Greg Bearringer is a graduate student in medieval studies at the University of Tennessee, and he confessed last week to an undying, if somewhat humiliating, love of H2's Ancient Aliens. He has some interesting things to say about Ancient Aliens and the value of truth over at the UT Daily Beacon. You can read the whole thing here, but here's the meat of his argument.
It's intentional.
Ancient astronaut theorists work hard to give themselves the trappings of authority. It's why Giorgio Tsoukalos presents himself as an "author," though only of a PowerPoint presentation, since it carries the residual prestige of a time when publishing bestowed legitimacy. It is why David (ex-Hatcher) Childress described himself (falsely) as an "archaeologist" in his pre-Ancient Aliens days despite never having worked as one or holding any degree in the field. It is why Sean David Morton claims a dubious PhD from a nonexistent school. And it is why "Professor" Robert Temple brags about his "academic affiliations" with the Royal Astronomical Society and the British Schools of Archaeology at Athens and at Rome. The RAS is, like the National Geographic Society, open to anyone with £98 for a membership fee; similarly the British School at Rome is open to anyone with £50. The British School at Athens, while more rigorous in membership, is open to anyone pursuing Hellenic studies at the graduate level, and, by dispensation of the director, to independent writers. But this isn't important because according to the BSA's membership rolls, he isn't a member. He was in 1989 and again in 1998, for "contributing to the Penguin Classic 'Complete Fables of Aesop,'" not for any original research. Similarly, Temple's claimed title of "professor" is equally dubious, resting on the shaky foundation of a visiting lecture series at a Chinese University. He holds no regular academic appointment, a usual prerequisite for claiming the title of professor. So why do ancient astronaut theorists want to pretend that they are real academics? Bearringer is right; they seek to cast themselves in the role of academics to absorb some of the legitimacy they see accruing to those who have actual degrees and who do real research. Just as every snake oil salesman called himself a "doctor," so too does every historical revisionist want to wrap himself in the borrowed finery of the authorities they seek to ape.
3 Comments
Chris Yeager
6/17/2012 04:46:26 pm
Giorgio Tsoukalos should be given an honorary cosmotology degree for his overwheming work in hair manipulation. That guy's hair do is breathtaking.
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Henry Barth
6/20/2012 08:38:16 pm
In Italy, and other European countries, if you have a BA or BS from anywhere, even mail order, you may legally call yourself Dottore. Works great on hotel reservations.
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Phillip
1/25/2015 05:24:23 am
I agree with you about people faking their academic legitimacies in order to gain credibility with us, the poor souls who desire to find new knowledge and understanding. Still I personally don't need anyone to hit me over the head with a text book to make me read it...I feel that the people chosen for their appearances on such shows were selected for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which are their "quirk" and there ferverancy with which they believe in what they believe. I think the reason for the populariity of these mini celebs is that belief..and people seem to require that elusive thing far more than they need to see someones personal or academic credentials. Perhaps even academics could learn something from the shows, maybe not facts, perhaps not a lengthy uninteresting thesis or dialogue from the hallowed halls, but merely a small spark of belief in something that we all have questions about and want answers for, even if its not exactly correct or accurate! Consider..
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