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11:28 pm
May 13, 2011
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Milli
| | Chicago, IL | |
| Investigator | posts 73 |
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http://www.goodreads.com/book/…..ghost-hunt
So I was in Borders, and found this little delight, sitting on a shelf where it clearly didn't belong. I sat down and read through some of the stories. I'm…confused?
I don't really know how to explain it. The book isn't very well-written, and involved some members of TAPS that I have never heard of before. Especially this "Lyssa" character. She's new to the TAPS team.
Also, some of the scenes between Lyssa and Jason come across like the beginning of a sex scene in a romance novel. I took a picture with my camera phone of one of the parts that made me smirk. Maybe I'll upload it.
What I'm trying to say… the book kind of blows. I don't know why they keep writing these. They're not very entertaining. The stories seem far-fetched, even by Ghost Hunters standards. Especially the stories with little kids. In one story, the TAPS team receives a letter from a child who is terrified of his home. As I'm reading, I'm thinking "a 12 year old wrote this? really? i mean, really?" No, guys. And the way its written is like one of those old-school instructional training videos. I was waiting for one of the kids to be like "Willikers, Mr. Jason! Those EMFs sure are swell!" Jason tousles child's hair. "You got that right, kiddo! Ghost Hunting is fun, but not as fun as making millions off saying 'what was that??' ten times an episode!" /wink.
If you can grab a copy at your local bookstore or library, its worth some of the humor. Don't buy it. Just take an hour or two and flip through some of the stories for a jolly good time.
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and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!
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11:43 pm
May 13, 2011
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Axel Olrik
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Post edited 12:04 am – May 14, 2011 by Axel Olrik
I think it is off-putting because they are stories BASED on real life events (i.e. fiction) and intended for middle school kids. Lyssa is a fictional character.
I doubt that Jason or Grant even had much to do with it…which really isn't letting them off the hook since they put their names on it and made a profit.
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1:21 pm
May 14, 2011
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Skooter
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http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Hu…..1416541136
I read parts of this one and its horrible…the stories are ridiculous and the style of the book is terrible. The worst story is how these golf balls roll off a shelf and form into a perfect arrow pointing to some haunted bookcase or something. And this one was written by Jason and Grant. I have NO idea how it has 4/5 stars on amazon. It's very discouraging that people actually like the book that much.
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In 3……2……1……!!!!
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11:32 am
May 17, 2011
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Milli
| | Chicago, IL | |
| Investigator | posts 73 |
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Skooter said:
http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Hu…..1416541136
I read parts of this one and its horrible…the stories are ridiculous and the style of the book is terrible. The worst story is how these golf balls roll off a shelf and form into a perfect arrow pointing to some haunted bookcase or something.
I actually have that book.. a family member purchased it for me a long time ago. There is a similar story in the book I posted about… two boys are frightened by 7 pennies that mysteriously appear on the floor in a flower pattern. Come to find out, there was a family many years ago named Flowers whose son died tragically in that very bedroom. yuh-huh.
I think what bothers me most about the book I posted about, which yes, is a collection of fictional stories, is that they are promoting the type of stuff that real paranormal investigators should be trying to disprove. Things usually don't happen that way. Yes, people have had paranormal experiences, but why then make a collection of fictional stories, rather than a work of debated or thought-provoking evidence? To reach to the masses who believe everything they read? Well, I guess Jason and Grant know a thing or two about fiction. Hardy har har.
It reminds me of that movie Paranormal Activity. A lot of people I know did NOT like that movie because "you never saw the stupid demon! It was just doors moving!" Well, that was why I actually liked that movie. It had the tell-tale signs of a haunting: negative energy building up, things starting off slow and reaching a breaking point, and all-around terror. I watched an interview with the producer or writer or director and they said they did a lot of research about hauntings to try to make it as realistic as possible. Or, as realistic as hauntings can be portrayed.
Now, these stories aren't just doors swinging or whispers. There are full-bodied apparitions, beyond coincidental historical connections to haunted places, objects appearing out of nowhere, things moving, etc. etc. Why make things more fantastical than they seem merely for entertainment purposes? Like I said, it just kind of ruins any credibility that people are trying to build up on the pretense of being "professional ghost hunters."
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and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!
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1:39 pm
May 17, 2011
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Nosfer
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Milli said:
Now, these stories aren't just doors swinging or whispers. There are full-bodied apparitions, beyond coincidental historical connections to haunted places, objects appearing out of nowhere, things moving, etc. etc. Why make things more fantastical than they seem merely for entertainment purposes? Like I said, it just kind of ruins any credibility that people are trying to build up on the pretense of being "professional ghost hunters."
Course, think about the stock-footage of them in the vans driving to the investigation and Jason asking Kris or Amy "What can we expect here?" (They agreed to go but don't know what is happening there, but that's a whole 'nother topic for conversation)
Anyway, the Case Manager du jour gives a litany each time that really could have just been written once and applied to all their cases:
- Full Body Apparitions
- Being touched
- Objects Moving/Flying
So, all hauntings seem to be pretty intense. Nevermind the fact that most of the investigations turn out to be the sounds of footsteps, though Kris and Amy did seem to have their fair share of hair pullings for a while.
What would be interesting would be for them to release something that has some of the episode cases. A full description, evidence, etc. Make them put in writing what happened, let's see their documentation. Make it a case-book rather than a fancy story. Naw, will never happen.
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3:07 pm
May 17, 2011
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Axel Olrik
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| Investigator | posts 184 |
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Post edited 3:08 pm – May 17, 2011 by Axel Olrik
I think they should just stop publishing books…it is hurting the franchise.
I can't remember whether it was their first or second book, but in one they claimed to have video of a four foot "shadow persony" thing piling pots and pans in a kitchen.
Now really, why haven't we seen that?
Their respect for the viewer seems to exceed that for the reader….Which is strange. I would have thought it went the other way.
Except, short term, you don't have to provide verifiable evidence in print.
Oh! Look! A unicorn in the garden!
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3:11 pm
May 17, 2011
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Skooter
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I remember a lot of the book I have focuses on one of the cast members and their gf on the cell phone, can't recall who it is tho
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In 3……2……1……!!!!
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3:24 pm
May 17, 2011
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Nosfer
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Skooter said:
I remember a lot of the book I have focuses on one of the cast members and their gf on the cell phone, can't recall who it is tho
Brian.
As for the readers vs the viewers…well, it's a lot easier to write a fake shadow figure stacking pots and pans than to actually film it.
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Legal: The content of this post is copyrighted and is intended exclusively for use on skepticalviewer.com It may not be copied, distributed, or redisplayed on any other site without the express written consent of the author.
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4:00 pm
May 17, 2011
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Axel Olrik
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Post edited 4:01 pm – May 17, 2011 by Axel Olrik
Nosfer said:
As for the readers vs the viewers…well, it's a lot easier to write a fake shadow figure stacking pots and pans than to actually film it.
That is what I was trying to say…but I find it strange that, Grant's shenanigans aside, there is not more obvious skulduggery on GH the show. I mean, the paranormal evidence they produce is generally so slight, that one is almost inclined to think they are honest brokers. I was inclined to think so, and attribute the odd bits to post-production, but the books seem to contradict that.
Almost like there is something holding them in check…themselves? the producers? a recognition of technical incompetence? or just the awareness that they have too much to lose if they reveal themselves as complete and verifiable fakes (not that that seems to worry other "paranormal teams"; and yes, guy with the interesting coiffure, that, IMHO, means you.)
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10:03 pm
May 17, 2011
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Skooter
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Axel Olrik said:
Almost like there is something holding them in check…themselves? the producers? a recognition of technical incompetence? or just the awareness that they have too much to lose if they reveal themselves as complete and verifiable fakes (not that that seems to worry other "paranormal teams"; and yes, guy with the interesting coiffure, that, IMHO, means you.)
Must be their plumbing business, don't want anything against them on Angie's list 
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In 3……2……1……!!!!
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8:43 am
May 18, 2011
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Nosfer
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Post edited 10:03 am – May 18, 2011 by Nosfer
Post edited 10:04 am – May 18, 2011 by Nosfer
Skooter said:
Must be their plumbing business, don't want anything against them on Angie's list
Their what?
It seems that the word is finally getting out (which we knew here for years) about their "Roto-Rooter" status. See under Trivia at IMDB:
"Jason Hawes worked as a plumber and for television prior to GH. Grant worked in computers and design. Neither Jason nor Grant are Roto-Rooter plumbers. They work as Executive Producers to their show, Ghost Hunters and appear at public events while marketing their inn in New Hampshire."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426697/
Edited: The usual…formatting.
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10:48 am
May 18, 2011
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Milli
| | Chicago, IL | |
| Investigator | posts 73 |
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Haha, the Roto-Rooter gig. When the show first started, I thought it was pretty cool. Like hey, that makes sense. Two normal dudes who just so happen to be interested in the paranormal. They didn't have any of their fake set-up scenes there for a while, but then I think there was one this past season where they brought that old opening scene back. How cute.
@Axel, I agree, they should stop publishing books.
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and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids!
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8:46 pm
May 26, 2011
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Ghaleon
| | Hazard, KY | |
| Investigator | posts 176 |
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I was browsing through a local bookstore one day and came across a copy of Jason and Grants book "Seeking Spirits". I love a good laugh so I sat down to read a few chapters. It was one of the worst edited books I have ever read. I have never seen so many grammatical errors. There is one chapter where the word "the" is spelled "hte" through the whole chapter. I find it funny that the book promises "new and inventive ways for seeking out the paranormal". Every so called "tip" they put in the book is the basic stuff you find on any how to website or any ghost hunting book.
I think Jason and Grant thought that they had enough of wading through other peoples crap while with Roto Rooter so they where determined to make millions of tv viewers now wade through theirs.lol
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Pain is weakness leaving the body!!!
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9:10 pm
May 26, 2011
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Stephen
| | San Jose, CA | |
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I wrote up my thoughts on "Seeking Spirits" on the blog here. I didn't have trouble with the grammar, but I had just finished Dustin and Barry's "The Complete Approach", which appeared to have been proofread by a kindergarten class. I found most troubling Jay and Grant's endorsement of a relative who had been diagnosed as schizophrenic as a "sensitive" on the basis of catching EVP.
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Stephen the Friendly Skeptic
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9:13 pm
May 26, 2011
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Nosfer
| | Rotaredom | |
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Ghaleon said:
I think Jason and Grant thought that they had enough of wading through other peoples crap while with Roto Rooter so they where determined to make millions of tv viewers now wade through theirs.lol
See my post #11 above….
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6:35 am
May 29, 2011
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patchoulifan
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Ultimately, the books, the personal appearances, and everything that is not the actual show is the attempt to capitalize on the show while the iron is still hot. As we all know, nothing lasts forever, and the producers certainly understand this.
I have a bunch of episodes on my dvr, but I am having a difficult time motivating myself to watch them. The last one I saw was the Mackinac Island episode, and I was just curious because I have stayed at that hotel. Oddly, we heard nothing of the suppossed hauntings when we were there. The dog thing is ridiculous, which for me, fits right in with the current tone of the show.
For me, I enjoyed the first couple of seasons of GH. Going to people's homes instead of being shills for tourist destinations seemed more valid. I thought all the personal stuff made the team endearing to the viewer. Brian made the show more interesting. Now people come and go, and the viewers make no connection to the members of the team.
And connection seems to be important. Let's be honest. They never really catch anything, and "what was that," and all the stuff that they "see" but we don't, gets old quickly. So the personal aspects of the early show is what set them apart from say, "Most Haunted," which should have been called "What was that?"
Honestly, there have been episodes where Jason and Grant (especially Jason) have appeared to have as much trouble looking interested as I have. If the people making the show are having trouble being motivated, how is the viewer suppossed to feel?
The ridiculous dog situation, the penlight insanity, the constantly changing team members, Grant's string plow, the horrible Halloween "live" special a couple of years ago, and the freaking guest investigators shilling for their own shows on SyFy have managed to make this show nearly unwatchable.
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2:13 pm
June 2, 2011
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Eric
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Skooter said:
http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Hu…..1416541136
I read parts of this one and its horrible…
This book actually handles the cases that were on TV pretty well. The style of prose could be more from the author as he was putting his own style into Jason's dictation. Think about it: You are telling a story that was told to you from someone. Would you be able to quote verbatim what that person said to you?
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3:30 pm
June 2, 2011
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Nosfer
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Eric said:
Think about it: You are telling a story that was told to you from someone. Would you be able to quote verbatim what that person said to you?
Yes, I would be able to. And most "as told by" authors would be able to, as well. The good ones use tape recorders…or in this day and age "digital" recorders…when discussing things with the person.
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Legal: The content of this post is copyrighted and is intended exclusively for use on skepticalviewer.com It may not be copied, distributed, or redisplayed on any other site without the express written consent of the author.
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7:52 am
June 3, 2011
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Eric
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Good point. Could this have been an egregious error on the author's part?
Somewhat OT, but I wondering when/if Sadie will be having her own book soon…or maybe J/G will have a Dog EMF training manual book out.
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