If you have been following the latest scandal to hit the fractured world of Bigfoot, you will know a YouTube video of an alleged Bigfoot encounter went viral last week. And the film’s producers announced that it was all a hoax. And a self proclaimed Bigfoot researcher's reputation has been destroyed.
From The Idaho State Journal:
On June 2, a video titled, “Possible bigfoot in Idaho!! Flying the drone around and ran across this” was posted on YouTube.
The duration of the 2-minute, 24-second features footage from a drone flying over an isolated area near Hawkins Reservoir about 35 miles south of Pocatello. As the drone passes over a grassy field, a mysterious figure runs toward a wooded area and hides. The video has almost 600,000 views so far. and attracted attention across the world, being picked up by a variety of international news outlets.
Then, on Monday, the original uploader of the video, named hardpack101 on YouTube, posted two more videos revealing that it was all just a big joke.
The first of these newer videos depicts a man in a monkey suit running across the same field depicted in the original footage. As he approached the wooded area in the first video, he encounters another man dressed as a giant pink foot.
As the two men hug and goof off for the camera, the ominous music changes to an upbeat tone and one of the men holds up a sign that reads, “Bigfoot, really?”
In the second video uploaded on Monday, the men goof off even further in the field.
The man who made and posted the videos is a longtime Pocatello resident who claims the videos were just a funny project made by him and his friend.
“We wanted to make a cool, believable video,” the Pocatello resident said. “Some of the videos on YouTube were dumb as heck, so we thought, ‘Hey, let’s make a new one.’”
They thought at first the video could get a couple hundred of views. Instead, they got more than 500,000 views over the course of a week.
A large number of video commenters on YouTube and Facebook debated its authenticity. Many said it was fake and a waste of time, while others attempted to closely analyze the footage. The videographer said he got belly laughs from reading some of the responses.
However, some people didn’t find it amusing.
After the hoax was revealed, the videographer said he received numerous threats from those who are strong believers in Bigfoot. The response has been so negative that the videographer wishes to remain unidentified out of fear for his own safety.
“Some people were really ticked off,” he said. “Some of the threats got removed from the site hours later, but I still saw them, and they were disturbing.”
Shortly after the original video went viral, a Bigfoot investigator from Utah, [Crypto Blast edit: That would be the recent outed bigfoot researcher turned idiot, Kelly Shaw] even visited the site in Southeast Idaho where the footage was shot to obtain physical evidence. The investigator allegedly obtained footprint and hair samples from the scene and featured the investigation in a 40-plus minute YouTube video of his own.
When the videographer heard that the investigator was looking to have the hair specimens analyzed in a laboratory, he decided it was time to reveal the truth.
“It was getting a little out-of-control, and I wouldn’t feel right having somebody spend thousands of dollars on lab tests to find out it was just a piece of fabric from my monkey suit,” he said.
The duration of the 2-minute, 24-second features footage from a drone flying over an isolated area near Hawkins Reservoir about 35 miles south of Pocatello. As the drone passes over a grassy field, a mysterious figure runs toward a wooded area and hides. The video has almost 600,000 views so far. and attracted attention across the world, being picked up by a variety of international news outlets.
Then, on Monday, the original uploader of the video, named hardpack101 on YouTube, posted two more videos revealing that it was all just a big joke.
The first of these newer videos depicts a man in a monkey suit running across the same field depicted in the original footage. As he approached the wooded area in the first video, he encounters another man dressed as a giant pink foot.
As the two men hug and goof off for the camera, the ominous music changes to an upbeat tone and one of the men holds up a sign that reads, “Bigfoot, really?”
In the second video uploaded on Monday, the men goof off even further in the field.
The man who made and posted the videos is a longtime Pocatello resident who claims the videos were just a funny project made by him and his friend.
“We wanted to make a cool, believable video,” the Pocatello resident said. “Some of the videos on YouTube were dumb as heck, so we thought, ‘Hey, let’s make a new one.’”
They thought at first the video could get a couple hundred of views. Instead, they got more than 500,000 views over the course of a week.
A large number of video commenters on YouTube and Facebook debated its authenticity. Many said it was fake and a waste of time, while others attempted to closely analyze the footage. The videographer said he got belly laughs from reading some of the responses.
However, some people didn’t find it amusing.
After the hoax was revealed, the videographer said he received numerous threats from those who are strong believers in Bigfoot. The response has been so negative that the videographer wishes to remain unidentified out of fear for his own safety.
“Some people were really ticked off,” he said. “Some of the threats got removed from the site hours later, but I still saw them, and they were disturbing.”
Shortly after the original video went viral, a Bigfoot investigator from Utah, [Crypto Blast edit: That would be the recent outed bigfoot researcher turned idiot, Kelly Shaw] even visited the site in Southeast Idaho where the footage was shot to obtain physical evidence. The investigator allegedly obtained footprint and hair samples from the scene and featured the investigation in a 40-plus minute YouTube video of his own.
When the videographer heard that the investigator was looking to have the hair specimens analyzed in a laboratory, he decided it was time to reveal the truth.
“It was getting a little out-of-control, and I wouldn’t feel right having somebody spend thousands of dollars on lab tests to find out it was just a piece of fabric from my monkey suit,” he said.
Since coming clean, the videographer claims the investigator has threatened to sue him and has accused him of “felony fraud.”
“It was all YouTube fun,” the videographer said. “It just goes to show you shouldn’t believe everything you see on the Internet.”
Crypto Blast Edit: Poor Kelly Shaw. A victim of his own gullibility and arrogance. Maybe next time he will do what he says and have more field experience since that is what he used to go after my cousin, Rictor Riolo:
Dr. Jeff Meldrum, an Idaho State University professor and nationally known Bigfoot expert, has investigated a large number of alleged Bigfoot sightings over the years. When this video initially went viral, he was unconvinced of its authenticity.
“The overall impression of the video was not compelling,” he said. “It’s funny, in a way, but it’s unfortunate videos like this keep coming out.”
Meldrum said it was nice to see the videographer be forthcoming about the film’s dubious origins. However, he said that it can still be troubling for those who believe that Bigfoot exists.
“It is frustrating how a simple practical joke can dissuade serious people from considering the evidence of Bigfoot’s existence objectively,” he said.
The videographer, who said he does not believe in Bigfoot, said he is sorry if his videos have caused any hurt feelings.
“That was not the point of the video,” he said.
Though the videographer did not speak with Meldrum, he said he did discuss the video with a number of Bigfoot investigators after it went viral. He was surprised because he said they failed to ask him one seemingly important question about the video.
“Not one person asked if I faked it,” he said. “That’s kinda weird. I think they just wanted to believe it was real so bad.”
Crypto Blast Edit: It's called arrogance. A conformation biased attitude. And THAT is the mark of an idiot, not a real bigfoot researcher. Time for Kelly Shaw to go home, go back to the library, study, and read more on Sasquatch, instead of falling on his face. Ask questions. Don't just assume.
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