The fact no one has come forward with a credible hoax claim is important. The fact that no one has ever been able to duplicate the costume, the walk or the muscle movements lends a lot of credibility to it being authentic.
Exactly. When you combine that with the fact Gimlin made no money from this, and Patterson made very little. With the hype over the decades they could have made a boatload. It makes it really compelling to me.
Hard to believe that so many missed the documentary that documented how much of the fake Bigfoot evidence was done, with interviews from the co conspirators, including the guy in the costume of the Patterson tape. People believe what they want to believe, despite all the actual & logical evidence against it. Gullibility & stupidity are the only explanation.
Big thumbs up from me for including the images and videos. It completes things perfectly.
I think I must've seen the original shaky footage when I was young (we're probably talking late seventies or early eighties here), and was immediately fascinated by it, so to be able to read about all this background and see the whole of the footage is really wonderful. Thank you!
As something of a feminist, I adore the idea of the creature being female! Hey-ho Patty!
Excellent. I started teaching an English class on Bigfoot because it was a bizarre topic. Each year of course I would revisit the topic and learn more. With the photos and film, audio recordings, footprints, hair samples and now DNA we consistently see beings which are like each other but unlike any known species.
I love to read the debunkers. They are so convinced of "their logic" and "their scientific analysis". As someone who worked in the field of science for 30 years, I found the biggest flaw among scientists was their belief that something couldn't be true if they couldn't prove it was true. There is a certain obtuseness to the culture of science. Not all scientists fall victim to it, but many never learn how to say, "I don't know." I suspect they may be a little too wrapped up in their superior identity as a scientist. The debunkers are the worst of that lot.
I agree. The most honest position in many unresolved cases is simply to say we do not know. Someone who has a firm belief in their answer despite a lack of evidence has left the scientific approach behind, and adopted a dogmatic approach instead.
I used to go out to Hoopa once a month for a misdemeanor calendar, back when I was a baby prosecutor in Humboldt. That's south of Bluff Creek, on the Klamath. Even for Northern California, that area is remote! There was a bigfoot museum in Willow Springs, on the way to Hoopa. They had dozens of plaster footprint casts, as I recall. Bluff Creek is in the Yurok Tribe territory, the Yurok have done exemplary work on restoring the California Condor to the area.
That is fascinating. I would love to see that. Sadly, we don’t have Bigfoot in the UK. I guess they can’t migrate over the sea. That’s a shame. I would love to see Sea Captain Bigfoot. 😊
No, not even close. The US is 33% woodland (approx 3 million square km), the UK is 12% woodland (32,000 square km). The biggest uninterrupted wilderness we have is 1,500 square KM, in North West Scotland.
Actually, that reminded me. The UK does have an old folklore tale from the 12th century, when Henry II was on the throne. Back then, the UK was significantly more wooded, which tracks with Bigfoot lore. He was described as a tall, muscular figure covered in thick hair and carrying a club, who lived deep within forests, beyond the reach of law and society. He appears in manuscripts, church carvings, and heraldry.
Outstanding article! I was just listening to a Monsters Among Us episode with a story referencing "samurai chatter" too. Even as a lifelong enthisiast I still learn something new all the time. Thanks for sharing this!
Totally agree! The paranormal has virtually endless sub-fields and topics of investigation. It is always a treat to come across people who share a real sense of awe, curiosity, and openminded, independent thought. Keep up the great work!😀
To those who say it's a costume, to create a costume that realistic would cost quite a bit of money. Patterson had to borrow and scrape up money just to rent the camera equipment. Who funded the suit? Whoever made it was better than anyone in Hollywood at the time. Why wouldn't you come out afterwards, when the film gained notoriety, and become a movie costume designer?
Excellent post. There is so much written about the PG film it's easy to get distracted and lost in the debate. It's still a popular discussion on bigfootforums.com. I've mostly steered clear of it, though I did reference the film in a recent post, mainly to point out the absurd arguments from debunkers. Ben Radford, writing for the Skeptical Inquirer (2024) basically said of the film, 'we could reproduce it but we don't think it's worth our time to do it.' I'm still on the fence with a Bigfoot species but this crap from the debunker camp... I can't even.
You left out the skunk ape! In Florida they have their own Bigfoot, it is called the skunk ape bc of its terrible smell. I never knew until now that other Bigfoot claims have involved an awful smell.
As with UFO's (or whatever the current aconym is) I want to believe! The most compelling argument for me against Sasquatch existing is not "It's someone in a costume," but rather the biologists who argue (I think pretty effectively?) that for a poopulation of such creatures to exist in the first place would require a minimum number in the hundreds, if I remember correctly? (To prevent frequent inbreeding and the subsequent birth defects that would result.) And I think everyone is fairly certain that hundreds of Bigfoot couldn't exist without being truly discovered.
A "scientific showstopper" exists for UFO's too–specifically, that even at light speed, distances between star systems in our own galaxy are so incomprehensibly vast that it all but certainly rules out extraterrestrials just flying here in their ships for some experiments or to have a look.
A fun fact I learned when researching for this article. There are places in the US that have official Bigfoot protection laws. Skamania County, and Whatcom county washington, along with Whitehall, Michigan. 👣👮🏻
The fact no one has come forward with a credible hoax claim is important. The fact that no one has ever been able to duplicate the costume, the walk or the muscle movements lends a lot of credibility to it being authentic.
Exactly. When you combine that with the fact Gimlin made no money from this, and Patterson made very little. With the hype over the decades they could have made a boatload. It makes it really compelling to me.
The other thing is that is Patterson and Gimlin were able to fake footage this hard to disprove, why would they have only done it once?
Hard to believe that so many missed the documentary that documented how much of the fake Bigfoot evidence was done, with interviews from the co conspirators, including the guy in the costume of the Patterson tape. People believe what they want to believe, despite all the actual & logical evidence against it. Gullibility & stupidity are the only explanation.
Big thumbs up from me for including the images and videos. It completes things perfectly.
I think I must've seen the original shaky footage when I was young (we're probably talking late seventies or early eighties here), and was immediately fascinated by it, so to be able to read about all this background and see the whole of the footage is really wonderful. Thank you!
As something of a feminist, I adore the idea of the creature being female! Hey-ho Patty!
Excellent. I started teaching an English class on Bigfoot because it was a bizarre topic. Each year of course I would revisit the topic and learn more. With the photos and film, audio recordings, footprints, hair samples and now DNA we consistently see beings which are like each other but unlike any known species.
I love to read the debunkers. They are so convinced of "their logic" and "their scientific analysis". As someone who worked in the field of science for 30 years, I found the biggest flaw among scientists was their belief that something couldn't be true if they couldn't prove it was true. There is a certain obtuseness to the culture of science. Not all scientists fall victim to it, but many never learn how to say, "I don't know." I suspect they may be a little too wrapped up in their superior identity as a scientist. The debunkers are the worst of that lot.
I agree. The most honest position in many unresolved cases is simply to say we do not know. Someone who has a firm belief in their answer despite a lack of evidence has left the scientific approach behind, and adopted a dogmatic approach instead.
I used to go out to Hoopa once a month for a misdemeanor calendar, back when I was a baby prosecutor in Humboldt. That's south of Bluff Creek, on the Klamath. Even for Northern California, that area is remote! There was a bigfoot museum in Willow Springs, on the way to Hoopa. They had dozens of plaster footprint casts, as I recall. Bluff Creek is in the Yurok Tribe territory, the Yurok have done exemplary work on restoring the California Condor to the area.
That is fascinating. I would love to see that. Sadly, we don’t have Bigfoot in the UK. I guess they can’t migrate over the sea. That’s a shame. I would love to see Sea Captain Bigfoot. 😊
Does the UK have deep wilderness left?
No, not even close. The US is 33% woodland (approx 3 million square km), the UK is 12% woodland (32,000 square km). The biggest uninterrupted wilderness we have is 1,500 square KM, in North West Scotland.
Thank you for a wonderfully thorough and enjoyable article
Actually, that reminded me. The UK does have an old folklore tale from the 12th century, when Henry II was on the throne. Back then, the UK was significantly more wooded, which tracks with Bigfoot lore. He was described as a tall, muscular figure covered in thick hair and carrying a club, who lived deep within forests, beyond the reach of law and society. He appears in manuscripts, church carvings, and heraldry.
Maybe I will create an article on him 😊
Outstanding article! I was just listening to a Monsters Among Us episode with a story referencing "samurai chatter" too. Even as a lifelong enthisiast I still learn something new all the time. Thanks for sharing this!
Yes, same here. Thats why I love doing what I do. 😊
To some, the paranormal may seem shallow on the surface, but they could not be more wrong.
Totally agree! The paranormal has virtually endless sub-fields and topics of investigation. It is always a treat to come across people who share a real sense of awe, curiosity, and openminded, independent thought. Keep up the great work!😀
To those who say it's a costume, to create a costume that realistic would cost quite a bit of money. Patterson had to borrow and scrape up money just to rent the camera equipment. Who funded the suit? Whoever made it was better than anyone in Hollywood at the time. Why wouldn't you come out afterwards, when the film gained notoriety, and become a movie costume designer?
“Realistic”? Compared to what exactly? What’s the model? Fred Flintstone? King Kong? “Bigfoot” is a cryptid, their guess would be as good as anyone’s.
Excellent post. There is so much written about the PG film it's easy to get distracted and lost in the debate. It's still a popular discussion on bigfootforums.com. I've mostly steered clear of it, though I did reference the film in a recent post, mainly to point out the absurd arguments from debunkers. Ben Radford, writing for the Skeptical Inquirer (2024) basically said of the film, 'we could reproduce it but we don't think it's worth our time to do it.' I'm still on the fence with a Bigfoot species but this crap from the debunker camp... I can't even.
You left out the skunk ape! In Florida they have their own Bigfoot, it is called the skunk ape bc of its terrible smell. I never knew until now that other Bigfoot claims have involved an awful smell.
Guy needs to bathe 😊 there are so many names and variations, it’s crazy
As with UFO's (or whatever the current aconym is) I want to believe! The most compelling argument for me against Sasquatch existing is not "It's someone in a costume," but rather the biologists who argue (I think pretty effectively?) that for a poopulation of such creatures to exist in the first place would require a minimum number in the hundreds, if I remember correctly? (To prevent frequent inbreeding and the subsequent birth defects that would result.) And I think everyone is fairly certain that hundreds of Bigfoot couldn't exist without being truly discovered.
A "scientific showstopper" exists for UFO's too–specifically, that even at light speed, distances between star systems in our own galaxy are so incomprehensibly vast that it all but certainly rules out extraterrestrials just flying here in their ships for some experiments or to have a look.
Did you ever hear about the Curse of Black Hope Cemetery? I think that would be interesting for you. There were a few deaths involved, apparently.
Ah yes. In Houston I believe. Thanks for the suggestion. I will certainly make an article on that. 😊
Very interesting. Congrats on a thorough and well stated examination of the footage, personalities and more. I enjoyed and shared it.
Thanks so much. Glad you liked it 😊
I think people should leave them alone…given our poor ability to protect anything except pedophiles….
A fun fact I learned when researching for this article. There are places in the US that have official Bigfoot protection laws. Skamania County, and Whatcom county washington, along with Whitehall, Michigan. 👣👮🏻
We should too. Nice fun fact!
Maybe they're pedophiles.
Seems to be a predilection of the human male, sorry.
Sorry?
It's a DUDE IN A SUIT. Only people who "want to believe" convince themselves that's not what it looks like.
I saw it when it was brand new, presented by the film maker. Fake then fake now.
I lived in Del Norte County, California for 23 years. I don’t believe in Bigfoot. Most folks I knew there didn’t either.