I Know I'm Beating A Dead Horse But Bigfoot Deserves Better

[CatskillCrawler]

It’s no secret that Bigfoot has become a pop culture icon—he’s been in everything from beef jerky commercials to goofy movies and reality TV shows filled with jump scares and fake evidence. But here’s the problem: all that entertainment is making it harder for serious researchers to be taken seriously.

For those of us genuinely interested in tracking down the truth—whether through fieldwork, collecting witness testimonies, or analyzing evidence—these exaggerated portrayals are a real setback. They turn a topic rooted in deep cultural history and countless firsthand reports into little more than a joke.

Every time a “squatch-hunting” show fakes a howl or stages a footprint, it pushes public perception further away from respect and toward ridicule. Funding dries up. Eyewitnesses stay silent. Legit researchers get lumped in with hoaxers. And real discoveries slip through the cracks because nobody’s listening.

If you’ve got ideas on how to fix this—whether it’s better representation, grassroots documentaries, or building a more credible community—drop a comment. Let’s start treating the unknown with the curiosity and respect it deserves.

[MIB]

Sure.   It used to be if you saw a bigfoot sticker on a car, you could pretty well bet it was either another researcher or someone with deep interest, maybe personal experience.    Today bigfoot is the equivalent of a pink flamingo on someone's lawn.   There is no stopping cultural absurdity.   Stuff is not in your control or mine.   All we can do is manage ourselves.

[CryptidTalk]

It’s a tough balancing act. The absurdity is what brings in viewers. More eyes and ears on the subject overall is probably a net positive. One of those people may eventually make a major scientific contribution that otherwise wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t seen *insert overly dramatized fringe theory Bigfoot show here*.

[FLY]

Let's be real here. The idea that some kind of large ape like creature roaming the wildlands of the world has always been treated with ridicule and derision . ( and will continue until one is captured or dead body presented) . Way before they were called bigfoot , people who told stories of encounters, were viewed as a few bricks shy a full load.  It doesn't help there are so many hoaxers and actual persons a few bricks shy a full load  involved  with the search and topic .  You know this isn't the only bigfoot forum I've been to . But it's the  sanest  one I've  been to. 

 

 

[norseman]

9 hours ago, CatskillCrawler said:

It’s no secret that Bigfoot has become a pop culture icon—he’s been in everything from beef jerky commercials to goofy movies and reality TV shows filled with jump scares and fake evidence. But here’s the problem: all that entertainment is making it harder for serious researchers to be taken seriously.

For those of us genuinely interested in tracking down the truth—whether through fieldwork, collecting witness testimonies, or analyzing evidence—these exaggerated portrayals are a real setback. They turn a topic rooted in deep cultural history and countless firsthand reports into little more than a joke.

Every time a “squatch-hunting” show fakes a howl or stages a footprint, it pushes public perception further away from respect and toward ridicule. Funding dries up. Eyewitnesses stay silent. Legit researchers get lumped in with hoaxers. And real discoveries slip through the cracks because nobody’s listening.

If you’ve got ideas on how to fix this—whether it’s better representation, grassroots documentaries, or building a more credible community—drop a comment. Let’s start treating the unknown with the curiosity and respect it deserves.

I have a 100 percent guaranteed solution.

 

We need a body!

[NorCalWitness]

2 hours ago, norseman said:

I have a 100 percent guaranteed solution.

 

We need a body!

Do you think the government already knows about this creature? 

[norseman]

41 minutes ago, NorCalWitness said:

Do you think the government already knows about this creature? 

With their capabilities? SOMEONE in the government knows something I would wager.

 

If you follow UFO’s? Many organizations have simply given up on disclosure and are now attempting to detect and possibly retrieve materials associated with UFOs first. If the Government acts aggressively when they claim nothing is there? It makes everyone stand up and take notice.

[NorCalWitness]

9 minutes ago, norseman said:

With their capabilities? SOMEONE in the government knows something I would wager.

 

If you follow UFO’s? Many organizations have simply given up on disclosure and are now attempting to detect and possibly retrieve materials associated with UFOs first. If the Government acts aggressively when they claim nothing is there? It makes everyone stand up and take notice.

I agree with you. The government knows. Why keep this from the people? There is something profound enough to merit the secrecy. Finding a body won't change the decision to keep it a secret. It will only lead to an aggressive cover up effort. 

 

How could you release it without being stopped by the government? Youtube? You'll be called a hoaxer. Sending the DNA to someone? They will be silenced and discredited. Sending it to a university? Their funding and grants will be threatened. How can you overcome the machine that is designed to control the info? Not saying its impossible, but it will require an in depth, multi threaded plan. 

[norseman]

42 minutes ago, NorCalWitness said:

I agree with you. The government knows. Why keep this from the people? There is something profound enough to merit the secrecy. Finding a body won't change the decision to keep it a secret. It will only lead to an aggressive cover up effort. 

 

How could you release it without being stopped by the government? Youtube? You'll be called a hoaxer. Sending the DNA to someone? They will be silenced and discredited. Sending it to a university? Their funding and grants will be threatened. How can you overcome the machine that is designed to control the info? Not saying its impossible, but it will require an in depth, multi threaded plan. 

Cut it into 1000s of fondue steaks and send it to every biology lab in the nation.🤷🏻‍♂️

 

I wont break our forum rules and go into detail, but the alleged reason that UFOs wont be disclosed is because of religious beliefs. Dunno.

[Backdoc]

13 hours ago, CatskillCrawler said:

It’s no secret that Bigfoot has become a pop culture icon—he’s been in everything from beef jerky commercials to goofy movies and reality TV shows filled with jump scares and fake evidence. But here’s the problem: all that entertainment is making it harder for serious researchers to be taken seriously.

 

You make a good point.  We all would like the Bigfoot topic to get the serious consideration and resources we feel it deserves.    Yet, I would like to offer up this idea:   PT Barnum (or someone like him) stated, "I don't care what they keep saying about me so long as they spell my name right" The idea is any press is good press.  I don't see anything demeaning about a Messin' with Sasquatch  commercial.  In a way I think the more Bigfoot air fresheners in cars or mudflaps and beef jerky commercials put Bigfoot in the mind of the public.  I see that as a good thing.   This is having fun with the topic which I think softens the topic for the public.  

 

13 hours ago, CatskillCrawler said:

For those of us genuinely interested in tracking down the truth—whether through fieldwork, collecting witness testimonies, or analyzing evidence—these exaggerated portrayals are a real setback. They turn a topic rooted in deep cultural history and countless firsthand reports into little more than a joke.

 

Attempting serious academic study of Bigfoot could be met with ridicule.   Such serious people are lumped in with those people looking for unicorns.  

 

13 hours ago, CatskillCrawler said:

Every time a “squatch-hunting” show fakes a howl or stages a footprint, it pushes public perception further away from respect and toward ridicule. Funding dries up. Eyewitnesses stay silent. Legit researchers get lumped in with hoaxers. And real discoveries slip through the cracks because nobody’s listening.

 

If a person claim they saw Bigfoot they probably don't have time to whip out their call phone    This leaves them with a choice:   Tell others what you saw or keep quit.  As Gimlin found out, even having a film of a reported bigfoot is not enough to shied you from harassment and ridicule.   If I saw what I thought was bigfoot in the woods, I might not tell anybody.  

 

 

13 hours ago, CatskillCrawler said:

If you’ve got ideas on how to fix this—whether it’s better representation, grassroots documentaries, or building a more credible community—drop a comment. Let’s start treating the unknown with the curiosity and respect it deserves.

 

 

Shows like Discovery and so on have done a decent job giving serious study to the Bigfoot concept.  Really good shows have featured the kind of experts we want to present.  These are people like Munns, Meldrum, john Bindernagal, Anna Nikaris, and so on.  These people are a good face for the serious study of Bigfoot.   

 

 

Where we miss are shows like Finding Bigfoot where the bigfoot topic unintentionally becomes a joke.  You have people talking about bigfoot like he exists as a proven.  They brag about all these things they attribute as fact right down to bigfoot's diet, bigfoot's favorite color, and bigfoot's favorite baseball team.  When you have Bobo running around saying every twig snap is a 'squatch' all the previous well- built credibility is lost.   You can't underestimate the damage this has created.    Anyone doing a serious study of Bigfoot is lumped in with the face of Bigfoot.  That face is Bobo.  

 

For me, finding bigfoot has done more to harm the subject of bigfoot second only to Bob Heironimus unchallenged claims