A few months ago I tweeted about a couple of my paranormal pet peeves and asked which ones others had. Responses varied, but surprisingly there was one that many expressed the same peeve about. They felt most paranormal shows were an insult to their intelligence and they were over them.
Even though they had started out liking such shows, they had long ago stopped watching and have pretty much given up on anything new. For one because not much is new. The formula is pretty much just all recycled and repackaged at this point.
They also felt most shows do an injustice to the paranormal, especially anything on Travel Channel and discovery+, which dominates the para-entertainment landscape and has set itself up to be the gold standard.
But is it?
Many of the folks who find such shows an insult to their intelligence don’t think so. They believe these types of paranormal shows are now hurting more than they’re helping.
The Problem with Most Paranormal Shows, Part 1: Money
Instead of scientifically searching for answers and explanations, we have to understand paranormal entertainment, which is no different than any other form of entertainment. It’s a simple equation: viewers = money.
Well, okay, maybe it’s a bit more complicated than that because any inspiring social media influencer can attest that getting viewers isn’t easy. You need to create great content. Stand out. Make a splash.
An easy way to do this is to embellish the truth —or even outright fabricate it. Maybe Paul Graham summed it up best in this simple tweet: “When the truth is boring, lies can be exciting. When the truth contradicts your beliefs, lies can confirm them.” (He was referring more to politics, but it applies to this case too.)
And with the paranormal, lies, or half-truths, can be profitable. Because keep in mind ghosts still don’t technically exist. There are plenty of stories about them, sure. But no one has ever “caught” one. Which is the allure and challenge of paranormal shows. The stars all hope they’ll be the first to capture conclusive evidence and the audience watches hoping for that big “ah ha!” reveal.
But if there isn’t one, shows resort to theatrics to enhance the entertainment value. The more entertaining, the more viewers, the more money it makes. Oh, and having a low budget helps too. Most of these shows aren’t multi-million dollar productions. They’re pretty cheap and easy to produce, which is also why there are so many of them.
Especially because there’s no shortage of TV investigator wannabes. However, considering that getting a TV deal is one of the ways to make money in the paranormal, and good money at that, it’s understandable why people strive for that.
So finding personalities is not a problem. But content can be a little trickier.
The Problem with Most Paranormal Shows, Part 2: Sensationalism
What has Travel Channel and discovery+ figured out “sells” the most? Scary! And among the scariest content people gobble up most is dark energy and demons. Pair that with entertaining personalities, and you’ve got a hit show on your hands.
But that also alienates viewers who are thinkers, and/or who also investigate and in their years in the field have never encountered the darkness so many shows profess to encounter week after week. It’s not only an insult to their intelligence but also hurts the paranormal. It establishes it more as entertainment and less as something to be taken seriously or seriously studied
Yet, not all TV investigators are concerned with sensationalizing. Judging from comments Elizabeth Saint, Dustin Pari, and Steve Gonsalves made in The House in Between Part 2, even some TV investigators are annoyed with the demonic direction and exploitation of dark energy paranormal TV has taken.
So are investigators like former Ghost Hunters alum Brandon Alvis and Mustafa Gatollari. Their forthcoming series, Haunted Discoveries, looks like it will strive to investigate less from a sensational perspective and more from a scientific one.
You Might be a Skeptic If…
I’m one of those who find most shows painful to watch because yes. Most do feel like an insult to my intelligence.
But why? Why can’t I just go with the flow and enjoy their entertainment value?
Well, I think one reason is that I’m a Virgo to the core and extremely pragmatic by nature. This is why I also lean more toward being a skeptic than a believer.
Which, when I admit to being a skeptic, most people often mistakenly label me a paranormal party pooper. They take it to mean that I don’t believe.
Except, as I explained in “A look at the ‘Skeptics vs Believers’ debate for International Skeptics Day” on YouTube, being a skeptic is not the same as being a closed-minded disbeliever. Quite the opposite, in fact. And my favorite quote illustrating that comes from Sarah Ban Breathnach: “Skeptics make the best seekers.”
It seems like a lot of the folks who responded to the pet peeve tweet about paranormal shows insulting their intelligence are also seekers at heart. Because it’s not that they felt they were so smart or anything like that. Most of these folks are paranormal investigators themselves. They know what a real investigation is like and that few look anything like what’s presented on TV.
Many are also on a quest for the truth. Not proof of the paranormal necessarily but if that’s where their investigation leads them, so be it.
But they do want answers to what’s causing the phenomena that often get labeled as paranormal. Is it evidence of life after death, another dimension, etc.? Or are we misinterpreting perfectly natural events that we simply don’t fully understand yet?
In short, they may believe in something, even that the truth is out there, but they want to understand what that means exactly. Basically, they want to know the inner workings.
And that’s why most paranormal shows insult their intelligence and don’t appeal to them. They’ve got a little —or maybe even a lot— of skeptic in them.
Which matters because of a snippet from a press release I’ll share next.
Paranormal Shows Are Made for True Believers
When Travel Channel and discovery+ announced the rest of their 2022 paranormal programming, Matthew Butler, group senior vice president of Travel Channel and paranormal streaming content, said this:
“Travel Channel and discovery+ have tapped into what paranormal and horror fans love the most –a huge slate of brand-new content from some of their favorite stars of the genre. Our fans are true believers, and they can’t get enough of this type of entertainment that brings the chills and thrills, whether it’s on television or streaming into their homes.”
(Note: I added the emphasis to “our fans are true believers.”)
Well, that solves one paranormal mystery at least!
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What are you: a true believer, a skeptic, or a mix of both?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, as well as obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of healing, to learn how she channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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I hear ya. There are a couple of paranormal shows I learned to avoid: Most Haunted (England series/show) and generally Ghost Adventures (every episode is just so focused on the demonic that’s become predictable). I tend to watch them because I’m looking for evidence and understanding. I think that’s why Ghost Hunters remains a favorite: they’re looking for proof too.
Thanks for the thoughtful column.
I am a true believer, BUT I am also a skeptic with a lot of the evidence captured on ghost hunting shows (still find them entertaining, though). I guess my Libra spirit is alive and well!
Maria! Thanks for your comment, which was very well-phrased. Someone on Twitter also said the same thing about why they preferred Ghost Hunters. (Unless that was you too and I didn’t connect the dots. lol)
THIS is why I holdest you in the highest regard. You really are a Libra in that you weigh all sides of an equation and aren’t super critical. (Which is another Virgo trait steeped deep in my soul. lol) Even with your reviews, you are so level. I know I’ve said it before, but it can’t hurt to say it again: It’s one of the things I admire about you so much!