"Ancient Aliens" Associate Producer: The Show Is Absurd, and We Purposely Push Facts "Off the Deep End"

7/13/2014

I finally have a name to blame for all the screw-ups, mistakes, and outright lies that get passed off as fact in the narration on Ancient Aliens. Annelise Baer holds a master’s degree in “Archaeology for Screen Media” from Bristol University and a bachelor’s in classical civilizations and archaeology from Loyola Marymount University. She joined Ancient Aliens earlier this year as a researcher at the tail end of season six and was promoted to associate producer for the upcoming seventh season, where she is now responsible for fact-checking the show and compiling its background research for the narration. She says in her Staff Me Up profile that she is dedicated to “bringing quality programming to the airwaves,” which I guess makes it a good thing that Ancient Aliens airs on cable and thus doesn’t use airwaves.

Baer said in a tweet yesterday that she expected “burning hatred” for a blog post she made describing her work on the series. It would be unfair of me to blame Baer for material that hasn’t aired yet, so I can’t specifically criticize her research skills.

I have to say, I'm very surprised that I've only gotten positive responses and not like, burning hatred...from my #dayofarchaeology post. :)
— Annelise Baer (@annelisebaer) July 11, 2014

But let’s take a look at how Baer describes her work producing Ancient Aliens: “My job is a combination of several things: research (which is my real talent) and production (making a show actually happen) along with a healthy dose of accounting, PR and general Excel wizardry.”

She goes on to describe her use of Google Docs and Excel spreadsheets to keep track of various vendors and to make sure everyone gets paid for the use of their photographs, video, music, etc. That’s funny because no one paid me when Ancient Aliens used my material in their pilot episode in 2009 (or when it was recycled again in 2013), but that was before Baer’s time.

Baer identified her forte as research, though I am somewhat less comforted by the fact that she describes research as “div[ing] into the internet and explor[ing] those deep dark corners.” This includes examining cached copies of old Geocities websites, where I’m sure there must be just tons of high quality academic information. I hope that in writing her blog piece she simply overlooked the use of books, museum resources, academic journals, etc., but given what shows up on the screen—and how easy it is to trace that material back to simple Google searches—I’m not confident about it.

But I really want to get to the meat of the issue: Baer admits that no one working on Ancient Aliens takes the show at all seriously, and they intentionally manipulate information to create false narratives:

Even though the final product may not look like it, we actually do quite a lot of research for each episode so that names, dates and historical information is correct. Of course, the fun really starts when we have to jump off the deep end and make all of the nice historically accurate people, places and things fit the ‘Ancient Aliens’ mold. Imagine the most ridiculous combination of historical terms/figures and actions and there’s a very high probability we’ve had that as a story point on the show. We know our job is really and truly ridiculous but it always surprises me just how excited people get when they find out I work on this series. It makes me feel a bit better about the absurdity we put on TV. Just a bit.

I can’t imagine purposely jettisoning my integrity. I know it sounds mean to say it, but how else can I describe someone who knows the facts, intentionally works to distort the facts, feels bad about putting lies on TV (or how else could she feel “a bit better”?), and nevertheless continues to do so—and to write about it online?

Baer seems to justify her participation in the show as offering a mitigating effect. She envisions herself as “actively work[ing] on getting some history back on the History Channel.” Of course, Ancient Aliens airs on H2. I can understand taking work that one doesn’t particularly like because of financial necessity (everyone has done so at some point; I once edited a semi-fringe book on Roman treasure for a European author), but to actively work to undermine the discipline you claim to love? I can’t quite fathom that.

On the plus side, as we prepare for the next season of Ancient Aliens madness, we now have firsthand testimony that the production team knows that the show is absurd, that they intentionally manipulate facts to fit a predetermined narrative, and that they research their claims primarily through Google.

94 Comments

666

7/13/2014 01:41:26 am

>>> master’s degree in “Archaeology for Screen Media” from Bristol University and a bachelor’s in classical civilizations and archaeology from Loyola Marymount University.

Badges and medals don't mean anything

Explaining the difference between Romance and Common Sense has to be ongoing because most ordinary folk live their lives to make ends meet

Gregor

7/13/2014 07:29:49 am

That's the damnation, isn't it? A talking puppet on Ancient Aliens (or somewhere else) lets one idiotic thought fall out of his skull, and Academia has to spend a decade explaining to everyone that it is not, nor has ever been, accurate.

John alves

1/14/2016 12:06:12 am

I wold love to work for the show I a ufo investigator I love bouth of your shows

7/13/2014 05:50:24 am

I too have the coveted MA in Archaeology for Screen Media... because my real talent is research :)

7/13/2014 07:25:25 am

I just have a boring old Masters of Science in Computer Science. Lots of 0s, and sometimes a 1.

7/13/2014 07:41:01 am

Those sound like some pretty poor test scores, man... :P

7/13/2014 07:49:29 am

I know, right?

Mark E.

7/13/2014 10:06:45 am

I would have guessed you were a 1010 student.

7/13/2014 11:30:46 am

Trying to be an 01000001 student!

7/13/2014 01:47:23 pm

You can become a "Binary Code Expert" for the History Channel and decipher the Rendlesham binary! http://youtu.be/ooJvaOQINxc

Why Aliens use ASCII characters is beyond me, but I guess Universal Character Set really does mean universal.

7/13/2014 01:52:55 pm

buncha nerds up in here...

7/13/2014 02:57:30 pm

@Mark E.

I recall that episode...and the absurd claim that the ship had communicated to James Penniston not only in binary, but binary that then translated to English ASCII script (as you noted). It boggled me to be honest, because there were so many reasons not to accept a word of it (no chain of custody over the notebook, no independent confirmation of the actual binary sequences or how they were divided, the fact that Penniston's changed his story *many* times, etc.). Hell, even in their "true believer" presentation several of the words were extrapolated from a few letters to "make sense". I wonder who that guy was, anyways. Maybe he's the researcher that Baer replaced? "Hey! You! You can use a computer, right?" "....yes?" "Great, you're now Binary Expert. Sit here, and tell the camera that it says alien stuff!"

Shane Sullivan

7/13/2014 07:06:47 am

"I can understand taking work that one doesn’t particularly like because of financial necessity (everyone has done so at some point; I once edited a semi-fringe book on Roman treasure for a European author)"

You're right- Hell, I performed on a Neil Diamond tribute album.

So, you know, don't feel bad.

GHskate link

6/17/2017 02:46:36 am

Neil diamond tribute album. That's hilarious.
All I can say is that when Bob Dylan dies. .
Look out.

Matt Mc

7/13/2014 07:17:27 am

At the beginning and middle of my career in TV I did work that I found trivial or did not agree with what so ever. It kind of is the nature of the beast. When I got to a point where my resume was good enough I stopped doing work like that because I could start picking and choosing the jobs I take however I will admit that if it ever got to a point finically that I needed to take work like that again I would.

It really comes down to having a job and building a resume most of the time the content does not matter. In fact she sounds like I did when I started working for cable news when I was convinced that I could change the way things work from inside... Ah to be young again.

7/13/2014 07:27:28 am

Reminds me of the Peyton Manning "Papa John's" commercials where he's back as a ref. "Hey, man's gotta work, alright?"

7/13/2014 07:31:08 am

Basically and after a while you really are not concerned with content at all, it is just another show or spot. Now I was either an editor or cameraman so content really was secondary to me it just pushed buttons, producers might look at it differently.

Don

7/20/2014 07:54:20 am

I was, for ten years the quality manager for a company that primarily made and shipped crappy products, knowing that many of our products would get rejected, over and again, aiming just high enough to keep the customer, and sometimes missing that mark.
This paid the bills, and for various reasons I had to, or thought I had to stay there. This does not fill one with pride, but sometimes it is the reality of life.

(We never shipped anything that would ultimately be hazardous, or even knowingly shipped a part we knew that would not work correctly, doesn't mean we didn't ship plenty of out of specification pieces though.)

Dave Lewis

7/13/2014 07:38:02 am

What Annelise did is known in professional wrestling as breaking kayfabe. I wonder if she will get chewed out by her boss?

7/13/2014 07:39:42 am

“div[ing] into the internet and explor[ing] those deep dark corners”

Annelise Baer is a brony. You heard it here first, folks! :)

7/13/2014 07:50:47 am

Don't you have to be a dude to be a "Brony"?

7/13/2014 07:53:35 am

check your privilege

7/13/2014 08:01:11 am

<pats down>........still got it! ;)

7/13/2014 08:03:15 am

Don't act like you weren't already typing with one hand :P

7/13/2014 08:06:24 am

She's cute, but I have "Willfully engages in idiocy to the detriment of mankind" as one of my "Turn Offs".

7/13/2014 08:13:05 am

A bit of a butterface and something weird is going on with her upper lip...

(Jason getting accused of sexual harassment on our account in 3... 2... 1...)

7/13/2014 08:15:42 am

Shouldn't you be more worried about the wrath of the Bronies?

7/13/2014 08:28:05 am

...because even the Bronies are too ashamed to be associated with America Unearthed...

JaredMithrandir link

7/13/2014 07:40:51 am

It sounds to me like this is proof of my theory that these Mainstream shows covering "Fringe" theories are just deliberately taking them to their most obscure extreme to prevent people form taking them seriously.

Just look at America Unearthed, to me believing there was lots of Pre-Columbian contact with the America is not absurd at all. A good book on the Subject is America B.C. But that show has tie in all kinds of British Israelism/DaVicnic Code crap to make a Joke out of a very real legit subject to study.

7/13/2014 07:44:57 am

So even Scott Wolter is part of the Conspiracy to suppress the Truth?!

7/13/2014 08:00:04 am

ITS SO OBVIOUS!! Don't you see?! "Scott Wolter" is the sixth Replicant! The Tyrell Corporation - a well known Templar front! - captured him, reprogrammed his memories and sent him back to destroy his own work! HE DREAMS OF ELECTRIC SHEEP!

In any case, it probably makes me a bad person... but seeing "a very real legit subject" made me immediately assume the opposite. The mainstream shows don't "make" Fringe theories absurd...they *are* absurd. The shows prosper for the same reason that the National Enquirer can still be found on shelves talking about the increase in fruitbat-perpetrated rapes, or how [insert celebrity] is really from a colony beyond our sun. There's always been a market for the absurd and fantastical, so much so that there was a period of time (some argue it never ended) where "legitimate" and "mainstream" journalism sources reported fabricated or greatly embellished stories in order to increase readership.

Besides, what you're practicing is effectively the same paring down that all fringe / pseudo-scientific exploits eventually engage in: well sure, ______ is just stupid, but MY version of it is legitimate!

7/13/2014 08:04:53 am

Scott Wolter is the Fourth Horcrux.

That is MY version!

7/14/2014 07:52:55 pm

Possible Pre-Clumbian contact is not an absurd thing. of course at one time even believing that the Vikings arrived was probably unacceptable.

Mark L

7/15/2014 08:48:26 pm

"Probably"? Well, was it or wasn't it? It might be a good idea to do research in the area you're so bothered about.

BillUSA

7/13/2014 12:28:04 pm

"It sounds to me like this is proof of my theory that these Mainstream shows covering "Fringe" theories are just deliberately taking them to their most obscure extreme to prevent people form taking them seriously."

That wouldn't be so bad if there weren't so many believers who eat that stuff up.

7/14/2014 03:38:21 am

Really, the one thing that annoys me about Jason is I don't think as many people actually Believe Ancient Aliens as he thinks. Most of the people who watch it seem to watch it just to mock it. Even on IMDB the people commenting on it are saying nothing positive.

Jason Colavito link

7/14/2014 03:58:10 am

You can't judge by what internet comment writers say. Polls find that as many as 1/3 of Americans believe some elements of the ancient astronaut theory. Even if it were only 1%, that would still be more than 3 million people! When you talk with actual people in the real world, you find a surprising number who voice interest in the idea or belief in parts of it, particularly pyramidiocy.

7/14/2014 09:22:32 am

Well duh, even I believe some elements. What I mostly take offense to is the suggestion that Ancient man needed Aliens to build massive Monuments.

My point is, most of those 3 Million hate the history Channel's show as much as you do, they don't like how the theory is presented there.

7/14/2014 05:40:42 pm

"Well duh, even I believe some elements. What I mostly take offense to is the suggestion that Ancient man needed Aliens to build massive Monuments."

So you believe "parts" of the Ancient Astronaut Theory...just not that they helped build major monuments? So, what is it you're "OK" with? Aliens just visiting, and nothing else? The bits about plague? The bits about interbreeding? The bits about pseudo-biblical monster giants? The bits about aliens founding civilization? There's not a claim made by the show that hasn't been debunked thoroughly...

"My point is, most of those 3 Million hate the history Channel's show as much as you do, they don't like how the theory is presented there."

You're making unsubstantiated claims about an imaginary population created as a statistical argument by Jason. There is no "3 million" in this sense... it was an example to show that even if the rate of "True Believers" was 1% (instead of ~33.33%, or 1/3rd), it would still constitute millions of people who genuinely think this theory has any basis in reality. As Jason noted in another post, "Ancient Aliens" consistently has an estimated viewership in the millions - I don't think they're tuning in to "hate it".

As for those who support the theory but "don't like how it's presented there", I can only assume you're referring to the gaggle who want to make it some kind of pseudo-religious event (biblical nephilim, etc.) instead of "nuts-and-bolts UFOs". Regardless, any "believer" that accepts the theory but rejects the show doesn't magically gain credibility just by doing so. What's more, there's no subset of "Ancient Astronaut Theorists" who are presenting genuine, scientifically verifiable evidence to support their claims - they're all just infighting over who gets the most fringe dollars (when not declaring that the entire world is out to oppress them).

terry the censor

7/14/2014 05:46:56 pm

> I don't think as many people actually believe Ancient Aliens as he thinks.

Fifty percent of the time I have to talk to someone I haven't vetted for credulity -- or those rare times I have to talk to a relative -- they will try to convince me of some absurd or fact-challenged story they heard about.

It's not that we have opposing views, so much, but usually their version is a jumble of the "facts," even as stated by their own source. It's as if people hear a story and believe the very first version they come across. They didn't read it somewhere, they heard it; they didn't check other news sources, they attached their own meaning and emphasis to it. Because of this, the details get misremembered, holes in the story get patched with bits from other stories, the order of events gets "improved" to best convey their personal viewpoint.

On the bright side, real people, meeting me face-to-face, never call me a "paid government shill." Only cowards hiding behind the internet do that. Real people want respect and civility.

7/14/2014 07:51:30 pm

I agree with the views of people like Chris White. And to some Extent William Scheoblelen and Chuck Missler.

I Beleive the Giza Pyramid wa sbuilt by Humans, but NOT by Kufu.

7/14/2014 09:24:01 pm

Well, Chris White is an independent 'reformed believer' (in the AAT) who makes a concerted effort to offer "a point by point critique of the “ancient astronaut theory” which has been proposed by people like Erich von Däniken and Zecharia Sitchin as well as many others." That doesn't bode well for someone who says they believe "some elements" of that theory, unless you are banking on White's caveat of having a "current worldview [that] could easily accommodate the existence of extra-terrestrials – even ones that visited in the ancient past." If that's the case, it's the same bet-hedging as "well sure, THOSE aliens aren't real, but there could be others who *are* real (and did the same things, and left the same evidence)!!" It's an appeal to ignorance: "We don't know 100% of all possible realities and permutations, therefore I can believe its true!"

I wasn't able to find any mention of "William Scheoblelen". If you mean "William Schnoebelen"... he appears to be a well known fringe theorist, hoaxer and generally an unreliable fellow.

The "Chuck Missler" I was able to locate appears to be an evangelist, apologetic plagiarist, and one who (apparently) advocates some kind of 'code' both in the bible and in the construction of the pyramids. He's also part of a strangely authoritarian evangelical church organization.

Unfortunately, none of these gentlemen appears to have ever studied Egyptology, Archaeology, Civil Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering. It would seem that Missler had experience as an "engineer", at least insofar as he worked at computer firms at the onset of the Digital Age (read: 1970s). Beyond that, I'm not sure he'd have much to say on the matter of ancient Egyptian construction practices.

Obviously Khufu didn't build the Great Pyramid - Pharaohs rarely did that kind of manual labor. All joking aside - and ignoring how this applies to believing that aliens visited Terra in the ancient past - I'm not sure on which grounds you wish to deny that the pyramid was constructed *for* Khufu (especially since the documentary by Chris White includes a map noting Khufu's Quarry). That's not to say the prevailing theory is unassailable... only that the individuals who have made this subject their academic career and life's work support "Khufu's claim" and provide evidence... and those who reject it provide...not much of anything. In fact, the most harshly worded rejections that could be supported fall along the lines of "we don't have *enough* evidence to attribute it to Khufu", rather than "NOT Khufu".

7/15/2014 11:18:16 am

I believe the gods of Pagan mythology were inspired by Fallen Angels and/or Demons. That's why my views overlaps with White (who's more skeptical then I) and Missler and Shcnobelen who are less Skeptical then I am.

Uncle Ron

7/13/2014 07:41:09 am

AA should put some version of the "we have to jump off the deep end and make all of the nice historically accurate people, places and things fit the ‘Ancient Aliens’ mold" quote at the beginning of every episode so everyone could be in on the joke.

7/13/2014 08:00:19 am

When I hear the narrator say, "literally oodles of people believe that aliens blahblahblah ... what if it were true?" I take it to mean that the show is not a documentary, but a dramatization of a world where ancient astronaut theorists *aren't* just a bunch of money-grabbing opportunists and New Age crystal-wavers.

Sort of a mix between the Twilight Zone and This Is Spinal Tap.

7/13/2014 08:04:00 am

A "Twilight Zone" version would be more fun... a world where the "Ancient Alien Hypothesis" (or "Theory", whichever "scientifical" word they remember to use) is the prevailing "wisdom", and we have to watch some poor wretched soul as he tries to use valid scientific evidence to prove its not real....

wait..

...where am I right now? WHAT YEAR IS IT?!

7/13/2014 08:08:52 am

A real scientician always knows the right word to use! That's that Bristol MA hard at work!

Walt

7/13/2014 10:54:51 am

I totally agree. When they say "what if it were true" it means to me that they know it's not true, aren't even pretending it's true or they wouldn't say that, and nobody should take it seriously. Just a dramatization for kicks. That one sentence has always been a disclaimer of sorts to me.

Good to know I'm not the only one who hears it that way.

7/13/2014 11:10:59 am

@Walt

It's been fairly well established that the "question format" is the method von Daniken, et. al. use to get around academic challenges, investigation and genuine debate. As von Daniken says himself (quite often) "I only ask the *questions*"....followed shortly by Tsoukalos's practically infamous "Is it possible that [obvious imperative, rather than interrogative, statement]? and the answer is YES! because [shoddy evidence and cherry picking]."

It's not a disclaimer of any sort, nor does it "prove" that the production company, it's "consultants" or the talking heads accept their claims & information as fake (or even debatable).

7/13/2014 11:18:41 am

I disagree. If they were leaving the question open, they'd ask "what if it's true".

"What if it were true" implies that it's not true, but let's just listen to some people talk about it and pretend for a while.

7/13/2014 12:08:09 pm

-shrug- I guess we're getting into verbal semantics, then. The question "what if... it were true?" refers to the implied claim, namely that "...we have been visited in the past by extra-terrestrial beings...". This is a contrary inflection which suggests that the statement is one of supposition rather than a statement of fact. You infer this to mean that they (whomever "they" may entail) "know it's not true, aren't even pretending it's true".

The problem with that inference is that the show (and it's talking heads) routinely take on the guise of science to "explain" things using material friendly to their position, including addressing their ideas as the "Ancient Aliens Theory" or "Ancient Aliens Hypothesis". As such, "What if it were true?" (dramatic pause removed) becomes the hypothesis that the talking heads then feel they address through a slew of logical fallacies and contrived evidence.

Ironically enough, the general idea *is* a valid argumentation form known as Modus Tollens, or "Denying the Consequent". You have the base claim that you argue is true. You then assume the opposite in an effort to judge the validity of the original claim. That is, if you assume the opposite and find that the result is true...then your original statement is wrong. However, if you assume the opposite and find that the result is false, then the opposite statement is false and your original hypothesis is correct. Basically:

"Aliens visited us in the ancient past" = base claim.

"Aliens did NOT visit us in the ancient past" = opposing claim

"If aliens did NOT visit us in the ancient past, then we would find no evidence of their presence here on earth" = opposing argument

"We DO find evidence of alien presence here on earth" (according to show) = refutation

"It is NOT the case that aliens did NOT visit us in the ancient past." = QED, and a double-negative.

By this valid form (and invalid evidence / refutation) the various talking heads feel they "prove" their claims in the face of "academic oppression".

If there were any sort of disclaimer, it would follow suit of just about every other similar program on their fellow channels: a blank screen that says something like "The ideas presented in this program are controversial, we here at [whoever] merely present evidence and leave it for the viewer to decide". A sly wink-and-a-nod "disclaimer" strikes me as reaching so much further than "they want to prove themselves right, and feel they have a scientific basis".

To me, at least, your "hey, they know it's entertainment!" argument rings as hollow as the oft-repeated "It's not on the same level as, say, NOVA" argument for America Unearthed.

7/13/2014 02:16:44 pm

Double negatives are okay in the context of deduction. Especially if you eliminate them. As long as they are not ungrammatical - see what I did there? :)

Also, Modus Tollens isn't quite what you say it is. I think you're confusing it with proof by reductio ad absurdum.

Also, evidence cannot be valid or invalid, only inferences/arguments can.

I expected better from a Computer Scientist :P

7/13/2014 02:41:11 pm

Double negatives still bug me. ;)

No, I mean Modus Tollens (P->Q, ~Q || ~P). Given the dichotomy of the subject matter (either we were, or were not visited) this argumentation form can be used to "prove" the one by assuming (and following to a negative conclusion) the opposite. The Reductio ad Absurdum comes in more with the junk like "Star Energy" or "Future Human Time Travelers", where it just gets insanely complicated & redundant. In any case, my argument wasn't that they're good Philosophers, rather that they use a passing glance at logic to give themselves the veneer of truth.

Alas, the mores of mixing philosophical and vernacular usage of terms (with the hopes of just avoiding the "what?" stare).

Pft, I'm doing this (much to Jason's chagrin, I'm sure), handling email, listening to music, and working on a coding assignment. I'd argue I'm doing pretty well.

7/13/2014 02:59:44 pm

Yeah, I'm just messing with you... But your description of the argument (on behalf of the AA people, I take it) is either invalid itself, or uses something like modus tollens for the purposes of a reductio. Modus tollens itself does not involve discharging suppositions. And any argument that has more than two premises and a conclusion couldn't be modus tollens.

I know you weren't aiming for mathematical rigor (nor should you have!), but once you start throwing logical terminology around you don't have that excuse :)

7/13/2014 03:05:34 pm

@EP

Exactly...the way they couch the argument makes it "work" as a dichotomy, but its a false one. There's any number of explanations for every one of their pieces of "Evidence". From a broader, scientific outlook their arguments are completely invalid. However, from within their own little bubble, they've done it! They've proven aliens!!

7/13/2014 03:21:56 pm

Actually, it doesn't matter how many alternatives there are. Disproving one side of a logical dichotomy (i.e., "either p or ~p") suffices to establish the other, regardless of how many alternatives (to p) there are...

Their problem is that they can't do it right (for both logical and factual reasons)...

Okay, I'll stop now :)

7/14/2014 12:44:06 am

I agree with Walt on the use of semantics, it is a common practice and yes there is an assumption that *some* people will take it for meaning that something is true.

This is a very common technique that started in investigative journalism used to provoke a direct response from the audience. If you want to start criticizing AA for using "what if it is true" vs "what if it were true" (and its many other varitants) than you also should be criticizing all almost all news programs, news journals, investigative pieces, and the list goes on a on. We used to call it the watergate style, since those series of articles while revealing a great scandal used this technique to peak readers interest, although the use can be traced back really to the beginning of journalism, it is the basis of sensationalism. You want the reader to personalize the subject and then trick them in to thinking about a one conclusion being greater than another because all people here is "What if". The "what if" also gives the source of the story a way out when questions because they can respond "we came to no conclusions we were just asking questions'.

So in all fairness it is a common used technique to lead the viewer in a certain direction and sway them to a set conclusion so it would be unfair to single out one show out of the thousands of show that have been using it since the 70's.

7/14/2014 02:31:10 am

It's been a long time since I studied English so I can't even explain why "what if it were true" means what it does to me. Don't even remember the tense of that phrase.

I just know whenever I hear the narrator say that, then see the talking heads show up, I wonder why they're not offended by their own intro being so dismissive. They certainly seem to believe what they're saying, but the intro always seems to dismiss their beliefs, to me anyway.

Harry

7/13/2014 08:02:52 am

It is clear what must be done! Avoid watching Ancient Aliens!

7/13/2014 08:53:18 am

Serious commentary time:

Could it be that the show has something in store for us that's making its own producers (and perhaps indirectly the H2/A&E people as well) wish to dissociate themselves from the content as much as possible? Perhaps they're about to reach the point where they are genuinely concerned about liability.

Either that or Boer is looking forward to the future beyond her involvement with America Unearthed and is trying to repair her reputation as a serious "researcher"... Otherwise, Boer's statements (her ethics aside) are very unprofessional and not "on message".

Gotta watch for more statements like this in the near future from AU people...

7/13/2014 08:53:51 am

I meant Ancient Aliens, not America Unearthed, I'm an idiot

7/13/2014 09:05:17 am

I see it as nothing more than the same "bet hedging" that most people perform when engaged in obviously questionable (at least academically) behaviors. You see it with virtually every show out there... "Finding Bigfoot", "Uncovering Aliens", etc., they all maintain "personal blogs" where they attempt to re-establish their credibility with whichever camp they identify with (or composes their paycheck).

It's also become a *very* popular blood-from-a-stone procedure on the Discovery Channel gang to have "afterthoughts" pasted onto old episodes. In reality it's just using the same material for a second round of sales, but with Finding Bigfoot especially you see a lot of "I know on screen I just said that this guy saw a Bigfoot, but its obviously a hoax!" nonsense.

Basically she's leaving a "paper" trail so that, should she ever manage to land a more respectable job, she can claim (with "proof"!) that she was never *really* a believer, she just played one at H2.

As for what they have in store... I think it will absolutely be more of the same. The core of the show remains unchanged and organized in tiers... that is, Tsoukalos, Martell, Young and Childress at the top... folks like Noory, Wilcock or Graham at rung 2....and folks like Bara, Greer and Henry at rung 3. They're all "true believers" (at least for a paycheck) and won't give it up 'til the money's gone. As for "crew"? I'm sure there's a significant turnover, and that it goes on without so much as a blink of an eye.

7/13/2014 09:09:37 am

Could you give some examples of other people making claims analogous to Baer's?

Also, any word on whether the Tsoukalos Bigfoot thing is happening?

7/13/2014 10:09:32 am

You mean examples of other TV production crews admitting that they falsify (or at least "cherry pick") information? No - admittedly I don't know the names of those in charge of producing these shows. What's more, I imagine most of them - if they have any social media presence at all - are wise enough to toe the line or keep their posts / tweets "private".

Most of my exposure to this apparent dichotomy has been from the previously mentioned rehashing of old episodes with "new insight" from the individuals involved. And, honestly, nothing she's said is anything that couldn't be shrugged off...and that's assuming someone actually got the production company to speak about it. Who knows, maybe they figured her nondisclosure agreement was enough to keep her in check?

charlie

7/13/2014 12:15:30 pm

What I find funny about Childress is that he got hopping mad at Jason for calling him an AAT before he "came out" as an AAT.
It IS the old "I don't really buy this crap I spew out on TV. I just play at it for the big bucks." Yeah, hypocrites, the lot of them. Just my opinion, yours may vary.

7/13/2014 01:55:45 pm

I'd make fun of Childress more, but of all the AA regulars he strikes me as most likely to actually be seriously mentally ill...

(Not to say he can't also be dishonest, but it does take the fun out of it for me...)

spookyparadigm

7/13/2014 10:20:10 am

Her post, as noted in Jason's image above, was part of #dayofarchaeology, a social media campaign that fell last Friday. It's a couple of years old (I think this is either the second or third one). It is mostly younger people who take part naturally, but who are supposed to share a commentary on what a day in archaeology is actually like.

It's not a bad idea. Her post? Not sure I can say the same about that. But I wouldn't take it as any tea leaves about the show.

7/13/2014 02:19:03 pm

Honestly, at this point I just want to see a topless Tsoukalos homoerotically wrestle a man in a bigfoot fursuit. If A&E makes it happen, all will be forgiven.

7/13/2014 03:03:01 pm

@EP

Think that would pass Tsoukalos's contractual demand of "only positive coverage"? ....OMG

It's the new meme! Photoshop Tsoukalos's face onto that "Barechested Putin" pic, shop in a Bigfoot on all fours serving as Tsoukalos's mount, a UFO with Egyptian heiroglyphs overhead...and then: "MEANWHILE, IN THE FRINGE"

Not the Comte de Saint Germain

7/13/2014 08:57:28 pm

That sounds even more nightmarish than one of those "creepypasta" horror memes.

7/14/2014 05:54:52 pm

> Photoshop Tsoukalos's face

That needs to start now.

Only Me

7/13/2014 10:41:19 am

Actually, H2 has already debunked its Ancient Aliens cash cow with its new series Ancient Impossible. Two episodes into the series, and the show has destroyed one of AA's founding beliefs that ancient people were incapable of doing anything on their own without extraterrestrial intervention.

Of course, this won't have much impact (if any) on AA, but I did find it ironic that H2 would have polar opposite series on the schedule, AA on Saturdays, AI on Sundays.

7/13/2014 10:58:10 am

"H2, where we gotcha comin' AND goin'!"

7/13/2014 12:21:50 pm

Ah yes, BUT, so far "Ancient Impossible" has been about mostly European peoples, Greeks, Romans, etc. AA is usually about people with nicer tans, that is brown and/or black skin color. They DO some on Norse myths, but they usually give the most "Alines did it" to darker colored people/civilizations. But I may have missed some of the "Alines did it" for Europe as I quit watching AA over two years ago and just read this blog to see what the latest load of garbage is/was on that "show". I can only take so much crap and then I just walk away/change the channel.

7/13/2014 01:07:44 pm

They've done a fair bit with both Greek and Norse mythology... less so with Roman. Admittedly, though, they tend towards "inspiration" with the Indo-European cultures versus "gave it to them" / "let them use their technology" for cultures south of the equator.

It's also not addressed (at least to my knowledge) how contact with the gods spurred globe-spanning civilizations in the northern hemisphere, but the same contact (according to them) led to tragic, genocidal ends in the southern hemisphere (lemmings style).

7/13/2014 02:01:05 pm

It's because coloreds are inferior you guys! :)

7/16/2014 10:19:36 am

To clarify some things I said Earlier. I don't believe Kufu had anything to do with The Great Pyramid. But I do believe it was built be Ancient Humans, and probably not Caucasian ones.

I don't believe the gods, Angels and Demons seen by the Ancients were what we today believe the "Aliens" to be. I believe the UFOs we see today are what the Ancients correctly identified as gods, Angels and Demons.

Jason's most annoying Straw men is saying that the Ancient Astronaut theorists expect us to take the Ancient Texts literally at face value. Their actually quite clearly saying the opposite.

Too many trolls

8/7/2014 12:09:16 am

Jason, if you call the production company you'll find she no longer works there thanks to your trolling. I hope you feel bad over this but seeing how full of yourself you are you'll probably consider it an accolade. Your online behavior has now amounted to careless cyber bullying. Honestly ask yourself if you've ever in your life worked on a project you didn't wholeheartedly agree with and find it in yourself to find at least one ounce of shame for what you have caused. Your selective quoting has cost someone her job. You have no class. Trolling and vitriol has no place in any academic community. It's a TV show who's first goal is entertainment and you act as though the entire scientific community

Mick

9/7/2014 12:15:32 pm

I just wish I had known as a young man that there would be such a market for crackpots. I coulda been a contender!

Giorgio link

9/26/2014 05:05:33 am

hi Giorgio my name is William Demeter and I live in Pennsylvania Easter Philadelphia I don't really have any comments your show ancient alien I think it's great also in search of aliens is a great show I watch them all the time my question is I've been trying to get ahold of somebody from either show thing is I found a footprint in stone it's approximately 5 inches in length any better than a rock are fossils of snails the snails have been extinct for over 250 million years and 250 million years ago there were no humans so how did this footprint becoming embedded in stone that long ago I would love to have used examine it even have a footprint expert look at it like the guy that examines Bigfoot footprints please get back to me thank you

CJF

12/18/2014 12:01:09 pm

Angry Troll get a life.. the show is popular and loved by many people who choose not to believe in the lies of Government and religion. The can't change our minds and neither will you.

Paul

12/21/2014 05:41:49 pm

Great show! I love it...
Obviously the poster has one hell of an ego, and believes he is a God in his own right. Probably why he has so much alone time to sit in front of a keyboard all his life taking pot shots at those who have a life, friends, and something worthwhile to with their spare time.

12/21/2014 06:11:07 pm

Jason, with all your inteligence you aught to be able to figure out a few things own your own.
1. You never feel good after you say something bad.
2. Speak less, say more.
3. Put yourself first, you end up last-put yourself last, you end up first.
4. The most boring conversations in the world begin with the letter "I".
5. People who gossip and slander always have shallow, meaningless friendships, and relationships.
Who wants to share anything personal with someone who will eventually use that information to make themselves look good.
6. Most people suffer from low self esteem in one way or another...why would anyone want to hang out with with someone that thinks their better than?

I feel sorry for you, I'm sure you're a lonely man.
Deflate that ego, learn some humility, and find out what having a good life means.

12/22/2014 03:57:30 am

So Paul, you make not one specific criticism of what Jason wrote, but do spew a series of unsupported claims about his psychology and character.

Doesn't your method of attack betray that you are projecting your own inadequacies onto others?

My theory can be disproven if you can make concrete criticisms of Jason's post. See if you have it in you to engage a human directly and honestly.

Otherwise, you are just fringe entertainment.

12/22/2014 06:31:43 pm

This isn't about the truth in his post, but rather the way he stepped on someone to make his point.
Not cool at all.
Honesty without compassion is cruelty.
There are simply too many angry trolls running around doing exactly what he did. Absolutely no class at all.
I'm sure you wouldn't trust him with what's on your hard drive....right?
I've been around long enough my friend to understand that the bigger the ego, the bigger the pile of crap your trying to cover up.
There's a saying that goes like this....if you run into three assholes in a day, go to the mirror....your looking at the asshole.
When your looking good...your looking bad.
What goes around, always comes back around...it might take some time, but it'll always catch up to you.

12/23/2014 12:23:40 am

You see....the down side to rationalizing angry troll behavior is you have to live up to being an angry troll.
If this dude was any kind of a man he'd handle his business like a man and apologize to her.
I think if you Google the average penis size of an angry troll the words used were "micro penis"...another words...smaller than the average French fry in a happy meal.
Oversized head, spindly arms, and tiny hands....hmmmm? Where have I heard that before?

12/23/2014 12:34:01 am

Does this mean we're engaged?

1/1/2015 04:53:02 pm

So, Paul, you have written several comments but cannot rebut a single point made by Jason?

Thanks for nothing!

Friends of AA

12/23/2014 08:44:49 am

LOL!!

winton d worswick

7/12/2015 02:38:39 pm

what i have to say can't be said in a few words. i love your show. i watched a history Chanel documentary on the death triangles a month or so ago. it explained a hole lot. it starts out with an archaeologist tying to explain why the family dog killed his son in south america and in the end his hole teem got vaporized by the grid they were trying to neutralist with neutrons. that was there mistake. i now how to neutralize all of them' and make a profit pay for the project. that documentary claims these things will slow the earth in the next 20 and we will look like mars. can you get me a copy of the documentary?? dan

Joe Bob

7/25/2015 11:33:05 am

Fact checking for Ancient Aliens, lmao, that is like saying your job is enforcing the rules and upholding the integrity of competition in pro wrestling.

Gad

8/2/2015 11:41:12 pm

Drop me a message if you want logical explainations about Aliens. And i guarantee you it is not the aliens that you will worry of there is more bigger event and discovery. To those who don't care I don't care either.

Linda link

9/28/2017 08:37:52 am

Yeah. It's all a bit of a mystery ay. But the subject is incredibly fascinating. I wonder if extraterrestrials are really here why aren't they putting their two cents worth in about the state of our planet

Mike Kelly

1/22/2019 01:20:52 pm

I wish we could get one of these people that works on the program to publicly say it is crap. I've got a good friend that actually has bought into the conspiracy theory of AA and now some other crap. Evidence to the contrary does not impress him. I've sent him the Ancient Aliens Debunked video but he keeps insisting it is a grand conspiracy to cover up the truth. I've even explained to him that UFO's are something we can all agree people see. The problem with AA is all the other crap they pile on. How can anyone get to the truth with so much fraud?

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