User:TAPSBUSTER

The Atlantic Paranormal Society: credibility and entertainment

I am blown away by how much money the actors on TAPS has made based on their television show, but more so because they have set themselves up as a branch of science. People all over the country are paying these TV actors to become certified "ghost hunters." The reason so many people pay Taps to become certified ghost hunters is because they are star struck by TV actors of Grant and Jason.

I am also blown away by the arrogance of these two figures, on national radio, calling people on their phones on the air as a means to make them the butt of their arrogant jokes. In the case of Most Haunted, Jason and Grant dedicated an entire radio show to call one of the actors on the phone, verbally attack this lady, and then hang up on her as she tried to defend herself. Jason arrogantly and repeatedly shot this woman down on account that he "has been in the field for nineteen years". In other words, he is "the know it all" of paranormal, and no one else knows anything but him. One would think, as serious investigators, they would have made better use of their time in discussing ghosts and the paranormal rather than put down a TV show for entertainment.

The arrogance of these guys killed the show for me...and it is not just radio episodes like Most Haunted. I have seen many shows where Jason and Grant put down their own co-workers, gossip, and behave so obnoxiously to promote drama on the show.

I think people should look at the show for what it has become under its foremost arrogant leaders: Jason and Grant

1. A show that promotes tourist traps and attractions. Every city has started a ghost tour, and many of the places that TAps investigated open up for "haunted tours". Ghost tourism and attractions have become a million dollar industry, and the show has become one of the bigger capitalist of this industry. Not to mention all of the conventions and appearances Taps does, charging a few hundred a person for each event. If this was science, the show wouldn't be charging as entertainment venues, but rather college course work.

2. The radio show does not focus on paranormal studies and theories but rather concentrates on themselves. They call people to put them down, accept only phone calls that will agree with their putdowns on the opposite party, and justify the whole thing on account of how long they've been doing investigations. When TAPS called Yvette Fielding, they attacked this lady on air, hung up on her when she tried to defend her show, and then justified the whole thing on account that they've been in the field for nineteen years. This kind of arrogance is not science and makes the show more about glorification of themselves.

3. In the investigations where evidence of a haunting is found, it is always shown to the public at the end of the show...why is it real camera guys on sci fi do not pick this "evidence" and "experiences" up? One other thing to look at when considering the evidence, TAPS does not have a public archive where they display their "evidence". If they were a group based on science, they would have a public archive for other people to study and scrutinize over. Instead, it is just what is filmed for the show, and the public is not allowed to view the evidence for themselves. Perhaps this is because of fabrications?

4. When looking at the show for what it is, the story line seems to be more about drama and reality tv instead of actual paranormal activity. The guys spend more time arguing, swearing at each other and acting like assholes rather than investigating. Which if this was real cases, one would think TAPS would be a little more involved in the case and less in playing dramatic roles about themselves. Not to mention, you now have Taps members posing nude on their websites for attention. One would think this one Taps member would have considered the amount of kids that are looking at the website every day.

I also wonder on another matter. TAPS claim that it takes weeks to film one show...if it is science, then why is the show made up? Do they wear the same clothes the whole week? They have to have a certain look? Why would one investigation take an entire week to film if it were indeed based on truth? Seems like it would take as long as the investigation, which doesn't take weeks to do. This further indicates that there is scripts and refilming going on. Not to mention, Renee Wilson has agreed that the plumbing scenes are just for the show. Why would this part of the show be fabrication when the rest of the show is real? I think this further suggests the whole show is fabrication.

As a paranormal researcher, I hope people will stop glorifying television, and support the real scientists and Para psychologists at local universities; these are the groups that promote real science and struggle with funding to keep going. These are the people who are real about finding answers, and do not promote themselves such as TAPS members and public heros.

I have found these guys to be television entertainers...and like most entertainers I know...there comes with it a measure of acting, show biz, and fabrication. One would think the public would be smarter than to mistake television for real science...but sadly, TAPS has a whole webpage of die hard fans, ready to hang the person who even slightly suggests of TAPS fabrications.

That's too bad. Shows like Taps ruin the field over all by setting it up as just thrills and entertainment rather than a field bent on finding answers to something that may truly exist.