Yowie: Bridging the Believer-Skeptic Divide

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

It mightn't be made by a man but it looks a lot like something a bunch of kids would make, a cubby or a fort.

[Stardrive]

Hmmm. Good question. I've never heard of non-burnt homemade cookies. I'll have to look into that. If in fact they exist, which I have my skeptical doubts.

Now, back to our regular programming...

Well usually these critters run in pairs.... one burnt and one just right.... all speculation of course.

[Stardrive]

I'll start a new thread shortly (when I get the time) and others will be welcome to contribute, of course. For the private stuff - fell free to contact me via PM or email (available on my website).

Sounds like a plan.

Would it go down well with you if, after questioning you about your claims and evidence, it was concluded that you had an over-active imagination supported only by flimsy evidence and a woo-experience? On the surface its a reasonable response but personal experiences (whether real or imagined) can be intensely moving so why would you expect others to react differently to being effectively dismissed?

I don't recall ever stating that I would expect others to react differently.

Anyways, after thinking it over a bit more, there's a better reason than an overactive imagination for thier apparent non-skeptical stance. An agenda. It's a promo stunt for a book or TV deal. If that is indeed the case, then the pursuit of finding common ground (with them) would be a fruitless endevour. All speculation of course.

It's not the first time I've been accused of being a government agent and I'm sure it won't be the last. I know you're being figurative with your language here, SD, but I'm actually curious about such claims and am more in favour of trying to understand it's function and where it comes from than retaliating in kind. I've heard the term "disinformation agent" used to describe not only skeptics but also discredited (or disliked) proponents. To better understand the phenomenon we need to better understand its context and the "proponent subculture" forms a big part of that relevant context...

Yes, it was a figure of speech. A more civilized alternative response would be to give him a tinfoil hat. But I'm of the opinion now that they have an agenda to protect. And that guy who jumped up and accused you of that was attempting to protect that agenda. Just a theory. I wasn't there so there's no way I could know all the facts of the situation.

[Frank Merton]

There is no need and no possibility of "bridging" this divide. Some people are skeptical and want to see evidence, others are gullible and believe, believe, believe. I don't even think most people are somewhere in between -- there seems to be a particulate inheritance regarding this personality trait. We either have a good reality checker or we don't.

[Stardrive]

The structures were interesting enough to me to photograph but not interesting enough to do an in-depth analysis about. After posting those pics I returned to the area and found some new additions:

There is no reason to suspect that the structures are anything but man-made...

On the surface they don't seem to serve any kind of practical purpose. I say kids out having fun. Looked interesting though, thanks for sharing.

[Night Walker]

Anyways, after thinking it over a bit more, there's a better reason than an overactive imagination for thier apparent non-skeptical stance. An agenda. It's a promo stunt for a book or TV deal. If that is indeed the case, then the pursuit of finding common ground (with them) would be a fruitless endevour. All speculation of course.

That's interesting. On August 11 this year it was stated that they "will be working with Canadian TV for a doco on the Yowie at the end of September, Goes to air in Canada in March 2015." (source). Previously it was claimed that they were the subject of a local SBS documentary that was subsequently canned.

Why do you think the seeking of publicity would be detrimental to the pursuit of finding common ground?

[Night Walker]

I'll start a new thread shortly (when I get the time) and others will be welcome to contribute, of course. For the private stuff - fell free to contact me via PM or email (available on my website).

Sounds like a plan.

Towards an Understanding of Bigfoot: A Case Study

[Stardrive]

That's interesting. On August 11 this year it was stated that they "will be working with Canadian TV for a doco on the Yowie at the end of September, Goes to air in Canada in March 2015." (source). Previously it was claimed that they were the subject of a local SBS documentary that was subsequently canned.

what a surprise.....

Why do you think the seeking of publicity would be detrimental to the pursuit of finding common ground?

They need the money, so they aren't going to bend on the issue, and that's what it would take.imo

[back to earth]

I want to make a short film using the story about the bushman that shared his billy tea with a yowie. It would be a hoot !

I betchya I would get funding for that! (If I 'knew' a film producer ..... yep - frustrated script writer I am )

[The only other film I saw with a Yowie in it was an Aussie short 'Happy Camper' I think it was ... everything is wonderful, lone camper in great spot ... wonderful night under the stars ... except in the morning his sleeping bad zipper is stuck and done up to his neck. he ends up trapped and hopping for help ... through various amusing disasters ... eventually he sees an old run down isolated farm and makes his way there for help ... to the old near-sighted farmer, who mistakes him for a Yowie and starts shooting. The camper hops off , still in the sleeping bag, then falls over a rock and is lying there bum up. Then the real Yowie turns up and mistakes him for a female Yowie ... and starts humping him (fortunately hno, he is still in the sleeping bag ... but his head is bonking into a tree, each thrust ;

'Help! ... OWW! " ... ( bonk! ) - 'Help! ... OWW! " ... ( bonk! ) - 'Help! ... OWW! " ... ( bonk! ) -

Eventually he gets away ... comes to a road with a phone box on the otherside ... starts caterpillering across the road ....

And a B-double comes around the corner and runs him over.

" Such is life" - in the Aussie bush .

Edited October 6, 2014 by back to earth

[Night Walker]

They need the money, so they aren't going to bend on the issue, and that's what it would take.imo

I can't quite follow your logic here - how does needing money (or hoping to earn money from the Yowie) lead to inflexibility of opinion (on what the Yowie is or might be)?

[Stardrive]

I'm just saying that they seem to have had a pre-concieved plan. I'm actually somewhat surprised you don't understand what a powerful motivator money can be. Surely you're not just wanting to argue for the sake of it?

[Stardrive]

But, if they are looking to add someone whom will bring a more skeptical pov, and they ask you to join them, I say go for it. Looks like they could use some balance.

[Night Walker]

I'm just saying that they seem to have had a pre-concieved plan. I'm actually somewhat surprised you don't understand what a powerful motivator money can be. Surely you're not just wanting to argue for the sake of it?

Requesting clarification about what you mean is not the same as arguing for the sake of it, SD - I would have thought that you above all others would appreciate that...

I would think that nearly everyone who begins the search for Yowie/Bigfoot (other than for purely spiritual reasons) has some preconceived notion that they will find what would be one of the greatest natural discoveries of all time - even I thought that there must be something to the claims when I started. And, frankly, I still can't quite follow your reasoning on this - so I'm afraid that you're gonna have to spell it out for me:

How does having a preconceived plan/notion (ie one that perhaps involves, Heaven forbid, profiting from what would be one of the greatest natural discoveries of all time) lead to an inflexibility of opinion on the subject of that plan/notion?

And if money is truly such a powerful motivator, how do you perceive that particular motivation influences what will be found and/or claimed in relation to search for Yowie/Bigfoot?

But, if they are looking to add someone whom will bring a more skeptical pov, and they ask you to join them, I say go for it. Looks like they could use some balance.

I don't think they are looking to add someone who will bring a more skeptical point of view - if that were the case then it would have happened by now. I think that they, like most other Yowie-researchers, are highly distrustful of all "outsiders"...

Edited October 7, 2014 by Night Walker

[Night Walker]

On August 11 this year it was stated that they "will be working with Canadian TV for a doco on the Yowie at the end of September, Goes to air in Canada in March 2015." (source).

This is the TV series:

When heading out on a trip of a life- time, you expect to see the region’s beauty, visit the great attractions, relax in luxurious settings...but what you don’t expect, is close encounters with local monsters!

BOOGEYMEN is an hour-long travel series that ventures to small, picturesque towns that have embraced something unusual and fascinating as their main attraction: a local monster! Each episode goes in-depth into the history of these creatures; discovers the places where they have been encountered; explores the tourist attractions built around the monsters; listens to the believers and skeptics; investigates the most recent sightings; and maybe even catches a glimpse of them ourselves!

http://cmjprod.ca/boogeymen.html

Anyone seen any episodes?