Expedition Faux: The Battle for Media Attention
Posted by: Loren Coleman on April 14th, 2008
Two competing “Bigfoot” expeditions that appear to have more to do with media attention, got in the news over the weekend.
1) Over the weekend, the members of Matt Moneymaker’s Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization’s 2008 West Virginia Expedition did report hearing sounds and finding tracks believed to have been made by the elusive, apelike creature.
We heard wood knocks along the Greenbrier River last night. ~ Steve Willis,
a Cowen native and retired Army officer now living in Virginia, who led the expedition.
2) Meanwhile, in an account published over the weekend, according to a news reporter’s words, “In March, filmmaker and self-proclaimed Bigfoot hunter Tom Biscardi and his five-man team visited Bishopville to discover the truth of the Lee County incident.”
Therefore, while hot on the trail of the older Lizardman accounts, Biscardi also was looking into the damage that occurred to Bob and Dixie Rawson’s van on February 28, 2008.
Biscardi said he doesn’t know if Bishopville’s latest incident is related to the 1988 sighting of the Lizard Man.
I am going to talk with Liston Truesdale, who was the sheriff 20 years ago. But I’m mainly concerned with what happened to the Rawsons’ van. I haven’t fallen off a turnip truck. I’m a firm believer that what you have down here is unknown. ~ Tom Biscardi
Other than the fact, in using a common enough phrase, no doubt, Biscardi has offended numerous drivers of turnip trucks, let’s move on from that.
Biscardi doesn’t buy local authorities’ theory that a coyote damaged the Rawsons’ van.
Obviously, in an effort to endear himself to the local authorities, Biscardi had this to say:
I have to admit I have a problem here in South Carolina. What is law enforcement doing to protect these people? Where is the Department of Natural Resources? Where are the game wardens? What is going on here? ~ Tom Biscardi
Of course, one further question would be: Does anyone actually think we will ever really know what’s “going on here” with Biscardi’s “critical insights” into the case?
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.
Biscardi is a charlatan and unabashedly out to make money, and he usually seems happy to admit it. As far as the BFRO, they always find “something” out on their expeditions, don’t they. One could say that at least these folks are out in the field looking, but I’m not sure it would be ideal for the most important zoological discovery in the history of humankind to be made by these sets of clowns. Anyway, if Bigfoot does decide to show up, I hope its the BFRO and not Biscardi that does the finding. Lesser of two evils I suppose.
Loren: I am a fervent Cryptomundo.com reader as well as a big fan of all your work. Ninety-nine percent of the time you are fair and unbiased when reporting and writing on cryptozoology issues. Each time Tom Biscardi’s name comes up, however, something goes off inside you and you launch viscious attacks against the man. I am no fan of his either, but I might suggest taking a most unbiased approach when blogging about the man.
I agree with you Alivegarden and Loren. There’s always something fishy with Tom Biscardi. I remember when he came to Clarence, New York, when Hans Mobius shot a photo of a bigfoot. His team investigated the area and found a huge mound in the grass that he said is too big to be a bunk. Also on his website he said his team found a Bigfoot hand and leg. What happened to them? Is he going to hand the hand to a DNA lab or something? To me, he’s a secret man.
Blogs are, of course, biased, and really everything else in this world is too. This may concern such things as the commentaries shared to what items are chosen for inclusion.
When a reporter uses a description like “self-proclaimed Bigfoot hunter Tom Biscardi,” there is bias being noted via a description.
The title of this posting alerts people to what I think before you begin reading, and I hardly feel more needs to be said about that.
Please see why I might have a definite opinion on Mr. Biscardi via reading what he did to members of his past audiences, here.
Skitdog, I don’t think this particular post qualifies as a “vicious attack”; while personal opinions are evident, links are still provided to allow the reader to make his or her own judgement.
On another note, it seems strange that the “unknown” creature has remained so elusive if it is a “thing that goes bump” into the trees at night. Bigfoot, Lizard Man or whatever else they are dealing with, it seems quite “biased” against vehicles, since it launches “vicious attacks” on vans, etc.
One must view Biscardi only as entertainment.
Biscardi didn’t hesitate to launch a vicious attack on Loren, on a national radio show, no less. Nor did he hesitate to proclaim he had “captured a bigfoot”, then blame the radio audience for his lack of said Bigfoot.
One thing i must say for Tom: wherever he goes, Bigfoot has always been there….
loren yes there has been alot online media about sasquatch/bigfoot & certain groups lately it does get interesting & very exciting & curious at times. thanks bill green 🙂
I can’t believe you put TB in the same sentence as the BFRO Loren. Two totally different things if you ask me. I have a ? for Alivegarden. What do you really know about the BFRO. Other than they charge $300 an Expo. Have you ever been on one? Or is it your just jealous you can’t afford the funds for the trip. You know, the BFRO doesn’t put a gun to peoples heads and say “Hey your paying and your going.” Do you know enough about that organization to be calling them clowns? I use to have some let say ?’s myself about the BFRO. But, I am willing to pay the price to find out first hand what they are all about. At least they go into the field with good intentions. I have never heard a bad thing come from anybody that has been on an expedition. And I read the BFRO expedition notes alot. And maybe, just maybe the BFRO is always finding something, is because they know what they are looking for.
Couldn’t agree more with Loren and Alivegarden.
As for Biscardi’s Bigfoot “research” with Hans Mobius, I had my own encounter that pretty well discredits him. Maybe some day I’ll write it up…
Fair enough, Loren. I, of course, remain an avid follower of yours and certainly not Mr. Biscardi’s.
GO TBRC!
Best not to say “we found Bigfoot” unless one has the goods to make everyone else agree with that assessment.
On the other hand—
Moneymaker certainly is a “good egg,” so to speak. At least as far as I know. I agree with CAMPERGUY that Biscardi is good only for entertainment.
I also agree with ALIVEGARDEN that BFRO is WAY more the lesser of two evils.
Biscardi DOES bring attention to Bigfoot Research in general but definitely NOT the attention the field needs or wants.
T.B. & the B.F.R.O. are, in my opinion, miles apart. At least the B.F.R.O. is doing something in the way of positive research. It may not be the way I do things or others do things, but at least it’s something. Biscardi is just “out there”. He is making a joke out of everything that serious researchers are doing and have done. His big thing is not “Hey look a Sasquatch”..it’s “Hey look, it’s the media”!! I wish he would just go away…far away!
cryptidsrus respondes:
I also agree with ALIVEGARDEN that BFRO is WAY more the lesser of two evils.
In what way, shape or form is the BFRO evil? Why is every one so down on the BFRO? I know I use to be probably the biggest skeptic about the BFRO. BUT, like I said I am willing to pay to find out for myself what they are all about. 300 $ really isn’t that much $. Hell a Charter fishing trip cost ya 100 $ a day easy. Why all the negativeness towards the BFRO and MM. All they are trying to do is learn all they can about an animal that supposedly doesn’t exist. So they can figure out the next best step to take to protect them. Like I said, I was right where you are with my feeling towards the BFRO. Until about a year ago. I started to thinking, hmmm what if these people are for real. What better way to learn some things and maybe hear or see something, than with a group that does this regularly in all areas of our country and Canada. I’m walleting up to find out for myself as opposed to sit behind my computer and be ridiculed like I use to. Lesser of two evils? I just don’t get that.
I just read an interesting article about a baby T-rex skeleton being offered up for sale by the Blackfeet Nation. Here is where it gets interesting. The article claims that a group of Californians called “Searching for bigfoot” was in the Kiowa area investigating a suspicious carcass when they found out about the fossil and offered $5 million for it. Which leads me to ask, what carcass? The hand of unknown origin? And, why would they want to spend that kind of money on a fossil dinosaur? I’ve heard a lot of people say there isn’t enough money being spent to actually find bigfoot. Where did that kind of money come from, and why would they want to spend it on ad 74 million year old carcass?
Strange.
wherever Ivan Marx was associated?
’nuff said, as Stan the Man says!
I’d agree with DARHOP.
At least this far: the biggest harm that I think comes to cryptozoology is cryptos vs. cryptos.
The scoftics are the ones who are all wet here, yet I see very little ammo being delivered their way. They essentially crap all over sas research, and they are all but embraced. Or at least approached shyly, with hat in hand. What is with that?
When you can show me a sasquatch, on film or in person, you can start telling me what’s wrong about what everyone else is doing.
Until then there are two databases to read to find out all the sensible speculation: TBRC’s, and BFRO’s.
I may go less with the field methods of the latter than I do with the former. But nothing’s delivered the scientific goods yet, hmmm?
DARHOP—
I was simply agreeing with ALIVEGARDEN that if one decides between Biscardi and BFRO, the “better” one is BFRO—-by miles. I actually disagree with ALIVEGARDEN that BFRO is bad—like I said, I like Moneymaker. ALIVEGARDEN apparently does not quite share my feelings.
I was going to post, but I heard wood knocks outside my home on the parking lot. I have to go and investigate this as it might be a BF even though it could be a neighbor taking out the trash. Hey, at least I did not charge you all or pass the hat for that first hand auditory account of what was possibly a BF.
PhotoExpert responds:
April 15th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
I was going to post, but I heard wood knocks outside my home on the parking lot. I have to go and investigate this as it might be a BF even though it could be a neighbor taking out the trash. Hey, at least I did not charge you all or pass the hat for that first hand auditory account of what was possibly a BF.
What ever! Another mind thinking the BFRO’s sole purpose is to make a buck. Another person ridiculing the group, but afraid to wallet up to find out for themselves what it is really all about. You know, it could be your neighbor putting huge prints miles out in the forest too. Could be him running around making all these vocalizations. Could be your neighbor banging on trees at all hours of night.
Wasn’t their an old saying: Went like,
Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!