In All Fairness

It is great to read your blog here, Melissa. I wanted to hear from women in Bigfoot research, as I see the changing demographics of the field. Indeed, women more than any males should be talking about these issues.

As for me, there is no way I am advocating women in the Bigfoot field wearing swimsuits to raise money for research. I wished to point out that a certain amount of "attractiveness" (whether of intelligence, skills, or appearance) has been used for promotion, in conjunction with the entry of women into everything from car racing to primatology.

In my blog, I specifically ask the two following questions because I am not saying that the same route should be taken in cryptozoology, as it has in the racing world:

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Are there things we [all Bigfooters] don't want to transfer from one to the other?

Are there things women wish to learn and reject from the marketing of these women Indy 500 racers?
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Good blog you've written.

Loren Coleman

In all fairness, I am posting this comment to the front page. Its important that we understand exactly what Mr. Coleman is talking about.

I do think in some respects we can market ourselves to the rest of the world, but that goes for Men and Women - but in a way that remains respectful. There is a fine line, between marketing and sleeze.. Everyone has to make up their own mind how far they would be willing to go with that. I think what Danica Patrick did (the photos) were very tasteful. I found them not in the least bit offensive.

I'm not sure what the answer is to the situation. First of all, the women and men who would be interested in marketing themselves would have to be willing to put their faces out there, and not many (for good reason) are willing to do so. That is a large hurdle to overcome.

What about doing something as simple as asking more women to speak at conferences? How about profiling more women on these various blog sites? Thats how the majority of us want to be seen - for the work or contributions we are making.

Its my personal opinion women can be very helpful to this research in more ways than one, but the women need to find their voice (and the right volume) and the format in which to get their point of view out there.

What can we learn from these women who have made it in the world of Indy Racing? Be tough, if you believe in something strongly enough, let nothing stop you from doing it, and never be afraid to stand up for what you think is right. I think these women are a shining example of what women can accomplish through hard work and determination. Their determination is what we can bring over. The marketing of them - well thats done by professionals.

Change will come from within first.

I think the questions you ask are good one. Thank you Mr. Coleman, I do appreciate your input and your comments. Any time new discussions are brought forward, its a good thing.

Lets get this right.

On the most recent program "The Sasquatch Triangle" hosted by Don Keating and produced by Henry May, I was confused to hear something repeated - that was not corrected and should be.

How did "Let's Talk Bigfoot" hosted by Teresa Hall and Myself get started? Well, its really not a mystery, and did not involve Henry May. This is not Don Keatings fault, Henry should have made that correction promptly.

Ok, this show became a reality due to a conversation I had with Sean Forker the host of "Sasquatch Experience". I told Sean that Kathy Strain and her husband Bob were interested in producing a show, to be hosted by myself and Teresa Hall. Well, Sean was gracious enough to give up an hour of his program once a week (Wednesday nights) to see that our show had a good spot in prime time programming. The show would be solely produced by Kathy and Bob Strain, and we agreed to become apart of the "Sasquatch Experience" family.

Our show was in this time slot on Blogtalk radio for roughly 2-3 weeks, when we decided to move it to Talkshoe, because the biggest complaint we received by listeners was poor audio on Blogtalk.

Teresa and myself feel it's important, that if anyone gets credit for our show coming to light - that credit should go to Kathy and Bob Strain and of course Sean Forker for allowing us to debut in the primetime slot. Henry May in no way shape or form had control over any content, programming or guest line-up. He did however, work the Blogtalk switchboard (helped with the phones for 2 programs) and called himself a co-producer of "Let's Talk Bigfoot" on the air.

If you think I am upset by this, you would be correct. Sean graciously offered to help us debut the show under the SquatchMedia banner since that would allow us to conduct our show during primetime hours, but always understood the show was a separate venture with our own producers and guests. The Blogtalk compensation program from any popularity of our show was Sean's to help cover his expenses.

I would like to take this time to thank Sean for all his help, and his hard work bringing our show to you on BlogTalk Radio. Teresa and I couldn't be more grateful to him for his generous offer.

Melissa M. Hovey
Teresa Hall
Let'sTalkBigfoot.com

Men, Women, Science, Sex and Bigfoot.

Today I read a very interesting article on Cryptomundo by Loren Coleman. I sat back in my seat and thought..... Huh?

In THIS article by Mr. Coleman he discusses women who have made it in a "mans world".. He specifically discusses women of the Indy Circuit. I actually grew up and lived just mere miles from the town where Danica Patrick was raised (Roscoe/Rockton, Illinois) so I know, and can say without hesitation - when Danica made it in Indy, women all across the area where I lived were jumping up and down with joy - then, her photos came out, it was the pause that was heard to the Canadian Border.

Was she wrong?

I have seen some racy photos of men who are very popular in sports, and they sell like mad, and no one says a word - other than "Wow, he really is in shape" or "I wanna drive the car he is selling". Danica did that - and all hell broke loose.

Lets not beat around the bush here - sex has been selling everything from cars to food over the years (or at least since the invention of advertising). Now, Mr. Coleman brings up an interesting point, and one I had to sit and think about for a few hours before deciding how to respond to this.

I see the point he is making - its all about marketing, putting a face to the research and getting your research funded But, question - would it work for us? I really don't think so, and is it worth it to lose the respect of your fellow researchers? I say no. If I thought a sexy shot of myself would help get this animal protected, I would follow in the shoes of Danica Patrick, but its not the same thing. Sports and other reasons for this, are accepted in mainstream society - what we do is not, and would only further the firestorm of "are these people crazy?" In my opinion that type of move would be seen by the general public and skeptics as a push for money only, and the reason behind needing the money would be lost. We are trying to solve a mystery, not fund a car going around in circles (for the record I'm a Nascar fan).

While I understand the point Mr. Coleman is making, I just do not think its a viable option. I do think the younger generation (if interested) will seek us out, and thats what we need - people and scientists interested for the right reasons.

Mr. Coleman brings up some good points in this article, but I can't say I see any good coming from a move like that. Hey, I could be wrong though, and I wouldn't think any less of a man or woman who decided to market themselves..

But, just remember - what you do, reflects on us all whether you think so or not.

Tonight on Let's Talk Bigfoot

Letstalkbigfoot.com


Tonight TBRC Field Researcher and Board Member Monica Rawlins will be our guest on Let's Talk Bigfoot.

I have known Monica since I became a member of this organization myself, and have spent many nights in the field with her. Monica is not only a fantastic and tough woman in the field, but she also has a wonderful sense of humor.

Tonight Monica will have an announcement for all - and Im sure everyone will be happy to hear this news. :)

Tune in at 9 P.M Central for Let's Talk Bigfoot by clicking the link above... Download the chat program prior, so you can ask questions (if your too shy to call). If you miss the show tonight, you can still click the above link to download the archive :)

Hope to hear from everyone !!!!

Is Loren Coleman a Chauvinist?

UPDATE: Women are responding. Lisa Shiel adds her name to the list of women researchers who also agree - this is outrageous.
Read her blog "Loren Coleman is not a chauvinist"


Things must be really slow for some...

I must admit, when I read this article on Cryptomundo I was very dissapointed.

I first met Loren Coleman at the 2005 TBRC Conference in Jefferson, Texas. I had seen Mr. Coleman on various programs about this type of research, and I always wondered what he would be like in person. He always came across on those programs as educated, sincere and had a endearing quality about him that made me think he was truly interested in this work.

I didn't have a chance to really talk and get to know him, as there were so many people there that weekend, but from his lecture and listening to him talk to others, I found him to be a good person - maybe misunderstood, he does have a sense of humor that is an acquired taste, but no one understands my jokes either.

Loren Coleman is a target because he has theories, he expresses those theories - and some of his theories are not popular. He is entitled to his opinion however, and he can speculate as much as he likes.. I have read things written by researchers who bash Mr. Coleman that have made my eyes roll back into my head and say "HUH??". No one has all the answers, all we have is speculation - yet some seem to think they know the research and the researchers better than others. Hogwash.

Is Mr. Coleman a Chauvinist? No. Mr. Coleman has always supported my work here on this blog, he has even re-published some of my articles on Cryptomundo - giving an unknown researcher an even bigger voice in this community - and guess what,

I am a woman.

Mr. Coleman has always answered my questions, and he has been gracious enough to respond when I asked for help. My first impression of Mr. Coleman is not one I cherish - but I have come to know a different man than the one I met in Jefferson, and I like this man.

My daddy always says "Opinions are like a**holes, everyone's got em", and he is right.

Are men in this field of research by and large Chauvinistic? I would answer with a resounding No, absolutely not. And, these women screaming chauvinism are really picking the wrong target. Am I saying all this because I am friends with Mr. Coleman? No, I don't know if he considers me a friend - we correspond, but not often. But, his writing is taken out of context often - and I find that sad. No one has brought more attention to the cryptid animals out there, than Loren Coleman. Does that make him special and above reproach - no, but to call him a chauvinist is completely out of line.

I can think of other targets to go after, where it really counts,

But Loren Coleman is not, in my opinion a chauvinist, and I think if women in this field of research want to have this conversation, fine lets have it - I started this over a year ago, but pick and choose your targets carefully.. And don't get ahead of yourselves, you may make an enemy of someone who wants to see you succeed in this.

In my opinion this is nothing more than a witch hunt, with Loren Coleman as the target.

These women do not speak for me. Often I find when people have issues with Loren Coleman, there is much more going on, than the rest of us know about. But, Mr. Coleman is a public figure - that does make him a target of criticism and anyone who wants their 10 mins.

Ladies - Pick your battles, this is not one I will be joining you in. The problem is in the field, not the authors.


Melissa

"Let's Talk Bigfoot" Radio Show Moves!

As much as Melissa and I will miss Sean Forker and the gang, we've waved goodbye and launched our show at a new home with Talkshoe. We received several complaints about the audio of the show on Blogtalk and the suggestion was made to us to give Talkshoe a try. We did and we love it! (Thanks Bip!)


That being said Melissa and I did our first live show after our move to Talkshoe today at 4:30 p.m. Central time. It was a trial run for us and we didn't schedule a guest. We did however have Steve Pickett, "Indy" as he's called by friends, who founded USBRA and has his own Blogtalk Radio show, as well as Matt Knapp (Oklahomasquatch on the forums) an AIBR member and well respected researcher, and Henry May of the Sasquatch Experience Blogtalk Radio show.

If the better sound quality doesn't knock your socks off we've also been endorsed by the Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers, AIBR. Show producers Kathy and Bob Strain are on the Board of directors, I, am on the board of directors of AIBR, and Melissa is a member of both AIBR and TBRC so the show is a labor of love and it was only natural for us to welcome the endorsement with open arms.

This would be a good time to mention the particulars of the show. We air on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. Eastern / 9 p.m. Central and you'll find us at Let's Talk Bigfoot on Talkshoe here. The public is welcome and encouraged to call in to the shows on our call in line (724) 444-7444
Talkcast ID: 30301 and ask questions, give us comments, and/or suggestions or introduce yourself. The call in line isn't the only way to contact us with questions. Talkshoe has its own chat program which can be downloaded, and once you go through the simple process of registering, you can log into the show live and chat with us if you'd rather type in your questions for us to ask on the show. It is Vista friendly for those who have problems with chat using the Vista operating system. If that isn't enough options for you, we also take questions on the Search for Bigfoot forum We open topics each week so questions can be asked there for our weekly guests. It's also a pretty good forum since it's another product from the dynamic duo, Melissa and myself.

If you can't be with us on Wednesday nights but still want to hear the show they are archived at the address above and can either be listened to there on site, or downloaded whichever your preference may be. We encourage everyone to do that. Even if you listen to the show live you can listen again for anything you may have misssed during the live broadcast.

Our next guest is Montra Frietas, long time researcher, and wife of John Frietas, and partner in their Operation Night Scream. They can be found at Blue North.com. Kathy Strain will also be hosting the show this Wednesday night (May 16th) and interviewing Montra with us. I look forward to a great show.

Onward and upward bringing great guests on board, don't miss our show, but if you do, listen to the archives! We'd love to hear from you so Let's Talk Bigfoot!

Teresa

"Lets Talk Bigfoot" with Diane Stocking

As many of you know, last Wednesday night Teresa and I interviewed Florida researcher Diane Stocking. What a fantastic time we all had. One of the nice things about having this radio program is those of you who have read some of the names on this blog, can now hear these people discuss these issues - for yourself.

Diane is a very intelligent and funny woman. Diane discussed everything from her take on the "human vs. animal" controversy, to David Shealy.

I think Diane discussed her views and opinions very well, and gave reasonable arguments for her opinion. You should take the time to listen to this interview and decide for yourself.

I would like to thank Diane for being a guest on our show, and as she has agreed to return, I am looking forward to the next time Teresa and I have the opportunity to talk to her. Diane's logic is easy to follow and her laugher is contagious - and we all need more of that :)

Thank you Diane !!!!

He Said.....She Said.....yakkity yak

By Teresa Hall

I ask myself this question.... Why?? I know the research is slow and nothing thrilling has happened in quite some time, but criminy...are we so bored that we must resort to making up untruths, jumping to conclusions or assuming the worst of people? I don't usually post on this blog, but felt compelled to address this particular issue.

In keeping with my researching the researchers... that's my topic for this blog. Just lately I've been accused, tried, and convicted in the court of personal opinion right out of nowhere and I'm flabbergasted where it came from or even how it all got started. No, I'm not going to name any names, I'd be guilty of that which I'm blogging on about if I started naming names and bashing people myself. The question begs to be answered, however, what motivates an otherwise "seemingly" well adjusted and certainly noted person in the bigfoot field to assume and allege the worst of someone they don't even know and then accuse that person falsely to yet another person? I know I'm clueless here, but that's what happened to me.

To make matters even more complicated Person A, the accuser, got their pantaloons in an even bigger knot because Person B that they believed was my partner in the assumed crime had the unmitigated gall to tell me what person A had said to them about me. I'm thinking... not only a gossip.. but Person A is perhaps a hypocrite as well. How is it any different what Person B did than what Person A did in gossiping to them about me in the first place? Is Person B any more guilty for passing the information on to me? At least Person B's motives were pure. They told me so I could at least try to straighten the mess out where I was apparently involved... nothing sinister about that. As far as I know the whole thing sounded like a scene right out of any elementary school USA and the accuser isn't a spring chicken by any stretch of the imagination. I haven't been involved in anything so utterly idiotic since the third grade when my best friend got her panties in a bunch because I spent recess one day playing Barbies with somebody else.

I made things even worse trying to get to the bottom of the gossip by asking another friend, we'll call that friend Person C, since they are friends with Person A if they knew how any of this might have gotten started. Person C said they were clueless but offered to put in a good word about my honest nature as a character reference to Person A on my behalf. Somewhere around there the whole stupidity spiraled out of control and Person A put me at or close to the top of their Public Enemy List for getting Person C involved. Again, I didn't do anything that Person A hadn't already done when they went to Person B accusing us both of perceived crimes. I'm a direct sort of person so I'd already sent a nice letter to Person A explaining I hadn't taken a whiz in their Post Toasties, but got no response so I was no closer to figuring out what the heck was going on. Now Person A is spreading the love and making even more wild assumptions about me to Person C and still accusing me of things I never did.

How does this crap happen? I'm still completely innocent of all charges (and would be completely oblivious if not for Person B) but my accuser/executioner has now become incensed with me even more. I'm still perplexed and confused about how I got involved in this whole thing to begin with. One of those "A funny thing happened to me today" kind of things only it's not really that funny.

What was my crime you ask? This is the funniest and most ridiculous thing about this pitiful Greek tragedy yet..... at least to me; Person A was allegedly told by persons yet unknown that I refused to join in a chat that Person A was engaged in BECAUSE Person A was there. Now.. I've never once been invited to chat with Person A, don't know Person A at all except by reputation, and have no clue where Person A chats. I have never been anywhere near a chat room that Person A has been engaged in. That being said it isn't a stretch to conclude I didn't refuse a chat request from anyone involved with Person A because I have no idea where Person A chats in the first place. A well placed "Doh" is probably warranted at the end of this paragraph.

Why do we gossip about others in the field? It does nothing to aid the research, and if our assumptions and accusations about each other are concocted completely in our own imaginations and utterly off base, one is then left to wonder if that's the methods we use, how accurate is our research? That is what we're all here for, right... "the research?" That's what somebody told me anyhow. Do these same people make wild assumptions and allegations in regards to their research as well? If you don't investigate what it is you hear whether online or out in the field you're left to assume about what you heard and we all know where assumptions lead.

If you're a researcher or enthusiast in this field and spend your time stewing and gossiping about something so trivial as chat room etiquette, do yourself (and me) a favor; back slowly away from the computer and do an inventory on your priorities before you do something that's going to make you look like the cheese slid off your cracker.

I never did find out the identity of those "persons unknown" who allegedly intimated I was a meanie, and wouldn't chat with Person A. I don't even care. As for what I think about all this?

In the words of Sherlock Holmes....."Elementary, (school) my dear." I don't have the time or inclination to devote to blithering nonsense.

That's it for me today. I'm off to more interesting endeavors...
and speaking of today, have a nice one!