MQ: China’s Wildman
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 22nd, 2008
The reviews of the Yeren episode of “MonsterQuest” are coming in…
“This was a terrific episode, about an investigation into the Chinese Yeren, the equivalent of our Sasquatch or Bigfoot,” writes Henry May. See the rest of his overview here.
There were twists and turns in the story. What did you think?
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.
It was somewhat enjoyable. The interviews were pretty interesting. The 36 hours really put a limit on what kind of scouting could really be done, so that part was really pretty useless. The hype really killed it for me though. The big build ups before every commercial break with nothing to follow them up just kept letting me down.
It was a major let down for me.
I have been reading for a while, but this is my first post:
The episode could have been wonderful just like most of the MQ episodes, but it has turned into a formulaic program. There is ALWAYS hair with inconclusive results or disappointing ones. There are ALWAYS polygraphs that prove that the person is not lying about what he/she THOUGHT was seen.
I love the idea of MQ. I am a skeptic in everything, not just Cryptozoology, but I am a hopeful one. I got excited about the show, but as I watch more, they never seen that interested in the truth. It is usually a 2 day hunt for whatever it is they are searching for. That is not enough time to find anything unless you just get incredibly lucky.
The idea is nice, but I just get the impression it is a show more about hype and sensationalism than about really trying to find anything.
still seem to be gibbons and gigantopithocis no matter what a couple of skeptics say
I was impressed with similarities between the local Chinese geography and our US environment, with familiar rolling hills and lush vegetation ~ also with the footprint casting comparisons, and how they suggest a very similar creature in both areas.
Trips to Australia, Africa or Nepal would probably yield almost identical information and local cryptid print casts, making the possibility of a world-wide phenomenon even more appealing ~ not 20 totally dissimilar creatures, but 20 differently-evolved versions of the same beast!
MileHighHoosier – “a formulaic program”? I’ve noticed that ALL the recent “research”-type shows – MQ, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, etc – seem formulaic, with a dash to some remote locale, a quick survey, equipment setup, an intense one or two nights of stumbling around in the dark, trying to cover all the bases in the limited time available, the same routine shock-setup for each commercial break, revue and evidence analysis, colored by personal homilies and local humor, then home, with teasers for next week’s episode.
But how could it be what we want it to be – three or four days or a week in the woods, with Trailcams everywhere, hair-trigger camcorders and Flirs on tripods facing all possible areas, tons of crystal-clear images and sounds to review – who would pay for such expeditions, and would the show stay on the air if nothing tangible was discovered?
All in all I was disappointed in the episode. But they did establish some connections over there so maybe some more oppurtunities will come from it.
I’d say it was ok. Not the best MQ episode I’ve seen, but still entertaining. I could complain about what I thought it lacked, but it wouldn’t do any good. At the end of the day, I’ll still tune in to future MonsterQuest shows, and probably watch some re-runs along the way. According to the schedule of upcoming episodes, it looks like there may be some interesting ones in the near future.
Shows like MQ are not designed to be anything other than entertainment. Thus the “formula” others have discussed.
The important thing to me about this show is that it introduces different ‘fortean’ (they do not just do cryptozoology) topics and lets people who have had these experiences know they are not alone. MQ also lets people know that there are researchers out there and gives them an idea where they might report a sighting.
I think that is a pretty invaluable service, coming from an entertainment venue, so you will never hear me complain about MQ or any of the other ‘research’ shows. Besides, as a person who does not walk very well, I am not going to be able to go out in the field so these shows give me a little ‘thrill of the hunt’ 🙂
Pretty good episode. I do agree it was over-hyped, though.
My favorite part was where the anthropologist (forgot his name) talked about getting a hair sample of the Yeren and he was so skeptical that he threw it away!!! He later became convinced it existed but not before throwing this away!!! Nice going!!! 🙁
Seriously, doesn’t anyone else share my sense of frustration with such a formulatic show? I mean, really, after a while, we all know they aren’t going to find anything meaningful.
Artist: I hear you and I agree…it would be nearly impossible for a series to be what we all want it to be. Honestly, and it may just be me, I just don’t ever get much out of it. It works, though, because I still watch 😀
I know it could never happen, but can you imagine if a show was able to do what they did for Planet Earth: they would plant camera men…humans with cameras not JUST the traps…for months to capture shots of just one thing (the snow leopard for example)?
When I win powerball I will be sure to first send some cash to the museum and then fund my documentary series on cryptids.
Monster Quest is like porn with the goods blurred and no money shot! Frustrates the hell out of me!