Yes, that’s right, shock and awe. But I’m sure you can guess that it’s not GOOD shock and awe. Last night it occurred to me that the part two of the “special two night event” was on and I turned the channel to the show even though I had missed the first five minutes. Since I knew that one of the two locations had something to do with Voodoo I was especially interested to see how this would turn out. And…just…wow.
I gave the sort of blow by blow of how their investigations go in my post about them last week so I really don’t need to get into it again because this episode followed the same format as the last one. Silly instigation of spirits, putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations (both physical and spiritual) for the purpose of gathering evidence or creating some shock factor footage and just in general showing no respect for the spirits and locations being investigated. However it’s the first segment, the one that deals with a Voodoo curse in Louisiana from 1915 when a supposed Voodoo Priestess named Julia Brown places a curse on the whole town. A hurricane came several days after her own death killing just about everyone in the town. And in come “Ghostman” and “Demon Hunter” to check out the validity to the hauntings that have been reported in the area since.
They use a coffin as an altar, they invoke Papa Legba, Baron Samedi and Mama Brigitte (they invoke her with sparking water which I found interesting because I had always known that rum with hot pepper was appropriate to her). There is suddenly a sound of drums from somewhere and two of the guys take off and start exploring the woods and leave the “Demon Hunter” behind to hang out at the coffin altar. When they call to him to ask if he saw something that they saw and ran after they get no response so the come back and Nathan is laying on ground, mouth agape and eyes wide open looking paralyzed. Wow…really?
Here is the first part and I’ll include the second part as well but if you watch the first part you’ve seen all you really need to see. Although if you watch the second part you can get to see them mark the the whiney guy with chicken blood and put him inside the coffin altar, bury him alive and try and provoke spirits while the guy is in the coffin.
Honestly, I think that regardless of how ridiculous these guys are, this is just unbelievably disrespectful! The whole episode pretty much opens up with Shaun saying “We’re gonna mess with Voodoo for the first time in 15 years of investigating.” Keyword here being “mess”. Maybe it’s just me but that’s where my shock and awe comes in, the disrespect. It just doesn’t seem as though they’re working with the practices in the rituals from a place of respect or anything of that nature but more from a place of shock value. It’s like a 15 year old that dyes their hair green, gets a tattoo and starts doing things to freak out their parents; they don’t know what they’re doing, they aren’t doing it for any real reason, they’re just trying to get a reaction.
You know what the WORST part of all of this is? I can’t tear myself away from watching this train wreck. I’m sure if this does end up coming back on A&E as a regular show I wont watch more than an episode or two. There are two things that would make me less annoyed with this show. First, incorporating some ACTUAL experts in their investigations when they are going to do things like rituals. So with this Voodoo ritual they should have brought a Voodoo Priestess with them rather than just going and talking to one. Second, it would be great to see them do some research with their evidence after the investigations rather than just “hey we found some stuff let’s go home”. Their “evidence” of EVPs and their heat sink evidence are pretty suspect without any sort of follow up. When you see heat sink evidence of someone sitting somewhere when the three on camera personalities are in view of the shot that doesn’t automatically mean it’s a spirit, especially when you’re dealing with people that have a camera crew following them around. So who’s to say who or what that is?
Yup, cheat thrills. The real shock and awe for me is how many people seem to be loving this show based on the comments that A&E is getting on their Facebook and Twitter pages. It’s also surprised me greatly that there are people saying that this is what they would rather see other than shows like “Ghost Hunters”. It just makes me realize that we’re still not really in a place for television shows about true paranormal work and experiences. I guess in the meantime you can always check out the awesome team of Beckah and Katie Boyd and visit their site Supernatural Hotspots and watch their investigation videos and check out their stories. Until we start demanding better of the media and these “reality” paranormal shows we’re going to continue to be nothing more than a Halloween freakshow all year round.
I agree with you~this was totally disrespectful.
I watched the first part. It was the first time I ever heard of this show and I'm a fan of A&E. These guys reminded me of beer swilling trailer dwellers. All they needed were some wife beaters and budwieser. And the iparty coffin? please. Bring the rifle and f*ck yer sister – here come the new "ghost hunters"
I am so sorry to burst everyone’s bubble people… But as to Voodoo Priestess Julia Brown, you need to go dig just a little deeper! These are fact based events. I am a Louisiana resident, married to a Louisiana born and raised husband. We know all about Julia. You can go to the French Quarter and look up old newspaper articles about it. Sorry to have ruined your fun at trying to discredit these people. What they did WAS dangerous, may not have all been truly real, but what is told about the place IS real.
Hi Angelique…
The issue of “discrediting” these people has NOTHING to do with the Julia Brown story. It is a documented and well known Voodoo legend and the area that they were visiting is well know for being a place of paranormal activity. That isn’t the issue. The issue is with their methods and lack of respect toward the land, the Voodoo religion and the spirits that inhabit that land and who were laid to rest in that area. The stories are very real and the area is very much a haunted site, that’s not the issue at all. The only issue here is with the disrespectful actions of the team of “investigators” checking out the area and how they went about what they did. It would be interesting to see how other teams might work with a site like this.
Rowan, hubby and I stand behind you in that statement. I am so sorry for the misinterpretation of the article. I was, myself, appalled at some of the desecration of the site they went to. Unfortunately, for themselves, they will later pay for what they did in that town. I only hope and pray it is not to the detriment of their lives.
greetings,
i must say i too was very disugusted at how these “actors” are makeing a mock of not just vodou but “spirits”/ “spirirtual tradition” in genral! i cant even begin to express how sadend i am to see such a great culture and religion be disrespected by judeo christian driven actors! of a weak western mind set who simply lynch a “real” religion for profit!
take the items the guy had on the alter firstly they were simply useless empty palenganas and some beads, and that pointless meaningless deer skull and antlers WOW WHAT A STEROTYPEICAL sad soul!
the fact that they try to show the world “papa legba” or “baron samedi” etc. would come down and listen to this idiot is the worst part!
and then we have superman the cool guy chase a GHOST? wile screaming “come here you so.b. show your self” sad sad sad!
on ground were remains are laid to rest!
these guys are very low budget “FAKE” “ACTORS” who should be ashamed of themselves!
pentagrams voodou strap jackets = stupid!
theres was a recent bashing of vodou by the gay psycic CATHOLIC? chip coffee and those paranormal state guys! they went to a house and found an old vodou doll and CATHOLIC PRIEST came and removed it and all the “hounting” stoped? lol! look it up its horrible!
As a Santeria practitioner, I have to say this is not only disrespectful, it is also very dangerous. Thank God their ritual is so stupid that no Lwa would care about it.
Rowan, I just found your blog today and I’m loving it! Count me as a regular reader :).
As a Santeria practitioner, I have to say this is not only disrespectful, it is also very dangerous. Thank God their ritual is so stupid that no Lwa would care about it.
Rowan, I just found your blog today and I’m loving it! Count me as a regular reader :).
Rowan, I must say that i stumbled upon your website quite by accident when I was trying to figure out if Extreme Paranormal was an actual weekly show on A&E or not.I must say I am an avid fan of ghost hunting shows and am an amateur ghost hunter myself. Although I have to admit that even i was shocked at the tactics these people were doing for their investigational purposes. I also thought that it was quite disrespectful and wondered just exactly how they might pay for all this in the end. I am not that knowledgeable in the art of voodoo and pretty much know what the average person does on it and possibly a little more. However i do know that it is valid and demands respect all on its own and for those who have practiced it and still practice it. I am embarassed that they have made a mockery of the rutuals that demanded more respect than what they got. I agree that the show is more for a shock value than trying to find the truths in the world that we all seek to understand. I myself do not respect that show and if i do watch should it become a series it will be to satisfy my curiosity as to what bull**** they are getting away with now. I also think i am hooked on your blog and like others before me you can count on me to be a regular reader!!!
Rowan, I must say that i stumbled upon your website quite by accident when I was trying to figure out if Extreme Paranormal was an actual weekly show on A&E or not.I must say I am an avid fan of ghost hunting shows and am an amateur ghost hunter myself. Although I have to admit that even i was shocked at the tactics these people were doing for their investigational purposes. I also thought that it was quite disrespectful and wondered just exactly how they might pay for all this in the end. I am not that knowledgeable in the art of voodoo and pretty much know what the average person does on it and possibly a little more. However i do know that it is valid and demands respect all on its own and for those who have practiced it and still practice it. I am embarassed that they have made a mockery of the rutuals that demanded more respect than what they got. I agree that the show is more for a shock value than trying to find the truths in the world that we all seek to understand. I myself do not respect that show and if i do watch should it become a series it will be to satisfy my curiosity as to what bull**** they are getting away with now. I also think i am hooked on your blog and like others before me you can count on me to be a regular reader!!!
I watched this myself, and I thought it was a complete joke. To me, it was about 3 people will no knowledge of voodoo or the spirit world, making fools out of themselves. I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing!!
I watched this myself, and I thought it was a complete joke. To me, it was about 3 people will no knowledge of voodoo or the spirit world, making fools out of themselves. I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing!!
I watched this myself, and I thought it was a complete joke. To me, it was about 3 people will no knowledge of voodoo or the spirit world, making fools out of themselves. I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing!!
i watched this today, and i dont care WHO you are, you do NOT mess with voodoo unless you know what youre doing. i cant beleive how disrespectful they were to the dead in this particular location, even after the voodoo ritual was preformed. i have extreme respect for the dead, and even thinking about the slightest idea of messing with voodoo is a thought forbidden in my head. thats like messing with unblessed Ouija boards.
i watched this today, and i dont care WHO you are, you do NOT mess with voodoo unless you know what youre doing. i cant beleive how disrespectful they were to the dead in this particular location, even after the voodoo ritual was preformed. i have extreme respect for the dead, and even thinking about the slightest idea of messing with voodoo is a thought forbidden in my head. thats like messing with unblessed Ouija boards.
i watched this today, and i dont care WHO you are, you do NOT mess with voodoo unless you know what youre doing. i cant beleive how disrespectful they were to the dead in this particular location, even after the voodoo ritual was preformed. i have extreme respect for the dead, and even thinking about the slightest idea of messing with voodoo is a thought forbidden in my head. thats like messing with unblessed Ouija boards.