Thanks to Netflix Instant Watch, I have found myself mildly fascinated by the show Ghost Adventures.
While I would approach any similar phenomenon suspiciously and with an intention of explaining them away, I’m not closed off to the idea of the supernatural.
In fact, despite my not having any first-hand experiences to speak of, I find the idea of the paranormal a legitimate one. This is the first of two reasons why I have been going through 2-3 episodes of Ghost Adventures each night.
The second reason is that I find myself intrigued by the personalities of the hosts.
Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin make up the show’s team of investigators.
Nick and Aaron are primarily behind the cameras in search of any photographic proof of ghosts, while Zak does most of his work in front of the camera.
Zak is this broad-shouldered guy with heavily-gelled hair. Hailing from Las Vegas, I realize his sense of fashion may be skewed, but between the stylishly-ripped, bedazzled jeans and the winged axe t-shirts, it’s pretty funny. He looks like the guy that finds his first gray hair and decides to compensate with a trip to the mall’s hippest urban clothing store where he tells the clerk, “Give me everything that is momentarily stylish and that will look dated in a year.”
Bulked up like a headlining male stripper, Zak spends much of the episodes taunting the ghosts with challenges to take him on, to show him what they’ve got. When the ghosts do indicate their presence with a whisper or a moving object, Zak and the crew go running like Shaggy and Scooby.
The crew does manage to capture some pretty interesting evidence, though.
Sometimes it’s a mist moving across a room and sometimes even a spectral silhouette. One time it was a flying brick. I don’t doubt these images and genuinely believe Zak and the crew are sincere and that much of what they find cannot be explained.
On the flip side of that, however, is the ever-present EVP (Electronic Voice Phemenon) digital recorders. I’m not doubting the recorders are picking up something unexplained, but it’s that I question the crew’s interpretations of what they think the voices are saying.
Two perfect examples of this are actually from the same episode, the one where they try to make contact with ghosts at Gettysburg.
At one point, the recorders pick up what sounds like a conversation between two ghosts, two ghosts who apparently take an immediate dislike towards Zak.
According to Ghost Adventures, the EVP’s were as follows:
1st Ghost – “We’ll beat him up.”
2nd Ghost – “The big one?”
1st Ghost – “No, don’t sweat it.”
Really?
Ah, yes, that common 19th century phrase used by the likes of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Imagine if you will, April 14, 1865… A soldier stops a well-dressed, mustachioed man entering the doors of Fords Theater. He asks for the man to identify himself, but another soldier walks over, places a hand on his comrade’s shoulder and says, “Nah, that’s just m’boy Booth. Don’t sweat it.”
I would not have been surprised that, had more of this ghostly conversation been recorded, that the terms ‘S’all good’ and ‘That guy’s a bitch’ would also be made out amongst the deafening static. Perhaps a topical conversation about hip-hop or who’s got a better ass: Beyonce or Shakira?
Obviously EVP analysis is subjective at best in that several people may hear several different things.
But to listen to it and then believe that these ghosts were just a couple bros talking smack seems like a stretch of the imagination. Also, why did 2nd Ghost change his mind so quickly?
I mean, he goes from anxious brawler to calming pacifist in a matter of seconds. Now, a few seconds to us may be weeks to a ghost. If that’s the case, then it’s possible 2nd Ghost went home, talked it over with Mrs. 2nd Ghost who offered some grounded advice and ultimately he had a change of heart.
The second EVP of questionable interpretation was one captured at the home of Jennie Wade, the only civilian killed at Gettysburg.
In their “conversation” with the late Ms. Wade, there was talk of missing someone who was away, her true love who was away at war. When Zak pressed further, asking if there was anything she wanted to tell her love, she said, “I’m pregnant.”
At this point, Zak and the guys freak out and make up this whole story of the tragic love affair of Ms. Wade and True Love.
My problem with this is that they interpreted the words, “I’m pregnant.” I’ve read a lot of books, watched a lot of Ken Burns and all that and I have never once heard anyone use say the words ‘I’m’ and ‘pregnant’.
Remember, women did their best to act respectable and proper and would not consider using the contraction ‘I’m’ in lieu of the difficult ‘I am’. Saying she was ‘with child’ or ‘in a married way’ would be more believable and probably more accurate.
Then again, that same conversation could have gone a totally different way in regards to interpretation:
Zak – “Is there anyone you miss? Anyone you love?”
Jennie – “My baby daddy.”
Zak – “Your baby daddy? Is he gone? Is he at war?”
Jennie – “Went out for cigarettes…never came back. WTF?”
Zak – “Is there anything you’d like to tell him, if you could talk to him now?”
Jennie – “I’m knocked up with twinsy’s.”
Again, I find the show entertaining and fascinating enough to that I will, odds are, watch every episode.
Maybe I’ll just fast forward past the EVP’s.
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