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And the "Bigfooter of the Year" Award Goes To . . . Man Who Claimed Alligator Leg was Bigfoot Arm

12/19/2016

31 Comments

 
I don't closely follow the goings-on in the world of Bigfoot. For the most part, I've written about Bigfoot claims when they intersect with the domains of archaeology, anthropology, and human evolution. There's a whole Bigfoot culture out there that I know little about. It's an interesting phenomenon, but there's only so much time in the day.

Last December, I wrote this post about the modern-day drama swirling around the claim that the arm of a Bigfoot (quickly revealed to be the articulated leg of an alligator) had been found in Florida.  I was interested in the story because the key ingredients of how it unfolded (including a climate of public interest, a lack of basic scientific acumen about the actual "evidence," profit motivations, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories) are all things that likely contibuted to the "giants" fad that rolled wave-like through late 1800's America. While the two are not the same thing, I see some potential parallels between finding giant skeletons back then and searching for Bigfoot today.

One part of the Bigfoot phenomenon that doesn't have a parallel in the world of 19th century giant skeletons, however, is the weird clan-based, trash-talking celebrity culture of self-poclaimed "Bigfooters." These guys (as far as I can tell, searching for Bigfoot is largely the domain of white males) compete for attention in just about every way possible except for producing actual physical evidence of Bigfoot. Given that we can't use the discovery of real evidence as an objective criterion for resolving all the mutually exclusive claims about who the best Bigfooters actually are, I was happy to learn that there are professional publications available for helping the layman sort the wheat from the chaff.  

And the 2016 award for Bigfooter of the Year goes to . . .  Stacy Brown, Jr.: the guy who mistook an alligator limb for a Bigfoot arm. 
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I don't have access to the complete article, so I don't know exactly what went into the decision to give such an honor to Brown. In the snippet I have, it appears important that Brown hikes around a lot. I guess as long as you're out getting exercise, it doesn't really matter so much that you apparently can't tell the difference between the anatomy of the hypothetical hominid you're hiking around looking for and the bones of a quadrupedal reptile. Mammals and reptiles have only been separate evolutionary lineages for about 300 million years. No biggee.

​Maybe Bigfooting awards are like paticipation ribbons now.  Hey -- good for you!  You tried!

What brought this important story to my attention was a posting in a Facebook group of some emails that appear to show Brown discussing how to keep the "Bigfoot arm" story in the news even though he knew it was a hoax. I have no way of knowing if those emails are legitimate or not, but you can read them here if you like.

Maybe we should start a year end tradition of awards for the archaeological "fringe." Help me brainstom categories and we'll get it done.

Anyway, Happy Holidays to all the Bigfooters out there who didn't win an award this year. Keep up the good work!
31 Comments
Bob Jase
12/19/2016 12:04:59 pm

Scoff it you will but just imagine that bigfoot arm wielding an ancient Roman sword....

Reply
Andy White
12/19/2016 12:15:29 pm

Without an opposable thumb . . . But what's a thumb, really, when you are an interdimensional being that communicates with infra sound and travels through time?

Reply
Jim
12/19/2016 01:23:52 pm

" awards for the archaeological "fringe.",,,,,I love it.

Special OOPart award,
Best dressed/costume,,(we all know who wins this)
Most flamboyant hairstyle,
LCA,,,(lost continent award)
Least read author/ most read author,
Hoax of the year Award
Greatest conspiracy theory
Most prolific coiner of scientific words or phrases
Top misuser of the word "forensic"

There is just no end to possible categories,,,,,

Reply
Andy White
12/19/2016 01:48:49 pm

Stalest Claim . . . Pants on Fire . . .

Reply
Jim
12/19/2016 02:03:51 pm

The awards could be stones with holes drilled in them,"Set in Stones" or Sissys.

Jim
12/19/2016 02:12:39 pm

Or, even better, they could be awarded lead Medallions, but we tell them they are made of silver.

pferk
12/19/2016 06:44:34 pm

I vote for the best dressed... it combines true imagination with material evidence...

Reply
DPBROKAW
12/22/2016 12:39:11 pm

Archaeological Fringe Awards:

Claims of 100% confirmed, based upon their evidence! (evidence, what evidence?)

Will change the way we look at history claims! (again, what evidence?)

Most highly qualified experts in the world working on the project (who, were not telling!)

Longest wait for evidence on 100% confirmed facts! Based on our evidence (again, what evidence?)

Most belligerent attitude towards people who have the nerve to ask for evidence (or about peer review)

Most generous definition of "peer review"

Reply
Jim
12/19/2016 01:48:17 pm

How could I forget, with the rampant ugliness shown by much of the fringe, we would need a Racist of the year award.

Reply
Andy White
12/19/2016 03:08:23 pm

"Abuse of Genetics."

Reply
Mike Morgan
12/19/2016 03:39:55 pm

Contact the History Channel to see if they want to televise the awards presentation.

Reply
Steve Alcorn
12/19/2016 07:16:41 pm

Andy, in the Bigfoot Community everyone does in fact get a participation award unless, of course, you are looking for real facts. Gator boy and his ilk is what the community want. He knew it was a gator leg almost immediately but played it up for publicity for several weeks. No one seemed to care then and no one seems to care now.
Actually, the Bigfoot community deserves Stacy to get this recognition. He's the face that folks on the outside see when they think of Bigfoot researchers and we deserve it as a whole. He is what others believe we are. We've done this to ourselves.

Reply
Joe Scales link
12/19/2016 07:40:33 pm

Move over boys and make room for the SHE-Squatchers:

http://www.thecallingradioshow.com/blog/she-squatchers-female-bigfoot-hunters

Reply
Uncle Ron
12/20/2016 04:18:12 pm

Not that it's really relevant here but this reminded me of when I was about ten years old (ca. 1960) and I saw an article in the men's magazine "True." (Dad was away and it was just lying there, in his dresser drawer.) The story was about a hunter who supposedly saw a bigfoot while in the woods. He was about to shoot it when it turned around and he saw that it had breasts. He couldn't bring himself to kill a female bigfoot so all we got was a scratchy artist's rendition of a bigfoot with boobs.

Reply
Bob Jase
12/20/2016 06:38:04 pm

I can see why you got an artist's rendition of a bigfoot with boobs but how do you know the artist was scratchy?

Joe Scales
12/21/2016 08:29:12 am

The Patterson/Gimlin film shows a boob-tastic one as well.

Day Late and Dollar Short
12/20/2016 07:19:32 am

"Best Misidentified Artifact"

The award goes to...Cast Iron Gate Spikes! Misidentified as 100% authentic ancient Roman crossbow bolts by the treasure commander himself. These artifacts have no known provenience, but were allegedly found embedded in an oak tree in Nova Scotia. Researchers have found them to be Wrought Iron Gate Spikes manufactured in the 1890's by the American Steel Company to furnish the new and highly popular composite iron fences that were sweeping across the United States.

Reply
Jim
12/20/2016 09:25:07 am

"Best Misidentified Artifact",,, thats a good category, it may even warrant a number of sub-categories such as "Best Misidentified Stone Artifact"

Reply
Day Late and Dollar Short
12/20/2016 10:24:03 am

That has a lot of potential, but the only joke I can form is at Gunn's expense, and that's too mean spirited for me, surprisingly.

The Dorchester Pot gets a lifetime achievement award for the overall category. People will argue it deserves to be in OOPArts, but it's a candle holder, not a pot.

Jim
12/20/2016 05:12:02 pm

Surely there has been some Viking runes discovered in the last year ? These days you can hardly walk down to the corner store without stumbling over a rock with Viking runes carved in it !

Only Me
12/20/2016 09:32:08 am

Of course, the alligator arm is evidence of Bigfoot. In a moment of unwise tomfoolery, the alligator decided to play a game of roshambo with Bigfoot. As all Squatchers will tell you, Bigfoot, like Wookies, is known to rip arms out of sockets when he loses.

In the spirit of the Razzies, I submit for a potential award...the Dingleberry. A possible category for consideration: Most Use of Sock puppets.

Reply
Kill Bill
12/20/2016 10:12:59 am

Andy, your credibility is sinking faster than a one ton lead rock. What's next for your dopey fringe reporting - fairies, leprechauns, or maybe the loch ness monster? I hope you know the Hobbit is just a movie right?

Reply
Only Me
12/20/2016 10:29:17 am

"one ton lead rock"

First, Scott Wolter can't tell lead from silver. Now, Bill can't tell the difference between metals and minerals...which sounds all-too familiar.

Reply
Steve Alcorn
12/20/2016 10:34:19 am

"Andy, your credibility is sinking faster than a one ton lead rock. What's next for your dopey fringe reporting - fairies, leprechauns, or maybe the loch ness monster? I hope you know the Hobbit is just a movie right? "

^^^^^^
This is exactly what people believe about Bigfooters and what Stacy Brown exemplifies. We are seen as fringe, redneck, nutcases. People like Gator Boy personify the public perception.

Reply
DPBROKAW
12/21/2016 12:42:44 am

People. We need to start ignoring this individual (Kill Bill). As a Hutton/Pulitzer groupie he has absolutely nothing to contribute. His only desire is to try to start arguments. Definitely not worth giving him the satisfaction.

Reply
Bob Jase
12/21/2016 09:32:18 am

Problem is that Bill/Hutoon/Azora/Whatever is like a crotch itch. You may ignore it but its still irritating.

Mike Morgan
12/21/2016 09:37:55 am

Thanks for that image Bob, I just slathered my screen in antifungal cream.

DPBROKAW
12/22/2016 11:36:22 am

"crotch itch"! Exactly!
But we're giving the idiot a forum for spouting his particular form of BS. Philyaw/Hutton was able to take control of Jason's Colavito's (JC) blog a couple months ago, and manipulate it into an "I hate Hutton Pulitzer" blog for a couple of days.
And Philyaw/Pulitzer bragged about it!!!
People who read JC's blog are similarly minded to us and jumped on the opportunity to tell Philyaw/Hutton exactly how they felt about him and his BS, lies, ego, and a whole host of other character flaws.
Flaws that most of us share, but in a much more normal proportions.
Some people will do ANYTHING for attention!
I don't know who this "Kill Bill" person is. Don't care. Believe what you want Bill. But please don't come to a blog open to the public and devoted to trying to find the truth behind the claims made by the fringe and try to sow discord, trying to force the conversations off topic.
I've heard Andy admit when he is wrong. I also have never heard him attack someone. He can be blunt like he was with you, after you provoked everyone and showed your true colors.
I think the word for you Bill is "obtuse".
Anyhow, what i wanted to say to the readers of this blog is: If we keep responding to this person and others like minded, no matter what proof, facts, or evidence we are able to provide, we are not going to convince them of the truth in any way, shape, or form. They come into the conversation already convinced of their "facts" and no amount of evidence will ever dissuade them.
Bill came here to "stir up" and create conflict. Now I'm sure he feels he has succeeded in sowing discord, which was his intentions all along.
Andy's intentions are to provide people with similar beliefs a place to voice they're options among other like minded people.
Crotch Itch is the kind of person who will twist everything said here and use it at other venues, twisted, taken out of context, and manipulated.
That's their ammunition, trying to use our own words against us.
I must admit though, sometimes it's nice to have someone who wants to argue the other side. It even helps to bring in more readers. And the more sane people who read this blog and others like it are able to help stop the spread of this crap. Especially among our kids.

Ph
12/20/2016 10:28:11 am

I love the idea of fringe awards.
I would give them out based on the criteria of placing them in the pseudo category

- Most discoveries directly to media, who omits peer review the most
- Most thwarted
- Most difficult to prove/reproduce
- Most anecdotal evidence

etc.

http://ahotcupofjoe.net/2016/12/seven-warning-signs-pseudoarchaeology/

Reply
Joe Scales link
12/22/2016 08:15:44 am

"http://ahotcupofjoe.net/2016/12/seven-warning-signs-pseudoarchaeology/ "

Know I know where Scott Wolter got his playbook.

Reply
Kill Bill
12/21/2016 01:07:47 am

I nominate Andy White for most anecdotal evidence and the small foot award. Boom!

Reply



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