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Georgia Newspaper Publisher: Ancient Astronaut Theory "Way Over My Head"

4/9/2015

25 Comments

 
First, some good news: Apparently, after more than two weeks, Weebly has fixed the blog comments problem! Now, on to our topic for today...

The national and international media are the easiest to access and the easiest to study. When the New York Times runs a story about Atlantis, for example, those of us who observe fringe history see and share it. But it becomes easy to forget that the major national and international media are only a fraction of the media that the average American sees and consumes. Especially here in the United States, local media does as much to shape the way people think about fringe topics than national outlets. One’s local newspaper and local TV newscast are, according to surveys, perceived as more trustworthy than national outlets.
The trouble is that local news tends to be terrible, happily reporting stories about Bigfoot sightings and haunted locations. In Georgia’s Moultrie Observer last night, columnist, publisher, and editor Dwain Walden threw together a low-information column in which he reported on his impressions listening to talk radio conversations about ancient astronauts and watching parts of a weeklong marathon of Ancient Aliens leading up to tomorrow’s premiere of the show’s first new episode of the year. His reaction was informative, but depressing. He begins by describing the Nazca lines and then commenting on them:
I must admit, I am curious about this archaeological phenomenon. They were only discovered in the 1930s when commercial aviation became more prolific. They can only be seen from the air, which might imply some heavenly connection. As well, some of these theorists have connected the Mayan civilization to ancient aliens. The Mayans just disappeared one day. […] But I don’t have a strong opinion on this ancient alien thing. Ancient alien conversation is way over my head, all pun intended. When they talk about “worm holes” I can only think of those wild plums that grow on the pasture fence row. […] My question has always been, if we were visited by ancient aliens, then why didn’t they return?
I’ll leave aside the question of whether a newspaper publisher and editor ought to try Googling a subject before opining about it. Instead, I’m interested in the way Walden’s views represent an all too common combination of curiosity, apathy, and easy acceptance of what people depicted as “experts” on TV have to say.

Note that Walden finds himself intrigued by the Nazca lines, and presumably the concept of archaeology in a broader sense, but not enough to move himself to do much by way of research on the topic beyond repeating what he heard on Ancient Aliens. For example, the Nazca lines, while perhaps best appreciated from the air, can be seen from the surrounding hills and their shapes and forms were in fact discovered in 1927 by archaeologist Toribio Mejia Xesspe, who observed them while hiking. Similarly, the Maya didn’t “disappear” like the crew of the Mary Celeste; their descendants are still living in Mexico to this day. Classic Maya culture collapsed in a relatively short period, but Post-Classic culture continued on, down to the Conquest.

While we can (and should) fault a newspaper editor for incuriosity, I’m fairly certain that this degree of interest, which falls above mild curiosity but somewhat below engagement, is typical for a wide range of occasional History channel viewers. It also makes the viewer more likely to accept what the TV is saying at face value. It is perhaps interesting that Walden does not believe that the aliens have returned. Are UFOs a step too far for him, or did he miss that episode of Ancient Aliens?

I am intrigued by Walden’s statement that he lacks a firm opinion on whether space aliens visited ancient earth because he finds the subject matter “way over [his] head.” This, I think, is the key to why the public accepts ancient astronaut claims far more than the evidence should allow. Ancient astronaut promoters make use of seemingly esoteric subjects like worm holes, quantum theory, and other complex concepts that the average viewer (and most experts in other fields) won’t understand at the level needed to see why these “experts” are wrong. But by pretending to have mastered complicated science and deep history, they promote themselves as experts and, in conspiracy with TV producers and networks that promote them as equals to scientists, appear as trusted guides to material that few without advanced education in the field will understand.

It reminds me of an email I received last week from a very angry woman who demanded to know how I could criticize ancient astronaut theorist Jason Martell. “He’s an expert,” she wrote, whereas I was just some guy with a website. The difference, apparently, is that Martell is on television and therefore credible. But, insecure in her own views, my correspondent delivered several personal insults and concluded by informing me that I could not reply because she wrote from a temporary email address that would expire within the hour so she wouldn’t “have to deal with any negativity” coming from me.

This woman is clearly an extreme case—not only a believer, but one willing to act on her beliefs. The scary part is how many more people are like Walden, just curious enough to wonder but not enough to check the facts, open to the ancient astronaut theory largely because it’s easy to access and easy to understand. That, perhaps, is the far greater damage Ancient Aliens causes, much more than its effect on the very narrow spectrum of true believers.
25 Comments
Alaric
4/9/2015 07:53:35 am

"The Mayans just disappeared one day."

Someone should tell the present-day Maya about that. They've been going along existing as if they hadn't disappeared.

Reply
Only Me
4/9/2015 07:58:55 am

For someone to say ancient astronaut theory is way over their head does not speak highly of the person making that confession.

This "theory" is asking us to *prove* that some ancient, relatively primitive architecture, was built by the only species that we know of that is capable of building such architecture.

The alternative, of course, is that humans were aided by an intelligent species that would traveled light years to get here. So, a species of extraterrestrial origin (which would have to be scientifically advanced to a degree that defies our current understanding of the laws of physics) came all the way here, just to help us build some comparatively primitive constructs for the purpose of our ancient superstitious worship and burial practices?

I'm sorry, but this isn't exactly complicated stuff.

Reply
EP
4/9/2015 08:45:12 am

"built by the only species that we know of that is capable of building such architecture."

Yep. White Nordic Aryans ;)

Reply
Only Me
4/9/2015 11:08:40 am

I see what you did there. ;)

Alaric
4/9/2015 07:59:50 am

"But, insecure in her own views, my correspondent delivered several personal insults and concluded by informing me that I could not reply because she wrote from a temporary email address that would expire within the hour so she wouldn’t “have to deal with any negativity” coming from me."

This is the sort of thing that really gets to me. Of course, there's the disturbing "I refuse to listen to anything that might challenge my beliefs" part, but also, she apparently doesn't think of the personal attack she launched as "negativity". With these people, "negativity" seems to mean "examining things rationally, and not just believing things because you want to believe them".

Reply
V
4/9/2015 10:19:05 am

Actually, for people like that, "negativity" is "disagreeing with them." It doesn't matter whether you're doing it rationally or not. The only thing that matters to them is that you aren't telling them what they want to hear. You can be telling them that no, that disease won't kill you because just yesterday we discovered the Cure To Everything and you'll have it tomorrow, and they'd still see that as "negativity."

Reply
EP
4/9/2015 08:41:30 am

"she wrote from a temporary email address that would expire within the hour so she wouldn’t “have to deal with any negativity” coming from me."

It didn't work. I'm currently totally sending negative vibes her way. Y'all are welcome to join me. Let's mess up her chakras something proper!

Be afraid, random dingbat. Be VERY afraid!

BOOO!!!

Reply
Shane Sullivan
4/9/2015 12:19:33 pm

I'm in. I'm firing up my Astral Body as we speak!

Crystals..."Energy"...Auras...Electromagnetic Grid...Quantum!

Reply
Only Me
4/9/2015 12:44:54 pm

Synchronicity, Shane! Don't forget the SYNCHRONICITY!

Hypatia
4/9/2015 03:17:04 pm

Very deep stuff there. It reminds me of that movie, 'What the bleep do we know.'

Shane Sullivan
4/10/2015 08:33:37 am

You just used the word "synchronicity" twice--I'm pretty sure that's a case of synchronicity!

EP
4/11/2015 07:49:55 am

Synchronicity within synchronicity. Synchronception! :D

Snarky
4/9/2015 03:27:58 pm

Hey Dumb Broad:

Jason Martell is a doo doo head!!!

Nyah nyah nyah!!!

Reply
Kal
4/9/2015 08:53:35 am

Now, now, let's not encourage the trolls. If they get a place to breed, they're like bedbugs. You know if you have one of them you have hundreds more. But I am not an expert either. She is confusing 'expert' with 'entertainer'. Anyone can have an opinion on a blog or on TV. This lines are blurred. Anyone can post on YouTube if they have a channel set up. If that blog goes viral, there is a chance of it going on TV. For someone to deliberately target a blogger for having a different opinion with silly threats about their disappearing emails or their special alien tinfoil hat powers, that make them experts too, shows a lack of understanding of how things work. Do not feed the trolls. Keep educating them.

Reply
Clete
4/9/2015 12:52:52 pm

What local television media not being informative. I disagree, here in Utah we have a local reporter who visits High Schools and every week awards one of the five visited with the most school spirit award. If that isn't news, then what is?

Reply
Snarky
4/9/2015 03:30:31 pm

So Clete, how many wives do you have? Personally, I have one more than I want!

Reply
Clete
4/10/2015 07:36:37 am

Don't know. Lost count years ago.

Hypatia
4/9/2015 12:52:57 pm

I suspect that this local publisher places himself as some kind of agnostic and uneducated in the matter so that his fringe readership is not offended and end up reacting the way this woman did.
The fringes are now mainstream, thanks to these TV channels and their "experts" gone viral, which made it acceptable by slowly replacing real documentaries on science and history with total b.s. over the years. There was a little brouhaha when the 'animal' channel ran its 'mermaids' show, but this has been going on for a long time on the other channels, with no brouhaha. They are a fraud, they know it, they make money off it.
Amazing how people can play poker and learn to call a bluff, and yet be totally gullible about snake oil.

Reply
Elmo Blatch
4/10/2015 01:44:28 am

There's something called common sense. People are either born with it or they are not.

Common sense cannot be taught in schools, colleges and universities. You cannot get a Bachelor of Art Degree or a Doctorate in common sense.

Hence there are people in life who have gained Master of Arts Degrees and have no common sense and believe in rubbish like Ancient Astronauts because they are unable to make rational judgments.

Reply
Elmo Blatch
4/10/2015 03:05:48 am

You could be a recipient of the Chopra Foundation Prize, if you happen to be lucky enough...

Hypatia
4/10/2015 04:09:29 am

Why, is it a lottery?

Elmo Blatch
4/10/2015 04:28:08 am

I should have stated - If you happen to be unfortunate enough

EP
4/10/2015 02:19:45 am

Mermaids do not belong on an "animal" channel! Mermaids are people, just like you and I!

Reply
Joe Scales
4/10/2015 04:14:10 am

And with the reminder that Ancient Aliens returns tonight with an episode in regard to aliens and the Civil War, I do wonder if they'll play as fast and loose with the facts as Ken Burns did...

Reply
Thorwald C. Franke link
4/12/2015 11:54:26 pm

I like to hear that Weebly has come to terms, this page needs a really good forum, it is worth it.

Reply

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