Extreme Paranormal this week, leaving the actual review up to Dana for fear of writing about something that I had too much of a personal connection to. It occurs to me now that the personal connection is exactly why I should be writing this piece. Make no mistake, this piece is personal. There’s no way for me to write it without getting personal, as I’m sure you’ll understand upon reading.
Last week I had the distinct displeasure of watching a television special that had been hyped for months, a special that I was particularly curious to view considering the fact that one of it’s featured investigators was at one time a very close friend and a member of the paranormal adventuring team that actually gave birth to the ‘zine that you’re reading right now. After a long, and generally decent involvement, Jason Gowin and Ghost Hunters, Inc. parted ways several years ago over a phone call between he, myself, and Nick Foust; we citing differences in opinion and motivation and he a specified need to be “legitimate” in the field of paranormal investigation and a desire to “help people learn about the paranormal” without dealing with what his official website called our “bloodthirsty ways”. That was a fair enough argument for us, considering that his desire to help people had led him to inform us, earlier in 2005, that he was a reincarnated Atlantean star-child put on earth for a higher purpose, a purpose that did not become clear to him until the late George Lutz (of the Amityville Horror hoax fame) appeared to him as a glowing visage and offered to teach him how to shoot psi-balls and read people’s auras. As you can imagine, this created an obvious conflict of interest for a team that existed purely for the sake of adventure and, well, made fun of people that believed in things like that. It also really freaked me the fuck out.
So two years later when the idea for “WF?” began kicking around in our heads and Gowin began doing home cleansings and Halloween lectures alongside Brian Harnois, we all officially, and amicably, parted ways. Unable to entertain or respect his new stance or opinions in the “field”, I ceased my contact with Jason, but I always made it a point to check up on him and see what he was up to, occasionally listening in to Encounters, a radio program that he co-hosted alongside Tim Yancey. It was one evening while listening to “Encounters” that he announced that he and the “Ghostman” and “Demon Hunter”, Shawn Burris and Nathan Schoonover, were to be the subject of a new paranormal reality television show.
Six months later I’m sitting in the Paranormal Interest Radio studio with a few good friends, including members of both GHI and the WF Collective, who’ve gathered to view the resulting product of the trio’s investigations around the country. In those few months information about the project had continually changed, going from a full season, to a half-season, to a mini-series, finally coming to rest as a two hour special. This special was titled Extreme Paranormal and offically billed as a group of irreverent investigators who have spent the last ten years “kicking sand in the face of ghosts across America” because they “lack that part of their DNA that tells other investigators to ‘be afraid’ and run away during intense encounters.” A lofty tag line considering that as I type this, there sits to my right a hard drive containing a decade of video footage that would attest otherwise, at least in the case of one cast member.
Regardless of what I did or didn’t know about the members of the team, I was not prepared for the hour of television that awaited me, or the roller coaster of disgust, disappointment, incredulity, and even outrage that ensued. Within the first two moments of the show’s beginning, we are blatantly told that we are going to be lied to for the next hour by being shown the “Ghostman and Demon Hunter” radio show being broadcast in a studio. What they don’t tell you is that the radio show is actually a podcast recorded on their home computers via skype, and the studio they sit in was actually the same Los Angeles studio used to record the show’s terrible fucking voiceovers. In the next ten minutes we are exposed to what we are led to believe is a spirit summoning ritual, a process led by “occult specialist” Nathan Schoonover, that involves a chalk outline being set on fire, and wait for it, a fucking blood sacrifice. Of course, they don’t use any of those words. They call it an “experiment”. For someone who lists his credentials as being a demonologist and the protoge of John Zaffis, this guy knows as much about the occult as he does gynecology - everything he knows was learned on the internet. By cracking a book or two and doing even the most minor research, you can quickly find out that what they performed was actually a bonding ritual. Bonding to what? Well, they sliced open their wrists on national television to pay a blood tribute over top of a glyph that represents the ten levels of hell and the things that reside there. Come to your own conclusions.
It’s worth noting that Schoonover’s mentor, John Zaffis, just recently signed a petition for cessation of the show from the A&E network calling it “an utter disgrace” to people in his profession. While I personally don’t agree with Zaffis on, well, much of anything, I can safely assume that when your sensei calls you “an utter disgrace” and actively tries to get you out of the public’s eye, you’ve fucked up.
Regardless of your religious and spiritual beliefs or dis-beliefs, the summoning ritual was the single most irresponsible thing displayed on any paranormal television show ever. By implying that razorblades and 
arson are legitimate ways to investigate claims of the paranormal, they have given weight to the argument that the paranormal is dangerous and should be avoided. According to a few messages we’ve received since the airing, one kid has already tried to repeat the bloodletting ritual after watching Extreme Paranormal. Having gotten involved in the paranormal field at a very young age, quite accidentally and as the result of shows like Scariest Places on Earth and MTV’s Fear, it pains me to think about how many kids that age are not going to get to experience those same kind of adventures because their fundamentalist parents now have ammo in the argument that “ghost hunting” is really just dabbling in the occult. Except now, they’ve got proof that it can cause physical harm to their children in addition to the spiritual harm they are so afraid of.
As if those implications weren’t enough, they’ve decidedly created a form of “reality entertainment” that is neither real nor entertaining. When they aren’t trying to pass off a fish as an evil ghost, they’re freaking out because the infamously inaccurate K2 meter is going off when there, and I quote, “isn’t any electrical source for miles”. Except for, you know, the loads of video and communications equipment being used by them and their film crew. They proceed, twice in this particular episode, to take a perfectly reasonable noise as “definite” proof that the ghost they’re looking for has been contacted. They literally said “this is definitely (insert ghost here)” at least twice. Really? Because the best evidence that was captured was a shadow (of one of the cast members, mind you) and a warbly piece of audio edited in post production. That hardly seems like grounds for proclaiming the blowing wind as definitely the ghost of Martin Nelson.
It’s as if this cast and crew decided to take elements of Ghost Adventures (running and screaming), Paranormal State (occult and religious overtones), and Ghost Hunters (tech gadgets and ’serious business’ attitude) and create an amalgamation of the three. One would think that it would make for an entertaining, if not entirely realistic, viewing. That might have been the case had they taken all the good parts from each show rather than the worst. Instead of getting a likable cast, an entertaining story, or even questionably good evidence of paranormal proof, what we’re left with is a barely coherent hour of television featuring poor scripting, zero storyline, and an undeniably homoerotic overtone. It doesn’t even live up to it’s promise of irreverence, humor, or anything extreme for that matter. The most extreme thing about this special was how much it sucked.
This show has succeeded in doing something that no other show up until this point has done. It has virtually polarized the paranormal community by giving them something so terrible, so despicably inaccurate and irresponsible, that everyone hates it. The skeptics hate it. The true believers hate it. While TAPS members mock it, Ghost Adventures fans insist that it’s a bad knock off. Hell, I even had a conversation with a Paranormal State cast member about how terrible it was. Let me repeat that. I told a member of the Penn State Paranormal Research Society that I would rather watch their show, and we laughed about it because of what an absurd statement that was, coming from someone like myself. That is a scenario that I never, ever could have imagined two weeks ago in any kind of bizarro universe. In a community where there are no rules and no one can agree on anything, everyone has agreed that this show is, hands down, the worst paranormal television show that has ever been aired on a major cable network, and it’s an opinion that they have not been quiet about voicing.
Why is this? Because rather than a jacket tug, a fake psychic, a foam brick, or a shakti helmet, we have three grown men advocating physical harm and reckless destruction as legitimate forms of paranormal investigation. In a field with no boundaries, they managed to cross a line. Not an easy feat to accomplish. Unfortunately for them, this line has nothing to do with being “extreme” or “innovative” but more to do with being a spectacle of no real importance or intelligence, of no message or accomplishment. It maintains a pointless existence that attempts to encourage dangerous thoughts and practices as a logical way to seek answers to questions most people ask at some point or another. The existence of this show has forever ruined their reputations because they tarnished everyone else’s. You see, to people on the outside of the paranormal community, there is no difference between members of The Atlantic Paranormal Society, the Ghost Adventures Crew, the little group with a bad acronym, or Extreme Paranormal. To them, it’s all the same. They don’t see the factions or the opinions or the painstaking efforts that some have taken to adhere to scientific method. Instead, they see two fat jackasses and a D&D nerd in a duster jacket throwing around rituals and equipment they obviously don’t understand, while yelling nonsense and breaking things. The “Citizens for Community Values” now have their eye on the show calling it “potentially harmful to minors.” To those on the outside, these are the representatives of our community. They are our “scientists”. That does not bode well for anyone, not even for the sake of entertainment. Fortunately, even those outside of the field hate it as much as we might, albeit much for different reasons.
Already, the subjects of this show have been getting their speaking engagements revoked, even negatively affecting their friends via association. I’d be lying if I said that part of the motivation for writing this piece wasn’t due to an inbox full of angry emails from people who think we’re still associated with Jason Gowin, and frankly, at this point, it’s embarrassing to admit that he ever was. The stain they’ve left on their own reputations will continue to mark not only them for years to come, but everyone they have and will associate with, which leads me to a puzzling situation. Those associations, the same people who have been some of the most outspoken opponents of Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State, continue to remain silent on this subject, with some even defending their friends by placing 100% of the blame on the producers of the show. One comment in particular was aimed at the impressionable viewers who are dumb enough to view the special as anything other than entertainment, asking if the girl that cut herself while trying to recreate a ritual also sewed string into her jacket a la ‘Collargate’. Is that really the best comparison someone could make? Trying to fool people into seeing a spooky, if fake, ghost and potentially getting someone seriously hurt are two completely different things.
Let’s be clear here: no producer ever put a gun to any of these men’s heads and made them sign a contract. The only trigger needed was a desire for attention and a longing for importance. Sure, the producers had their hand in this show, but to try and convince anyone that the subjects involved were somehow coerced into anything that they were uncomfortable with is an outright lie. In fact, if a production assistant handed you a razor blade and told you to cut yourself in a spirit summoning ritual intended to bond your soul to hell, I think it’s safe to say that you are able to terminate contract on the grounds of threatened safety, possibly even due to religious preferences. These idiots wanted to be on television so badly, that they did so at the cost of any reputation they or their associations had built.
To those of you that insist on remaining quiet on this issue while you lambaste shows like Paranormal State, and doubly so to those of you who mock others while defending this show and those involved, know that you are rendering your previous and future opinions as invalid. If you can’t stick to your guns when your friends, the people whom you should hold to higher standards, start making the same mistakes that you criticize others for, then you’re the biggest hypocrite of all, and you don’t deserve a forum for your opinions. It comes down to putting up or shutting up. And from the looks of it, there’s a handful of people who should bite their tongues the next time they want to make fun of Jason Hawes or Ryan Buell.
For those of you that want to use the defensive arguments that these shows are purely entertainment, that this show wasn’t made for children in the first place, or my personal favorite, that these guys were at the mercy of their producers, your arguments were rendered invalid in the first 5 seconds of this show. Notice the little A&E logo citing “real life”? How about the nice big “PG” rating citing “language” as the only slightly objectionable content. Finally, notice the disclaimer, in gigantic font, that reads: “the views on the occult and the supernatural on this show are those of the INVESTIGATORS.” It’s all there, wrapped up in a nice little bow.
The release of this television show is a mixed bag. It has, without a doubt, set back the paranormal community by leaps and bounds with it’s horrible production values and even worse “investigation” standards, but while doing so it has also introduced something so terrible, so painfully embarrassing to the community that everyone involved can’t help but agree on it. It has been a catalyst for discussion among every different faction of the community, something which, despite however Nathan wants to spin it, was not the desired intention of the show. When every member of the “Who Forted Collective” can say that they’d rather spend an evening discussing the positive aspects of Paranormal State with it’s cast than watch an episode of Extreme Paranormal, there is something very interesting occurring in the paranormal field.
When a ten car pileup happens on a residential street, it forces neighbors, who may not like or have even met one another, to come outside and gawk at the accident while discussing who’s fault it was or how it could have been prevented. Next thing you know, there’s a streetlight where there never used to be one. Accidents are avoided, neighbors have introduced themselves, occasionally there might even be a block party. This special is a lot like that pileup. The individual factions of the paranormal housing development are mingling around the front yard in their bathrobes, dialing the police, giving statements, and most importantly, talking to one another. The most positive thing we can do now is to keep talking, to keep discussing how we can prevent more accidents like this from happening. We don’t have to be friends, but we’re neighbors, whether any of us like it or not. Regardless of what color you paint your house, how many pink flamingos you pepper your property with, or how badly you want those goddamn kids off your lawn, when negative things keep happening in your community, everyone has to deal with living in a rough neighborhood.
All it took was a bad accident for everyone to start figuring that out.
So will Extreme Paranormal get picked up for a full season? That’s hard to say. Last year’s big paranormal special Door to the Dead with Chris Moon bombed. On the other hand, Ghost Adventures is in it’s third season. Anything could happen. According to Jason Gowin’s facebook page, the producers have told them that they need to have just as many viewers on their second and final week as they did on week one to be considered. The question is if this show gets picked up, what will the community do about it? Will they take the necessary steps to distance themselves from this show? Will they speak out enough to make the people on the outside of the paranormal community take notice that this is not acceptable behavior? One can only hope.
Let me reiterate my point very clearly : We all know that every show from Paranormal State to Ghost Hunters blatantly fakes evidence on a consistent basis. If you haven’t accepted that yet, you’re a gullible schmuck. The difference between Extreme Paranormal and these shows is that while Ghost Hunters and their sneaker-clad “ghosts” simply make all of us look silly, Extreme Paranormal’s razorblades, fire, and lack of reasoning makes us look dangerous and stupid. Dangerous and stupid is fine when you’re the only person being affected, but every kid that cuts themselves to summon dear old grandad? The blowback from that is something we’re all going to have to deal with in one way or another.
Besides.. if I wanted to watch three fat girls, who’ve viewed too much Buffy, make protection circles out of salt while cutting themselves, I’d go back to junior high.
AMEN.
excellent article!!
The official response from the Council of Reincarnated Atleantean Starchildren is: “Jason whom?”
On a serious note, I could not agree more. This one editorial is the quintessential example of your intense, fair and logical pursuit of paranormal study, the value of a forum such as the Whoforted e-zine and the value of making this a collective rather than a super troop. If anyone ever made the mistake of thinking that Greg Newkirk is merely a gorilla mask and a pretty face, they must think again. Your neighborhood accident metaphor alone gave me chub. You have skills sir, and it is an honor to know and occasionally work with you.
Well they wanted frickin unity, here ya go. I watched 10 minutes of the show and realized I would rather do dishes.
Bravo, very nice blog!
It seems we have been presented with a convenient common enemy against which to rally, however it’s unfortunate that a former friend of yours had to play the catalyst.
Great article for sure! maybe all this backlash might change the tv people a little. They might put shows on that we want to watch instead of ones with editing tricks that they think we like.
Wow - well stated. When are people in the paranormal community going to realize that most people - including TV Producers - think we (paranormal investigators) are NUTS?? Extreme Paranormal was a freak show - an hour long Jerry Springer show with the fat, double- digit IQ trailer trash “guests” run amok.
This show is proof that some people will do anything to get on television.
One of the worst “paranormal” shows I’ve ever seen. Kind of like that assanine Ghost Adventures on crack and stupid pills. Some of you would rather wash dishes or watch Paranormal State, I’d rather watch Most Haunted and try to convince myself they aren’t faking evidence.
I guess I am just general public. I am not a paranormal expert or know too much about it. But even I can not view this show Extreme Paranormal. It was not entertaining, believable and the “researchers’ were not likeable characters.
I watch Ghost Hunters, Most Haunted Live and Ghost Adventures, plus a few others. Most I watch to basically giggle at adults scaring themselves and making alot of fuss over ambient noises.
I watch Ghost Hunters for the main reason I see them as more crediable and entertaining.
I watched around 40 minutes of Extreme Paranormal because I fell asleep for the other 20. I am now wondering if I can somehow get those 40 minutes of my life back.
They for sure will have one less viewer next week.
OK, here’s my take on it. I hadn’t seen it until last night and even then, I missed the beginning of it so I didn’t see the whole blood sacrifice cutting thing. I completely agree with every point you’ve made about all of that - it was entirely ridiculous, irresponsible, and reckless. I’m all for new “experiments” whether they’re “scientific” or not, but to seriously think that no one watching would try that was just retarded.
My issue with the other shows versus shows like this one and Ghost Adventures is that Paranormal State and TAPS claim to be “helping people” and in my opinion, they are only helping people become dumber and more gullible. It pisses me off that they prey on the grief and fear of innocent people for the sake of being on TV. Not to mention the people at Paranormal State are a bunch of big fat liars, but that’s another story.
I haven’t seen these guys or the Ghost Adventures guys do that yet. So far as I can tell, they are claiming to be for entertainment purposes - now, whether it’s actually entertainment or not is another story. I personally am NOT entertained by it and find most of it pretty ridiculous. I watched this show only because of the people in it. I’ve met Shaun and Nathan and I enjoyed the time I was around them and found them to be pretty funny guys. We’d had Jason on our show and I found him, too, to be pretty entertaining and kind. So of course, I was hoping for good things.
I will not pull the bad editing card or “it was all the production crew’s fault” because I personally know that’s bullshit. Tonya and I did a show several years ago for The Learning Channel where they would ask us to do this or that, and you know what we did if we thought it was stupid? We said, “Um, no, that’s fucking stupid and we would never do that, not even for TV.” And we didn’t. We stuck to our guns and WE told them how we would be portrayed. In the end we won and we did not come out looking retarded on TV (that’s actually how we got given the Ghost Divas name). If you’re portrayed badly on TV, yeah, it MIGHT be bad editing in some cases, but ultimately YOU are in charge of YOU and you CAN call the shots. If it means not getting to be on TV, well, that’s when your credibility comes into question - is it really about what you’re doing or is it about getting on TV? For us, it’s about being real and we would have been fine with not being on TV in exchange for our dignity.
I can’t speak for all of the Ghost Divas - there are 5 of us and this is only MY opinion on it.
I thought it was interesting to see people step outside the box, however, that’s about as far as my interest went. I am disappointed that they are doing reckless things and they should know better than to do things people will try at home that could be dangerous. We’ve spent the last couple of months preaching about the idiots that are telling the world investigating the paranormal is dangerous and here you have these guys pulling stunts like cutting themselves on national TV. I am also disappointed that the real personalities of these guys wasn’t allowed to show through. I don’t think it will last, but like you said, stranger things have happened.
Excellent article! Nick Spantgos and I (from PRI) recently wrote an anti-provocation article for Vince Wilson’s mag “Ghost Tech,” so my head about exploded while I watched that piece of garbage show. Thank you for taking a stand against this bullshit. Hopefully this will unify us to a degree. I haven’t spoke to one person that thought this show was either entertaining, educational, or redeeming in any way. These morons should be totally ashamed of themselves. I’d like to do some blood letting on them. LOL!
Derrick
Very well stated. The show was an embarrassment, and down-right irresponsible and dangerous.
And, did anyone else want to rename it Queer Eye for the Dead Guy?
I would like to say “THANK YOU!” I was so disguested after watching this episode that I was speechless. This show has done nothing but created a mockery of the paranormal field and everyone eho has a passion for it.
How does a team go into a historic jail and proceed to cut the bars off it as part of their investigation? Can we say Vandalism? The paranormal field does not support vandalism in any form or way, but rather respect for the location you are investigating.
Underwater EVP? - There is possibly now ay to get an underwater evp from a diver’s face mask, especially since the facemask mic only captures sounds from the diver and not outside sources. Furthermore a spirit would have had to been in the damn mask to say “Help me” as they stated it did… That was a pure joke.
Witchcraft? - Since when do true investigators dabble into anything evil, dark or witchcraft wise like a summoning circle? They say what you put out into the world is what you recieve, and puttingout such dark practices will only lead to rude awakenings.
You have summed up the problem nicely, though a correlation I had hoped you would make didn’t seem to make it into the final draft.
Is it any surprising coincidence that the network responsible for giving us the worst paranormal trash on TV is the one and only Arts and Entertainment Network? (A&E)
These are the people who saw fit to give Ryan Buell a podium from which to declare that all hauntings are the result of demonic possession and influence, and to endorse the likes of the Ovilus I, and ultimately hoisted him to a level of fame that enables him to threaten us with production of his very own feature length movie.
These people are motivated by one thing, and you hit this nail on the head.
“According to Jason Gowin’s facebook page, the producers have told them that they need to have just as many viewers on their second and final week as they did on week one to be considered.”
Ratings = Money and a lack of ratings will inevitably equal the cancellation of this ridiculous show.
So in our currently unified state, as ironic as this is, we have the power to condemn this trash in the only way that will clean up the mess.
Don’t watch the show, or better yet…don’t watch A&E.
We created a page on faceboook to help the petition.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Extreme-Paranormal-Off-Air/160641109683?ref=nf
AMEN! You summed up everything that I was going to blog about. Good work.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The idea that this show is even still on is a joke! That is really all I can say.
Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! The A&E network is destined for lawsuits (one can only hope), and they seem to be in a continuous cycle of highly irresponsible programing (Psychic Kids)! If that is A&E’s way of getting publicity..then there actually IS such a thing as BAD publicity! I hope they get their asses sued into bankruptcy for this irresponsible, dangerous, highly ficticious, portrayal of “paranormal investigating”. It should be fun to watch such shows..not DANGEROUS! I hope they get their wish & do burn in hell! (sorry, but young people are so impressionable, parents don’t deserve this!)
I hear their doing a live Halloween special where they will be provoking the ghosts of dead cancer patients by pretending to have chemotherapy.
[...] For a full (and somewhat lengthy) explanation, please go read this. [...]
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
I watched “Extreme Paranormal” and was completely appalled to see what these guys were trying to pull off as Paranormal Investigation! While I am not a Paranormal Investigator or Researcher, I have a great deal of respect & admiration for the men & women of PRI, which is my local investigation group. I have learned alot from Nick Spantgos & Derrick Miller along with the rest of the team, about what to trust as evidence & what not to trust & when I saw these guys use the occult to “summons the dead” in their bizzare “experiment” I was just disgusted! It was kinda like a train-wreck though, cuz I just kept watching to see what irresponsible act they would come up with next. It was absolutely horrifying to see these guys call themselves Paranormal ANYTHING!!!! I am in the early stages of learning amateur investigation & research techniques from PRI & my mind is open to many ideas, techniques, strategies & procedures in learning the craft, but that show just made me realize there are some real idiots out there capitalizing on an amazing science that it makes me sick. Thanks for letting me vent.
Sincerely,
Mary Briggs
Sorry Derrick, For some reason I posted your name as Derrick Miller not Derrick WARD. My ERROR… I dont know why I said Miller. I apologize for the mistake in my previous post….
Mary Briggs
Okay. So my friends and I have recently started exploring the supernatural and posting it on our website, FreakCentral.NET. Yes, we are all amateurs. No degrees in anything, no prior experience in ghost hunting, no training what-so-ever. Even we all know these guys are idiots and shouldn’t be allowed on TV.
The idea of a blood sacrifice in and of itself is foolish, let alone that they had no idea of the symbol they were using. If they did know what they were doing they REALLY should be denied access to any public forum (TV, radio, computer). The idea that that is acceptable is ridiculous.
On a positive note, we all got the baked goods basket and enjoyed the welcoming committee… we’ll try as hard as we can not to be an embarrassment like they are.
When I viewed the show I was disappointed. I was really bothered to see a couple of guys I really thought were pretty decent people stoop to such levels. They’ve sold out and sold us out in the process.
I was going to delete them from the site as I feel they really do not represent the best interest of paranormal community as a whole. However this article enlisted a different idea. Maybe I should leave the page for people to visit and speak their mind. If you do so please try and keep it clean.
http://www.iamhaunted.com/ghostanddemon
I wash my hands of you Extreme Paranormal.
Then I submit myself to the CDC just to make sure I didn’t catch any of your highly contagious F1S1.
F and S standing for - Fucking Stupid.
Brilliant article, Greg! I don’t believe that you left a single hole in your arguments (not that there needs to be since no one enjoyed this show).
It makes me wonder how the least entertaining (and now we see least intelligent) member of GHInc ended up with a television show. Though I have a sneaking suspicion that you guys know what you’re doing in that area.
I’ll make sure to pass this article along to any friends who’ve viewed or plan on viewing the show.
HAHAHAHA…..great article! I loved the comment “Queer Eye for the Dead Guy” You totally made my morning!!
“Extreme Paranormal” was just total Fucking, TERRIBLE! I just want to place my Bigfoot Hunter,Shot.Gun,in my mouth and
JUST SAY.“Extreme Paranormal” IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE.
I was given this site by a friend of mine because I watched “Extreme Paranormal” last night and was furious. In response to the episode on Pennhurst: they’re a bunch of LIARS! Pennhurst was not closed in 1968 because of an investigation as claimed on the show. It was closed in 1987. I personally know of five different people who worked at Pennhurst. Two of those people were nurses who were extremely caring loving people who tried very hard to make the residents lives there as decent as possible. The other three worked in other areas where they did not have contact with the patients, but were all excellent workers with strict work ethics. There are reports of abuse and mistreatment, but this was not the norm as EP tried to make it sound. They need to be taken off the air! Thank you for letting me vent and thank you for being a decent representative of the Paranormal community.
I do like to watch stupid people do stupid things, but I think it is wrong to disrepect anybody living or dead. I don’t know if I believe in the “Paranormal” 100%. I’ve seenthings that I’m unsure of. I do like shows that are pure and based in science and not on bs lets make $$$. I think it hurts all paranormal invest. when people like this are allowed to muddy the water between truth and lies. I take everthing seen on TV with a grain of salt. I believe half of what I see and none of what I hear. With the other shows they don’t seem to go to the point of complete dosrespect of people or ghost/spirits. I don’t think being mean to get a responce from anything is good. Someone who passed on may have had a hard way to go. They are someones family member. They had or have somebody living who cares for them. If you are going to try to show that spirits are out there try not acting like children throwing rocks at the do behind the fence. Trying to make a spirit relive a horrible incident is just bad Karma. I do know that Evil is a real thing. That I have seen just turn on the news. To try to open a door into the depths of hell and call on an evil unseeable thing is reckless and also bad Karma. I wish you all luck in you hunt for the truth. The truth is out there…. Be safe in all you do and stick to your guns. Respect the living as well as the dead.
Thanks for letting me speak my mind,
Joe
Great article, I agree this show was shocking to say the least.. The stuff they were doing was dumb and dangerous. I really do not care for most shows because most are fake and dust chasers sadly. The only good show anymore is original Ghost Hunters.
I agree with most things said, sans the gay jokes. I also hate how this gives many pagans a bad name.
Thank you so much for posting this blog entry Greg. I don’t think anyone could have worded such a sensitive topic as eloquently as you did. This show went beyond outraging members of a collective diverse community, it bordered complete chaos and just blatant lies that are certain to tarnish the reputations not only of themselves but of all paranormal investigators to some degree. Forever will the image of razor blades and mock pagan rituals be branded into the minds of emo kids parents when ever their child takes interest into anything considered paranormal. As you so clearly stated, this show has given no truthful insight into the field of research…all it has done is open the flood gates for critics to now paint us all with the same brush and staple the label “quacks” over everyone’s heads. In my eyes there was nothing at all even remotely close to being considered “paranormal” or “investigating” in this episode. All I saw was a group of portly middle aged men running around making fools of themselves and wasting the time of anyone who bothered to tune in and watch this rubbish.
AJ Knight
G.H.O.S.T.
Having met all 3 of the “investigators” and talked on and off with at least 2 of them for quite some time via the interwebs…I can say I was actually pretty appalled. When I heard about it I thought it would definitely be along the lines of a more humorous take on the whole idea of paranormal investigation.
Seeing Nathan pull all the “ritual” stuff made me laugh and say to my boyfriend sitting there…”well geez…then tell me why this guy freaked the heck out at the site of a ouija board and fled from the room telling everyone how horrible they were for messing with it.”
Mostly we sat there mocking them on how absolutely horrible it was (seriously…when you’re out on a lake at night you are going to hear fish splashing around, that’s not a ghost). They made complete asses out of themselves and set the example that trying to do crazy rituals is a good idea. No one should be messing with that who has no clue what they’re doing.
Needless to say, we did not tune in for the second installment.
Well done! I am personally involved with paranormal investigating and am well aware that the actions of others DOES influence the opinions of the general public. We are working so hard to overcome the “stereotypes” associated with the paranormal field in general and that show may very well have undone all the efforts of the serious investigators over the last decade!
I’m glad to see that so many others can see “the writing on the wall” so to speak…
Don’t watch the show, or better yet…don’t watch A&E.
i’m with you, martin clemens. that’s why i didn’t watch this show - i did see a little part of the first episode while flipping channels but i couldn’t keep it on because it was just too stupid.
i stopped watching “paranormal state” midway thru last season.
i simply couldn’t keep justifying my watching that show’s crap even for the parody factor. reading this article, it would appear that there is absolutely no room for parody in this new depth of putrid paranormal BS that A$E has dared air called “extreme paranormal.”
i’m glad i didn’t watch it, but i’m glad greg did and was able to create this article out of his misery.
You should have gone with your initial assessment: this is too personal for you. You hold a grudge years deep for one of the main investigators. You waste much of the article firing personal attacks towards him and your version of his past. To me, this shows a complete lack of journalistic integrity. If you want to continue to call this personal blog a magazine, you may want to work on that.
You also imply anyone who supports this show is automatically wrong and their opinion should not be heard. You even go as far to say any person holding such an opinion is completely forfeiting their credibility. Forever. Because you say so. Really?
Anyway, I’ll give you some actual insider information, since you have none.
The ratings were very positive nationwide for both episodes. If Saturday goes as well, the show will definitely be picked up for a full season.
A&E loves the controversy about the blood ritual and the online petition. Some of the cast and crew even signed it (for fun) under phony names.
For a little background, the three main investigators did not apply for this television spot. The producers searched (mainly the internet) for a new team suitable for the show. Shawn and Nathan were then discovered due to their radio show.
They even looked at the hosts of this very blog, concluding that they were too angry and hateful for a national audience (don’t give up!).
Jason was introduced when Nathan submitted a video of Shawn that happened to have Jason in it. They liked the chemistry within the trio, and chose them for the show.
As for the show itself, I’m biased. I won’t waste anybody’s time writing a review (or “statement”).
Happy hunting.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Matt.
Let me take a second to clear a few things up. Firstly, this was intended as an editorial, or an opinion piece. I thought that I labeled that clearly enough. I took time in the initial paragraph to make sure that everyone knew that yes, I was attached to this subject, so I would be writing a piece that was personal. It was clearly stated that this would not be the magazine’s “review” of the show.
Secondly, I’m sure that their ratings were pretty good. I’ve no doubt about that. Ratings don’t differentiate between “good” television and “bad” television. Controversy sells, and hell, even Flava Flav had his own tv show. This article was not a ratings assessment. I don’t really think that we’ve said much of anything that people were not already thinking. This can be attested simply by surfing around the internet for while. There’s a good 8/10 negative to positive ratio, even by regular folks who aren’t involved in the paranormal. But again, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t popular. Just not good. Hell, Flava Flav had his own television show. I don’t think I need to elaborate any further on the point I’m making there.
One thing that I’ve noticed is that you make a lot of assumptions in your comments, most of which look to be aimed at insulting us in some way, so I’ll take time to address each one.
I’m not sure that WF qualifies as a “personal blog” if its operated and contributed to by 10 to 20 people respectively, but we’ll bite. We’re flattered that every week, several thousand visitors would take time out of their busy schedules to read our “personal blog”, even if we’ve only been updating once or twice a month. Perhaps if we updated on a more frequent basis, we’d have even more readers. What’s the minimum readership base to be considered a journalist, again? We were never formally trained, believe it or not, so we aren’t really clear on that. Let me also point out that you’re arguing journalism with a ‘zine that featured a video of me, on the main page, pooping. I’m a regular Connie Chung, wouldn’t you say?
You’re the third person we’ve seen to claim to have “inside information” about GHI’s involvement in Extreme Paranormal, and you’re also the third to produce no proof. We never heard a thing about it, so we’re going to go right ahead and assume that’s more bunk information. I’m not sure if you were aiming to make us jealous or regretful or what, but if it was amused, you hit the mark. You just told us that this production company took a look at us, and pretty much said that we were too much for a national audience. Do you realize how badass that sounds? Excuse me while I take a second to write that on a sticky note, so I can attach it to my monitor and stare at it every time I’m having a bad day.
Whether you meant to or not, you basically told everyone reading your comment that they need to sell out to be on television, which isn’t true. By saying “you guys are too mean and hateful to be on tv, but don’t give up!” you’re pretty much telling us to stop being outspoken and opinionated and we might be able to get a tv show. Who fucking cares? We never started any of this for any other reason than to have fun and be an outlet that this field/community/whatever was lacking. We’re doing both of those things, so we’re pretty happy. If we were so desperate to be on television, I wouldn’t have told Libby Niles, story producer for Paranormal State, that her show was “fucking terrible”, when she called me several months ago and asked us for bios and headshots for a new tv series they were putting together. I’ve got more stories just like that if the first one wasn’t enough.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that there’s anything inherently wrong with being on television. I’m asking, at what cost? Do we really look like the kind of people who desire money and popularity? That would be easy to get. We’d just tell everyone what they want to hear and put ads on our website. What’s harder is to tell people the truth, stick to your guns, and admit when you’re wrong. Those qualities might not get us a shitty Halloween special with the possibility of a shitty television series, but neither we, nor the people who actually care enough to listen to our opinion, would ever have to second guess us. There’s plenty of folks on television, tackling offbeat subjects and subcultures, who I absolutely adore and respect. I would have John Safran’s babies if it were possible and he were willing.
So telling us “hey, you guys could have been them” wouldn’t make us feel bad even if it were true. We’ve seen the show. We most definitely do not want to be them. Or Paranormal State. Or Ghost Adventures. Or anyone else for that matter. Until a production company approaches us with a project that wouldn’t require the burden of proof to be on us, and a figurative (or literal, in the case of “EP”) selling of our souls, we’ll just keep doing whatever the hell we want. It keeps you honest when you’re the only one accountable for yourself.
Thanks again for dropping by and giving us your opinion, Matt.
While I can appreciate Matt taking his time to drop by and share his opinion, which although we may not agree is certainly at the heart of why Who Forted exists, I cannot let a few observations of my own go unsaid. I will limit this writing to only those few as I believe the matter was well covered in it’s entirety by Mr. Newkirk.
First, it seems that your comments leave no room for the fact that below the editorial rest at least 37 comments of support and agreement. Some comment to the basic extent of “you took the words out of my mouth”. Are we to suppose your information will also indict them as too hateful for a national audience? Are Who Forted’s readers also too personally connected rendering their opinions invalid? Perhaps we should send the lot of them to journalism school so they too can learn to have an opinion in a public forum properly.
Second:
“A&E loves the controversy about the blood ritual and the online petition. Some of the cast and crew even signed it (for fun) under phony names.”
Hmmm…seems that claiming the cast and network will put honesty and transparency on the back burner for the sake of their own success and amusement is confirmed by your “insider info”. Apparently the claim that this is a realistic view of paranormal investigation is not their only phony presentations to the community if your information is correct. It certainly does not support the idea that they are trying t “give back” to a credible aspect of the “field”. Ironic considering comments made by cast members to my face regarding their motivations.
Third:
“They even looked at the hosts of this very blog, concluding that they were too angry and hateful for a national audience (don’t give up!).”
You show your lack of information now. Who needs information they don’t have now? I can assure you the network neither viewed me for consideration nor found me to be too angry and hateful. You obviously made statements concerning a publication while knowing nothing about how it works. Pot? Kettle? Take your pick, I will wear the other costume. This does not even begin to address the numerous offers made to individual contributors to this ‘zine’ for their own projects, but I believe that too was already well addressed. And yes considering the motivations of the producers (which are blazingly obvious) this will be taken as compliment to all it is directed toward. It is however ironic that you claim they love controversy yet in the same review claim they shy from it in regards to our contributors. Another conflicting anomaly.
And finally, I see that you began your blog by criticizing the idea that Mr. Newkirk made review while being biased and ended by admitting that you too are biased. A consistent presentation of your view would have lent it at least a bit more value, yet you lend friendly advice on proper journalism? Nice. See you in class.
You are certainly entitled to your opinions of the show. However, the personal attacks against Jason Gowin are both false and unwarranted. You may have had good intentions when you started writing this, but it turned into a slanderous rant.
The show tested very positively with regular folk. If it hadn’t, it wouldn’t have even made it to the air. 8/10? Source? From reading forums and blogs, it seems only the hardcore paranormal investigators didn’t enjoy the show, which are a drop in the bucket. Since we’re going off what we have personally seen and heard, I will report only about half of hardcore paranormal investigators we’ve talked to enjoyed the show, but at least 80% of the regular folk. The PI’s object to the use of provocation and a blood ritual.
Flavor of Love was an awful show, and this does not cater to the same audience.
GHI had absolutely no involvement with Extreme Paranormal. You were simply looked at briefly, and passed over.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on what the perfect paranormal show would be like. Perhaps worth a short, constructive article?
In my opinion, if you all really want to improve the paranormal community, drop the petty rivalries and work together.
PIR_Matt,
I did not review the show. I clearly stated my reason: I’m biased. I’m close friends with the cast members. I agree it would have been hypocritical of me to review the show as Greg did. I never stated any of the commenter’s opinion’s were invalid because it’s obviously not the case. I don’t know them. I was pointing out that Greg’s personal vendetta against Jason Gowin was clearly in the driver’s seat. The average reader wouldn’t pick up on this.
I certainly did misinterpret the purpose of this site. This is the only article I have read, as it is personal for me as well. I agree, hat invalidates my over-the-counter advise on journalism. This isn’t the serious paranormal news or review site I originally thought it was.
Also, I have no idea who you are. They considered Greg and one other person in your staff I know. I’m fairly certain a person doesn’t have to inform you when they Google or read your work.
The producers absolutely have motives! Without ratings and money, the show wouldn’t exist. No show would, this goes without saying. However, I have the viewing advantage of knowing that no evidence was faked, which is what skeptics base most of their opinions on. Whether or not the displayed evidence proves anything paranormal happened is always open for debate.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, and I hope I made my points clearer.
Hilarious.
A) Vendetta against Jason Gowin? Comeon. For what? Being on a lame tv special? Hardly. If anything, he just kind of let us down. Now we have to deal with the emails from people who think he’s still associated with us. That’s annoying, at the very most. Nothing worthy of a campaign or anything. This article also served as a way of saying “no, we are most definitely not associated with that guy anymore”. The group parted amicably, which I mentioned. In bold. You’re beginning to go places that this article didn’t, so its safe to say that you’re a personal friend or associate of his. Your opinion is as tainted as mine.
B) Also: false, unwarranted attacks? For real? Please list me the things mentioned that are wrong, and I’m sure that I can round up several sources for each. If I’m wrong, I’ll gladly remove the erroneous comments and apologize. I’m a notorious collector. As I mentioned in the article, I’ve got ten years of video footage sitting on a hard drive that would not only discredit much of the production company’s press for the show, but raise a whoooole lot of other interesting questions. If I really was “out to get” anybody, I’d have far more compelling things to say than “this show sucked and it was bad for the paranormal community.” Trust me, there’s no hate campaign, and we’ve really got no plans to even bring up EP again. We can talk about paranormal television until we’re blue in the face, but we all agreed that it’s not fun to write about, and there’s only so many times you can say that (insert paranormal celebrity) here is a douche before you have to accept that people will believe whatever they choose to. We made an exception in this case simply because we had a connection. We also had higher hopes for the show, if that wasn’t evident enough by the fact that we organized a fucking viewing party. We advertised the show more than A&E did!
I’m assuming that you’re dwelling on the second paragraph a bit too much. You know, one paragraph out of around 19. Get over it, that’s merely a small portion of the entire piece. That shit about atlanteans and psi-balls and auras? That’s not made up. We can talk about the magical “bleeding toilet” and the “flying manta rays” and much, much more if you’d like. I can keep going, and get you chat logs, personal testimonies, and videos to back it up. I really don’t think it’s worth the time or effort to get into any of that, because let’s be honest, at this point our argument is just a pissing contest. I only mention that zany shit because it’s worth noting that these self-proclaimed bad-asses/experts are also bat-shit nuts, as if believing a ring of salt keeps you protected by God isn’t enough to point that out.
C) Crowdeye. Check it out. Lots of people who aren’t paranormal investigators talking about how bad the show was. Considerably more than people talking about liking it. I’d be interested to know where you’re taking your cross sections from. But as I stated before, the ratings don’t differentiate between people who liked it and hated it, just who didn’t change the channel. Interesting note: did you know that Hulu is advertising EP as a parody?
But hey, whatever. We aren’t really going to convince one another, are we? So let’s agree to disagree, because we’re both bias, you’re not going to tell us who you really are or give anyone any reason to believe you, and I’d really love to get on to writing about bigfoot, the beast of bray road, or interesting subcultures. Not only is this no fun to argue about, it’s boring for everyone to view.
Best to ya.
matt,
i’d love to see the stats for your claim that the show has an 80% approval rate. from where?
at least you admit that you’re biased because you’re friends with the cast members. this explains why you’re in the minority in defending/praising the show.
most of the people associated with these crappy paranormal shows just go around the internet creating multitudinous aliases in order to create false buzz for the shows and defend them at all costs — sort of like creating fake aliases to sign petitions about absurdly irresponsible things like using razor blades to cut one’s self in the name of ghost hunting/demon spotting.
a big thing at the A$E forums used to be lots of brand spanking new one-time posters coming on board to praise the shows like psychic kids/paranormal state, and/or to alternately taunt or bash the critics. also these people (cast and crew and friends, i presume) certainly seemed to love to disrupt the OVERWHELMINGLY NEGATIVE and hilariously sarcastic discussions about these stupid shows.
i would hazard a guess something similar will be going on right now at the A$E forum if there is a board for this show. i bet you might even be in on it.
i didn’t see much of the show - i couldn’t stand it. i saw one promo where some fat dude seemed to be chenneling elvis by singing (badly) in order to attract ghosts.
epic stupid.
greg:I would have John Safran’s babies if it were possible and he were willing.
now that i would actually pay to see.
hmmm - i bet it’ll end up in a paranormal show yet:
“Ryan Buell Attempts Exorcism to No Avail! Man Gives Birth to Atheist Demon Baby! Which then travels down the Mississippi River to Haunt Other Families! Stay tuned for the sequels!”
Hey all,
Their very close friends over at Ghosty Talk (Scott and Doug) have not commented at this disgrace of a show. They obviously cancelled their show because of it. Check it out the thread at:
http://www.ghostlytalk.com/node/1897
I’ve been studying the occult, ancient religions & rituals, world myths & legends and UFOs since I was about 7 or 8 (I’m also psychic/empathic). I am, by no means, an expert. But I know retarded (and dangerous) bull-shit when I see it. Please…PLEASE A&E, take this show off the air before it causes irreparable damage to the entire field of legitimate paranormal research and investigation.
Extremely Bored (love the name btw), the direction that Ghostly Talk is taking has nothing to do with EP. Scott mentioned this direction at the Chicago Ghost Conference Oct 3-4th during his interview. Just wanted to clear that up :o)
Nat is right. Ghostly Talk’s hiatus doesn’t have anything to do with “Extreme Paranormal”. Scott went over this stuff with us at the Chicago Ghost Conference very early last month, and their last show sums it up pretty nicely as well.
Furthermore, I checked out the link and it looks like Scott actually did comment on this special saying, “I DO NOT SUPPORT THE SHOW!”
Our interview with ScottL will be out in the next edition of WF, so you can check that out yourself.
I’ll also take a second to point out to everyone using “sendyourpornhere@fuckyou.com” and any number of variants on that theme, that literally no one but the system admin sees your email address. It’s used for emailing you notifications when someone replies to your comments, and for use of the gravatar images. But if being an anonymous pansy is your thing, rock out with your shame out.
I agree with everything you have stated in your statement. I was appauled at the lack of thought behind their little “expirements.” It scares me to think of how many people are going to go out and recreate their stunts. I hope this show goes away quitely and everyone forgets about how much of a mockery they have made. Thank you.
above i wrote: “i saw one promo where some fat dude seemed to be chenneling elvis by singing (badly) in order to attract ghosts.
epic stupid.”
oooops — evidently that was “ghost lab” on discovery channel.
sigh - all of these para-crap-al shows are blurring together.
Well put, sir. Thank you for addressing this abomination and thank you for your response to my email last week.
This show should serve as a warning to any groups and/or ghost hunters that are desperate to be on television. Being on TV is not why we got into this stuff, folks.
At least I hope it’s not.
Let’s not lose sight of why we’re investigating in the first place. The current popularity of paranormal entertainment will pass, just as it always has.
OUtside of Greg being hot… I wanna say this.
Im not taking up for anyone here and you can yell or hate me all ya want. ALL Ghost hunting shows on TV are a joke. They just went there with it. Sure, it’s irresponsible because the stupid people will do what they see on TV, and yes, there will be teams that mimic what they are doing. But, if this show does one thing, and one thing only…. which is make Every TV show look bad? It’s fine with me. I didn’t care for the show, but I think it’s hilarious that they are getting away with what they are doing. They never claimed to be serious, just “extreme”. They are not hosting conferences at $500 a whack and telling people their way is the right way. Will the show work? Who knows… but ya know what, they did BREAK the Bullshit stereotype that TAPS embedded into the entire nation and paranormal community. Sometimes trainwrecks are a blessing in disguise.
In response to my earlier post about their friends at Ghostly Talk:
It appears that two of the hosts (Scott and Bonnie) have finally come out (probably had to under pressure) and have given their opinions on the show, and the other (Doug) has not commented on it yet.
In short, Bonnie loves the show, and Scott doesn’t even care enough to watch the show.
I am particularly interested with Scott’s refusal to watch the show, stating that he “DOES NOT SUPPORT THE SHOW” yet says that he’s “cool” with the guys at Extreme Paranormal. Being a listener of both shows (GhostMan and DemonHunter show and Ghostly Talk), it is no secret that they are close friends. I, however suspect that after years of listening to Ghostly Talk and then reading Scotts response; Scott is struggling to maintain the integrity of his show (Ghostly Talk), while his co-hosts Doug and Bonnie refuse to tell the truth about how Extreme Paranormal is pure garbage, and makes a mockery of those who are truly investigating paranormal activity in the field.
You will best understand my comment if you listen to Ghostly Talk on a weekly basis. They are quick to bash paranormal shows, calling them out for being fake and only doing it for fame and fortune.
Ironically, whenever their close friends Shawn, Nathan and Jason got their own show on A&E (Extreme Paranormal)…… MUMS was the word from Ghostly Talk, they even shut down their own show right after the first EP show.
It’s easy to criticize ‘other’ paranormal shows, just not those with whom you have a personal connection to. So be it…..a hypocrite.
Funny thing is this: For years I listened to Ghostly Talk, and believed in what they were preaching, up until the very end. Now, well since Bonnie has come out and said she loves the show (yea right), Scott says he hasn’t watched the show (yea right), and Doug, well hasn’t said anything, I will continue to listen to the show (Ghostly Talk, when it returns), but with different ears. I really hope they never talk crap about another show, because I will roll my eyes and think, yea right.
I’ve been contacting the advertisers of this show to let them know my displeasure, especially Procter and Gamble(oral B products). Gotta follow the money, let’s get this crap taken off the air
This is well written out Greg. I totally agree with all that was said. The show is nothing but a waste of time. Why in the hell would someone do a ritual in the first place? Even if it is a bogus ritual, its not something to dabble in. Its like you said, growing up you seen shows like The Most Scariest Place On Earth and Fear. I did also and I thought it was the coolest stuff ever.
I started going to places to just get a glimpse of something. Kids see this kind of junk on tv, they will go do it. Kids are suppose to be stupid. Whats Gowins..Shawns..and Nates excuses?
Keep up the good stuff man!
A funny review of Extreme Paranormal on YouTube; check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450ot66xBp0
My own assesment of ‘Extreme Paranormal’ and my agreement with Greg not withstanding, is this on-going pissing match about Greg’s impartiality supposed to invalidate his comments in some way?
If the crazy homeless guy on the street tells you the sky is blue, do you suspect his word because of who he is, or do you realise that he’s right and leave it at that?
If anything, Greg’s prior connection to these three jackasses should prove his lack of bias, since he should be prone to defend and excuse their behaviour, not point out its idiocy.
It seems lately, that the paranormal community is being ravaged by these packs of roving idiots, hell bent on standing firm on the side of their moronic compatriarts, and loudly pointing out the character failings of their so-called opponents, all the while missing the point of it all.
That point being that the show was the epitome of a network grab for ratings and money, which culminated in a dangerous and assinine spectacle of ignorance. Greg is correct in his assesment, regardless of who his friends are.
I agree that what these guys have done is a complete disaster. Unfortunately, shows like this do alot of damage to this field. While I agree that Extreme Paranormal is the most dangerous, I think that the others are a problem as well. We’ve had to post a disclaimer on our site because people really do believe that these shows are “reality”. If I have one more TAPS fanatic apply for membership with us, I may scream. However, at least they aren’t cutting themselves and performing satanic rituals for the sake of ratings (at least not yet).
I got into this field long before the media explosion. It is a passion for this field that fuels us, not the desire for fortune or fame. Our group does take the scientific approach and occult techniques are not allowed on any of our investigations. I am not a fan of Ouija boards, dowsing rods, and psychics but I don’t hold anything against those that do. I know that a few people think that the paranormal community should be more united, but I think our differences are a good thing. Competition is an effective way to get things done.
I have signed the petition and have asked others to do the same, but I think that the recent attention to our field is just a passing fad and most of these shows will be gone as soon as the next “big thing” hits the air waves. I think that if we, the real paranormal community, keep doing things the right way all will be okay.
I could care less about this show, but I did want to comment about something I always hear from “real investigators”. Whether reading blogs, articles, or listening to podcasts they always complain about the state of paranormal shows, but with sub $1000 HD cameras, cheap video editing software, and sites like Youtube and Viddler they never put their money and time where their mouth is.
Most of you are in groups, so getting talent in various areas of simple production can’t be that difficult. In fact, in your About “WF?” you list, among others, artists, writers, filmmakers! Yet, I never see any of these experts ever create an internet video to showcase what should constitute a real show.
But, as always, it’s easier to critique then to do. I’m not saying people shouldn’t critique or comment, but it gets a little old when virtually every paranormal outlet I access laments the state of the paranormal on TV, yet no one ever has what it takes to show the world the right way.
Can’t just one paranormal expert enlighten everyone by creating their own internet show? Surely, all of you “lamenters” can band together and make a paranormal gem for all to see.
Hey kagai. Just because you haven’t seen something, doesn’t mean it does not exist. And perhaps what you are looking for is another shitty version of a shitty version? Hmmm? Maybe thats why you have missed many of the very entertaining non- pretense based independent productions that are out there. Do your research.:)
p.s. You wanna know the “right way” to do anything? Don’t Fuckin LIE. There. Consider yourself educated and fulfilled.
@kaigai
You do realise that there is no such thing as a paranormal expert, unless you can think of a way for someone to gain expertise on subjects that remain complete mysterious.
Why, exactly, does the paranormal community need a “show”?
I think that a show showing “real” paranormal investigation would be a little to dull to watch…lol. I don’t have a problem with the shows themselves, I have a problem with the fact that they label themselves “100% Real”. Pir_Matt hit the nail on the head…DON’T LIE!!!
Just when you thought paranormal television could not get any worse, here comes the Extreme! My initial thoughts of this joke; it is a combination of The Three Stooges meets Jackass!
Can not think of a better comparison or anything else to say, except, OMG, what the fuck were they thinking?
Here’s the deal - some of us rant about a lot of things in this field and are being called “hypocrites” because we’re not ranting about this one. I don’t know if I can make this understandable or not, but here goes.
I would tell my friend, “Hey, your ass looks fat in those pants.” But I would not say, “Goddamn, woman, you have the biggest camel toe I have ever seen!” Because that’s just shitty. I have spoken out about the fact I think the show is ridiculous, among other things, but I am not going to call them all up and say, “HOLY SHIT THAT SUCKED ASS! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?”
Damn - published before I was ready.
Why wouldn’t I put it that way? Because it’s just shitty.
Scott is personal friends with the guys from that show, as is one of our members. The fact that Scott said he does not support the show should be enough. Why does it make him a hypocrite because he doesn’t shred his personal friends publicly? I think it speaks volumes about Scott’s character that he can say he doesn’t support it in the first place - leave it alone and be a little bit human for crying out loud.
I don’t get it. I think the show is awful. But out of respect for peoples’ personal feelings, I am not going to shred it, either. Regardless of what people think, we do have feelings, and so do those guys.
Yeah, I know everyone we shred has feelings, but the truth is that we don’t shred people just for the hell of it and by the time we do it’s pretty much way past the point of caring anymore. If Jason, Shaun, or Nathan were just utter assholes, it would be different. But they aren’t. They are nice people that made a bad choice and it’s best to just leave it at that. It doesn’t make anyone less credible because they choose to be tactful every now & then.
In the end, this all boils down to dead people. Are we really willing to sacrifice true friendships and relationships over someone’s view of freakin’ dead people? Not really.
kagai: Yet, I never see any of these experts ever create an internet video to showcase what should constitute a real show.
i’ve seen some pretty funny WF stuff. it was a “real” in poking fun of the BS in paranormal media business. real. really funny.
…it gets a little old when virtually every paranormal outlet I access laments the state of the paranormal on TV, yet no one ever has what it takes to show the world the right way.
what “right way” would that be?
how can you make a show that gives evidence of something that no one has ever been able to capture evvidence of, ever, and make it “real”.
um — you can’t.
it’s sheer fiction. label these shows as fiction instead of “reality” or “docudrama” and you’d shut most of the most serious critics right up. it’d be just another TV night missing battlestar galactica or buffy (fiction that even most skeptics tend to rather enjoy)
the rest of us less serious critics/skeptics will likely never be able to resist making fun of these shows which proclaim their “reality” as paranormal investigative proving grounds. i mean, c’mon man.
they’re STOOOOOpid.
oops — this sentence should have been written:
how can you make a show that PRETENDS TO give evidence of something that no one has ever been able to capture evvidence of, ever, and make it “real”.
@ TAMMY,
Ghostly Talk saw a BIIIIG shit ball rolling thier way because of their personal friends (Shaun, Nathan, and Jason) greed for fame and fortune. Ghostly talk quickly and wisely closed up shop under the guise of “needing to take some time off”. Luckily for Ghostly Talk, nobody is talking about the Extreme Paradummies anymore. Everyone is currently focused on the DONNA/TAPS controversy. Ghostly Talk can bring back thier show now………the coast is clear.
“it’s sheer fiction. label these shows as fiction instead of “reality” or “docudrama” and you’d shut most of the most serious critics right up. it’d be just another TV night missing battlestar galactica or buffy (fiction that even most skeptics tend to rather enjoy)
the rest of us less serious critics/skeptics will likely never be able to resist making fun of these shows which proclaim their “reality” as paranormal investigative proving grounds. i mean, c’mon man.”
Exactly. If they would just admit it’s for entertainment and not pretend to be “helping people” it would be a whole different thing.
See, there are some shows that don’t claim to be anything other than what you see is what you get and I don’t mind those nearly as much as the ones that make ridiculous claims of proof of the afterlife and helping people.
@Extremely Bored: Before posting your assumptions about Ghostly Talk, you should check your facts. What you have stated is simply not true. If you go to their website, you can see responses to these ignorant accusations.
Greg,
I will respond to being labeled a “hypocrite” for not posting a review of this show by simply saying that it would be a conflict of interest for me to make any public statement about the program. Jason, Shaun, and Nathan are all people I consider friends. Anything I have to say about the program has been or will be said directly to them.
Why? Because, simply put, any public statement I would make would be colored by my relationships with my friends. I watched the show with a different set of eyes and with a different kind of knowledge than that shared by the general viewing public. I know for a fact that I am biased because of those personal relationships. Does that mean that I would be less critical because of my friendships? Not necessarily. If anything, I might be too harsh, as I hold people, especially those who I consider to be friends, to very high standards.
Likewise, any statement I might make would automatically be discounted by others for those same reasons. Anything positive I might say would be “just because they are friends.” Anything negative that I might write would be “not harsh enough” or “too harsh….what a bitch she is for calling out her friends.” In other words, my opinion would hold very little value to the public.
I know for a fact that this would occur, for an out of context offhand (and, I might add, misunderstood) remark I made on twitter was immediately pounced upon in an effort to add fuel to the fire.
There are other factors in place, but none of my reasons for choosing to remain silent are due to being a “hypocrite.” To the contrary, I know that my opinion, and my words, are biased because of my personal relationships, and it would be irresponsible for me to give those opinions publicly as a result.
Tonya K.
@ Tonya,
I did go to the Ghostly Talk website, and saw where two of the three hosts responded to some of the questions posed on their website. Doug is the only one who hasn’t said one word. Also, let it be known that in my above posts, I stated that I am a fan of Ghostly Talk, and will continue to listen to them (when they come back). However, because for the same reasons you just said yourself would be “bias” because of personal relationship with the Extreme Paradummies crew, Ghostly Talk are now in the same “bias” boat as you are. I will listen to them with a different ear as well. Just don’t want to hear them calling the pot black anymore.
I know Shaun form the ole days of the first group I joined of which he was director at the time. I can say that he always one to push the boundaries a bit. But i can truly say I never expected him to go this far. You sold out Shaun, money I guess was the motivating factor. But all three of you need to stand up and take responsibility for what you have put out there. If some kid tries one of these rituals and ends up hurt or worse that is on your heads. I can say I am sorely disappointed. I take most paranormal shows with a grain of salt. I really don’t watch them but I thought since Shaun was on it I would give it a fair shot. I shut if off after the blood ritual, and for god sakes what the hell was he thinking?
Team phenomenon I really do not like you lumping witchcraft with evil you obviously have no knowledge on witchcraft, it is not “evil”
I feel like there’s too much hostility happening in here. I respect everyone for their own opinion, even if I completely disagree with them. There are a lot of really negative statements and to me, it comes off as thinking you’re better than others for having a different opinion. I do see that there’s an aspect of seriousness in the matter, but nobody’s making you watch these shows. Personally, I think that “extreme” was the right word to describe the show. A lot of you are trying to discredit that it should even be called “extreme”, but to me that’s just proof that it is “extreme” since you’re all so riled up about it. You’re even admitting that they’re doing things that you really shouldn’t do….. hence, taking it to the extreme. To me, I thought that was the point of the show. If some kid does serious harm by mimicking what he saw, it’s still his fault. We’re all responsible for our own actions. I hope that everyone makes an attempt to not come off so degrading towards others from the opposite side of the matter. I really do love and respect you all.
-Joseph
IT IS A SHAME THAT SO MANY HAVE NOTHING BUT NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO THROW AROUND. I’VE STUDIED THE OCCULT AND HAVE BEEN A PRACTICING ADEPT FOR 30 YEARS NOW AND THERE IS MUCH FACT TO THEIR METHODS, EVENTHOUGH ALOT IS UNDISCLOSED SO IDIOTS, LIKE THE ONES THAT MAKE NOTHING BUT NEGATIVE COMMENTS, CAN’T GO OUT AND OPEN DOORS THAT SHOULD NOT BE OPENED. IT IS BETTER TO JUST KEEP YOUR F@#$ING MOUTH SHUT IF YOU HAVE ONLY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF THE OCCULT AND MANY OF IT’S PRACTICES…IE..SUMMONING. 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND A DOCTORATE IN OCCULT SCIENCE BEHIND MY OWN EXPERIMENTATION AND EXPLORATION GIVES ME THE RIGHT TO SAY THIS AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE SMART-ASSED AND LAME COMMENTS…I HAVE ONLY ONE THING TO SAY, “EDUCATE THYSELF AND STEP INTO THE WORLD OF THE TRUE OCCULT, THEN OPEN YOUR MOUTH.”
I LOVE THE WAY THAT YOU PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT COMMENTS TO DISPLAY. ALL I DID IS TELL THE TRUTH…WHO ARE YOU TO CENSOR WHAT IS WRITTEN. THERE WAS NOTHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CENSORED. THIS JUST SHOWS HOW LAME YOU AND THIS SITE IS. IT WILL BE A PLEASURE SHUTTING YOU DOWN.
This is bullshit, I have been watching Paranormal shows for a long time and I see nothing wrong with the way that they do their investigations. Did nobody see the word “Extreme” in the title.. They just did things different and that just pissed people off. Somebody will pick the show back up and i can’t wait…
to think, i was on there pod cast show last year, never would have thought they would do such crazy sh*t’ WOW!
Whats really sad is that all of you are getting upset over something that doesn’t exist. Once you die your dead. To bad most people just cant deal with that fact. The paranormal shows are fun to watch, no different than Smallville, Supernatural and/or Fringe.
Even a kindergartener knows that if you play with fire, you should expect to get burned. Hell, there are a bazillion cliches for it. Batting a beehive, etc.
We all WANT them to get burned and stung! We want to SEE it (because “we” are idiots). It is good television. We want the envelope pushed, because we are ignorant and only care about being entertained.
What most people see in Extreme Paranormal is a new show that takes Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures and kicks it up a notch. They are giving the infamously ignorant and brain-dead viewing audience what they want. MORE. BIGGER. HARDER.
Can’t blame them for doing it, nor A & E, who has changed from a great cable network to a mindless free-for-all of bad television. If it wasn’t these three, it would be three others who would have happily signed up.
All these shows are for entertainment purposes, and I feel badly for the paranormal community that you feel this show is giving you a bad name. But come on, let’s be real, the community is pretty much scoffed at anyway and until someone can actually produce a ghost, you are all fair game.
…One more thing, this is no different to me (my humble opinion) than proving god exists. I’ll believe it when I can see verifiable evidence of it.
Until then, let’s all try to get along and realize that every genre will have bad shows. That’s life.
I encourage honest investigation of the paranormal, and keep a very open mind, that’s why I watch these shows, but they aren’t giving you as a paranormal investigator a bad name. Apples and oranges, and let the ignorant public sort it out itself.
Bashing others, however, might.
Thanks for allowing me my two cent’s worth of cyberspace!
~Llia
replying to (PT)….I really don’t understand how u can put paranormal or supernatural with Fringe! 1st u can believe that when u die u die and ur dead and nothing happens after that. Well u are completely wrong!! U can choose not to believe or try and make a logical explanation for everything that mite happen but the after life is real, I have plenty of experiences and so do alot of people i know! Every1 is entitled to there ur own opinions..but when it happens 2 u, then u’ll regret what u said! go to a graveyard and summon the dead or a spirit or even a a shadow demon, have fun and enjoy when ur scarred outa ur mind and cant explain y!
Jay_P
If that’s the case, why don’t these paranormal shows go to that graveyard your talking about, summon the dead or a spirt or even a shadow demon and capture someting, ANYTHING on camera and show it to the world. We need more than a feeling, a personal experience and/or the wind blowing.
That’s all we get ever get. This is how it goes.
Did you hear that? Did you feel that? What was that? What the fuck was that? Remember the investigator that tossed the EMF detector and claimed it was knocked out of his hand? End of investigation. End of show.
At this is every single time. Every single show.
The only thing that really needs explaining is how people fall for this each and every time.
great blog about Ex P! i just watched it this weekend for the first time and i agree, it was irresponsible to show someone cutting themselves to conjure a spirit…i for one will not watch this show if it comes back or repeats the shitty 2 hours they put out already.
thanks for the sweet work on the website!
JEREMY
Screw Extreme Paranormal and that reject who served under John Zaffis. Just because you study demonology does not make you a demonolist. you are a fucking idiot and you played yourself and your team on camera.