There are many popular myths still in our world today, and just as many people trying to prove or discredit them. Most myths play on peoples’ fears or misconceptions, some just on disillusions. One popular myth we have chased over the years is that of Bigfoot. Many people have tried to prove this myth with little success. Last year two men brought forth the proof we all wanted to see.
Big foot, a man-like creature with ape characteristics, supposedly lives in forests of Northern America. It is described as a tall, hairy, two-legged creature covered in dark hair. A mix between bear, man, and ape, we have never seen this legend, except through poor quality photos, and through footprints discovered and preserved with plaster casts. Many people have reported their claims to media, written books and journals, yet concrete proof has never been seen.
The most recent claim seemed to give us what we have been seeking. While looking for Bigfoot last fall, Matt Whitton and Rick Dryer found the corpse of a creature in an area that is known for its Bigfoot sightings (McKenzie, 2008). They brought this evidence to the public’s eye at a press conference on August 13, 2008. Within days it was discovered that the men had created the body of evidence with an old costume, a mask, and the body of another animal that was dead and decayed (Gross, 2008).
This is a sad testament to how far people will go to try and deceive others or to become a hero. They want to be the person everyone looks up to in our society, or to garner power, admiration, and a celebrity type of status (Browne, 2008). Society feels that it needs to create new heroes constantly. The heroes then go under major scrutiny by the public, and usually tarnish their image forever if found to be a fraud, such as this Bigfoot case.
The fact is, when it comes to myths, we want badly to believe in them. We want to see something never seen before, something that we have thought about or imagined. We want all the mysteries solved. We have disproved many hoaxes over the years, but does that mean there is no such Bigfoot? Or is that the whole reason behind the myth? To bring fame to those looking for “the material superiority that brings happiness” that proving a myth would bring (Browne, 2008)?
References
Browne, R. (2008). Profiles of Popular Culture. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Gross, D. (2008). Body Proves Bigfoot No Myth, Hunters Say. CNN. Retrieved on May 28,
2009 from http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/14/bigfoot.body/index.html.
McKenzie, B. (2008). Has Bigfoot Been Living In A Georgia Swamp? KTVU. Retrieved on May
29, 2009 from http://www.ktvu.com/news/17174989/detail.html.
Picture. (2009).Bigfoot. Picsearch . Retrieved May 29, 2009
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=bigfoot%20picture
Big foot, a man-like creature with ape characteristics, supposedly lives in forests of Northern America. It is described as a tall, hairy, two-legged creature covered in dark hair. A mix between bear, man, and ape, we have never seen this legend, except through poor quality photos, and through footprints discovered and preserved with plaster casts. Many people have reported their claims to media, written books and journals, yet concrete proof has never been seen.
The most recent claim seemed to give us what we have been seeking. While looking for Bigfoot last fall, Matt Whitton and Rick Dryer found the corpse of a creature in an area that is known for its Bigfoot sightings (McKenzie, 2008). They brought this evidence to the public’s eye at a press conference on August 13, 2008. Within days it was discovered that the men had created the body of evidence with an old costume, a mask, and the body of another animal that was dead and decayed (Gross, 2008).
This is a sad testament to how far people will go to try and deceive others or to become a hero. They want to be the person everyone looks up to in our society, or to garner power, admiration, and a celebrity type of status (Browne, 2008). Society feels that it needs to create new heroes constantly. The heroes then go under major scrutiny by the public, and usually tarnish their image forever if found to be a fraud, such as this Bigfoot case.
The fact is, when it comes to myths, we want badly to believe in them. We want to see something never seen before, something that we have thought about or imagined. We want all the mysteries solved. We have disproved many hoaxes over the years, but does that mean there is no such Bigfoot? Or is that the whole reason behind the myth? To bring fame to those looking for “the material superiority that brings happiness” that proving a myth would bring (Browne, 2008)?
References
Browne, R. (2008). Profiles of Popular Culture. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Gross, D. (2008). Body Proves Bigfoot No Myth, Hunters Say. CNN. Retrieved on May 28,
2009 from http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/14/bigfoot.body/index.html.
McKenzie, B. (2008). Has Bigfoot Been Living In A Georgia Swamp? KTVU. Retrieved on May
29, 2009 from http://www.ktvu.com/news/17174989/detail.html.
Picture. (2009).Bigfoot. Picsearch . Retrieved May 29, 2009
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=bigfoot%20picture
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