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Review of America Unearthed S02E06: "Lost Tribe of Menehune"

1/5/2014

205 Comments

 
Welcome to my review of America Unearthed S02E06 “The Lost Tribe of Menehune,” or, what Scott Wolter did on his totally not staged for the camera summer vacation. Before we get started, a little background on the Menehune is probably a good idea. I admit this was a myth with which I wasn’t previously familiar.

Background

According to a modern legend given to tourists on the island of Kauai for the past century or so, the island had once been part of a vast continent stretching across the Pacific Ocean. This island was inhabited by a race of dwarves, about two feet high (range: 23 to 39 inches). These dwarves, called the Menehune, numbered more than half a million souls, and they were responsible for building the heiau, Hawaii’s ancient stone temples, as well as roads, canals, and dams—all of Hawaii’s prehistoric infrastructure. They worked only at night, and they completed each construction project before the following dawn, passing rocks by hand from one dwarf to another in a chain stretching from Kauai’s quarries to the construction site. They sometimes ran work chains as long as twelve miles, according to the legend of Pi’s ditch recorded by the American Charles Skinner after the U.S. extended its protectorate over Hawaii at the end of the nineteenth century.

According to a version of the story current in the nineteenth century, the Menehune were invisible to non-native visitors to Hawaii, and only Natives could see them. Skinner recorded that their most distinctive characteristic was that they snicker and laugh at passersby from the safety of the woods in which they live invisible. Some said that the Menehune were the ancestors of Native Hawaiians.

Surprisingly or not, no skeleton of one of these half million craftsman-dwarves, nor even a trace of their miniature tools, has ever been found on Kauai or any other Hawaiian island. Nor, for that matter, have any remains been found of other Hawaiian mythical peoples, such as the forest-dwelling Nawao or the Mu, nor of the god Paupueo, who sends owls (the pueo, also thought to be ancestral spirits) to chase away the Menehune when their population grows too large for the islands.

Another tale states that these creatures threw rocks into the mouth a giant, giving him indigestion and prompting him to lie sleeping on Kauai to this very day—the famous Sleeping Giant, a mountain that vaguely resembles a humanlike figure in repose.

Many Hawaiians in the nineteenth century believed that the Menehune had supernatural powers, as recorded by American visitors, though a tract published more than a century ago by the Bishop Museum of Hawaii recorded that the Menehune were not supernatural, but rather possessed of extraordinary strength and energy. It is a distinct difference of opinion, and many writers, from missionaries to the King of Hawaii himself, tried to identify the Menehune with the grandchildren of Noah, equating the biblical patriarch with Nu’u (or Nuu), a Hawaiian mythic figure who was said to have built an Ark to escape the Great Flood. Sadly, Nu’u did not exist in Hawaiian mythology in 1822 when William Ellis arrived to preach Christianity to the Hawaiians. He wrote that as concerns the Flood, “they had never before heard of a ship, or of Noah.” Not long after his preaching, later missionaries began reporting their astonishment that the natives they encountered already had a legend of Noah, or Nu’u! Sir James G. Frazer was undoubtedly right in concluding that the modern Hawaiian myth of Nu’u is a derivative of the missionaries’ biblical preaching.

Hawaii’s last king, David Kalakaua, wrote in his Legends and Myths of Hawaii in 1888 that Nuu was the Hawaiian Noah, that the early history of Hawaii was exactly analogous to that of the wandering Hebrews down to the time of Joseph (including the creation, Lucifer, Cain and Abel, etc.), and that the Menehune were possibly a Lost Tribe of Israel, though he felt it more likely that they were of a heathen Asian tribe who picked up Bible stories from contact with Jews or Christians. As should be obvious, Kalakaua’s account is in fact a reflection of missionaries’ Christian preaching, not a genuinely old Hebraic tradition in Hawaii.

The Hawaiian legend of the Menehune is not as famous as other little people of world mythology, and likely for good reason: Historians have been unable to trace back before European contact in 1778 the story of the fairy-like creatures said to have built Hawaii’s ancient temples. We have just seen how quickly European myths could spread in Hawaii in the case of Noah, and many believe that the Menehune may have their origin in tales of the Scottish and northern English brownies, a kind of hobgoblin, brought to the islands by British sailors. No accepted pre-contact myth makes any mention of the Menehune. In fact, the most prominent theory about the origins of these creatures ascribes them to a misunderstanding arising from communication challenges during the contact period.

According to folklorist Katharine Luomala, the word menehune or manahune meant “lowly” or “common” at the time of European contact and was used by the Hawaiians to explain that the stone structures of the Hawaiian Islands had been constructed by the common people under orders from the aristocracy and royalty. In other words, the high status Hawaiians differentiated themselves from low-status common laborers. A similar, though less currently popular, theory supposes that the Hawaiian Islands were first settled by people from the Marquesas around 300 CE, whose last few descendants down to the 1820 census called themselves menehune. They had lower social status than the later-arriving Tahitians of c. 1000 CE, who eliminated most of the Marquesians and may have remembered them in myth as laboring dwarves. This in turn derives from the Tahitian ethnonym manahune, which took on a negative connotation after Raiateans conquered the Tahitians and reduced them to commoners. The Tahitians that settled Hawaii then applied the derisive ethnonym to the original settlers of Hawaii.

Bizarre fact: The British sailors who brought the stories of the brownies to Hawaii probably were those who sailed with Captain Cook on his third voyage. Cook, in turn, sailed on his first voyage with Johann Reinhold Forster, the dispossessed Scottish noble who invented the myth that Henry Sinclair was the Zichmni of the hoax Zeno narrative! Damn you Captain Cook! You have given us by chance two crazy America Unearthed ideas!

Given that the Menehune do not seem to exist in legend prior to 1778, and no skeletons of this half-million-strong contingent have ever been found, nearly every mainstream scholar is happy to assign the creatures to modern folklore. That hasn’t stopped fringe historians from using them to support some bizarre speculation.

Lewis Spence, a Scottish writer of bad ideas about mythology, used the Menehune myth in The Problem of Lemuria (1932) to support the existence of the Theosophical continent of Lemuria, arguing that the Hawaiian tale of a sunken continent correlated well with Theosophy’s sunken continent, as well as Col. James Churchward’s lost continent of Mu, his version of Lemuria. Weirdly enough, the Mu were another race of forest-dwellers living alongside the Menehune. They differ only in that the Mu have beards and are hairy, while the Menehune are typically clean-shaven. (Though even this is not clear; sometimes the Menehune are hairy, too!)

But the most important fringe claim about the Menehune emerged after the discovery of the Homo floresiensis, an apparent species of short-statured humans popularly called “hobbits,” on the island of Flores in Indonesia in 2003. This extinct species, if it is indeed a unique species, stood approximately three feet tall, roughly correlating to the size the Menehune in Hawaiian legend. On Flores and Sumatra, there was a parallel myth of super-strong wild men, the mili mongga and the ana ula, that also built ancient stone buildings, though these creatures were described as more or less orangutan-human hybrids.

From such foundations, Frank Joseph, the ex-Neo-Nazi convicted pedophile who once edited Ancient American magazine, published work by Scott Wolter, and tirelessly promoted Burrows Cave (from S02E05 last week), declared in 2011’s The Lost Civilization of Lemuria (which is very similar to Spence in may points) that the discovery of the Flores hobbits demonstrated that the Menehune could well have existed and that DNA evidence (?) indicated that the Flores people sailed across the Pacific, reaching Hawaii 12,000 years ago, some 10,300 years earlier than the earliest archaeological traces of human habitation in Hawaii. The Flores hobbits, of course, built no cyclopean stone buildings that archaeology has found on Flores. He said that either the Hawaiians “maintained a factual memory over an astounding 12,000 years” (not likely given how little time Hawaii has been occupied) or that Flores creatures continued living in Hawaii down to 1820, when the last menehune (manahune) recorded their existence on a census form and died. He did not distinguish between the mythical creatures and the term for low-status Marquesians, but he did say that his conclusions were supported by psychic visions from actress Shirley MacLaine, who declared Hawaii the capital of Lemuria.

And if those were not enough connections, would it surprise you to learn that the Tucson Lead Artifacts are tied in as well since they are ruthlessly promoted by Cyclone Covey, who also supports Burrows Cave, and thus Frank Joseph, who in turn advocates for Lemuria? Or that in 1979 Frank Joseph (formerly Frank Collin) was imprisoned at the same penitentiary where Richard Burrows served as a guard just before the alleged 1982 discovery of Burrows Cave? Or that Harry Hubbard of Alexander Helios from last week’s episode used to be an ancient astronaut theorist who believed, with some support from Covey, that a UFO brought the body of Alexander the Great to Burrows Cave? This gets us a bit far from magical Hawaiian dwarves, but I am troubled by the coincidence that so many America Unearthed topics parallel the work of Frank Joseph and the network surrounding Burrows Cave, or at least Ancient American magazine, which Joseph used to edit, and to which Scott Wolter has been a past contributor.

The Episode

We open with a woman running through a foggy jungle in the rain. Unseen creatures surround her, and she is fearful. She comes across a cyclopean stone wall, sees a dwarf that looks something like Chucky from the Child’s Play horror films, and screams. That’s not very politically correct. I don’t think we’re supposed to scream at dwarves today, and at any rate it doesn’t match the legend, in which the Menehune are subject to human control and in fact perform construction work to order upon request. Then we smash-cut to the opening credits, followed by a shot of Scott Wolter’s empty office as a voice mail response tells viewers he’s on vacation. Some glamour shots of Hawaii follow as Wolter and his wife Janet watch their son Grant play in a hotel pool. Wolter, in totally not staged banter tells his wife that he can do better water-sport tricks than Grant because he’s a manly man.

The acting is utterly painful as Wolter pretends to stumble across the mystery of the Menehune while promoting a spa run by Disney, a company that they fail to acknowledge is a 50% owner of A+E Networks, corporate parent of H2. Footage of the restort was provided by Disney Destinations, LLC, according to the end credits. Children who can’t act pretend that they spontaneously asked Wolter about the dwarves. Wolter feigns shock that wherever he goes, he sees American mysteries. A hotel employee, Todd Apo, tells Wolter about the legend of the Menehune and why Disney chose to include artistic representations of them throughout its resort.

Apo tells Wolter that many of Hawaii’s temples are attributed to the Menehune, and Wolter pretends that he is only now intrigued, despite having a camera crew coincidentally following him around. Apo explains what a Menehune was, and he asserts that other Polynesian cultures have myths of the Menehune, conflating them with the class or ethnic group called manahune.

Wolter sets out to view the Menehune’s stone walls and structures, and he hopes that he can date the buildings to before the coming of the Native Hawaiians. He says that he’s skeptical, but Apo tells him that there are “hobbits”—note carefully the pregnant use of the word associated with the Flores skeletons—at the University of Hawaii. On that note, we cut to our first commercial break.

After the break, Wolter repeats what we’ve already heard and then summarizes recent Hawaiian history, which is largely irrelevant. He neglects to note the failure by folklorists to find the Menehune in pre-contact legends, instead telling us that they are found across Polynesia. Subtlety isn’t Wolter’s strong suit, nor, apparently, is a fair summary of facts.

He slowly makes his way to the University of Hawaii, where a full two minutes after returning from break he finally gets around to seeing a cast—a cast!—of a skull of Homo florensiensis, where he seems to be taking over Frank Joseph’s speculation wholesale, asking if the Flores hobbits could have sailed to Hawaii. The expert he discusses the skull with explains the evidence for whether Homo florensiensis is a distinct species from other Homo species or a diseased specimen, and he tells Wolter that the Flores hobbits went extinct about 12,000 years ago. He also tells Wolter that evolution can produce dwarfism in isolated environments. Some half-hearted digs at evolution occur, a sop to creationists, but the expert tells Wolter that there has been no evidence whatsoever of any hobbits, dwarves, or elves found anywhere in Hawaii.

Wolter then summarizes what we just heard in a staged phone conversation with his wife, and she tells him about the 65 menehune recorded on Kauai in the 1820 census. “Pack your bags!” Wolter shouts as we head to another commercial. Do I need to tell you that this “fact” (confusing the ethnic term for the mythic figure) was included on the very same page of Frank Joseph’s The Lost Civilization of Lemuria (p. 163) as the Flores hobbit speculation?

After the break, we get a text-based recap of what we just heard, and Wolter is off to Kauai as Wolter then verbally recaps what the text just told us. Wolter now tells us that he wonders if the Flores hobbits sailed to Hawaii after a volcano destroyed Flores—Hawaii, on the other side of the Pacific! Not Australia, not Asia—Hawaii!

Wolter visits the Menehune Ditch, or Kikiaola, a prehistoric Hawaiian stone wall that modern legend attributes to the Menehune. While the show implies that this was a 24-foot wall stretching for miles, the ditch is in fact a small irrigation ditch of 200 feet made of just 120 blocks, albeit the most perfect of all remaining Hawaiian stonework. Sidney Wheelwright shows Wolter typically Polynesian cyclopean dry-stack construction, and she relates the legend I gave above about their overnight building of the wall passing the rocks from one to the other in a miles-long chain. Wolter dismisses the legend as improbable (you think?), and he slowly documents the stones along what remains of the wall. Wolter determines the obvious, that the rocks are local, probably from the outcroppings located right beside the blocks.

Wolter tries to rationalize the modern legend by asserting that the Menehune must have built the wall at night rather than in one night. He is now a euhemerist.

The show claims that Captain Cook described the ditch during his third voyage (when the Hawaiians killed him), but in fact the first description was given by Capt. George Vancouver in 1792. He was the one who estimated the wall at 24 feet high, though today it is buried. Here is Vancouver’s description:
A lofty perpendicular cliff now presented itself, which, by rising immediately from the river, would have effectually stopped our further progress into the country, had it not been for an exceedingly well constructed wall of stones and clay about twenty-four feet high, raised from the bottom by the side of the cliff, which not only served as a pass into the country, but also as an aqueduct, to convey the water brought thither by great labour from a considerable distance; the place where the river descends from the mountains affording the planters an abundant stream, for the purpose to which it is so advantageously applied. This wall, which did no less credit to the mind of the projector than to the skill of the builder, terminated the extent of our walk; from whence we returned through the plantations, whose highly-improved state impressed us with a very savorable opinion of the industry and ingenuity of the inhabitants.

It sounds like the wall was not a freestanding structure but rather an abutment building out from natural features of the cliff and serving to channel the water. It is by all accounts astonishing, but not supernaturally so.

Wheelwright explains that menehune and the word for low-class, manahune, are similar terms, and that the working class, the laborers, were probably the people meant by the term. Wolter agrees that the term is most likely referring to lower class laborers, not dwarves, and he goes out of his way to praise the Hawaiians’ rich culture in a way he never praises Native Americans cultures. These few seconds before yet another commercial are Wolter’s first break from Frank Joseph’s version of the story, which moves on to Shirley McLaine and psychic visions of Lemuria. Wolter instead is interested in debunking these ideas, all the better to make his own Templer-Bloodline-Oreo cookie theories look reasonable.

I will offer some faint praise: At the halfway mark, with the exception of a superficial understanding of Hawaiian mythology, this episode has been straightforward and almost mainstream, coming to correct conclusions.

As we return from break we get a text-based recap followed by yet another verbal recap for those too lazy to read or who have forgotten after three seconds. Things go downhill as Wolter tells us that he “is starting to believe” that the Menehune really did build Hawaii’s stone structures at night. He’s off to the Na Pali coast to “immerse myself” in Hawaiian culture. I wonder what the Native Americans think of the unusual deference he’s showing to Hawaiians that he doesn’t give to them in terms of assigning their constructions to their own culture.

Wolter gasps in shock that there is a giant X on the coast, but even he has to admit that it has nothing to do with the Knights Templar, though the callbacks to earlier episodes serve a propaganda purpose of reinforcing the idea that there is some truth to his Hooked X® speculations. Instead, this X is a natural formation caused by lava filling geological fractures, and it has nothing to do with our Menehune hunt.

Wolter then looks at a rock wall built in 2007, which really doesn’t prove much. It is a restoration of a destroyed site that shows affinity with Polynesian architecture, and it probably originates with the first Polynesian settlers. Wolter then reverses course, negating everything he determined in the first half hour of the show, and returns to the idea that Homo florensiensis could have sailed to Hawaii. So far we don’t even know they had boats capable of crossing oceans, or that anything on Hawaii is 12,000 years old. He might want to test for that, but never does. That would ruin the myth.

Wolter hears about the menehune ethnic group from the 1820 census and that the romanticizing of Hawaii in the 1800s probably led to Europeanized folklore making them into fairies and woodland sprites. Wolter is giddy at the thought of traveling to yet another former bombing range near Maui, Kaho‘olawe, on which stands an old Hawaiian cultural site. He says he’ll get there “any way I can,” and as we go to commercial we see him making a big deal out of swimming a few yards from the boat to the shore, where a presumably dry cameraman is standing by filming him. The island, according to mainstream archaeology, was settled around 1000 CE with a temporary fishing village, after which typical Hawaiian stone temples and petroglyphs were added. Evidence of violent warfare indicates that sometime before the contact period, the island’s population died off, but archaeological work is complicated by the fact that the small island was reused by the Hawaiian royal government used the island as penal colony, and then as ranch land, and then abandoned it. The U.S. military used it as a practice range following Pearl Harbor. (At least in my research; the show says from 1939, which may be true.)

After the break, Wolter recaps what we’ve heard, adding nothing for more than 40 minutes, and Wolter asserts his belief that the Menehune existed even if he doesn’t know if they were dwarves or low-status serfs. There’s kind of a bit of a difference between the two that might have been worth investigating rather than wasting most of the hour on theatrics, producing evidence of nothing. Seriously: In this hour Wolter did absolutely nothing. He dated no rock, uncovered no artifacts, researched no texts… nothing! He could have stayed home and produced the exact same results.

Wolter travels across Kaho‘olawe with Kalei Nu’uhiwa, a Hawaiian cultural advocate and the publisher of a lunar newsletter, and she also repeats everything we’ve already heard. Wolter re-asserts that the Flores hobbits might have come to Hawaii and landed on Kaho‘olawe. Because of course they would choose just about the smallest island: They are dwarves! First we might want to prove that the Flores hobbits had sea-worthy boats capable of traveling the ocean, which might require a trip to Flores, which isn’t in the budget. Wolter seems to recognize that this hour has no actual content, and he is purposely substituting fact-free “what-if” speculation about Indonesia for factual archaeology about the peopling of Hawaii under the Polynesians and the interesting question of whether there is a real Marquesas occupation before the Polynesians, a question archaeologists have not yet agreed upon. We might note that the hobbits of Flores built no stone buildings, a fact Wolter chose to omit from his discussion.

Wolter concludes that the Menehune are real even though he admits that there is no evidence and that he doesn’t know whether they were dwarves or serfs or something else. He just thinks that if there is folklore, there must be a real event. Do I have a story a about Nuu and the Ark for him! In short, he simply asserts that the name exists, which is the one part of the story that is almost certainly a modern imposition on Hawaiian lore. A little more research would have made a much more interesting hour by letting Wolter connect the Menehune via the Scottish brownies to Henry Sinclair by way of Captain Cook and Johann Reinhold Forster. Oh well. It’s not my place to write his weird theories for him.

Wolter finishes the hour by telling us that the Menehune—which he admits to not having found or identified—were part of a trans-Pacific seafaring culture that bequeathed civilization to Hawaii. So we end the hour with Wolter admitting to believing in an imaginary trans-Pacific master-builder (read: Masonic!) culture of his own imagination and undermining all his feigned respect for Hawaiian culture by reassigning Hawaiian archaeological sites—which he never bothered to date, even by his own unique methods!—to a pre-Hawaiian race of as much as 12,000 years ago from somewhere, anywhere other than Hawaii, and he never bothers to try to find out where!
205 Comments
Only Me
1/4/2014 03:28:55 pm

Hands down, the most painful lead in to an episode yet. Everything else, you covered quite well. I won't be too harsh on the children that approached Wolter, though. Their parents probably got free room and service as compensation.

Obviously this episode of sandbagging is to help build excitement for the next. Washington, D.C. covered in goddess-worship symbolism...can't wait.

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keith
1/6/2014 08:39:09 pm

As painful as it was it appeared to be a commercial for Disney's resort because they had to keep mentioning it. Lastly, they said that the Menehune were low class people. I think they forgot to mention they were looked down upon and this may have caused the confusion.

Wasted an hour of my life watching that episode.

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Matt Mc
1/7/2014 11:18:11 pm

All the Disney references are not uncommon at all when a company provides promotional items to the show (in this case a free vacation. When I worked on Top Chef DC we constantly had to reshoot stuff because the contestants would forget to mention the sponsor name. I can't fault Wolter or his production company for having to do this for it is such a common practice. Even in shows like Nova is it done, only difference is that in a public broadcasting they name the sponsors at the start and end of the program (This program was brought to you by the funding of _____ ).

Jason Colavito link
1/7/2014 11:30:29 pm

I don't mind that he was plugging Disney, but I thought that it might have been useful for the show to tell viewers that Disney co-owns the network. They can't do that, of course, because they also sell the show around the world on non-Disney-owned channels.

Martin R
1/4/2014 04:07:18 pm

Is that an X?

I love SW's head snap of disbelief.

Nothing like a working holiday in Hawaii.

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Rlewis
1/5/2014 08:16:04 am

Since the Hawaiian alphabet has no "X", I had my seat belt buckled for what I thought was going to be an intricate Templar/Pirate/Polynesian yarn. It's amazing he was able to tell it was a natural formation from 100's of yards away - without "turning on" his microscope. Almost like he already knew something about it. Hmmmm.

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Rebecca M
1/4/2014 04:15:29 pm

So, basically you object to a prime time tv show being entertainment? Everyone with brains plugs their shows sponsers. Maybe instead of nitpicking someone else's work, you should go research something original on your own. Of course, you don't have a tv show so no one will listen to you. You have to troll tv personalities to get that attention...

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Mandalore
1/4/2014 04:50:29 pm

I agree. I find the only people worth listening to are those with Tv shows. All others are just jealous. Someday I too wish to have a Tv show so that someone will listen to me. And woe to those who would troll my inane ramblings! Until then, I will just leave the thinking to my betters on Tv.

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Sacqueboutier
1/5/2014 12:02:02 am

Well played, Mandalore.

As for the show, no Rebecca...I have not problem with Tv shows for entertainment using product placement. However, I have a BIG problem when these shows pass themselves off as documentaries exploring history, science, or literature.

Graham
1/4/2014 09:28:35 pm

Well, given the damage to the environmental movement caused by the Discovery Channel creating the Sea Shepards, I'm quite happy to object.

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Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 02:22:33 am

On "The Price Is Right" they run a disclaimer every time they give away a prize, such as Seattle Sounders tickets, that host Drew Carey has a financial stake in, and they announce when a prize is provided by a sponsor or by the owners of the network. Is it so much to ask that "America Unearthed" be as honest as "The Price Is Right"?

It's hardly trolling to offer a critique of a broadcasted TV show that is itself "trolling" hardworking scholars by telling an audience of 1.3 million that those scholars are conspiratorial liars.

Please do go tell Matt Rousch, the Onion's AV Club, and Television Without Pity that they fail to meet your standards for "nitpicking" television and that they, too, are merely jealous of TV.

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Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 02:53:13 am

Platon was wrong when he said "the rubes are not smart enough to know what`s good for them",they actually enjoy self inflicted mutilation.
Shows such as America Unearthed are mass trepanation programs.

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jeanne
1/12/2014 10:18:06 am

wow..so the I should definitely pitch my Wolter-style show...with the quest to prove Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox were real.

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A.D.
1/4/2014 05:42:04 pm

Ah I see more eurocentric revisionist history.So are the dwarves "white" too?The midget bearded white gods coming to bring "civilization" to the non-white savages or the "mud people".Just more racism masked as "open minded ideas" in the "alternative history" department

Yeah right,dig a little deeper and you see it's not what they try to portray themselves.I'm not fooled by this old theme and the likes of Wolter and the rest of the con men that have come and gone.I am fully convinced that they are racist and their ideas are pure garbage but they don't care

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Joh Everting
1/4/2014 06:59:10 pm

I am a white guy and I agree! I know for a fact that the Smithsonian and many instutions hid history of black indians in america. I am not talking about slavery but The black or African people found here in the Americas for hundreds or thousands of years before columbus came. Wolter tries to extremely look for Europeans discovering America to try and discredit the true natives of America. I actually have a masters in history and a PHD in anthropology. Attended Coloumbia, Harvard, and I thought I knew everything until I saw how these professors cover up things for tenure. I wonder why Wolder has not interviewes many native tribes???Oh wait! Because the truth will have to come out

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A.D.
1/4/2014 08:35:30 pm

LOL Don't lie.You're not white but a black supremacist afro FAKE!
I've seen it all and heard it all from black and white supremacist
claims trying to steal MY HERITAGE!

white washing is bad but so is black washing.but afro fraud racist claims are given a pass because of a certain people afraid of being called "racist".That's not my problem as I am not white.I know they have a secret guilt trip and that is the real reason the likes of wolter and his ilk continue to insult our intelligence with these garbage claims to put "whites" here first.This has been the agenda of the earliest archaeologist and the smithsonian.I took anthropology too and know full well the deep dark history of that field ,the origins of the fringe,and the scientific racism of that era.

This conspiracy that they are "hiding the truth" is a load of bull when the facts are the opposite!

I will defend my heritage from all the fakes and liars

Fantasy History Watcher
1/4/2014 08:54:26 pm

I wish ethnocentrism didn't exist - that way all those Eastern Europeans wouldn't emigrate to the UK, and be exploited by unscrupulous and shameless employers who endlessly exploit them because they are only too grateful to be walloped up their backsides all the time (UK workers cannot be treated like that).

I wish ethnocentrism didn't exist. UK employers behave like they are superior beings and immigrant workers really do believe they are inferior which is why they move away from their countries in the first place (they still have horse and carts in Eastern Europe)

Susan Wheaton
1/9/2014 03:35:30 pm

Not that is matters that you are white but I must agree with you. Why is this A.d. getting upset and calling names if there is not truth to this. We must be wise in out discussions. To call a black racists for telling their sotry and heritage is a form of white supremacy A.D. as instead of researching, you dismiss what he said.

K Wallace
1/9/2014 04:34:08 pm

Why is this A.D. calling you a liar. and blacks do not claim supremacy over white people unless they go back in time 400 years and subjugate them enslave them and them and fast forward time. The man made a statemen about African being in America. According to his writing, you really cannot tell if this is a black or white man. For all I know you A.D. could be white, black or magenta. The truth is, if someone is making a claim, look up the facts,and use truth to determine this. If you are Hawaiian, I know you cant dismiss what he is saying as black as the cheiftans were. Have you seen King Kameheahea??? Many US native american tribes were mixed with european ancestry by the 1800's as the others wer not hense those that were called "THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES" those of ethnic stock were dimissed. You can look up Walter Ashby Plecker and see how he divided Indians in Virginia’s Bureau of Vital Statistics and changed them to black. So becareful who you are so quick to label a Black Supremacist when they are stating facts.

John Mokoanu
1/9/2014 03:50:18 pm

AI agree! . King Kamehameha was a great darkskinned king! The africans and australlians and native americans were all a dark race of people originally and brothers and travelled the world. They have take out the real Hawaiians and lightened up the deities and such. If Liliokalani could see what they have done to this place..This is sad for my brothers and sisters

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John Everting
1/4/2014 07:01:50 pm

am a white guy and I agree! I know for a fact that the Smithsonian and many instutions hid history of black indians in america. I am not talking about slavery but The black or African people found here in the Americas for hundreds or thousands of years before columbus came. Wolter tries to extremely look for Europeans discovering America to try and discredit the true natives of America. I actually have a masters in history and a PHD in anthropology. Attended Coloumbia, Harvard, and I thought I knew everything until I saw how these professors cover up things for tenure. I wonder why Wolder has not interviews many native tribes???Oh wait! Because the truth will have to come out

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Rebecca M
1/4/2014 07:37:27 pm

Guys, you are missing the point. This show is entertainment for people who don't want to watch Jersey Shore or Survivor. And it is very entertaing in the same way watching McGiver is entertaing. It's kind of cool, has a few nuggets of genuine info mixed with a bit of BS and a dash of "dude, how much speed is he on, anyway."

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Fantasy History Watcher
1/4/2014 08:35:58 pm

Does the show bill itself as entertainment? Does it have such a disclaimer?

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Moody
1/4/2014 11:26:16 pm

"In Season 2 of America Unearthed, host Scott Wolter continues his mission of using hard science and intuitive theories to explain the most mysterious artifacts and sites in America. "

"hard science....."

http://www.history.com/shows/america-unearthed/about

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Varika
1/5/2014 07:32:46 am

Rebecca, do you also write editorials to your local paper pissing and moaning about how movie critics won't stop talking about the movies you like to watch? Because all Jason is doing is a critique in the same way the movie critics do, combined with telling you which "nuggets" are "genuine" (not very many) and which aren't even fool's-gold but spray-painted plastic rock look-alikes (not even coal, because coal would be useful). Anyone who puts a show out there is opening the show up for criticism, and they have to learn to just deal with it.

You don't have to defend liking to watch the show. Nobody really cares if you like to watch it for entertainment. But when you go "It's just entertainment!" well, I just can't help thinking...you don't just like watching it, you aren't just entertained by it....you believe it. Why else would you be so hot to defend "entertainment?"

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Joyce D
1/7/2014 07:22:04 pm

I liked this show. I like that Scott had his family on. I learned about the Menehune. It is all good.

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Brent
1/10/2014 07:42:52 am

Eeeexcept that Macgyver was shown as fiction. And the fact that I haven't seen Scott Wolter use any paper clips.

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Frank
1/4/2014 11:20:42 pm

Now he is dragging his poor family through his garbage. I would really like to know if they have a good laugh at him off camera. I bet it would remind us all of a Griswold family vacation.

Next thing you know he will be on his way to Ireland to search for evidence that leprechauns really existed. He would probably state as fact there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow too.

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Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 02:03:56 am

I am slightly disappointed,I was expecting to see the Wolter family going through the Disney Spa & resort,scavenging for bigfoot droppings & antediluvian knight templar`s landmarks.

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Steve
1/6/2014 10:32:45 am

"bigfoot droppings"

Obviously, Tara Jordan is back with her "fecal" references.

Tara Jordan
1/6/2014 01:52:45 pm

Steve,You are such a kinky boy.I probably make "fecal references" from time to time,but unlike you,there is nothing sexual about it

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 08:19:33 am

Scott Wolter has been my personal friend and professional colleague for more than twenty five years … I have been a guest in his home … I know his wife, Janet, and his kids, Grant and Amanda … They're a health and solid family … Perfect, of course not … Does dad sometimes embarrass his kids … ??? Is there ANY dad who doesn't sometimes embarrass the kids … ???

Scott Wolter is a good guy … a devoted husband and father, generous and kind to his friends ...

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An Over-Educated Grunt
1/5/2014 08:40:07 am

And Gilles de Rais was a charismatic, charming French patriot. Having good qualities does not exempt one from being questioned about the bad.

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 08:53:16 am

As someone who has works in TV and has worked with many a well known personality I can honestly say that it is not common for a personality to bring his family into his public life. Will Smith, Ozzy Osborne and washed up reality stars are the only people I have ever met that have done that.

I am sure Scott is good person for the most part but he is letting his ego from his public life fall into conflict with his personal life and he is exposing his children and family to it. Not really the most wise decision. Does it say anything beyond the fact that he places his ego and television personality in front of his family, not at all.

Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 09:06:56 am

"Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life."

Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 09:08:52 am

Matt--Janet Wolter is in the process of becoming a fringe star in her own right. She's working with Alan Butler on a book about American goddess worship (e.g., why the Grange was a pagan cult), so this is really cross-promotion for her career, too.

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 09:09:23 am

One of my favorite movies Jason

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 09:13:25 am

Thanks for the reminder Jason, I forgot about that.

Since he has already brought his son into the show before the only one he is really bringing new into his show is his daughter and she did look very embarrassed about it.

RLewis
1/5/2014 09:24:14 am

As I recall, that didn't end well for Mr. Shaw.

Varika
1/5/2014 10:25:03 am

Reverend, how can he be your *professional* colleague? You two are in completely unrelated fields. Unless, of course, you are not really a reverend. Or he is not a geologist. Which one of you is lying?

You know who else was an awesome family man? The BTK Killer. He was even president of his church's council. And, you know, a serial killer.

The point, by the way, just so you can't miss it, isn't that Scott Wolter is a serial killer. It's that people are complicated, not simple, and that he's presented a good face to guests--because you aren't, by definition, there when he has no guests--doesn't mean he's Untouchably Good. It doesn't even mean that dragging his kids and wife into the cesspit that is his show--though this was still the most culturally-respectful episode he's ever done--was something that was a good move on his part. "He's a good family man" NEVER excuses bad moves.

Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 10:39:43 am

Phil Gotsch is a registered lobbyist with the Minnesota legislature as representative for Friends of Minnesota's Geology in addition to being a clergyman and the head of the Minnesota chapter of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical & Geological Societies. He and Wolter have worked together in geology groups in Minnesota focusing on Wolter's first area of interest, agates.

Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 12:45:55 pm

"Scott Wolter is a good guy … a devoted husband and father, generous and kind to his friends ...".

Of course he is, but this is not the point.

CFC
1/6/2014 03:02:00 am

To embarrass your son on national television is NOT acceptable.

DrBB
1/6/2014 06:20:45 am

@ Jason: "Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life."

I see what you did there.

The Other J.
1/6/2014 10:18:46 pm

Does your blogging platform have a "thumbs up" or similar kind of plug-in? Because the Raymond Shaw reference deserves it.

Jason Colavito link
1/7/2014 07:14:44 am

I wish it had a "thumbs up" or "like." I'll suggest that the next time I get a customer satisfaction survey.

Joyce D
1/7/2014 07:26:51 pm

This episode turned me from being against Scott to being for him. I see that he is a friendly good guy.

John R.
1/9/2014 06:21:26 am

Good to his friends, a great guy. Ha. That is funny.

Brent
1/10/2014 07:56:11 am

"This episode turned me from being against Scott to being for him. I see that he is a friendly good guy."

So? I don't care if the spends his free time magically healing the sick or crippled, what he does HURTS HISTORY- our understanding of it and our perception of it. And it also DESTROYS REASON/ LOGIC and critical thinking.

Nobody's calling him a terrible parent or an evil man, that's not the issue here. The show isn't about his personal character (though I daresay his professional character/ ethics are questionable at best), its about history and about evidence.

Sacqueboutier
1/4/2014 11:54:44 pm

"where a presumably dry cameraman is standing by filming him"
LOL!!

Wolter must have the hooked X permanently emblazoned directly on his retina. He sees them everywhere. Even the easel standing next to the rock pile is shot from an angle resembling an X.

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RLewis
1/5/2014 01:10:15 am

I understand there is another very small world of people that can be found just outside of Orlando. Their village (in an extensive cave-like dwelling) is only accessible by boat. Oral legend states that they migrated from their original location 3,000 miles to the west.

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Clint Knapp
1/5/2014 12:32:45 pm

Unfortunately, they're too happy and culturally-integrated a people to be investigated. All day long they sing the same song and smile and wave at each other, and there isn't a Templar among them.

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RLewis
1/5/2014 01:10:58 pm

What - No Templars? Do you not recognize the white cross on a red background?!?!

http://media.photobucket.com/user/jclark30/media/Florida/DSCN0786.jpg.html?filters[term]=small%20world&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=82


Clint Knapp
1/5/2014 04:32:11 pm

Well, I'll be damned.

I suppose the "sacred feminine worship" is easily represented in the daily ritual parade during which all the princesses are meant to be adored and surrounded by their supporters.

I guess Wolter's right. The Templar really do run everything, and he works for them!

keith
1/6/2014 08:44:07 pm

The Templars Cross the white field and red cross (Cross of St. George) is only used for the English Templars and some Spanish ones (Columbus and the Spanish Armada) The French, Dutch, Norse, Scottish, etc... had their own crosses and colors. No one ever discusses this.

Michael Haynes
1/5/2014 02:00:04 am

Though I could tell from the outset of the episode that this would be very light on substance, I did want to know more if the Menehune Ditch was as large as originally reported by Captain Cooke and why it's so small today. I was also wondering about the island of Kaho'olawe being used as a navigation school by the ancient Hawaiians, which should have been a slam dunk for Scott "Archaeoastromony" Wolter, but he blew past that one, too. But I can't blame the cast & crew of American Unearthed too much for this one -- they all got a paid vacation to Hawaii to chase after menehune, not real Polynesian history. That's a hard perk to turn down.

I'm surprised no one has commented much on the Disney connection to this episode. After all, they've not only made billions revamping and rewriting stories and histories from multiple cultures, but they also produced the "National Treasure" movies that America Unearthed is founded upon.

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Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 02:25:19 am

Not only that, Disney supported "ancient astronaut," "Atlantis," and "lost civilization" theorizers when it was convenient for promoting their "Atlantis" movie back around the turn of the century.

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Martin R
1/5/2014 04:37:57 am

SW's theme is "It's a small world after all." How else can one explain all those migrations?

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RLewis
1/5/2014 02:03:03 am

I'm not sure what this program is supposed to be. It's obviously not a straight documentary. I understand the entertainment angle of the show's opening segments - but are we expected to believe these are recreations of actual events in SW life? The whole fake-vacation plot was painful to watch and (somehow) lowered the credibility of the episode even further.

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Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 02:29:20 am

That's a great question. It's like the producers want the show to be a "reality" adventure drama about a "real-life Indiana Jones" but also want it to be a "factual" documentary series. A show can't be both. The painfully obvious staging signals "fake" to the audience, but we're supposed to believe that the events are actually happening spontaneously. Every bit of fakery simply serves to call into question the supposed "facts" of the show.

I just don't understand why they insist of fabricating an "adventure" narrative as though it were a reality show. You're right that it just lowers Wolter's credibility further. If he's willing to fake the vacation and fake his "discovery" of the "mystery," what else is he willing to fabricate?

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RLewis
1/5/2014 03:47:44 am

I would really prefer SW to just break the fourth wall and talk directly to the camera. I think this would make it "realer" and eliminate the stilted acting and staged phone calls.
It makes me wonder if the production company isn't planning to string these episodes together later in some sort of docudrama DVD.

Jim R
1/5/2014 02:22:48 am

Speaking of entertainment - this sounds like the episode of Duck Dynasty where the family goes to Hawaii and Uncle Si looks for Mayan ruins. Hmmmm! Coincidence?

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The Other J.
1/6/2014 10:15:59 pm

The episode would have been more realistic if Wolter found Si wandering around in the jungle.

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RLewis
1/5/2014 02:28:34 am

Reminds me more of the Brady Bunch vacation episode where they found an unusual small idol which led them on an adventure throughout the islands. Hey, wait a minute....

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Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 02:30:18 am

Ha! I remember that!

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Rlewis
1/5/2014 02:43:48 am

Here's the story of a lonely theory
That was struggling to find an audience
Wild and fantastic like no other
Just waiting for its chance

Here's the story, of a man named Wolter,
Who was busy with a theory of his own,
Suspicious rocks, mostly discredited
Yes, he was all alone.

Till the one day when the theory met this fellow
And they knew it was much more than a hunch,
That this group could somehow sell this series,
And cash in on others’ ignorance

Titus pullo
1/5/2014 02:29:21 am

Given that it was 5 degrees in western New York this week, I found the episode great. I had a glass of red wine, turned on my gas fireplace and dreamed of sun and the islands. Oh was the episode about something besides and ad for Hawaii and that really cool looking Disney vacation destination? Beautiful women in bikinis on the beach...great television!

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Matt Mc
1/5/2014 03:08:42 am

I too enjoyed this episode more than I normally do. Mostly like Titus mentioned it was nice to imagine myself in the islands. I however was not pleased with the high contrast filters they used to in this episode. It really killed the fantastic blues of the skies and waters along with the greens of the jungle.

I also agree I am not really liking the obvious scripting of this episode it really took away from the show. I did enjoy seeing Wolters daughter look very uninterested during he brief on air time.

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Titus pullo
1/5/2014 09:19:26 am

To quote my teen age son who walked into my study to find me watching this episode, he first gave me a look of disgust and then after seeing I guess Mr. Wolter daughter said "less conspiracies and more of the blond and you got me"

RLewis
1/5/2014 03:08:42 am

As you mentioned Jason, the most disappointing thing about this episode were the missed opportunities for real historical research. Were the Menehune actually from a different Polynesian island than the eventual rulers (assuming they were considered lower-class)? Did they actually build a 20 foot high aqueduct?
Also, the last island (where SW swam to - then was shown bone dry in the back of a truck) was suppose to have over 500 ancient artifacts (did I hear that right?). Yet, all we saw was a natural rock formation that (supposedly) made a sound that could apparently be heard for miles (I believe she called it a prehistoric cellphone). If so, let's hear it. But no - back in the truck for (presumably) another swim back to the boat.

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Varika
1/5/2014 10:28:06 am

When I saw that swim thing, I announced to the empty room, "MANLY man!" *eyeroll* Also, what does it say about your show that you have to get an obscure type of *biologist* to explain the *human* history of an island? For that matter, what does it say about the purported history?

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Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 07:04:17 pm

The "swim thing" reminds me of the "water element" in Bollywood eroticism.

Sacqueboutier
1/5/2014 03:15:39 am

Resubscribing

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Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 03:36:17 am

As time goes by,Wolter is becoming even more irrational,borderline insane.The man is a disaster on foot.Homo floresiensis bones are found in Indonesia (probably the result of genetic disorders,diseases or disordered growth) & Wolter extrapolates the idea of a "race of small men", who could have traveled 6000 miles down to Hawaii. In a foreseeable future,I wont be surprised to find Wolter chasing Reptilians alongside David Icke.beneath Buckingham palace.

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LynnBrant link
1/5/2014 04:24:15 am

He keeps doing what they pay him to do. Nothing insane about that. Little bit evil maybe, but not insane.

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Matt Mc
1/5/2014 04:33:28 am

I think as the show progresses we are going to see that Wolter really is just a host of the show. It appears that his personal theories are being put on the wayside. I would not surprised if he become more and more of a character and nothing else.

LynnBrant link
1/5/2014 04:41:49 am

Matt, nooooo. The opposite is more like it. They will run the show as long as it can draw a sufficient audience. They don't care about the content - if it sells, it's good. So what we are seeing, as Wolter runs out of "sites," is him reaching deeper into his mind for material. You think it's been fringe so far?

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 04:59:26 am

I would enjoy that more, Lynn. I really would love to watch him turn into a David Icke type nutso.

CFC
1/5/2014 06:05:11 am

A&E, History Channel, H2, Committee Films and Wolter are all in partnership to promote subjects for commercial purposes and fail to fairly and adequately represent modern scholarly views. I’ve noticed that a few credible professionals have taken the bait from this group and have participated in these programs. WARNING: Those who want to maintain any credibility should avoid being lured into participating in the America Unearthed program. By participating you only lend credibility to this dishonest programming and enable this group in their quest to make money and misinform the viewers

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 06:16:20 am

I agree CFC and I think after season 1 real researchers will choose not to be on the show at all. My favorite AU moment is still when Scott Dawson said the Dare stone is a hoax and pissed Wolter off. Wolters later response about proof in a court of law and his comments to his wife kind of sealed the deal about how dishonest he is and how he cannot take criticism.

Of course respected researchers and scientests not being willing to be on the show because their comments most likely be edited and that they could be belittled through editing falls right into the programs lore. The producers and Wolter will most likely later say that "mainstream" scientists won't participate in the show because it they are trying to hide the truth and that if on the show Wolter will force them to reveal the great secrets they are keeping. A fantastic web they are weaving

Dan
1/5/2014 07:45:56 am

The Hooked X (@) and the Oreo conspiracy are pretty insane, you have to admit. I personally think Wolter has a delusional disorder, but I've never met the man.

Coridan Miller
1/5/2014 04:26:30 am

It isn't a huge stretch to believe Homo f. are a distinct subtype. Maybe not species level distinct (like lion and tiger) but a distinct breed like chihuahua and rottweiler.

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Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 05:00:11 am

If anyone is interested,I have a potential "Menehune" skull (in fact it is a monkey skull) which I brought back from Irian Jaya last year.(The picture is in my Facebook pictures folder).

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Titus pullo
1/5/2014 09:23:33 am

Is he any different than bernanke? They get paid to rationalze issues in a way that makes their bosses money.

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Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 05:51:15 am

Just so everyone knows, I've edited the review above to include Capt. George Vancouver's original 1792 description of the Menehune Ditch.

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Historian Soldier
1/5/2014 06:37:53 am

I don't know why I subject myself to watching SW and his show weekly. Every episode makes my teeth hurt! There needs to be a disclaimer before the show that classifies it as "history entertainment". This last show should have been shown on the Travel Channel after Hotel Impossible and before Ghost Adventures.

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Lemmings
1/5/2014 07:02:41 am

Jason
You made a huge mistake in your background explanation. You state that no skeletons or tools have ever been found. It's obvious that since the people are invisible to non-natives, then so are the skeletons and tools....and of course the natives are involved in the cover up and will never say what they say.

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Mark E.
1/5/2014 07:34:06 am

America Unearthed is clearly entertainment:

Our hero is a crusading loner not afraid to take on the evildoers that have infiltrated academia and the U.S. government.

He is a mild-mannered geologist that is morally obligated to use his forensic powers and courage in order to protect myth from fact.

His "X-ray" vision can date any geological formation and locate the letter X no matter where it is hiding. He is also impervious to unexploded ordnance and water.

We can only hope that he will bring Professor Moriarty to justice in one of the future episodes.

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Varika
1/5/2014 10:29:36 am

I think you can leave the "-ray" of the vision. It's X-vision!

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Joyce D.
1/7/2014 07:34:34 pm

It is interesting TV just like Bobo's show is. Our friends in here need to lighten up and accept it for what it is: Fake history but an entertaining take on history.

Give me a break nobody is breaking down Monday Night Raw the way you guys dissect this show.

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Will
1/5/2014 07:41:24 am

This season seems different in its approach. Not that it is any better. This episode was just ridiculous.

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Pacal
1/5/2014 09:53:47 am

There is also several historical factors that make use of modern day traditions more than a little problematic. The first being that after European contact, due largely to new introduced diseases the native population of Hawaii fell catastrophically, by at least 80%. The disruption of native Hawaii society that this caused was massive. Further the sheer effect of culture shock from a massive and relatively sudden massive contact with the outside world. Further the effects of forced Christianization. I suspect that in the process of these events accurate memory of much pre-contact culture was throughly mangeled, and now requires great care to get out from our sources. The first c. century of contact with Europeans was pretty traumatic for the native Hawaiians helping to make trying to figure out what their society and culture was like pre-contact much more difficult.

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Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 09:56:13 am

Wolter is very interested in downplaying such concerns so he can ask us to accept oral histories uncritically. This is essential because he wants to use (modern) oral stories from Native sources to support belief in his roving band of Templar supermen.

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Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 10:40:18 am

Nonsense …

"Templar supermen" in Hawaii is YOUR fantasy ...

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 10:23:22 am

LOL …

In my opinion, Scott Wolter is a GENIUS in finding an excuse to get the "America Unearthed" producers to provide a FREE vacation to Hawaii for his entire family …

I dunno ...

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An Over-Educated Grunt
1/5/2014 10:45:42 am

Yes, but in your opinion, we should stop attempting to be better than our basest instincts because we can not all be saints. After all, they can't all be NOVA. In your opinion, "Triumph of the Will" is equivalent to Bambi. After all, it's just a movie. In your opinion, H. H. Holmes was such a hospitable man, he should have been pardoned. After all, he gave all those people a place to stay during the Columbian Exposition. In your opinion, it's okay to pass off frauds that have been known so long they appear in Lovecraft stories as frauds so long as you do it on television, because it's just television.

In short, your opinion is suspect.

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Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 10:57:32 am

Ummmm … No …

The H2 "America Unearthed" TV shows are NEITHER "Triumph of the Will" NOR "Bambi" …

But, yes, indeed … A perceptive viewer can and should and MUST distinguish among stories, movies, shows, novels, claims, etc. …

I would never think otherwise … and in fact I DO make such important distinctions OPENLY …

The H2 "America Unearthed" TV shows AREN'T "Bambi" OR "NOVA" OR "The Triumph of the Will" … They ARE … TV shows … So … ???

An Over-Educated Grunt
1/5/2014 11:03:17 am

Your default position is that it's just TV, and we should expect no better. Why? Why should we expect no better? Why should we be content in any setting with the lowest common denominator? I accept that they can't all be NOVA or Frontline. What I do not accept, and what you have routinely advocated, is throwing up our hands and not trying to be better.

marc m
1/5/2014 10:57:43 am

I just watched the "new world order" episode, and I loved it when the old guy with the map of the Denver Airport told SW not to think but just look at it. Priceless! "Just don't think about it" should be SW's new catch phrase.

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Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 11:11:41 am

No … My position --- NOT by default, but by experience and reason -- is:

… that "America Unearthed" ISN'T "NOVA" which ISN'T "The Simpsons" which ISN'T "60 Minutes" which ISN'T "The Price is Right" which ISN'T "Frontline" which ISN'T "Cops" which ISN'T "The Real Housewives of *Wherever*" which ISN'T "Spongebob Squarepants" which ISN'T "The Late Show with David Letterman" …

So … The PROBLEM is … ???

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Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 11:15:18 am

The problem is that you think Scott Wolter is a great guy who makes a crappy show but you're totally OK with the crappiness of the show because TV viewers deserve crappy programs and shouldn't complain about them but should just passively accept what the glowing box gives them.

An Over-Educated Grunt
1/5/2014 11:39:55 am

Would you like me to provide a link to every blog post where you gave a variation of "it's just TV, lighten up?" If you are a clergyman, I find your stance that since it is imperfectible, it should not be improved to be very suspect. If you are a lobbyist for geology, I find your defense of a man practicing the equivalent of quack medicine appalling. I understand he is your friend, but as his friend, and as a Christian, you are failing him by existing his failures for friendship's sake.

An Over-Educated Grunt
1/5/2014 11:43:04 am

Oh for crying out loud. Excusing, not existing. It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools, but even so I should quit posting from a phone.

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 11:48:38 am

I give Rev some credit, he is standing up for his friend. Well that is about it.

He is also proving he is as misguided as his friend. I really hope it is not a thing with Geologist in Minn. I mean using a Wolter type logic, I can determine that two people involved in geology in Minn. are unable to look at the truths before them objectively and have to skew and simplify facts to meet there own needs and wants. Maybe the templar put some sacred runes in the waterways up in that area a long time ago that cause some kind of disorder that prevents rational thought (and my apologies to other Minn geologists if this is not that case).

Anyway Rev. its just a blog, get over it. It is not the Washington Post, Imdb (which has many comments making the same complaints about the show and Wolter) or Rotten Tomatoes, this is a small corner on the internet, so get over it... Its just a blog.. These are just people comments. Not a big deal they are just to entertain and educate..

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 12:17:43 pm

I am "not okay" with armchair snarky critics taking potshots at a distance at a PERSON whom I know to be smart and of excellent character …

I have NO PROBLEM AT ALL with any thoughtful informed well reasoned critiques of the CONTENT of the shows, per se … I never have ...

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 12:20:59 pm

its just a blog get over it.

Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 12:24:16 pm

Lighten up...

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 12:26:11 pm

LOL …

Indeed … this IS "just a blog" ...

Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 01:06:52 pm

Rev.Phil Gotsch.
Scott Wolter is a public figure & a successful businessman.It is legitimate to question his credibility,integrity & competence, especially when the same man is making a living by accusing academics & scientists of lying & suppressing the "truth".

Only Me
1/5/2014 01:22:45 pm

My problem, that I'm not okay with, is a clergyman and lobbyist who continues to confuse and conflate criticism of Wolter's body of work with criticism of the man himself.

You claim "I have NO PROBLEM AT ALL with any thoughtful informed well reasoned critiques of the CONTENT of the shows, per se", yet when someone does just that, you respond with "It's just a TV show...Lighten up". You're so busy circling the wagons in defense of your friend, your arguments are also circular. In essence, you're Clark Griswold, stuck in the roundabout in Britain..."Look, kids! Parliament, Big Ben!"

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 01:28:57 pm

Only Me --

LOL … This isn't my FIRST "rodeo" …

I can indeed distinguish between a person and her/his "body of work" … AND between "America Unearthed" and "NOVA" or "How the Earth Was Made" or *whatever* other TV show ...

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 01:32:05 pm

Its just a blog, its not Rotten tomatoes. Calm down enjoy the ride. You are acting like this is the only place in the whole of the internet that criticizes a public figure Relax, have some wine, maybe enjoy a movie.

Its just a blog,

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 01:55:41 pm

I am in fact imbibing some cabernet at this moment …

And I AGREE … that this blog is ONLY a "blog," and is best not to be taken very seriously … LOL ...

Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 01:56:42 pm

When a clergyman is guilty of violating the most basic religious principles,there is something such as excommunication...

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/5/2014 02:18:58 pm

Tara --

Excuse me … ???

An Over-Educated Grunt
1/5/2014 02:47:08 pm

Lest you think I am a snarky armchair critic, let me give you my qualifications. I hold a master's in geotechnical engineering. My advisor on that degree was, at the time, president of ASCE's Geo-Institute and the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geo-Engineering. I am at least partial author on four conference papers, a state-level technical report, and the geotech phases of a federal historical conservation project. I have built and managed a pavement-maintenance program including core sampling. I have worked as a lab tech, from simple tests to machines where only a dozen exist. In another life, I was the entire chemical defense network at Camp Victory, Kuwait, despite being a radio operator, and I was the idiot who reclassified from signal to infantry because I enjoyed it. I am not, in other words, merely venting my spleen at someone more sucecssful than me. My belt has plenty of notches.

I know from experience exactly what Scott Wolter had to go through in order to get licensed as a geologist. I don't even consider the "fake degree" controversy a slap against him, because I fully believe that he is qualified as a geologist, with at least a decade of school and work, and the good references of his peers, before he could call himself as such. I honestly do not care if he is a nice guy, I don't care if hes a raging asshole, I don't care if he sacrifices to Pan the Goat God. I certainly do not care how "manly" he feels he has to be. I care if what he says is wihin his professional competence. When it isn't, he tarnishes the name of the profession and reduces his credibility. When he says things that should be in his sphere that make zero sense (see Great Lakes copper; how does a petrographer not know that materials are correlated by matching impurities?), it tarnishes it more. When he's offered a chance to shine, like, say, the Rockwall episode, which was a perfect opportunity for a geologist... he punts. I can see how he could do better, using only the tools of what is supposed to be his trade. The man himself? I couldn't care less about him, but his output, at least on AU, is rubbish.

Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 06:23:25 pm

An Over-Educated Grunt
You don't have to justify yourself to Wolter`s sycophants.This is precisely what they expect us to do.The way I see it,I am treating Scott Wolter`s expertise the same way I would deconstruct the work of any other academics.Wolter`s groupies don't have a clue about the inner working of scientific methodology.They blame us for being tough & critical with a man who labels himself as a "scientist" (as he did on this episode), but if Wolter was willing to submit his "researches" to academic peer reviewing,he would not even pass the most basic litmus test.He reminds me of yet another lunatic pseudo scientist,Dr Melba Ketchum,the bigfoot lady. She desperately tried to publish an half baked paper on bigfoot DNA,she was torn apart.

abductedbyaliens
1/5/2014 11:32:53 am

@Jason - Will you be reviewing The Curse of Oak Island which starts tonight?

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Jason Colavito link
1/5/2014 11:46:39 am

Good question. I don't know. It looks so bad I can't imagine having enough to say about a full hour of it, let alone a whole series!

PopMatters previewed the show and found it "frustratingly drawn-out" with too many graphics, over-produced music, and ham-handed and deceptive editing that shows a program made on the cheap. Apparently it is a very slow videologue of its stars excavation during the summer of 2013, with minute-by-minute coverage of the digging and pumping and standing around.

You can read the review here: http://www.popmatters.com/review/177938-the-curse-of-oak-island-slow-going/

Since the reviews say that there isn't really anything historical in the show, and it's mostly just two idiots digging holes, I think I'll give this one a pass.

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Matt Mc
1/5/2014 11:50:15 am

I bet they take better care digging the hole than Wolter did with his two holes.

Jason D.
1/5/2014 06:55:32 pm

"PopMatters previewed the show and found it "frustratingly drawn-out" with too many graphics, over-produced music, and ham-handed and deceptive editing that shows a program made on the cheap."

So like every episode of America Unearthed then.

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 11:51:22 pm

I found the Oak Island show to be more entertaining than I thought. The first episode seemed more like a character introduction than anything else. They set the narrative and said the plans for the season. I do wish it went deeper into the lore of the treasure but I think that is to come. Overall the two main characters are much more interesting in their theory presentation and objectivity than Wolter, they seem only interested in solving the mystery even if that mean finding nothing.

We will see I still have my doubts since the show is made by Prometheus the same production company as Ancient Aliens, so there could be interesting off the wall stuff to come.

DrBB
1/6/2014 06:48:14 am

Well I'm disappointed that the Oak Island thing turns out to be more of the same, if that's what I'm hearing. I suppose it was stupid of me to hope, but it seemed like you could have a pretty decent show just doing the actual history of the place, what made people think there was some kind of treasure buried there and the various hopes of sudden wealth that have been dashed trying to unearth it--if it exists. Seems like the potential for a very human story of avarice, ingenuity and (possible) self-delusion was there.

It really sucks that there are so many great stories to tell that wouldn't involve Just Making Shit Up™, which is all these guys ever seem to do. To borrow a phrase ubiquitous in these pseudo-historical shows, "Is it really so hard to believe" that audiences might be interested in some ACTUAL history once in a while?

Jason Colavito link
1/6/2014 06:57:59 am

I reviewed the first episode in today's (1/6/14) blog post. It wasn't exactly more of the same, but closer to Ice Road Truckers than to Ancient Aliens, though it shares Ancient Aliens' narrator, which to my mind has a negative connotation. (Poor narrator. Forever the voice of the aliens.)

Joyce D.
1/7/2014 07:43:12 pm

I look forward to the Oak Island Episode. It intrigues me. We have engineers who can overcome the obstacles and pump out the water. Scott was there last year and it was a bust.

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Templar Conspirator
1/5/2014 03:54:48 pm

"Wolter gasps in shock that there is a giant X on the coast, but even he has to admit that it has nothing to do with the Knights Templar"

Really! Really Scott. Your giving up too easily. After all with that giant fleet of theirs. It's Exxon staring you in the face again! Argh! Sometimes you actually frustrate me Scott.

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Jason D.
1/5/2014 04:21:30 pm

This episode cemented for me why I find America Unearthed and Ancient Aliens so differently. With AA, you know those guys are known con-men without any serious body of work, they may actually believe their own tripe but either way they are in it for the money and the fame.

AU is different, I was describing it to someone the other night as I was watching it and his reaction was that Scott needed mental help. I thought for a second that it was a bit strong, but then after watching the new episode for a second time, I'm beginning to wonder myself. I think the difference is that Scott seems to actually and passionately believe this stuff, he's not just in it for the money. That makes watching AU seem more blurred than the obvious non-scientific entertainment of AA. I've known people sadly with that level of delusion, that everyone else is against them and they're on some kind of quest, complete with fake hero persona (in this case Indiana Jones). The sadist part of AU may not be the pseudo-science it espouses, but rather that H2 has exploited and in fact encouraged a man's mental illness.

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Tara Jordan link
1/5/2014 06:06:20 pm

"but rather that H2 has exploited and in fact encouraged a man's mental illness".
This is an excellent point.Beyond the sheer tartuffery & the quackery of Scott Wolter,there is an undeniable element of psychiatric disorder in his behaviour.

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Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/6/2014 02:20:03 am

Having worked as a mental health counselor and chaplain in both inpatient and community settings … AND … having real life personal knowledge of Scott Wolter as a person …

No … Scott Wolter has no obvious psychiatric disorder ...

RLewis
1/6/2014 04:28:16 am

I don't actually believe SW has a mental disorder. He's just part of the subculture of people who have whacky ideas. He is constantly surrounded by them and they feed off of each other. If you check out some of the podcasts he frequents you'll hear even crazier theories. These people are so out there they can't even get a show on H2. In comparison, SW comes off as one of the saner personalities (it's probably not a compliment that he is the least crazy person in the looney bin).

Tara Jordan link
1/6/2014 05:02:35 am

"element of psychiatric disorder in his behaviour".
Such as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder & Narcissistic personality disorder

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/6/2014 05:58:50 am

LOL …

Again, having known Scott Wolter as a personal friend and professional colleague for more than twenty five years, I certainly can attest that he not only has "more than one iron in his fire," he maintains SEVERAL "fires" with multiple irons in each of them …

He has played semi-pro football, he plays hockey, and helped coach his daughter's gymnastics team … He is INDEED very assertive and self confident … He throws himself into anything that is important to him … and he gets results …

But do his personality traits and quirks (of which nearly EVERYBODY has at least some; see: Theodore Millon, "Disorders of Personality" …) indicate any frank pathology … ??? No ...

Jason Colavito link
1/6/2014 06:01:36 am

I need to step in here and note that there is no evidence that Scott Wolter suffers from any disorder, and these potentially libelous statements are speculation based on his television personality and should not be considered diagnoses or statements of fact, nor do they reflect my views.

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/6/2014 06:18:33 am

My goodness graciousness …

Jason and I agree on something significant … Is it possible to have this moment stuffed and mounted … ???

;-)

Tara Jordan
1/6/2014 06:33:13 am

Jason.There is nothing libelous about "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder & Narcissistic personality disorder".These are considered minor psychological dysfunctions.Besides I am not the only one making observations about Wolter`s behavior.Please remember we are talking about a man who constantly accuses Academia & the government of lying & suppressing the truth.But you are right,personal considerations have nothing to do with the issue at stake

DrBB
1/6/2014 06:53:27 am

@Tara -- I've no idea if you're right about an element of psychiatric disorder in Wolter's personality but you win the Internetz for today for "tartuffery."

Tara Jordan
1/6/2014 07:08:38 am

DrBB
Thanks,Tartuffe is pretty cool,I am used to be called "nasty little bitch",& usually I take it as a compliment

Matt Mc
1/5/2014 11:56:23 pm

I don't think Scott believes the stuff as much as it is presented. He has mentioned several times on his blog that he does not say what he really believes because the producers determine the script of the show. What I see in Scott is a person who is ego driven, he seems more interesting in feeding his ego and proving that he can present anything as fact then he does actually believing what he says. He is much like a Kardashian in the fact that he lets his narcissism drive his presentation.

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Jason Colavito link
1/6/2014 06:38:12 am

Under current libel law, asserting that anyone has a disease or disorder that he does not actually have can potentially be libelous, especially when it is not directly germane to the work being criticized. There was a famous case where a TV station showed footage of people walking down the street while talking about disease, and a person seen in the b-roll successfully sued for libel because the juxtaposition served to implied she had the disease. That's why today b-roll usually shows people from the neck down.

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RLewis
1/6/2014 06:53:56 am

You're right, Jason. Everyone (including myself) should stop the ad hominem attacks. His theories, actions, and statements give us plenty of material to challenge.

Tara Jordan
1/6/2014 07:02:58 am

I wonder why George Bush Junior never filed suit against Justin A. Frank, the author of "Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President".

Jason Colavito link
1/6/2014 07:13:44 am

There are three levels of individual: public figures (generally officials), limited-purpose public figures (in narrow areas of public concern), and private individuals, with progressively more protection. Public officials have relatively little libel protection, especially insofar as the speech reflects comment on their performance of public functions. Limited-purpose public figures enjoy more protection, especially in areas not directly related to their specific area of public concern. For now, I would err on the side of considering Wolter a limited-purpose public figure since he at present opines only on a limited area of public concern, North American history, and is not "pervasively" involved in public affairs, which is the legal standard for being a general-purpose public figure.

Tara Jordan
1/6/2014 07:16:55 am

RLewis
You are right,but I have a serious problem.I am too young to be diplomatic and not old enough to be wise

Tara Jordan
1/6/2014 07:36:57 am

Jason, Thanks for the clarifications,
Scott Wolter is a big fish Limited-purpose public figures & I am a nobody (not even a Postdoc yet).Besides I am outside US and European jurisdictions

Dave Lewis
1/6/2014 06:26:17 pm

Jason D. said "The sadist part of AU..." a Freudian slip methinks! You certainly have to be a masochist to watch AU!

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The Other J.
1/6/2014 10:47:01 pm

I don't know if we can (or should) go so far as to diagnose someone's mental state, but given his actual credentials as a geologist and his lack of application of those credentials despite trading on them for audience credibility, there may be something else going on here.

An Over-Educated Grunt has a similar academic background as Wolter, and above went over some places in the history of his show where Wolter SHOULD have applied certain principles of his discipline in order to demonstrate something useful or significant. In almost every case, he fails to do so -- likely because it would serve to demystify the narrative.

This kind of willful and active abdication of proclaimed principles is reminiscent of a couple people in politics: David Horowitz and David Brock. Both got their starts as fire-breathing true believers on one side of the political spectrum (Horowitz a socialist, Brock a conservative media hit-man), and both had some sort of revelation that sent them reeling over to the other side and becoming fire-breathing true believers for the opposite ideology.

Not that that can't happen, but often you'll find them espousing bromides and crafting rhetoric that, if they EVER truly believed their original ideologies, they know that there are at least one or two decent arguments against what they're saying, and the truth of the subject is a little more complicated and somewhere between those positions. But complication isn't as sexy and doesn't sell as well.

TL;DR: Wolter strikes me as doing something similar with regard to his geological credentials. There's more to be made as a geological entertainer than a geologist, and he's not above trading in the principles of his discipline in order to trade on his background. And if the Reverend Gotsch is to be believed, if we think we're meant to believe this good man just because he flaunts his academic training when he flings tall tales, we're just suckers for snake oil -- and we shouldn't bother pointing that out, because somehow that's bad form.

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Joyce D.
1/7/2014 07:49:13 pm

You guys are unbelievable. Seriously. America Unearthed, Bigfoot, Monday Night Raw, and Aliens are all the same. You know that right? Let's get real.

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B L
1/6/2014 05:27:30 am

After watching this episode I implore the scientific community to re-evaluate everything we have learned from Scott Wolter regarding Lake Superior Agates.

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Prone
1/6/2014 08:06:05 am

Over 100 comments and not one from Gunn.
I guess it would be pretty impossible to make a rambling comment about medieval norsemen even slightly relevant to the content of this episode, blog post, or any of the comments. I'm disappointed.

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Only Me
1/6/2014 08:28:03 am

Take it from someone with personal experience...sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lie.

There have already been too many threads that have ended with harsh words and feelings; let's not add to them.

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Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/6/2014 08:35:11 am

Amen …

As It is Written: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger … " -- Proverbs 15:1

Rob
1/6/2014 07:43:42 pm

To reiterate my comment from the episode before this--I really love those vistas!
This might be unpopular on here, but I actually don't have a problem with Wolter's personality. I enjoy his passion. I'm just really curious if he believes what he's spouting or if he's just in it to have a lucrative TV and writing career (or maybe both). The first episode I saw was the Giants in Minnesota and I was like, hmmm... When I saw how upset he got in the Lost Colony that's when he really lost any credibility with me. I'm very ignorant of archaeology and am the farthest thing from an academic. Like him or not, my BS detector just went off one too many times. That's when I searched out and found this blog to confirm my gut reactions.
Anyway, the combination of watching AE then reading the corresponding review on here has quickly become one of my favorite past times in the last couple of months.

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Tara Jordan link
1/6/2014 09:04:08 pm

You seem like a pretty smart cat to me.
There is a popular misconception amongst individuals who espouse irrational & wacky beliefs,"you need a higher education to be intelligent" (also known as: pretending to be intelligent).This couldn't be farther from the truth.In nature,skepticism & critical thinking are intrinsic factors,because they are needed in order to survive.In post modern societies,the desire for self satisfaction overshadows the survival instinct.In layman`s terms,humans crave things that make them feel good, and more than often,this is dangerous.Individuals who watch these "alternative history" shows love the idea of having access to "special knowledge".Since most of them are are utterly illiterate & or undereducated,this sentiment of belonging to "something special" counterbalances their inner frustration & inferiority complex.

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Rob
1/6/2014 09:33:18 pm

Actually, I love the idea of alternative ideas and theories to the stuff we grew up on. It's just that SW has proven he is not the man to illuminate us on these things (as evidence is severely lacking, to put it mildly).
I see that there are going to be 26 episodes this season on AE. Holy Moses. My ability to suspend belief and humor Wolter on this show will indeed be stretched. It's strange because without this site I probably would have lost interest after the 4th or 5th episode I watched. Glad I'm not a Nielsen's home.

Tara Jordan link
1/6/2014 09:55:25 pm

Rob.There is nothing wrong about being fond of alternative ideas and theories,we are not medieval obscurantists.As a matter of fact,the scientific research & experimental development process is precisely about turning crazy theories into realities.

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The Other J.
1/6/2014 10:13:34 pm

"Seriously: In this hour Wolter did absolutely nothing. He dated no rock, uncovered no artifacts, researched no texts… nothing! He could have stayed home and produced the exact same results."

Well, he WAS on vacation.

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Lastsister link
1/9/2014 05:09:07 am

I like to watch the show and think Scott is a salesman but he does try hard. I wish I could investigate all the things that are floating around in my head. Teehee!

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titus pullo
1/7/2014 01:43:01 am

Ok..change of subject..I watched last night on my iPad mini my wife/kids bought for me for XMas the Oak Island premier. It wasn't half bad..the two guys seem to have done their research the one is an engineer and is coming into this as a skeptic...yes more drama that necessary and they didn't mention the one obvious solution..its just a sink hole in a limestone base Island..but it was interesting and I can see some personal development of characters..and again the photography really is good..one thing you can say about the History Channel..they have some great cinematographers..

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CFC
1/7/2014 07:36:10 am

The only good thing to come out of America Unearthed is this blog.

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Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/7/2014 08:41:19 am

I think that the H2 "America Unearthed" TV shows have genuine positive value in stimulating and encouraging active interest in and discussion of North American history and pre-history … In my opinion, that s a GOOD thing ...

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Tara Jordan link
1/7/2014 09:54:38 am

Rev. Phil Gotsch
Are you a creationist?

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/7/2014 10:12:33 am

LOL … No ...

Rev. Phil Gotsch link
1/7/2014 11:06:57 am

I don't understand your enthusiasm at defending Scott Wolter "researches".
From an academic perspective,the nature & the quality of his researches is abominable.He has less than zero expertise,he doesn't even know the basics.As far as I understand,you are a geologist.Geology is not my discipline,do you honestly expect me to lecture you on geology?.How would you feel about the "authority" of a "profane" claiming to rewrite the most fundamental principles of geology?.Mr Wolter has every right to claim authority (which he doesn't have) other a discipline from which he is utterly ignorant,but this is not science,not even revisionism.This is defined as hogwash speculation.

Tara Jordan link
1/7/2014 11:10:31 am

Rev. Phil Gotsch
I apologize for the previous post, I unintentionally put your name instead of my name.

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/7/2014 01:25:11 pm

Tara --

The only "researches" done by Scott Wolter which I have "defended" are those on the Kensington Rune Stone … I was on the *inside* of that project from *day*one* and while I began as a total skeptic, I have gradually concluded -- based upon several separate line lines of evidence -- that the KRS is authentic …

I HAVE however, indeed vigorously defended Scott Wolter HIMSELF … which is a different question entirely ...

Tara Jordan link
1/7/2014 04:48:50 pm

Rev. Phil Gotsch

You bring an interesting perspective to the disussion.You want to separate the man (Scott Wolter) from his accomplishment.I can understand & I respect this position, since Mr Wolter is a personal friend of yours.But you also have to understand the very perspective from which,some of us are "attacking" Mr Wolter.We have no personal connections to him.We are addressing very specific issues that constitute the embodiment of Mr Wolter`s legacy.Mr Wolter doesn't stop at challenging the status quo by making extravagant claims,but he also throws a lot of accusations towards academia & scientists.I would say,fair enough but show me what you got,& so far I have seen nothing.

Mr Wolter has adopted a very comfortable position.He pretends that scientists & academics are recurrently ignoring his groundbreaking discoveries,suppressing the truth,but he systematically refuses to submit his "researches"to academic reviewing.He is also extremely hostile & dismiss anything that doesn't support his own theories.You cant have it both ways,this is utterly disingenuous.Mr Wolter cherrypicks the facts that he uses to present a case & ignores anything that doesn't help his spin.I think he is one of those people who cannot stand to lose an argument & will twist his logic into a pretzel in order to prove his case.Having said that,I have to say that thanks to you,I came to realize that the personal attacks are indeed,totally inappropriate,unnecessary & counterproductive.
To be honest.It is more the uneducated individuals who take shows like AU seriously who are to blame,than people like Scott Wolter,because Scott Wolter doesn't even really have to go out of his way to trick people.The people come to him with money in hand.

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/7/2014 05:10:56 pm

Tara --
As I have relentlessly pointed out numerous times already, the H2 "America Unearthed" TV shows are just that -- TV shows …

They are NOT high level ground-breaking scientific inquiries … They are at best *preliminary* in every respect, not definitive … Of course they do not result in published articles in peer reviewed journals … That is not their purpose … They are commercially produced TV shows, offered in order to attract viewers to satisfy paid advertising sponsors … They are what they are ...

Tara Jordan link
1/7/2014 05:21:02 pm

Rev. Phil Gotsch.
On few occasions I issued very specific questions to Scott Wolter,so far he has refused to respond.I have one particular challenge to Mr Wolter regarding the Knight Templar.I want him to show me ONE historical document within the original archives,that records or mentions a Knight Templar transatlantic journey to what is known today as North America.I am not an authority on Knight Templar,I am not even slightly interested in this topic,but years ago I contributed to an academic paper on Jacques de Molay,translating many original documents into English.I am very confident because I went through thousands of historical documents & original archives.Since Mr Wolter doesn't speak French,I would recommend him to read what is probably the most authoritative chronicle of the history of the Knights Templar,in English."a history of the deeds beyond the sea".Written by William of Tyre between 1167 & 1184.
Would you be kind enough to forward my question to Mr Wolter?.
Thank you.

I am even willing to do half of the job for Mr Wolter.He doesn't have to hire a serious research assistant.Most of original & historical documents related to the Knights Templar are archived at the:

Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal Paris: http://tinyurl.com/mb26pcq

La Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gallica Numeric Library):http://gallica.bnf.fr/

Bibliographies spécialisées pluridisciplinaires de l`Université Paris-Sorbonne:http://tinyurl.com/m4w9xw5

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/7/2014 05:27:30 pm

Tara --

Just send Scott your info. directly, and he will attend to it, or not ...

Tara Jordan link
1/7/2014 05:56:26 pm

Thank you Rev. Phil Gotsch.
To be honest,what pisses me off with Scott Wolter,is not that he is successful TV host (good for him,because I am not the jealous type).What infuriates me,is the fact that he pretends to be engaged in a scientific process,& he doesn't stop there.He also accuses the rest of us (those idiots like myself who sacrifice sleep,family,friends & other joys of life over higher education & studies) of lying,of suppressing the truth,of being part of a conspiracy to silent individuals who like him,are brave enough to challenge corrupted academics.This is the reason I take this shit very seriously.As an insider I am fully aware of what is wrong with academia.I am probably an arrogant young woman,but I value intellectual honesty & integrity above anything else.I am indeed stuck between a rock & a hard place, because I personally have to face academic dysfunctions on daily base.Mr wolter has every right to make extravagant claims,as long as he refrains from claiming to be engaged in a scientific or academic process.Furthermore,when he throws accusations at academics,it is as insulting as the personal attacks (which I plead guilty) we direct at him.

Only Me
1/7/2014 09:50:55 pm

Phil, you've said that AU has value in stimulating and encouraging interest/discussion of history and pre-history, that it's just a TV show and that it's not ground-breaking scientific inquiry. That is where the bone of contention lies.

The opening monologue states that the history we've been taught is wrong and Scott is going to get to the truth. I dare say that the majority of AU's audience will get the impression it's a historical documentary series, not entertainment. Scott claiming to be a forensic geologist, a real occupation, only reinforces this impression. I'm not saying the audience is stupid, but again, the majority will not research the content of an episode, or the accompanying conclusions, and will simply take it at face value. They will then perpetuate the content, through word of mouth, to family and friends, who will, more likely than not, also accept what they're told at face value. The actual percentage of the target audience that will discuss and follow-up the content of a particular episode is small. Like the written word, television is a powerful, influential medium. Far too many simply accept what is presented as true...probably why TV is also called the "boob tube".

If you find what I'm saying sketchy, consider this: Jason, as well as many commenters, has been the subject of personal attacks, some of which are downright vile. Why? Because he does reviews and nothing more. If AU is just entertainment, then why do so many find it necessary to be so hateful toward a man who investigates its claims and evidence as a hobby, and turn equal spite toward those who come here, simply because they like the blog? This is why there is a moral and ethical obligation on the part of the production company and Scott himself. If it's entertainment, then there should be a disclaimer. Scott should also not be engaging in cheap shots towards academics, the government, institutions or any guests that happen to disagree with him.

Like you, I take the show for what it is. Most of us coming to this blog do. I think it is irresponsible to simply wave away what it gets wrong, on the basis of "it's a TV show". Commercially produced programming, aimed at the lowest common denominator, is not a good thing...especially when it makes grandiose claims it can't back up and the host is hostile to certain parties.

Matt Mc
1/7/2014 11:59:56 pm

Well said Only Me.

I also would like to add that within a program like AU they go to great lengths to push there message. Using repetition,exclusion, and incorrect summarization's to incorrectly present supposed facts as possibility. When you add this to the documentary style of the program it is misleading.

I agree there are many people like yourself and others that can notice this right away and see through the veil. There are however also many who take it a face value simply because the show presents what it is saying as fact (not speculation). This is were my problem lies. I also have problems with shows like AA and FInding Bigfoot for the same reasons. There is nothing wrong with speculation but to use media manipulation to present speculation as fact is wrong and in my opinion unethical. I am glad like people like Jason and others are willing to take programs like this to task simply because it might help one person (hopefully more than that) realize how they are being manipulated. I also know that it the show can be entertaining and explorative without having to resort to these techniques. Now who do I hold accountable for this, well mostly Committee Films, but since Wolter does play a larger role than just a host (at least according to what he says publicly) I hold them all accountable.

So yes while it is just TV, it is also more, it is TV made and produced to deliberately mislead. That is something that should be questions. Just like AA, FInding Bigfoot, all the damn prepper shows (which promote paranoia and underlying political and religious agendas). And as I have mentioned before I do hold the "news" channels at task for the same reasons.

I do however agree that Wolters personal life should not be called into questions, but he choose to blur that line by bringing his family into the program and working them into his on screen narrative. That blurs a line and I think it is a dangerous one to cross based on my past experience. It is his choice to make but I hope he realizes the more he makes the program about himself (and now his family) the more he opens his private life up to attack. All public Television figures have to learn how to balance that fine line between public and personal and he is balancing on a delicate tight rope. For example there was one reference in this thread about his daughter and that she was blonde (inferring that she was cute to some manner) I have seen other similar comments on some other sites. That worries me, that puts her at a higher risk and scrutiny. I hope that Wolter only crosses that border between personal and private out of ignorance and the obvious fact that he is enjoying a little more fame and the ego strokes (and why should he not that is common when people first become TV personalities) and not something more deliberate.

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/8/2014 02:49:46 am

Again, I certainly have no problem at all with reasoned and informed critiques of "America Unearthed" or of ANY such offering …

The hype-drama of the mystery aspect of "A. U." is simply part of the formula intended to draw in and hold an audience … It is indeed exactly that, i.e., formulaic … For good or ill, it is HOW such TV shows are produced and marketed ...

As to Scott Wolter being unfair toward "the academy," I am in the uncomfortable middle on that question … Broad-brush condemnations of ALL "academics" are unreasonable, and Scott himself consults with them appropriately …

But … as with ALL heresies, there is some truth there …

Unfortunately, SOMETIMES there is a closed mind set among SOME academic folks … That WAS the case with the Kensington Rune Stone, e.g., the universal agreement having been made that it was a late 19th century hoax … However … That artifact had NOT been studied in light of recent new knowledge and Scott did a VERY thorough investigation that went quite against the grain of established claims ...

Joyce D
1/7/2014 07:54:33 pm

CFC you succinctly said what I think. I love reading the comments much than I like watching the show. As a group, we are pretty nice and I am proud to be a part this peanut gallery.

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Watcher
1/7/2014 07:55:55 am

If H2 producers read this blog, please, for the sake of all that is decent, speed up the pace of AU and stop repeating the same things 20 times during the show. Watch that mysteries at the museums series and see how they cut right to the chase and give us the facts.

I always DVR your show and have it completely viewed in 15 minutes or less. Thank God for DVR and fast forward.

Furthermore, producers of AU, I gave up, following my first viewing of your show, believing there was any kind of real science and evidence involved. Now it's just mild entertainment for me while I play Words With Friends and check personal emails at the end of the day. Yet there are undoubtedly viewers out there who take your show as serious. Are you, who proclaim yourselves as the History Channel 2, really wanting to contribute to even more dumbing down of less skeptical viewer's minds?

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Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/7/2014 08:28:05 am

Interesting thoughts …

There was a show a couple Years ago on "Mammoths" (on which cable channel I don't recall) which was actually fairly good … BUT … There were TOO many annoyingly frequent and unnecessary cuts-BACK to an animated scene of mammoths *lumbering* across the countryside …

But … I suppose it had been relatively expensive to produce, so we got see the identical bit about six times in a one hour segment ...

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RLewis
1/7/2014 08:50:01 am

Just to recap…

The first episode this season had something to do with the Ark of the Covenant (which was not found)
Next (after the Ark was not found in the first episode) EU somehow tied a wrestling league to the builders of the Denver airport (still no Ark).
Following these (the first episode proving that the Ark is somewhere in America and the second episode explaining how wrestlers can dig tunnels in dirt)) was the world’s tallest wall that failed to reach ground level.
At this point, we have definite proof of the Templar bringing the Ark to the USA. This is followed by the wrestler-miners controlling the world markets, and the wall that may or may not have been built by giants – so we can now (in this, the fourth of the season’s episode) move beyond Arks, tunnels, and walls to finally discuss Vikings’ multiple voyages to America through not looking at any evidence.
So now - after establishing the Ark is in Ohio; Denver is the central meeting point for genocidal conspirators; giants only lived in Minnesota; and experts can’t read ancient runes (which clearly state that the Ark in episode 1 was hidden by Templar in caves which will be discussed in a future episode, (starting now) – we are ready to not investigate caves containing huge treasures (including the Ark, but not the world-ending plague virus, magnetically aligned rocks, but maybe also the skeleton of at least one Templar/Egyptian/Roman/Greek .
In summary, the last episode (following the Holy Ark of Ohio, Denver nest of word killers, unburied and reburied walls, unseen/untranslated secret messages, invisible caves) determines that Hawaii has many beautiful islands full of nice beaches and at least one swanky resort.

I will recap again after the next commercial.

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CFC
1/7/2014 09:33:55 am

This post from the AnandTech forum about Jason's blog and reviews of AU is so true...

"What I like is that Colavito points out the things that I miss...the things that I take for granted as not being complete fabrications. On that show, it's like, a statement is made, a couple basic facts are mentioned...then Wolter uses those facts and a bit of his own crazy speculation to reach what he presents as a sound conclusion. And the viewer says 'how in the Fxxx is that what he came up with given that information?' Then you read that blog, and he echoes your sentiments...but also breaks it down and mentions how every single thing that came out of the guy's mouth was actually completely wrong. Wolter is presenting absurd history to 'correct' established history...but he even manages to get the established history wrong."

J. Arthur Rath III link
1/8/2014 09:23:25 am

Thanks for you incisive review.

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Mark
1/8/2014 12:09:07 pm

I personally feel that this episode was the worst of the season thus far. It appears that people with personal ties to Wolter want to stand up for his genuine qualities as a good person. What Only Me said above about the personal attacks and legal behavior that was casted upon Jason and other bloggers truly to me shows Wolter's true human nature. I think the lack of uniformity this season makes this season drag along because of the bizarre nonsense and rubbish this show has become. I also am annoyed with the unnecessary dramatizations that begin every show.
Cheers.

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Only Me
1/8/2014 01:49:54 pm

Just to be clear, most of the invective comes from people who are, for their own reasons, invested in America Unearthed and Ancient Aliens. They believe, by being overly aggressive, they can bully the rest of us into silence. I don't attribute their words or behavior to Wolter himself.

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Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/8/2014 02:46:08 pm

Scott Wolter is the HOST of the H2 "America Unearthed" TV shows … He doesn't write the scripts or direct the production ...

Mark
1/8/2014 04:55:13 pm

I agree with your statement. Alot of emotions can get ultimately become silent violence. Reverend, as for your comments, I completely agree with you. He may be the host, but I am sure he has some say in some matter. I am sure Wolter is a nice guy to sit down and have a drink with, so because Ipro bably never will have that opportunity perhaps you or Jason can explain how the history channel even discovered him to be the host of this show. Since you know him personally, did he ever express his favorite episode to you?

Jason Colavito link
1/8/2014 10:34:19 pm

The History/H2 channel didn't discover Wolter. A producer named Maria Awes met with him in the 2000s and became convinced he had secret truth about Templars and Jesus and the Kensington Rune Stone, so she cast him in a 2009 documentary called Holy Grail in America that she sold to History. When it got good ratings, she pitched a series and turned again to Wolter because, she wrote in production documents, she was so impressed by his research and his insight into history. History had nothing to do with the choice and simply bought the final product.

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/9/2014 12:54:38 am

No, Scott has never said anything about a "favorite" episode … He loves meeting people and enjoys travel ...

Lastsister link
1/9/2014 05:22:36 am

Rev. Gotsch,
My world is crashing down. I like the program and Scott is motivated, bless his little heart. I will keep watching it, we were meant to question, RIGHT? There is so much to discover and I have only begun. I wish someone would pay be to do it.

John R.
1/9/2014 06:30:34 am

"Scott Wolter is the HOST of the H2 "America Unearthed" TV shows … He doesn't write the scripts or direct the production ..."

So you're saying it's ok to get paid alot of money, to say and do whatever others tell you to say and do even if you don't agree. Do they call that selling your soul? Nice lesson Rev.

Rev. Phil Gotsch
1/9/2014 09:24:39 am

John R. --

It's a commercially produced TV show … Lighten up ...

Matt Mc
1/9/2014 10:25:58 am

Rev- Its a comment on a blog...... lighten up

Lastsister link
1/9/2014 05:26:02 am

Mark, it's better than Duck Dynasty or some of the other crappy violent shows on TV.

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CFC
1/10/2014 01:03:55 am

Scott Wolter and Committee Films together with their partners H2, History and A&E, are misinforming and misleading the viewers of America Unerathed. They are self-indulgent and greedy and have no sense of program standards. Those who justify this type of programming are minimizing the harm done and are misguided enablers.

titus pullo
1/10/2014 08:33:09 am

Certainly better and more factual than anything on MSNBC, those "entertainment" shows, anything Kardasian, CNN, Bloomberg, the View..yep..much better than most TV these days..and that is very sad. The best show in years was "Freedom Watch" with Judge Andrew Napolitano but Fox cancelled it years ago..a great show..

Colin Hunt
1/9/2014 05:58:56 am

Wolter missed an important connection, surprising as he was staying in a Disney location. Many legends are passed down in songs and he should have investigated such a connection. I think he would have found that there were seven dwarfs, and the song that connects the location and the dwarfs goes something like, “Hi Ho. Hi Ho. It’s off to work we go.”

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Galaxylove
1/9/2014 06:13:23 am

Ok. This was an exciting episode for me. I believe the menehune were without a doubt, existing entities. The continent of Lemuria was in the pacific ocean. Hawaii is a remanent of this long lost land. They could have been nature entities(dwarf) or created as 'Things', mentioned by Edgar Cayce, to perform specific purposes, given certain powers to perform those tasks. They may not have needed tools! They have just aided somehow. Who knows but Much turmoil was brought on the lands because some believed they were not divine, but they were. You Go, I am proud of this show and this was one of my favorite shows yet. Keep going, and I tell you there is more her in GA to find. I know some spots!

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Dan
1/9/2014 06:31:08 am

You should write for AU.
Its pretty amusing that some legend that you believe "without a doubt" is followed in your post by a series of uncertainties, to quote: "could have been", "may not have", "somehow", "who knows", "some believed".

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Colin Hunt
1/10/2014 01:17:25 am

Oh for heavens sake! There never was a continent in the middle of the Pacific, the Hawaiian islands are remnants of volcanos formed as that part of the Pacific Ocean floor passes over a hot spot in the Earths crust, every school boy knows that. Check out a Pacific Ocean floor map, Google it! As the crust is moving another such volcanic island is being formed to the South East of the island chain right now and will be the newest Hawaiian island. If you don't understand even that basic knowledge wrong there is no point trying to debunk your other wild fantasies.

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Seeker
1/10/2014 06:03:13 pm

Galaxylove was kidding, right? I really hope so!

I agree this was the laziest episode yet and the Disney product placement was atrocious. Thank God for TIVO--between skipping the ads and the tiresome recaps, this episode took less than 20 minutes.

By the way, did anyone understand the point of the little people (awesome comment about Chucky, Jason!) terrorizing the woman at the beginning of the episode? That seemed especially apropos of nothing.

I agree with the person who wrote the best thing to come out of AU is this blog. I literally laugh out loud from the comments. And I truly appreciate Jason's work to suss through the gobbledygook.

As well, I agree with another comment about Mysteries at the Museum (and also the Monumental Mysteries show). When viewers tune into what's billed as a show about history--and also want entertainment and an effective host--those shows are more what they expect. It IS possible to both entertain and inform without going off the rails.

I do understand comparison with these other shows may be a bit apples and oranges since AU is an "alternative history" show. But even with that premise, AU viewers expect some adherence to facts, presentation of evidence and a narrative that hangs together under even mild scrutiny.

AU should be labeled as "infotainment." And pretty soon, it'll need to be labeled as straight up advertising if there's another episode like this one. H2 can and should do better because it's becoming a joke like A&E. You would think these networks would get a clue. If they just keep chasing dollars and putting on lame programming, the $ may come at first, but they ultimately drive away their most lucrative market segments.

Reply
Colin Hunt
1/11/2014 08:24:37 am

a large audience all For Jason. in all seriousness, look outside the USA. Much of the material in AU is USA centric and delusional. I think all reasonably educated individuals understand the self destructing fantasy trip Wolter is on, probably for cash. I think we all understand the facts in your blog thereby his unproven wildly hypothetical views that are actually affecting and damaging established knowledge and our children's education. I suggest a more objective view, and objective series, could be produced by an English or European company, such as the BBC. Your Intellect and objective analysis, of any subject not just Wolter's fantasies, would be compelling to their World-wide audience. Forget the Wolter crap, your far more accurate and perceptive analysis of any situationwould make a far more compelling analysis of any situation that Wolter's un-researched nonsense speculation. There are so many documentaries done by less academically qualified people, but so entertaining. You are very presentable (on your blog) and I think all would love to see you do a TV series that treated subjects more objectively. Contact UK, French, Aus, or Canandian TV. With your credentials I am sure you can get massive exposure and debunk all the theorists, that is what the World is waiting for, you to debunk the theories. It's you, superstar, like it or not. It's you chance to make the millions (I doubt that's your objective) So many will support you, read your blog. It's not a case of being against the wild Wolter theories, it's a case analyzing and putting theories to bed if possible, or debunking them. Few people have your intellect, therefore you have an opportunity (duty) to share that gift with others and take science forward, not just critic the less intellectual. Wolter's show has made you on internet, you are the intellectual superstar, go for it, create your own personality, forget the nurd!

Reply
Paul C.
1/11/2014 02:32:23 pm

I am so sick and tired of these less than credible shows on television today. These shows have been put into place to create a money source for the people preying on the people that are not capable of understanding these shows are false and worthless. The folks that believe them are unfortunate victims of network greed. All these cable networks seem to be unregulated as to the content of their shows. TRUTH is what we should be seeking, not the crap shown. Understanding our past and present so we can best understand what our future will be is most important.

Reply
jeanne
1/12/2014 10:26:29 am

gee, for a group that idolized and worshipped women...those Freemason founders couldn't give women the right to vote???????

Reply
EP
12/13/2014 05:26:43 pm

That would have given them away, you see... ;)

Reply
Raymond Brisson link
8/30/2015 08:19:18 am

my name is Raymond j Brisson. I lived in Maui Hawaii. Kaui to. I lived there in the 70,80,90's. I have probably cause that the little people live there and know solace.
Where they live. I was living in the land in Maui. There menehehune 's still living.
I was woking up one night. In my sleeping bag. No food. Had only a few thing with me.
I'm just going to tell you one time only.
They brought me to a place in Iao neddle,
Where they brought me in a cave. Fed me and look at me. They talk with grunts and hand signs. Symbols to. They are kind people. Loving. But persecuted by local Hawaiians. They only work at night. Because there skin is hairy and light.
It would be to hit to work during the day
To this day. I have a rock I pick up in the cave in Iao needle. To this day it glows at night. The piece of rock I pick up. So they brought me back before sunrise. The last time I saw them. Was when I got hit by a car at night. Broke my arm and landed in a canal where the water come to feed the sugar cane. After I regained consciousness. These three little people pull me from the ditch. The next thing I know I'm waving a car down. It happen to be a Maui
Cop. Who said what happened to you.
I told him. Then he brought me to Maui hospital. My girlfriend can vouch for me.
When I would walk down from paia they would run with me in the woods as I was running on the highway at night.

Reply
Stafford-Ames Morse
7/20/2016 01:59:54 pm

"Surprisingly or not, no skeleton of one of these half million craftsman-dwarves, nor even a trace of their miniature tools, has ever been found on Kauai or any other Hawaiian island. "

Not so:
1946, I found my menehune at Waialee, Oahu. North Shore

My dad had the skull on his work shop window and later gave it to the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Then later the Feds came and took it away.

Stafford-Ames Morse
morse.stafford@gmail.com

Reply
Matt link
8/16/2016 03:37:28 pm

Love the Menehune mythology! We have more information on them at: https://lookintohawaii.com/hawaii/8035/menehune-information-all-islands-hi

Reply
Jane Cain link
10/24/2018 02:00:07 am

I used to go to remote fish ponds on Maui. Amazing place to get lost. Ancient and remote. Always only one there. Have to hike around La Peruse Bay to access. Went to my favorite pond to watch the fish. There was a perfectly built stone house. Corners straight, windows and a door. You would be about 3ft tall to live there. I walked around it wondering who would do such miniature perfect stone work. I dreamed of crawling in and hanging my hand out the tiny window and into the fish pond. I didnt go in. That night i made steve promise to go see amazing house in morning. Went left early, hiked in and the house was gone. No trace. Not one stone. Later Hawaiian friend said it was a trap. Menehunes build them to trap you. I saw it. True story

Reply

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