Let me get this topic started. For me personally I would be very saddened by the admission of deceit. It would surely be the end of the "Ghost Hunters" and probably take "Ghost Hunters International" with it. As someone who has never had a paranormal experience and really doesn’t believe in ghosts I have always watched shows about the paranormal strictly for entertainment. When the “Ghost Hunters” first came on I was intrigued by the style of the show and the earnestness of the people involved, especially Jason and Grant. From day one I never really believed in any of the evidence that was put forward as proof that ghosts exists. I could always see how easily it could have been faked. But I gave them the benefit of the doubt and suspected that others were manufacturing the evidence. Case in point: I always thought that Brian Harnois was the perpetrator of the East State Penitentiary cloaked figure. I had no compelling reasons to believe that, just a gut feeling. I always thought that that was the reason he temporarily left the show. I never bought into the drama that centered around his girlfriend. They did emphasize that he was a liar and couldn’t be trusted. I felt that he confessed to what he did and was exiled from the show. I’ve since changed my mind about Brian and believe that he is more honorable than I first thought.

I am a hard-core skeptic, but not so much that I can say for a fact that ghosts don’t exist. It’s like God, either you believe or you don’t. I don’t think the existence of ghosts can be proved or disproved, especially not with cameras, EMF detectors, audio recorders or thermal imaging. But it makes for good entertainment and I enjoyed watching the hunt.

I don’t feel that Jason and Grant owe me anything. No one should trust everything they see and hear. “Ghost Hunters” is an entertainment television program. There is no such thing as a true “reality show.” They are all scripted to some degree. Just the fact that they are on camera, and know that they are, means they are not going to behave in a “real” natural way. They will constantly be editing what they say and do. Add to that the fact that the program will physically be edited to make it more exciting to the viewer. We will not always see things in the proper order that they actually happened. That’s entertainment. The main goal is to stay on the air and make money. You could say that every program you see on TV can be sub-titled “Ratings Hunters.” Reality TV is no different.

I would feel very sorry for Jason and Grant if they hoaxed us because they have a lot more to lose than anyone else. They put their reputations on the line. They made us believe that they were sincere. They would also set back the legitimacy of ghost-hunting that they worked so hard to attain.

That’s my take; I’m interested to hear yours.

If they admitted to hoaxing, I would say, "No duh!" It wouldn't surprise me. The only surprise would be the admission of guilt.

SkepticalRader said:

What if Jason and Grant admitted that they hoaxed some of the evidence on the Ghost Hunters program? How would that make you feel? Would that be enough to satisfy you?

I don't think I would get any satisfaction from an admission. My initial attraction to the show was being able to spend some time watching it with my family and seing their reactions to the events and evidence presented. Even though I knew GH was misinterpreting evididence I didn't suspect them of hoaxing. I had strong suspicions that others were involved. I kept most of these thoughts to myself so that my family kept their interest and enthusiasm. It was something to look forward to on Wednesday nights. Even after viewing the well-formed skeptical explanations offered here, I was able to keep my attitude and opinions from affecting our overall enjoyment of the show.

All that has changed. Collargate was the tipping point. I showed them the clips and described the debunking. It was particularly painful to see my daughter's reaction. Interest in the show has almost vanished. No, there is no satifaction to be had for me.

Oubliette,

Might be interesting to let her tell you what she thinks about the show and some of their evidence. You might be surprised to find that she has doubts about some of their findings, as well. Then ask her what she thinks could be alternative possibilities. This might be a good time for her to learn that just because something is on tv doesn't make it true.

And that just because someone or some show fabricates evidence (in this case, the paranormal) doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't exist.

Oubliette said:

I was wondering what-if anything-I should tell my 7 year old niece about the show.  She loves watching it, and personally I don't have the heart to tell her what most of us have concluded here.  If think she is young enough where watching and believing it won't do her any harm.  In fact, I welcome the fact she is interested in the paranormal.

Now it's not as if she is watching PS, and frankly, my brother would not let her watch that show.  It's really scary, but for all the wrong reasons.

My two cents: I would refrain from telling your niece anything overly negative about the show in the near term. My youngest is 11 and she was disappointed when I showed her the evidence but she took it well. Your niece has a couple of more years to enjoy the bliss. When the time comes you can use it as a teaching point.