Is Bigfoot Real?
Bigfoot...
Project 1 – Introduction
What would you do if you came across a nine-foot, hairy creature while trying to relax on your camping trip? This occurrence is happening quite often in the woodlands of the United States; over a third of the population believes the have seen this supernatural creature known as Bigfoot (Radford 1). Bigfoot is one of the world's greatest conspiracy theories and is known to respond to loud howls and tree knocks. James’s “Bobo” Fay has persevered and based his whole career off searching for a creature that remains a conspiracy theory. He is someone who doesn’t let other people’s opinions affect what he wants to do with his life and remained focused on finding Bigfoot. A numerous number of theories have developed from this case:
Bigfoot is a hybrid, resulting in it being part human (Mancini 1).
Bigfoot can be easily mimicked; and responds to sounds that sound like its own (1).
Let us analyze Bigfoot, and the conspiracies of what kind of creature they could be and is there a feasible way to lead them to you, rather than coming across them by coincidence?
Project 2 – Character Analysis
James’s "Bobo" Fay is a hardheaded person, he’s based his whole career off searching for a creature that remains a conspiracy theory. He appeared on an episode on Conan TBS, he gets the question, "explain Bigfoot since you’re a Squacholigist, how does he look? You have no footage of him." Bobo then continues to say, "a lot of people think the moon is made of cheese, but then you’re going to talk to an astrophysics’ and it’s not." He makes it clear that even though there is no tangible way to prove to every individual that Bigfoot walks the same planet as us, he insists on his position and opinions on this subject!
Bobo’s favorite, and most “reliable” source to look for Bigfoot is in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. (Dickman) “They seem to like mellow music tones, or you could just mimic baby Bigfoot sounds yourself.” (Dickman)
James’s "Bobo" Fay is a humorous individual who tracks Bigfoot as a living. In the YouTube preview "Meet the Bigfoot crew, " Bobo introduced himself as a laid back; He says, "While squatching, I'm surfing, fishing, sleeping." Instead of making his job seem difficult, he shines it in a bright light to appeal to all individuals.
Bobo was born and raised in Manhattan Beach California, ever since he was a young boy, he’s been fond of Bigfoot. As a teenage boy, he had the skills of being in the wild, to be able to set track to look for this creature. (Wilson) Bobo attended Humboldt State University, and then worked to be a self-acclaimed researcher. (Colter) Bobo says, “I love linguistics, I have my own vocabulary, that surprises people.” (Saying’s, famous quotes 1) Most people think he just went to college for animal science, but he learned to like linguistics on the way.
The show “Finding Bigfoot,” premiered from the years 2011- 2018, he filmed with Matt Moneymaker, Cliff, Barackman, and Renae Holland (Schuhart). When filming Bobo was the biggest guy there so he stood as a “stand in,” which meant he re-created Bigfoot in the scenes in the television show (1). During that time there became suspicions of Bobo having cancer in the year 2016, however he kept up with the show for another two years. He got into the entertainment industry by making an appearance in the documentary, “Night scream 2003,” and “Monster Quest” in 2008. With all his shows, he had been on to “Finding Bigfoot” his net worth increased. (Wilson) He has been able to keep his family and wife out of the media, to now there is still no trace of Bobo having either a wife or children. (Colter) Bobos first job was an assistant of a sublime band, he also built railroads and lodged with native Americans for commercial fishing. Bobo still works as a commercial fisherman until death. (Wilson)
Bobo died April 2021; his death was never made public. (Wilson)
As more Bigfoot conspiracies arise, there have been two that have stuck out to society. The first theory regarding Bigfoot’s existence is that Bigfoots are human- hybrids and, secondly, if true that Bigfoots respond to a mimicked calling of their own (Mancini 1).
Project 3 – Conspiracy Theory
The first conspiracy theory of Bigfoot being a human- hybrid stretches back all the way to the Patterson- Gimlin film fifty years ago (OPBWeb). In an article written by Becky Little, she states that the FBI has had a file on Bigfoot since 1976 (Little 1). In 1976, Perter Byrne from Dallas, Oregon, presented the FBI with a piece of skin with fifteen of strands of hair connected (1). The hair was sent into labs to be tested to analyze what creature it came from, but the FBI couldn’t determine the type of animal, which left them suspicious (1). Before this physical evidence of an unexplained creature, two men named, Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin, took a video of Bigfoot in Northern California; this created a craze (1). There have been many variations of this theory, like the theory that Bigfoot is part ape (Weisberger 1). Bigfoots seem to have Gigantopithecus proteins in them which resemble orangutan backgrounds (1). Some think Bigfoot being part ape is true, but that he is also extinct (“Did Bigfoot Really Exist? How Gigantopithecus Became Extinct.” 1). In 1935, a man named Ralph von Koenigswald found a large primate molar in a market in Hong Kong (1). These fossils since then have been found across Asia, and with examinations it shows these fossils are from eight to twelve million years ago (1). These fossils belong to the Gigantopithecus; they were around ten feet tall, and over twelve hundred pounds (1). All in all, this concludes the most evidence that Bigfoot has gone extinct, because no live or recent evidence has been found of their presence still on earth.
The second conspiracy is Bigfoots’ response to callings that mimic their own (Mancini 1). In the YouTube video made by Animal Planet, Renae Holland explains how “Bigfoots are similar to primates; how they have mating calls, alerts, and just normal ways of communicating” (“How to sound like Bigfoot? | Finding Bigfoot.” 1). Cliff Brackman further talks about a common call that suspects hear; these calls usually sound like a “high-pitched woman scream like a person being murdered in the woods” (1). Bobo Fay demonstrates a few callings, one specifically “a territorial grunt telling the crew they don’t belong in the woods and that they needed to leave” (1). The crew each describes the tree knocks Bigfoots perform, and how when they would have overnight trips in the woods, they would hear knocks that correspond to the number of people in the woods that night (1). Bigfoots are also known to use whistling as a form of communication; “for thousands of year Native- Americans in the Pacific Northwest have heard these constant sounds” (1). These claims don’t provide enough evidence that Bigfoots still exists; these calls and sounds could simply be wolves, bears or even Native Tribes trying to warn people not to approach.
Project 4 - Conclusion
Bigfoot remains one of the greatest conspiracy theories in the world. Theories that have developed out of this case:
1. Bigfoot is a hybrid, resulting in it being part human (Mancini 1).
2. Bigfoot can be easily mimicked; and responds to sounds that sound like its own (1).
Evidence shows Bigfoots are most likely extinct; in China, evidence shows the same body Bigfoot is recollected having, is similar to the remains found that are over thousands of years old. Although people have said they’ve seen Bigfoots there is no evidence to back up their claims. All in all, there is no evidence to prove Bigfoots still walk the same planet as us.
Citations
Animal Planet TV, director. “How to sound like Bigfoot? | Finding Bigfoot.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Jan. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnAQkL-1HgQ. Accessed 8 Nov. 2021.
Animal Planet, director. Meet the Finding Bigfoot Crew: Bobo | Finding Bigfoot. 26 Nov. 2012.
Colter, Joseph N. “James Bobo Fay – 6 Facts about the Finding Big Foot TV Actor.” Networth Height Salary, 14 Mar. 2020, https://networthheightsalary.com/james-bobo-fay-6-facts-about-the-finding-big-foot-tv-actor/.
Dickman, Kyle, et al. “The One-Question Interview.” Outside Online, 26 June 2021, https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/one-question-interview/.
Little, Becky. “Bigfoot Was Investigated by the FBI. Here's What They Found.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 6 June 2019, https://www.history.com/news/bigfoot-fbi-file-investigation-discovery.
Magazine, Smithsonian. “Did Bigfoot Really Exist? How Gigantopithecus Became Extinct.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 9 Jan. 2012, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/did-bigfoot-really-exist-how-gigantopithecus-became-extinct-16649201/.
Mancini, Mark. “11 Crazy Bigfoot Conspiracy Theories.” The Week, The Week, 10 Jan. 2015, https://theweek.com/articles/466777/11-crazy-bigfoot-conspiracy-theories.
OPBWeb, director. YouTube, YouTube, 12 Apr. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVo6Vj0_Xbo. Accessed 3 Nov. 2021.
Sayings, Famous Quotes &. “Top 6 James Bobo Fay Quotes: Famous Quotes & Sayings ABOUT James Bobo Fay.” Famous Quotes & Sayings, https://quotestats.com/topic/james-bobo-fay-quotes/.
Schuhart, Jonah, “What Happened To Bobo From Finding Bigfoot?” Looper.com, Looper, 8 Sept 2021 https://www.looper.com/what-happened-to-bobo-from-finding-bigfoot/,
Team Coco, director. Finding Bigfoot's James "Bobo" Fay Got His Hands On Sasquatch DNA | CONAN on TBS. 14 Nov. 2012.
Weisberger, Mindy. “Closest Living Relative of Extinct 'Bigfoot' Found.” LiveScience, Purch, 13 Nov. 2019, https://www.livescience.com/gigantopithecus-bigfoot-orangutan-cousin.html.
Wilson, Olivia, et al. “James Bobo Fay (FINDING Bigfoot) Illness, Cancer, Weight LOSS, Wife, Wiki.” Affair Post, 13 Jan. 2021, affairpost.com/james-bobo-fay-finding-bigfoot-illness-cancer-weight-loss-wife-wiki/.