August 15, 2008
Bigfoot Body Found – Really? DNA evidence and photo evidence to be presented at a
PRESS CONFERENCE – Really? Well, Bob Dylan summed it up in an obscure song title from 1970 – “Nothing Was Delivered.”
The common person with an interest in the bigfoot phenomenon was excited as could be. The mystery is solved, a body is found! There were high hopes leading up to this press conference held in
On the other side of the coin were those whose interest in the subject exceeds what they see on the History Channel. We came well aware of the background and history of Tom Biscardi and his self-promoting antics. We had seen the insipid videos produced by the bigfoot trackers from
The press release from Tuesday, August 12th repeatedly stated that evidence would be presented at this time. They had released a photo of an alleged creature in a freezer with the top open. There was nothing very compelling about the photo. In fact, it raised more questions due to the similarity of the head to a widely available sasquatch costume. And how does a 7 foot 7 inch creature fit into a 6 foot freezer? Never mind – that’s not important.
The press conference started with Tom Biscardi spinning one of his endless, self-centered yarns about how he got involved. They wanted the real bigfoot hunter to come verify their claim. Yes, we all find this to be slightly hilarious as Tom has never come across as a serious researcher. He does not present data in a fashion that can be shared and analyzed by others. And he’s been associated with hoaxes and previous empty-promise episodes.
Matt Whitton, one of the men from
The press was hitting them from all sides about the account and their answers were less than convincing. When the time came to distribute the additional photographic evidence, there was a mad rush to the front table. Tom Biscardi handed out color print-outs to anyone with a press credential – glad I had mine from this website! I was the West Coast editor for a day representing HK & Cult Film News!
The first photo was of the teeth and tongue of the alleged creature and it was quickly brought into question because of the number of (apparent) incisors pictured – 6 to be exact. A question from the assembled crowd pointed out that this would be a unique primate to have 6 incisors! “They look like cow teeth,” according to someone next to me who knows animals.
The other photo was supposed to be “the clearest and best photograph” of a bigfoot yet according to Matt Whitton. The bigfoot creatures were all around them when they discovered the body. Yet, they were not evident during the 9 hours he waited for Rick to return. Hmmm? Back to our photo. Yes, basically nothing more than a dark figure some distance back in the trees obscured by a branch in the foreground. And when will people learn that merely presenting a photograph is egregiously insufficient? We require data and, if possible, a comparison photo with a subject of known height. The data should include the estimated distance from the camera to the subject, time of day, lighting conditions, etc. Not surprisingly, this is how Tom Biscardi rolls – “Here’s a couple of more photos. That’ll tie you over until the autopsy.” Really?
The press packet had a printed email from Curt Nelson, a professor at the
So goes the media circus that seems to travel with Tom Biscardi. There was even a wookie-clad gentleman carrying a cardboard sign stating “Now you know why we hide.”
Well, now you know why most of us studying this subject cringe when these big claims reach the mass media. Thankfully, the empty promise of an autopsy to be arranged with the “best scientists” he can find did not excite anyone present.
The general feeling after the event was one of disappointment but not surprise. We got what we expected – nothing much! Hey, did you hear that Bob Gimlin, Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Rick Noll, Kathy Moskowitz Strain and newcomer David Paulides participated in an excellent sasquatch conference in
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