Most Famous Celebrity Cryptozoology Event Ever!
Posted by: Loren Coleman on May 29th, 2009
With the recent attention that an actress has brought to Nessie, it seems only fair to revisit the most famous celebrity cryptozoology sighting of all time.
Which report would that be? President Jimmy Carter’s encounter with a cryptic attack rabbit? Commodore Stephen Decatur’s observation of the Jersey Devil? No, hands down, no pun intended, there is only one sighting that shall rank as the #1 entertainment cryptid event ever: It has to be the Anna-Marie Goddard incident.
Anna-Marie Goddard
In August 1995, among the redwoods of California, a documentary crew was filming a pilot (“Adventures”) in which a Dutch model and actress named Anna-Marie Goddard (born January 13, 1970) was involved. By accident, a Bigfoot was seen and taped, after the production for their episode was filmed. Ms. Goddard has been called the “Playmate” in this incident because historically she had previously been chosen as the Playboy’s 40th Anniversary Playmate of the Month in January 1994. Goddard was also the Playmate of the Year for the Dutch edition of Playboy. She also had and has appeared in numerous Playboy videos. (There are lots of photos of Ms. Goddard that can’t be posted here, needless to say, but her presence on the Internet is widespread.)
Anna-Marie Goddard does not appear in the so-called “Redwoods video” (although she is in outtakes I’ve privately viewed). But she was in the enlarged recreational vehicle (RV), being used as crew working space, when the moving images were taken. The footage was captured by chance as the members were joking around, relaxing, and taping each other with a personal hand-held videocam during the downtime after shooting. As was written afterwards: “Music plays, beers froth and the ever-present video camera is running as the crewmembers relax after a long week’s work.”
The actual video most often shown, taken by crew member Craig Miller, demonstrates that a casual encounter does seem to have been captured on tape. An apparent upright Bigfoot is shown going in front of the film crew’s RV, and appears to be displaying an erect phallus. The undertones of Goddard’s presence are significant in analyzing this entire scenario and how this video is viewed.
In my “Sex and the Single Sasquatch” writings and lectures, for years, I’ve been mentioning that it does seem some Bigfoot are attracted to trailers, almost as if the design of mobile homes and RVs parallel the construction of Orgone accumulators (a/k/a Orgone boxes), which are suppose to be sexual-energy-generating or -collecting containers.
Are Sasquatch getting a sexually-related vibe from trailers, almost like an energy beacon that is drawing them nearer? I can think of several encounters near such objects, but there just is no other like the famed “Playmate” footage, later to be called the “Redwoods Video,” taped near a RV. Or is it because trailers, mobile homes, and RVs are most often located on the edges of civilization, at the fringes of rural and wild areas?
Or has the “Redwoods Video” been overblown, having been erected in importance, beyond what it should have been?
Suddenly, the driver glimpses a shadowy movement at the periphery of the headlights. “Look! It’s a f—ing bear!” he shouts to his companions. Eager to catch it on video, the cameraman zooms in on the retreating figure. Through the rain, the crew see what they take to be a massive, shaggy bear. It walks upright, arms swinging at its sides, around a slight bend in the road some 30m or so ahead. “Let’s go get it!” someone shouts.
The driver accelerates forward as the hirsute figure glances warily back. But instead of the protruding snout of a bear, there is a flat, human-like face. “That’s not a bear,” one of them realises. “What is that?” asks another. The driver brakes to an abrupt halt as, without warning, the apparition steps in front of the oncoming vehicle and crosses the road in the direction of the nearby Smith River. The headlights reveal a hair-covered giant, towering nearly 2.5m (8ft) tall. “Switch to full beam,” someone urges. Taken aback by the bright beams, the figure raises its arms defensively, then moves with unhurried deliberate strides, pausing momentarily to glare back with a “what-the-hell-are-you-doing-here?” expression. “Oh my God … it’s Sasquatch!” someone exclaims. The astonished crew take in the sloping brow, broad flat nose, high flaring cheekbones and broad well-muscled neck and shoulders.
And then the giant vanishes behind a massive redwood tree. In all, fewer than 30 seconds have elapsed. Attempts to follow it are futile in the rainy darkness….
For more, but uncritical, discussion on the Redwoods video, see BBC Wildlife, September 1998 by Jeff Meldrum and Richard Greenwell.
The question must be asked, would the initial attention to this video even been there without Ms. Goddard’s involvement? Were not her outspoken candid statements that she had seen a Bigfoot (for example, on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno and on “Weakest Link”) critical to this video being viewed more widely? What about acknowledging her bravery in coming forward as an eyewitness? What about examining the themes of speculation underlying this video because of her part in the story?
While Goddard’s presence may be underplayed by some researchers, it is only proper to look at why this was originally entitled the “Playmate video,” giving her due credit for her openness about her experience. Clearly, her celebrity was important to having this whole event become known.
This video is an enhanced version of (the former “Playmate video,” now) the “Redwoods video” (taken August 28, 1995, about 8:30 p.m.).
The half-hour news program “Hard Copy” first aired the video on November 10, 1995. The item was entitled as “The Playmate and the Primate,” with host Terry Murphy saying it was “the exclusive video of Beauty and the Beast.”
For the historical record, Dr. Jeff Meldrum renamed (around January 10, 1996) what was at first called the “Playmate Bigfoot video” to the “Redwoods video,” so it would be taken more seriously.
Would you agree this is the most famous celebrity cryptozoology encounter?
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.
Most famous has to be Jimmy Stewart’s invovlement in the Yeti business.
Maybe I’m too cynical this morning, but I never heard of this lady, so I can’t class her as a celebrity at all, just like most of the people on “Dancing with the (burned-out white dwarf) Stars.” … of course, odds are good she has never heard of me either. Neither did the footage of a dark creature walking in the dark impress me… I don’t know how you distinguish it from a man in a suit. The film crew might have thought it hilarious to parade someone in front of their actress.
To brighten everyone up – here’s Tom Paxton’s song about the Jimmy Carter incident, “I Don’t Want a Bunny-Wunny.”
True, indeed, for those who are a little older, actor Jimmy Stewart’s involvement with the Tom Slick expedition’s removal of the Pangboche Yeti hand must surely rank up there.
But I guess I was trying to come up with the most famed celebrity firsthand sighting, per se.
Other suggestions?
No doubt about it… using her for bait would get me outta the woods too. 🙂
From my own views of it, I have never understood the excitement over the Redwoods video. Video of Goddard would have been much more (a) exciting and (b) conclusive. In my opinion.
Guess one had to be there. But then there’s this:
“An apparent upright Bigfoot is shown going in front of the film crew’s RV, and appears to be displaying an erect phallus. The undertones of Goddard’s presence are significant in analyzing this entire scenario and how this video is viewed.”
Upright. indeed. Could Goddard’s presence have had something to do with this rare, um, sighting? (And no, it’s not seen very often. At least it’s not reported. Not that the first thing I would be thinking would be, OK, where’s willy?)
Celebrity status or not, the Redwood Video is the most compelling bigfootage I have ever seen. There is something about the way the creature moves that seems extremely non-human, especially the foot lifting off the ground at the end of the sequence. The odd, erect penis only adds to the mystery and general “high strangeness” around the case. I put this at the top of my evidence-for-real-entity list. I was wondering, Loren, if you know of any strong evidence pointing to this as a possible fake?
I’d like to ask scottc (and others) here: what is compelling about Redwoods, to you, especially vis-a-vis Patterson-Gimlin?
That’s the same type suit we saw last year in a freezer.
Prank, hoax, fake!!!
I for one believe in the authenticity of this video.
Just me, of course.
DWA:
I think the fact one gets to see Ole Hairy’s “Mr. Happy” in the video may have actually been a factor in people disbelieving it—don’t ya think???
I mean, given the fact that she was a Playboy Playmate sure made it easy for people to make the “connection”, didn’t it???
“At the sight of Ms. Goddard, the Bigfoot’s manhood stood at stiff attention.” Ha-ha. 🙂
MattBille:
Have to disagree with your characterization of Dancing With the Stars—a tad too “cynical,” indeed. But that’s neither here nor there-particularly in this blog. Heck, I ALSO have gotten up in the morning in a “cynical” mode some days.
Whatever this footage ultimately is, I love it. 🙂
cryptidsrus:
You’re gonna think this is funny. But witnesses who have gotten a look at squatchhood tell us that said ‘hood is, ahem, surprisingly undersized. No kidding; I’ve never read an account that bore withness to Squatchhood. Always small-s. When, that is, it’s even noticed. (You will have to either read tons of accounts, or hit the lottery, report-wise, to get to two bearing witness to squatchhood. I know I’ve read more. But not many more.)
To me that’s one of the more compelling arguments for the reality of what they’re reporting. C’mon. Somebody asks you, so, how big is King’s Konghood? and you are gonna say SMALL? Imaginary ape-men are gonna be the way we imagine ape-men. Which is cap K.
And I can definitely class our subject female hominid as one I would much rather see a squatch with than most cap-C celebrities, fer shure. Now THAT’S a great ape. 😉
Who are the witnesses you make reference to?
“Scare Tactics” recently pulled just this senario on some unsuspecting victims.
I have to agree with DWA. Questionable context aside (beer drinkin’ B-grade film crew, Playboy Bunny, squatch woody), the Redwoods footage is unimpressive and there’s really not a thing about it that appears authentic to me. I’m certainly about the farthest thing from a hominid ‘expert’ there is, but this video screams “hillbilly film noir”.
More importantly…”erected in importance”? Now that’s very funny, deliberate or not. *chortle* Happy Friday in the world of High Strangeness.
For those of us who are open to more ‘paranormal’ (hideous word, I know) interpretations in Cryptozoology, it’s interesting to see how apparently effective is the use of beautiful women to make cryptids stick their head out —or in case of the Redwood video, even more than their heads out! 😛
Anna-Marie Goddard prompts the apparition of a lascivious hominoid, and actress Vicki Michelle’s stay in the loch provokes what could be a sonar recording of the famous beastie.
Old folk tales and ancient lore often spoke of using beautiful women to lure out monsters. The most popular interpretation of this is, of course, the movie King Kong.
I hereby suggest that cryptozoologists might want to reconsider a change in their methodology: instead of buying expensive trap cameras or sonar equipment, how about hiring the services of gorgeous B-movie actresses —my personal suggestion would be Krista Allen 🙂
PS: Yeah, I’m joking a lot. But I’m also being a bit serious.
Excellent bigfoot footage… I guess???… 🙂
The male appendages of gorillas, chimps and orangutans are small, thin and taper to a point compared to humans. If you are at a zoo when the apes are “performing” with their mates the starling thing is not their behavior but to see how the males are endowed in comparison to their overall body size. An adult gorilla is only an inch and half to two inches long. An orangutan I saw was considerably longer but still very thin and tapered.
So if the Redwoods video is genuine, the hominid’s “Mr. Happy” (if that’s what it is) would not be uncharacteristic for a great ape. Were there other women present in the trailer? Clowning around (and King Kongism) aside, a primate would probably not react like to human female like a human male would on the basis that she was a hot looking babe. “Attraction” would be driven by pheromones, etc.
Im not to sure about this one…………. first of all his um (noodle) is kinda small for an 8 ft tall creature and also he sure seems to be moving slow for an animal that is spooked. To me he just looks like a puppet from sessame street I mean look how shaggy he is.
Several thoughts:
Here is a trained film crew, and they don’t focus or hold the camera steady when facing sudden shock, either.
A prank on the actress seems far more likely.
That is quite an angle looking down on the figure. If bigfoot is at least six feet tall, then they must be at what 12-18 feet in that RV? is that reasonable? No Winnebago I know of would give you that angle.
Hard to tell, but a -circumcised- sasquatch? I guess we know they aren’t Philistines. . .
The reaction of the people in the RV is believable, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t being hoaxed.
re: sschaper’s comment. One thing I guess I can give this video is the shakiness. People trying to simulate that just can’t get it right.
‘spose now that you could also say that a trained film crew would know how to get that ‘right’ for a fake.
But Patterson-Gimlin has many other details that lend it authenticity – something that this one has problems with, as far as I’m concerned.
Red_Pill_Junkie:
I’m with you there, buddy.
Folklore history is full of Females attracting the Beast and maybe “taming” it.
One that readily comes to mind is the story of the Unicorn and the Virgin. My choice for that is for Miley Cyrus to lure it out.
DWA:
To be honest—I personally believe in the Redwoods video (like I stated before) but I also totally understand why many don’t buy it. I mean, to be fair—it does sort of remind one of a Bad Porno Flick, doesn’t it???
Actually, I think there might actually be a porno with a “plot” like that somewhere. Guy in Bigfoot cutome does it with nubile young sexpot.
NOT that I would really truly know anything about that, of course. 🙂
Anyway…;)
That WAS a good point you made. I also agree with your take on Sasquatch Females.
Who would have thought—Ole Hairy is like most of the rest of us, eh??? Ha-ha-ha.
Human’s are unique among the apes for any number of strengths and weaknesses as far as our abilities and for all the hyperawareness we are when we are consciously dealing with ourown sexuality it is primarily from the social cues, whereas in most other primates there can be no doubt that smell plays a really significant role, which is an area in which most humans are all but oblivious, but which behavioral research and neurological studies show are actively engaged on the subconscious level, and perhaps signalling even on the endocrinological level, even if social constraints prevent them from being recognized let alone acted upon.
Now here’s a camper filled with what have to be described as sexually aware adults whose very presence there is a reflection of their enhanced sexual awareness. I wouldn’t be surprised that even if every person in that camper wasn’t creating a signal different from the regular bunch of campers whose subliminal signals aren’t typically so sexually charged as this group of highly visual film-makers would be.
Of course everything we talk about with BF is speculative but keeping it within the range of traits we find among our primate relatives, I do wonder if BF’s sense of smell and the signals they emit and recongnize communicate on a level that’s far more significant than we give them credit for and that we mistaken presume that they are kinda like “us” in sexual behaviors as well…whatever “us” means and when one surveys the sexual attitudes of humans cross culturally we see that “us” is a pretty small island in the stream of human history.
I think Alligator and dogu4 make a good point.
I have never seen this video before, because I actually dismissed it when it was called the “Playmate Video” and never viewed it. I thought it was a Playboy hoax to hype a movie/video release.
Now that I have seen it, I am a bit curious.
If what I am seeing is a Sasquatch wiggly bobbing in the night, there is something very apelike about it.
I had always envisioned that the penis would be very human-like in nature (not that I spend a lot of time thinking about such things), but I have wondered about the male genitalia after reading Jan Klement’s The Creature and tales of the 1850 Russian Zana babe Almasty that apparently had sexual intercourse with several T’khina village folk after she was provided with sufficient drink.
What I see on the video (if it is a penis and not something the beast is carrying in it’s hand) appears to be a very ape-like variety of a penis (not human genitalia). A penis that would have something called a baculum.
As to why this penis would rear its ugly head in the presence of a Playboy Bunny brings me back to Alligator and dogu4 points. I’m talking pheromones here. Were Anna-Marie or any other female in the RV ovulating at the time of the “incident”? Was this the attractant that lured the beast to the RV?
I think I once saw a MQ episode where some guy actually hung “patented” chips of his own invention from tree branches to attract BF. Inside the chips were “scents” of women engaged in overt menstruation. I had to laugh when I heard this when I envisioned this guy asking women for their “scents” during the specific time needed for the chip creation.
So here is what I would like someone other than me to ask Anna-Marie or any other female that was in that RV: Were you menstruating?
This is the first time I’ve seen this video as well. But authenticity aside, I’d like to address the orgone accumulator idea.
While it’s intriguing, I think we’re more on the right track going with the tendency of these structures to be on the periphery of society, closer to woodlands, being the main reason they seem to attract curious ‘squatch. It’s the simplest, most logical explanation.
Now, as to the sexual aspect, there were women on location, and we have documented proof of the other great apes displaying sexual interest in human females. Orangutans especially, as Dr. Birute Galdikas herself has reported. So it wouldn’t be surprising that a Sasquatch might also display such interest.
As to the MQ episode Karl references, those are actually made from a variety of primate sexual pheromones, gathered during menstruation. The idea being that, based on the interest expressed by other great apes in cross-species sex pheromones, something in the mix might appeal to an unknown American great ape. Though I’m not 100% sure of the procedure, I’d guess the secretions are collected in a professional, sterile, clinical environment; possibly from paid participants in clinical studies, etc. (not too different from selling your plasma).
I had one shoved under my nose one time by a wise-cracking friend one time on one of this return trips from the field, and I can attest to their potency, even after weeks of hanging in the weather. They stink STRONG.
Interesting question about the menstruation too. Although I can understand the reluctance on the part of some folks to publicly share such personal details, it could be rather relevant. Although its not widely reported, for the sake of the witnesses propriety; I’ve heard of a few cases where the women in homes with sighting reports were either in the midst of, ready to begin, or had recently completed their cycle.
There is nothing about this film that looks anything but phony.