'Bigfoot Bounty': A Skeptic Weighs In On What Not To Do

Bigfoot judge Todd Disotell

[Editor's note: Sharon Hill is a writer who focuses on the topic of skepticism and "sciencey" sounding claims. She has a B.S. in Geosciences and a Masters degree in education focusing on science and writes for HuffingtonPost, I Doubt It and Doubtful News.]

BY SHARON HILL

I've seen the first two episodes of Bigfoot reality show "10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty" on Spike TV. Hmm, what to say, what to say…

I had high hopes for this show. Since it has two scientists as judges (such as Todd Disotell of NYU, above) and a diverse cast of characters, it seemed promising. The "Survivor"-like show features teams who are assigned challenges and are also tasked with seeking their quarry in the darkness. Unfortunately, there are many problems with this setup.

Let me count the ways this goes off track after the jump and a clip from this week's episode, airing Friday at 10 p.m.:

10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty

New show seeking ghost hunters to strand in haunted house

A PA producer is on
board with the show.
Courtesy Paramount

We got a hot tip in the ol' electronic mail about a new paranormal show for a major cable network seeking teams willing to be stranded in a haunted house for a week. And they are seeking them immediately to begin shooting Sept. 4 through Oct. 15.

Created by the producer behind Paranormal Activity (presumably Oren Peli) and Ping Pong Productions (the production company behind paranormal series Destination Truth, Finding Bigfoot, Chasing UFOs, The Othersiders and The Supernaturalist), the show is seeking groups of three believers in the paranormal for the haunted week. To be considered, trios must send a photo of the three of you, your names, ages, location, and relation to one another to GhostTVshow@gmail.com

The official word is that the show is looking for non-believers, skeptics and believers, but our sources say it's better to have more of a believer approach within the group. In your email, say where you stand. Also, a co-ed group is highly recommended.

Oh, and as an added incentive, the cast gets paid for the show.

-Aaron Sagers

Animal Planet's 'Finding Bigfoot' believer and skeptic sound off

Moneymaker & Holland,
Courtesy Animal Planet

One is a believer, one is a skeptic, but both are in pursuit of answers about a missing link myth. On Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot (Sundays at 10 p.m.), research biologist Ranae Holland is the voice scientific doubt regarding the Sasquatch while Matt Moneymaker, founder of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO), needs no convincing but does want more proof. Along with James "Bobo" Fay and Cliff Barackman, each week the show finds Holland and Moneymaker recreating supposed evidence, talking to witnesses, testing theories and investigating "Squatch" hotspots.

On the surface, Holland and Moneymaker's relationship seems like it should be confrontational; the church of the proven fact versus the unproven faith normally don't mix so well. However, the pair says they've mutual respect for each other's mission despite disagreements and debate between them - and they finish each other's sentences about as much as they cut one another off.

Paranormal Pop Culture recently brought the believer and skeptic together over coffee in Bigfoot-neutral New York City for a conversation about their relationship on and off camera, the dangers of reality-TV and how Bigfoot fits into the scientific and paranormal communities.

'Finding Bigfoot's Barackman on Jersey Devil, river serpents & Squatch's sexy squat

Artist depiction of the Honey Island Swamp Monster
in Lousiana. Courtesy Animal Planet

Bigfoot is big business, or at least the search for him is. The Jan. 1 second season premiere of Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot drew 1.6 million viewers. Not only is this the second-best premiere for the network (after River Monsters), it is a healthy number for a New Year's Day opening. With a third season order presumably forthcoming, and because readers asked for more, we wanted to revisit Finding Bigfoot investigator Cliff Barackman.

Barackman works alongside the Bigfoot Field Researcher’s Organization (BFRO) leader Matt Moneymaker, investigator James “Bobo” Fay and research biologist Ranae Holland on the show to explore reported "Squatch" activity. He spoke with Paranormal Pop Culture before last week's season premiere (read part one here) about his field and theories on the hairy beast man. This time we wanted to ask more about other monsters that might be out there, including the famed monster. We also had to let our minds go in the paranormal potty with our final question.

Sasquatch seeker Cliff Barackman on the good, bad, hairy of 'Finding Bigfoot'

BY AARON SAGERS

Like many hikers and campers, Cliff Barackman enjoys spending his free time in the forest, trudging through trees and listening to the surrounding sounds of nature. Unlike most hikers and campers, Barackman isn’t seeking tranquility so much as he’s pursuing a monster that is either an enduring myth or a missing link. Barackman is a sasquatch hunter on Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot.

With its second season premiering Jan. 1 at 10 p.m., the show follows the Bigfoot Field Researcher’s Organization (BFRO) as they chase down leads, examine supposed evidence and attempt to track down the most famous cryptid. Produced by Ping Pong Productions (the same company behind Destination Truth), the show stars BFRO founder Matt Moneymaker, research biologist Ranae Holland, commercial fisherman James “Bobo” Fey and Barackman.

But Barackman isn't an eccentric monster hunter type. Originally from Long Beach, Calif., he's a career educator with a music degree who has taught fourth, fifth and sixth graders. He's also a jazz guitarist and teaches lessons, but has always maintained a passion for science. But Barackman's interest in Bigfoot came more from pop culture than from science. He says, like all little boys, he grew up loving monster movies with Godzilla and werewolves, but it wasn't until he saw documentary shows like In Search Of in the 1970s that he became excited about the possibility of a "real" monster in the woods. He says it hooked him "pretty deep," and when he was in college he would spend time between classes reading up on the sasquatch. The research led to Barackman becoming interested in the creature on a more cerebral level and he began to think of Bigfoot as not just "fun and quirky and weird," but also as real and believable. This research also led to him making a name for himself in the field, and attracting the attention of the show.

Barackman spoke with Paranormal Pop Culture’s Aaron Sagers about Finding Bigfoot's second season premiere, which has the team visiting the source of a well-known video (within the Bigfoot community) that might show a baby sasquatch climbing a tree in the background. Instead of just taking the video at face value, the team attempts to recreate the footage – which involves a dedicated Barackman attempting to climb a tree with just his arms, along with bringing a baboon into the wild to test whether its calls will be met with the cries from a ‘squatch. Barackman also discussed how Bigfoot has impacted his personal life, and shared his thoughts on other paranormal phenomena and how his work might also mean the downfall of the beast he’s pursuing. (After the jump)