Badboy Beckjord Hangs Up
Posted by: Loren Coleman on March 20th, 2007
Well, early reports are that last night’s Squatchdetective Radio show was apparently a classic, alright. An absolute classic mess. Here’s a couple quick reactions posted today, followed up with emails, and reproduced here with the permission of the comment makers.
It started an hour late. All I can say is, what a shame.
Keep an eye on the Cryptomundo web site. I’m sure the results of the ten rounder will be posted there. There were no winners in this one. William Dranginis, Viriginia Bigfoot researcher
I know all the gentlemen involved including Erik Beckjord. Steve Kulls was the host, Sean Forker and Henry May were the callers. The other callers I did not get their names.
It was ugly. Curse words were used and Erik Beckjord hung up. There was little sense made and they kept talking over one another. There was little organization to the show. A basic free for all.
I mean no disprespect to any of the parties involved. However, it was unfortunate to hear these gentleman not be able to hold a debate about the subjects without talking over one another and then the show getting out of control as it did. In my opinion the cheap shots and name calling were not necessary. In Sean’s defense, he did apologize for the use of the language and apologized to Mr. Beckjord publically on the program for his actions. Erik did not call back into the show. The person who was hurt most by all of this was host Steve Kulls, as this was his program and what occured may have left a bad taste in many researchers and enthusiasts mouths.
I agree with William; no winners there.Eric Altman, Pennsylvania Bigfoot researcher
So, if you listened, what did you think?
++++++++UPDATE+++++++++
Please feel free to post my response to some of the comments about the Squatchdetective Radio broadcast of 3/19/07 – Steve
_________________________________________________________________Allow me be plain & clear. I at no time…did I use profanity, or made a sexual innuendo on that show. I tried to be clear and distinct to keep it in the realm of Bigfoot. And had my hands full keeping order.
The main guest for the night was out of control from minute one, and I don’t particularly know what he has against the other guest, but he got personal.
I spent most of the night…working with a full switchboard muting one from the other. Then at one point the switchboard crashed..and I lost total control of people talking. Thats when all the “fun” started with the name calling.
My only regret is I just didn’t mute everyone and continue on with the disertation. EB cannot be reasoned with at all. EB apparently has been harassing the Sasquatch Experience hosted on Wednesday nights for about a month. I believe this led to the short fuse of Mr. Forker.
Unfortunately, unlike when I sparred him in December, I did not lose my cool to his insults, unfortunately my guests last night did. For that I sincerely apologize.
Depsite all the chicanery I made clear two very clear points that do have SOME bigfooting relationship,
1. The recent study of apes (chimpanzees in particular) being aware and covering there prints, and leaving markers for their family group.
2. If the infrasound theory is correct, it is possible, that is why some people “feel” they have received a subliminal message from a creature to leave or capture is impossible, it is how their brain may be interpreting the disorientation associated with infrasound. That is not my theory, it was one mentioned by Stan Courtney a week previous on the show, and I personally think it was prolific. And even Erik conceded the point.
Unfortunately, things got out of control and thats what people remember.
Most of who listens are the Bigfoot community and the shows ratings are based on downloads and live listeners. Most are downloads.
The segment effective immediately has been deleted for download because it is a show I am not proud of. I was hoping for some point-counterpoint discussion. The problem with EB is he goes on with information for a bit then jabs with a personal attack.
I’ve had 24 hours worth of good Bigfoot Radio…with about 45 minutes of “key-rap” . So I guest that’s not too too bad. Bottom line is this will not happen again.
I might add that I have no previous broadcast hosting, production experience..so this is all trial by fire, and living and learning.
We had a Special Edition broadcast on 3/20/07 at 9:30 PM – 10:00 PM which should explain what went wrong, public apologies and what we go through as a talk show host sometimes.
In the past we’ve had guests such as John Green, Bill Brann, John Freitas, Kathy Strain-Moskowitz, Stan Courtney, MK Davis, as well as several well documented witnesses.
We’ve been arranging more shows with more conventional and compelling guests in the future, including Ron Morehead, Eric Altman, and a NESRA Expedition Report, and have in the future line up, Matt Knapp of Oklahoma Sasquatch and Dr. John Bindernagel.
We are also working on a contingency plan should something like this ever happen again.
I apologize once again…and hope the future shows serve the community alot better than this represented. Definitely, not the show I wanted to do last night.-Steve Kulls
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
I listened. EB made good solid points in regard to tracks in snow, invisibility and parallel dimensions. Mr. Forker would not listen. Mr. Forker imagined that a Bigfoot leaving and then returning to a brush or tree, by retracing his own footsteps exactly, would then leave before the researcher arrived so that the researcher could not see the bigfoot. Mr. Forker failed to acknowledge that when the Bigfoot left after returning to the tree, that it would then leave more visible footprints away from the tree. So EB was understandably frustrated with Mr. Forker.
EB made good solid points in regard to paralysis and lost time associated with infrasound. I know of two other young tribal officers who experienced passing out and lost time, presumeably through hypnosis. I know of a third that allows the Bigfoot to experiment with hypnosis on him, for practice. Mr. Forker did not appear to be receptive at all to concepts that he is apparently completely unfamiliar with.
EB has experienced a lifetime of rejection from flesh and blood researchers, so he knows what to expect. EB also has a real bad habit of attempting to dominate conversations, and ultimately resorts to name calling out of frustration. EB may have been adversely hypnotised to some degree by the Bigfoot during his own research, and so far is unable to fully recover. Rejection by 99.9% of all researchers does not help matters either. But ultimately, EB is far more right than wrong, whereas Mr. Forker appeared to be completely wrong as far as the few subjects that were discussed, in my opinion.
The natural law of selection is still at work in determining the beliefs of bigfoot researchers. Those that know that bigfoot is invisible much if not most of the time, do not often become researchers because they justifiably think that it is then a waste of time. Those that think the bigfoot is flesh and blood 24/7, may become researchers because they do not know and probably will never know, what they are up against, in my opinion.
Well, I’m not surprised that silvereagle sided with Beckjord, what with Beckjord’s belief in invisible Bigfoot and parallel dimensions. Now I want to know what really transpired. I missed the program because I’m not a fan of Beckjord. In fact, I’m not surprised the situation devolved into name calling. I’ve had heated “discussions” with Beckjord online before where he began ranting that I was a drunkard because I didn’t believe him. I can’t imagine what life would be like if he had my phone number and phoned me at 2am like he has Loren. At any rate, he’s a character. Be sure to get his next book “Sex, Lies, and Bigfoot!”
Hot mama!
I have always found it interesting how people at any level of interest in big foot can be so definite about the nature of this creature/being. I understand those who use the scientific method in its purest form, therefore the paranormal and extradimensional theories would not work for them. The only problem is that big foot has eluded humans for far too long for the “natural laws” to necessarily be forced on them. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe big foot to be a large, bipedal ape living in North America, but I am not going to disregard the possibility of any other “laws” that big foot lives by. Who is to say that most of the most famous cryptids don’t have a paranormal way to elude us. We will not know until studies like what Jane Goodall did with the mountain gorillas are being done with big foot. As for the manner in which the show was handled, well, I didn’t listen, but if the people in the for-front of cryptozoology act like undisciplined children, how are we going to get the conventional sciences behind us?
From the get go, Beckjord was a sarcastic, demeaning, jerk. I know he has a reputation for this, but hearing it first hand convinced me of his infantile nature. If you want to convince someone to consider such far-out ideas as vanishing sasquatch, I’d think you would want to use at least a little respect.
I tuned in for the match and really wasn’t impressed with Mr. Beckjord. I personally do not believe in the invisibility theory on bigfoot, so I suppose I already had a preconceived idea about EB. As for the whole program, I really wasn’t impressed too much by the other callers, but I don’t think I could have done any better dealing with such a narrow minded man as Eric Beckjord. Yeah, some people will say that EB resorts to hostility because of so much rejection but it seems to me that if you disagree with him then you’re a drunk or an idiot in his eyes. He just doesn’t seem (to me, anyway) to be a very open minded person. If he doesn’t get his way then he acts like a three year old. I feel that if you want to be respected in this field (especially) than you need to act like a big boy.
I assume that silvereagle is a Native American. If you are than I am also assuming you have a different insight into bigfoot than most of the rest of us. Far be it from me to criticize the beliefs of a people who have hundreds, probably thousands, of years more experience with these creatures than us relative newcomers. My position is that if bigfoot is not flesh and blood then science will be of little use in finding or understanding it. Spirit beings operate under entirely different rules that physical science is completely unable to accept, let alone measure and verify. In my own mind, I would rather eliminate the possibility that bigfoot is physical first, and so I approach the problem from that standpoint. However, I do entertain the possibility that bigfoot is not physical (or at least not physical for very long in this realm) Unfortunately, if he is not a physical being then he will always remain an enigma and inscrutable to science just as ghosts, precognition, and other things (and creatures) have always been.
I have added Steve Kulls’ statement, at his request, completely unedited.
I am also Native American but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I believe in the invisible theory. I don’t think anyone should categorize anybody else based on their race. It should be based on their individual ideas.
There’s always going to be a lunatic fringe. I don’t characterize EB as part of that fringe on the basis of his ideas themselves, but rather on the basis of his behaviour. Frankly, in the interests of objectivity, I can’t dismiss the notion of sasquatch as something “not entirely of this world” (for lack of a better expression) outright. I have my bias that it is a physical, biological entity; but can I say that with 100% certainty. Of course not. What hurts EB’s ideas most is his personality.
Silvereagle, by contrast, always presents a clearly stated, coherent perspective. He has a different view than the “majority,” yet he is always civil and rational. He is as far from lunatic fringe as those in the “majority” are. His posts, in fact, have made me question my own conviction with respect to the possibility of sasquatch being more than a simple biological entity. I’m not yet ready to espouse those ideas, myself, but I am certainly ready to reevaluate those I have long held.
Well, whadayya know? Beckjord hung up on someone for the first time in 30 years, instead of the other way around. If you could put that in a bottle, literally hundreds of people would buy it.
The inner dimension Bigfoot theories are all plausible, at some time in the future. We do not simply have the tools (besides our minds) to study and measure these paranormal activities. Until we do there should be some sorta consensus that we need to pool our resources together and agree to put a hold on the meta-physical Sasquatch until the technology allows us 2.
Dang, I’ve been busy all day and missed the fireworks. Should have downloaded the show the moment I saw this blog.
One reason (of many) I have difficulties with Beckjord’s invisible Bigfoot theories is because he insists on using photographic “evidence” as proof. The irony of the situation never seems to dawn on him that he photographed an “invisible” Bigfoot. What he will invariably point out are blobs and shapes that vaguely resemble faces, arms, toes, etc. There is a scientific name for this process. It is called pareidolia and it is best exemplified by that game we play as children recognizing shapes in clouds.
The problem is that we as humans are hard coded to recognize patterns, especially faces, in the world around us. But they aren’t real. For example, there is a face of an elf in my shower curtain. That doesn’t mean I have elves living in my bathroom. It’s just a little Rorschach inkblot-like pattern that my mind sees as a face. There’s an old man in the downstairs bathroom tiles as well. If they were real, I’d charge them rent.
Thanks for posting the update, Loren. I think both points that Steve wanted to discuss are excellent topics. What a shame that discussion never occurred.
I agree that its Beckjords personality that angers alot of people not his ideas or theories. It hurts the credibility of this particular theory of bigfoot when its attached to someone like Beckjord. As for me I simply don’t buy into it as a theory, but I’ve been wrong before.
Did he throw in a “I’m rubber and you’re glue..” before he hung up? 🙂 I was pretty dismayed to hear about this fiasco and the childish throwing of insults that ensued. To me, this is no way to get to the bottom of anything and it is a shame because some interesting points could have been explored here. I hope cooler heads pravail in future debates of this nature.
Some thoughts. As usual, too many.
1. enjoyment put it as well as I could ever regarding the paranormal. Rillo777 supplemented it. If you can’t confirm it in a way the public accepts, just where the hell do you expect to go with it?
2. I’d never watch, download, read or otherwise subject myself to something like this. I want to know about the animal, not the personalities.
3. Which latter, right now, may be the key reason science doesn’t take the sas seriously.
4. What makes people think that these four-way discussions do anything but end up in shouting matches? Never heard – or heard of – any that didn’t, outside of Presidential debates, which allow themselves much more time and have very strict rules of engagement. You have people with greatly differing views, give ’em ten minutes and a bowl of eggs, expect a mess.
5. The sas’s biggest allies against us are not shape-shifting, invisibility and hypnotism. (Funny not a single sighting report I’ve read describes any of that.) They are US – specifically our near-sightedness, hard-headedness, close-mindedness and refusal to see what we don’t want to, even when it’s right there in front of us.
6. If I had to choose: Biscardi, and pay, and silvereagle, free, I’d choose the latter. There. Satisfied?
The infrasound theory opens up possibilities for investigators. If Bigfoot transmit like elephants they could be heard for over a mile: even more at night. See here for some techniques elephants investigators use.
The ideal thing would be an ‘infrasound batbox’, but that would be technically challenging.
Sorry squatchwatcher. I meant no disrespect.
I am curious about the stories that might have been handed down about bigfoot before the rest of us got here.
hey loren & everyone wow yes i listened to steve kulls bigfoot radio show with eb on it. it was certainly a wild fun pithy debate etc. thanks bill green
I for one missed the show so I could read a good book about BF.
EB did what he does best since he knows it all , no one else should be heard.
I prefer the real science research and debate rather than kids shouting just to make a point.
To bad EB may be right but with his foot-in-mouth it is hard to tell.
Sorry Rillo777, I should have been more clear. I know you didn’t mean no disrespect with that comment you posted. What I should have said was I am not a traditionalist, although I respect them for their beliefs and customs. I just wasn’t raised in a traditionalist family. Although I’m not a traditionalist, there are some beliefs that have some meaning to me. Sorry for sounding like a jerk.
You guys aren’t talking about Beckjord, you’re talking about his beliefs. If you’d been around a long time, you’d have a lot more to talk about relevant to the topic. You’d appreciate the irony of the events that apparently unfolded during this podcast.
Instead, this becomes another referendum on “paranormal bigfoot”.
You guys are pretty new to the Bigfoot world, aren’t you? Put your phone number in this thread and you’ll soon have a lot of relevant info to talk about.
Um, Spoon Nose?
1. Do you know who “you guys” even are? Do you have any idea how long anyone here has “been around” this topic?
2. Regarding Beckjord, what should we be talking about? If it doesn’t relate to what he thinks about the sasquatch, should any of us care? Why should we talk about him? Is getting personal what we should be doing?
3. “You’d appreciate the irony of the events that apparently unfolded during this podcast.” OK, given that you didn’t hear it (hence, I presume, the “apparently”), how do you know what we would “appreciate”?
4. This sounds like a discussion of the events of the broadcast, not a “referendum on paranormal bigfoot”. Although, yeah, we’d love to stop talking about that until somebody can come up with evidence.
5. Phone numbers? Given that this sounds like, um, a threat, how many of us would be THAT stupid, mmmm?
1. I’ve got a pretty good idea. Not very long, I’m sure.
What are you majoring in, if I might ask?
2. One of your questions is the answer.
3. Approach it from the other end, DWA. I didn’t hear it, but I get the gist. You on the other hand have not been a Becky-watcher like some of us since, oh, 1978.
4. No, that’s not what I meant.
5. A threat? Are you nuts? A little less paranoia, please.
I was referring to Becky’s famous tendency to call anyone whose phone number he can get his hands on, day and night. Any number that might appear on this thread is almost certain to get a complimentary phone call. At 2am. This goes back, oh, thirty years.
Didn’t hear it, don’t want to. Don’t care.
Really just wanted to reiterate (some of) what elsanto said-
I personally don’t believe a word of what silvereagle says, but he always seems polite to me (often more polite than i am to him), and i appreciate that. I think that is one of the real strengths of this site.
And Spoon Nose- What is your point?
Spoon Nose: I’m majoring in marketing at the University of Maryland.
If it’s 1979. Oh, it isn’t.
My first exposure to the sas was in National Wildlife Magazine, not in Argosy, True, or “The Legend of Boggy Creek.” I’ve never gotten far enough into the personalities surrounding this issue to even know who this guy was before I logged in here. I’m interested in someone telling me what the animal is, and in theories that make sense. I’d be actively trying to solve it myself, but there seem to be more than enough trying to do that. I’m satisfied with plausibility, and more than happy to leave the big guy alone.
And since EB doesn’t seem to be contributing significantly to the understanding of the animal, I think I know why.
But now I know a fun fact about him, and to keep my phone number to myself.
Paranoid? MOI?
DWA- Good, I am not the only one who had never heard of this guy before I logged into this site. Here I was questioning my knowledge of all things cryptozoological because I had never heard of him. Even though I live in Japan and your 2AM would be my 7PM, I think I will save him on the phone bill and decline to post my phone number.
Things-in-the-woods- I agree. I don’t agree with him, but Silvereagle has never been outright rude to me or hostile even when I may have been towards him. He at least tries to support his ideas without resorting to name calling. I commend him for that and I feel bad that I have been snippy a few times with him. This site is great in that most here are level headed.