"Victor"

[Lunger]

Was it the daytime 'silver disk' story? That one sounded like it was a high altitude jet reflecting the sun.

I believe so.  The Triangle at night was an actual sighting.

[Uncle Duke]

I had never heard this interview with Victor and Morton until hearing it this morning on one of many sites airing Bell's old shows.  Regardless of who was playing the role of "Victor", it's difficult for me to believe anyone took this seriously.  He sounded a bit more credible than Lazar, but only because it was not possible to research and disprove many of his claims like it was with Lazar.  I do think it's possible Bell didn't know he was being had; he went hook, line, and sinker for the alien autopsy film after all.  That said, I'm more inclined to think he was in on the scam.

[albrecht]

I had never heard this interview with Victor and Morton until hearing it this morning on one of many sites airing Bell's old shows.  Regardless of who was playing the role of "Victor", it's difficult for me to believe anyone took this seriously.  He sounded a bit more credible than Lazar, but only because it was not possible to research and disprove many of his claims like it was with Lazar.  I do think it's possible Bell didn't know he was being had; he went hook, line, and sinker for the alien autopsy film after all.  That said, I'm more inclined to think he was in on the scam.

Not sure he was involved in the scam(s,) other than to get listeners etc, but Art sure was adamant about the "truth" of Jose Escamilla's "rods" back in the day on one show. One of the few times I recall where he lacked almost all incredulity and skepticism and flat-out stated on air that "rods" were real.

[Uncle Duke]

Not sure he was involved in the scam(s,) other than to get listeners etc, but Art sure was adamant about the "truth" of Jose Escamilla's "rods" back in the day on one show. One of the few times I recall where he lacked almost all incredulity and skepticism and flat-out stated on air that "rods" were real.

The questions Bell asked during the interview seemed to be either ones he knew a person in Victor's position wouldn't dare answer, or were so vague and open ended the answers received were more fluff and generalities than anything else.  As I listened I thought the interview sounded like one of Knapp's paranormal/UFO softball fests rather than a serious interview.  It was almost as if he didn't want to put Victor in a position to have to give concrete answers.

[albrecht]

The questions Bell asked during the interview seemed to be either ones he knew a person in Victor's position wouldn't dare answer, or were so vague and open ended the answers received were more fluff and generalities than anything else.  As I listened I thought the interview sounded like one of Knapp's paranormal/UFO softball fests rather than a serious interview.  It was almost as if he didn't want to put Victor in a position to have to give concrete answers.

I haven't listened to the "Victor" interview in some time but agree with your analysis on it. Some months I listened to the "Rods" show and Art told listeners that "rods" are "unequivocally real" and Jose Escamilla "conclusively proved it" and that he believes in them.

[Juan]

Perhaps Art had a personal experience with a rod.

[Morgus]

I had never heard this interview with Victor and Morton until hearing it this morning on one of many sites airing Bell's old shows.  Regardless of who was playing the role of "Victor", it's difficult for me to believe anyone took this seriously.  He sounded a bit more credible than Lazar, but only because it was not possible to research and disprove many of his claims like it was with Lazar.  I do think it's possible Bell didn't know he was being had; he went hook, line, and sinker for the alien autopsy film after all.  That said, I'm more inclined to think he was in on the scam.

Well we have learned a lot after all of these years, about Victor's associate in that show, Sean David Morton... 

[Lunger]

I had never heard this interview with Victor and Morton until hearing it this morning on one of many sites airing Bell's old shows.  Regardless of who was playing the role of "Victor", it's difficult for me to believe anyone took this seriously.  He sounded a bit more credible than Lazar, but only because it was not possible to research and disprove many of his claims like it was with Lazar.  I do think it's possible Bell didn't know he was being had; he went hook, line, and sinker for the alien autopsy film after all.  That said, I'm more inclined to think he was in on the scam.

No doubt that 'Victor' was Whitley.  Art has always been a shill for his quests.  Every one of them, the big ones, are frauds.

Whitley - Fraud
Dames - Fraud
Morton - Fraud
Scallion - Fraud
Brown - Fraud
Dr. Leir - Fraud
Hoagland - Fraud
Lazar - Fraud
Mel Waters - Fraud

The lst just doens't stop.  Art was always careful to shield his guest from callers who posed a uncomfortable challenge to them.  I can understand that though.  t keeps the brand alive.

[Uncle Duke]

No doubt that 'Victor' was Whitley.  Art has always been a shill for his quests.  Every one of them, the big ones, are frauds.

Whitley - Fraud
Dames - Fraud
Morton - Fraud
Scallion - Fraud
Brown - Fraud
Dr. Leir - Fraud
Hoagland - Fraud
Lazar - Fraud
Mel Waters - Fraud

The lst just doens't stop.  Art was always careful to shield his guest from callers who posed a uncomfortable challenge to them.  I can understand that though.  t keeps the brand alive.

I'm curious why you consider Leir a fraud?

For the most part I thought Bell asked pointed questions of his guests, especially compared to Knapp and Noory.  He tended to ask questions on the fly based on the flow of the discussion, in particular he put Hoagland and Dames on the spot many times.  As for shielding guests from callers, that's difficult to do when not call screening.  Short of cutting callers off, which Bell did not do unless there was profanity or the caller gave his/her last name, the callers were given the opportunity to ask whatever questions they wished.

[Lunger]

I'm curious why you consider Leir a fraud?

For the most part I thought Bell asked pointed questions of his guests, especially compared to Knapp and Noory.  He tended to ask questions on the fly based on the flow of the discussion, in particular he put Hoagland and Dames on the spot many times.  As for shielding guests from callers, that's difficult to do when not call screening.  Short of cutting callers off, which Bell did not do unless there was profanity or the caller gave his/her last name, the callers were given the opportunity to ask whatever questions they wished.

Leir helped perpetrate the General 'A' hoax. 

Art was just into fear-porn.  I enjoyed the shows but as entertainment not reality.   Nothing that Art, or any of those others, was selling ( Global Warming, The Kill Shot, Sixty mile high glass condos on the moon...  blah blah blah ) has ever come to pass.

[Dr. MD MD]

Leir helped perpetrate the General 'A' hoax. 

Art was just into fear-porn.  I enjoyed the shows but as entertainment not reality.   Nothing that Art, or any of those others, was selling ( Global Warming, The Kill Shot, Sixty mile high glass condos on the moon...  blah blah blah ) has ever come to pass.

General 'A' hoax?

[Uncle Duke]

Leir helped perpetrate the General 'A' hoax. 

I 'd appreciate a bit of background on this hoax, if you would please.  I'm unfamiliar with it, at least under that title.

[Lord Grantham]

Was that the South African army officer who claimed the South African's had shot down a saucer and escorted it to Wright-Patterson?

[Lunger]

General 'A' hoax?

General 'A' was on the show in the late 90s I think telling Art about how he saw UFOs flying in and out of a (TeleDyne*) facility in the San Fernando Valley somewhere around Topanga Canyon and the 101.  He goes on to recall how he (the General) tried to gain access to the facility and what he observed there.

Leir was on the show as well and vouched for the General saying he had known the man for 30 years and knew that he was a General.  The General was using a voice changer.  The same crappy voice changer that Whitley Strieber had used when he was pretending to be 'Victor'.  Although this time it was apparent that the General was not Whitley but someone else.  If I remember correctly General 'A' was supposed to be Air Force.

The thing about General 'A' was that he has absolutely no knowledge about the military, its procedures, traditions, or lingo.  After listening to the General speak about being in the military and military matters for about 5 minutes it was clear that this man was a fraud.  A first year Airman Basic just out of Lackland could have pointed out the oblivious errors that no person who had ever been in the military would have made.


*fairly certain it was TeleDyne.

[Uncle Duke]

General 'A' was on the show in the late 90s I think telling Art about how he saw UFOs flying in and out of a (TeleDyne*) facility in the San Fernando Valley somewhere around Topanga Canyon and the 101.  He goes on to recall how he (the General) tried to gain access to the facility and what he observed there.

Leir was on the show as well and vouched for the General saying he had known the man for 30 years and knew that he was a General.  The General was using a voice changer.  The same crappy voice changer that Whitley Strieber had used when he was pretending to be 'Victor'.  Although this time it was apparent that the General was not Whitley but someone else.  If I remember correctly General 'A' was supposed to be Air Force.

The thing about General 'A' was that he has absolutely no knowledge about the military, its procedures, traditions, or lingo.  After listening to the General speak about being in the military and military matters for about 5 minutes it was clear that this man was a fraud.  A first year Airman Basic just out of Lackland could have pointed out the oblivious errors that no person who had ever been in the military would have made.


*fairly certain it was TeleDyne.

Never heard that interview, but your explanation as to why the GO was a fraud makes sense to me.  I've frequently identified guests claiming to be military/DOD/industry "insiders" as being full of shit for the similar reasons.  Sorry to hear Leir was party to the scam, up to now I thought he had been reasonably legit.

Thanks for the explanation.