Bigfootainment

"Finding Bigfoot" is a typical American TV show, somewhere in the twilight zone between documentary, reality TV and scripted entertainment. Somewhat surprisingly, given the "unscientific" subject matter, it's aired on Animal Planet. But then, we *are* tired of lions, wildebeests and Yellowstone wolves, aren't we?

"Finding Bigfoot" follows a research team of four people whose mission is to find Bigfoot (a.k.a. Sasquatch), an elusive ape or ape-man supposedly roaming the wilder parts of the United States. Mainstream science regards Bigfoot as a silly tall-tale or hoax, while Native Americans consider it to be a supernatural spirit-being. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), to which the research team belongs, firmly believes that the Sasquatch is a real, flesh-and-blood creature unknown to science. Thus, the BFRO are "cryptozoologists".

The team in "Finding Bigfoot" is led by BFRO's founder Matt Moneymaker. He is assisted by two true believers, Cliff Barackman and the inimitable Bobo. The fourth member is a house sceptic, Ranae Holland. All episodes are built around the same concept: the BFRO travels to some God-forsaken part of the United States or Canada, investigates possible Bigfoot footage, interviews local eye-witnesses and finally attempts to find a Sasquatch themselves, using various decidedly unorthodox research methods which would give a real zoologist the creeps. Each episode also contain Matt Moneymaker's wild speculations about Bigfoot's habits, Bobo's one-liners about "this forest being soooo squatchy" and Ranae's (failed) attempts to keep the other team-members down to earth.

I admit that "Finding Bigfoot" is entertaining - if you have the right sense of humour. I mean, Bobo is quite the character! The most interesting part of each episode is the stories of the local eye-witnesses. In fact, it's a pity "Finding Bigfoot" doesn't feature more of these. Matt's and Bobo's speculations about Bigfoot's behaviour are also interesting, but perhaps for other reasons (see further below).

The biggest problem with shows like this is, of course, that "the show must go on". Even when the evidence for Bigfoot is hopelessly thin, the team members simply *must* roam the local forests and pretend to see or hear something. Since the nocturnal expeditions tend to get somewhat dull after a couple of episodes, the team also have to come up with stranger and stranger ideas about how to lure the elusive creature closer. How about a live monkey in a cage, or a radio-controlled toy deer? Since Animal Planet has no plans to discontinue the show, I suppose this works - for the ratings.

Personally, I think BFRO are out on a wild goose chase. I suppose it's *possible* that an unknown primate is lurking around somewhere in the Rockies (few things are absolutely impossible on this strange planet), but many eye-witness reports are biologically impossible or absurd. One honest eye-witness claims to have seen an adult Bigfoot in a tree. The house sceptic Ranae points out that the tree branches aren't large enough to hold a creature the size of a gorilla. Another witness has seen a 10 - 11 feet tall Bigfoot in broad daylight in a small patch of forest surrounded by open country - so how come nobody else saw it? Very often, the Sasquatches are drawn to human habitat, as if they wanted contact. They peek into windows, lurk around campfires, show up close to playgrounds or in the middle of Suburbia (sic). This is inconsistent with an elusive creature whose main chance of survival is to avoid human contact as much as possible. It's also curious that no "squatch" has ever been caught or killed if they so consistently leave the pristine wilderness. Note also that Bigfoot reports are coming in from all 50 states of the Union. These creatures are just as home on mountain tops in the Pacific Northwest as in the tropical swamps of Florida, and are even reported from Rhode Island (which is "squatchy as hell" according to Bobo).

The elusive character of Bigfoot presumably also explains the BFRO's rather strange speculations about their habits. Moneymaker claims that Bigfoot can mimic the sounds of coyotes and wolves, thus in effect fooling anyone who wants to locate the creature. Bobo at one point says that Bigfoot can eat goose and ducks by diving underwater and pull them down by their legs! Is Bigfoot amphibious? This must be a stranger ape than the aberrant species known as "Homo sapiens"...

That being said, I'm nevertheless fascinated by Bigfoot sightings. (I'm also childishly fascinated by the antics of the BFRO researchers!) There is some suggestive physical evidence that something strange is really going on beyond the city limits, including the famous Patterson-Gimlin film. But above all, there seems to be a paranormal aspect to much of the Bigfoot phenomenon. Matt Moneymaker makes an interesting comment in the North Carolina episode. He claims that sasquatches are often seen around power lines, and speculates that they somehow use powerlines as their "highways" when moving up and down the country. Maybe. Or maybe there is a connection between paranormal phenomena and electricity... ;-)

I'm not sure how to rate "Finding Bigfoot", but since these guys actually made me watch most episodes on Youtube, I suppose I have to give it four stars. Thanks for the Bigfootainment! However, I feel more "fringey" than the indefatigable explorers of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization...