Art Bell

[Richard Groyper]

Just to refine your thought a bit, if I may. He's telling the truth about what he has directly (or indirectly) experienced. He or his neighbors heard what sounded like gunshots, his neighbors called him, some jerk threatened him, etc. The narrative of a dedicated stalker who is a significant threat, that part is just filling in the blanks to round out the story. It may be true and it may not be true. This is MV's stated position, which I agree with.

I believe that Art believes. The "whole truth" doesn't much matter.

[SciFiAuthor]

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You obviously have no understanding of Occam's razor, which is that "entities must not be multiplied without necessity."  In plain English, the simplest explanation is usually the best one.  And in this case, the simplest explanation is that Art made it all up.  That's far less convoluted than his cockamie, ever changing stories.  He got a death threat, and Heather called the cops.  But he didn't want to file a report and have them investigate, but only wanted to "document" it.  What's the simplest explanation for that?  It's easy - there was no death threat, and Art didn't want the cops calling the phone company for their records.  Any other explanation for his refusal to file a report makes no sense, and is far more complicated.  Occam's razor say's there was no death threat. 

In addition, he cited the "death threat" as part of the "terror assault" his family was suffering.  Talked about it on the radio, and told a reporter about it.  But when some of us started asking why he refused to file a police report about it, he suddenly changed his tune, and said it sounded like some kid goofing off and he didn't take it seriously.  So, what's the best explanation for why was he talking about it being part of a terrorist attack on his family, and then changed his story and said it was no big deal and nothing to worry about?  The simplest and best explanation is that he was lying, and there was never any death threat to begin with.  Occam's razor, baby.


No, that is NOT the simplest explanation.  Not by a long shot.   It's merely the explanation that you prefer, because it pains you to think that Art made it up.  The simplest explanation is that he's lying.


Oh, it has not.  One guy came on here a day or two ago and said there was no way Art was having an affair with Heather, because, and this is an actual quote, "he sounds professional on the phone."  Wow; that's some really powerful "evidence."

Aldous Burbank came on here last night or this morning and said that he could assure us that Art and Heather weren't fooling around, because he had shaken Art's hand and looked in his eyes, which is all the proof anyone should need!  Besides, Heather's a good girl, who had the chance to boink Aldous, and she didn't, so why would she boink a guy with ten million bucks who could give her very own radio show? :

You've just wasted a ton of time writing that. You've been very open about your motives since you started, and I'm just not going spend time on someone that may or may not be making points disingenuously. I can't tell if you actually believe yourself or are just trying troll me. Due to your past, you don't have the credibility to argue with me, so don't bother trying. I'm not going to bite.

[trostol]

all we really know for sure..something happened...it may or may not have spooked Art enough to have to quite..art may or may not have already been intending to quit due to the show maybe not living up to what he thought it might be or he may or may not have been spooked by big business again

[GravitySucks]

all we really know for sure..something happened...it may or may not have spooked Art enough to have to quite..art may or may not have already been intending to quit due to the show maybe not living up to what he thought it might be or he may or may not have been spooked by big business again

[trostol]

yes lets single my post out when you have a billion others before mine to skip over...

[Richard Groyper]

yes lets single my post out when you have a billion others before mine to skip over...

Why must you always beat the dead horse? 

[trostol]

Why must you always beat the dead horse? 

lol yeah..totally my fault

[SciFiAuthor]

lol yeah..totally my fault

We need a beating the dead, sleeping Cthulhu .gif.

[Night Train]

all we really know for sure is that ..something happened...

all we really know for sure is that Art claimed ..something happened...

FIFY

[GravitySucks]

FIFY

[Night Train]

Fuck off, felcher.

[GravitySucks]

Fuck off, felcher.

So you went from the realization that Art doesn't owe you to that fucker owes you in like 11 hours and 37 minutes. It was like 35 days ago you said you had nothing left to say. You were right.

[trostol]

We need a beating the dead, sleeping Cthulhu .gif.

[Night Train]

So you went from the realization that Art doesn't owe you to that fucker owes you in like 11 hours and 37 minutes. It was like 35 days ago you said you had nothing left to say. You were right.

You're about the biggest fucking idiot on the entire internet.

[onan]

You're about the biggest fucking idiot on the entire internet.

Good going, you are still in the lead.

[Night Train]

Good going, you are still in the lead.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!

[Coffeeman]

So...what's going to happen with the site now? is it going to remain "BellGab?" The place has gone a little cold in recent days, too, with the remnants of trolls arguing ask and forth.

[Freyja]

The problem being that any of the alternative hypotheses regarding Art's motives for leaving require certain assumptions to be made. These range from assuming he wanted to leave the show to assuming he's in a relationship with (Redacted) that's more than a professional mentorship. All of the hypotheses are driven by various collections of assumptions. Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions.

Assumptions are bad things, so when one applies Occam's razor, they all fall flat against the official story Art has given. His is the story that requires only one assumption: that he's telling the truth. To question that, one needs a basis for doing so. I have yet to see anything that would suggest to me that this isn't exactly as he's claimed. It's no stretch for a celebrity to have a stalker. It commonly happens, even Hoagland has one (talk about wasting one's life, Jesus). It's no stretch that a stalker might try to scare or harm a celebrity, again, this commonly happens to the point of being expected. It's no stretch that said celebrity might make a series of terrible, kneejerk decisions in response to such a thing out of fear or duress. Plus, Art seems to have a long history of making those kinds of shitty, mercurial, ill-thought through decisions, so it shouldn't be surprising that his recent decisions are consistent with his past ones. Nor do I see an issue with his main motivation, which is protecting his family. Well, we'd all do that in his position. It's the one thing where you just say fuck everything else when it gets down to the wire.

I just don't see the need to go off into the weeds and wildly speculate when the original story, sad as it is, hasn't presented anything to question without the need for a bunch of assumptions to be made. The simplest answer here is that Art told the truth as he saw it, and then completely blew it over and over when dealing with the fallout. This scenario is has been backed by a number of people close to Art with no apparent inconsistencies.

I think people felt the need to overanalyze because they were angry that Art left the air. But I don't think that overanalysis was ever anything close to valid. People should be asking themselves why they engaged in it in the first place when the simplest answer was clear the whole time. Art told the truth and made a bunch of bad decisions in response to it.

Trolling, of course, is a separate issue. That's just people shit posting.

Are you serious??

Art had no other options to mitigate the alleged stalker situation than to quit?!?.....with all his connections and more than deep pockets.....like $10M???....and he really wanted to do the show?....c'mon

[SnapT]

Aldous Burbank came on here last night or this morning and said that he could assure us that Art and Heather weren't fooling around, because he had shaken Art's hand and looked in his eyes, which is all the proof anyone should need!  Besides, Heather's a good girl, who had the chance to boink Aldous, and she didn't, so why would she boink a guy with ten million bucks who could give her very own radio show? :

[Mr. Fidget]

So...what's going to happen with the site now? is it going to remain "BellGab?" The place has gone a little cold in recent days, too, with the remnants of trolls arguing ask and forth.

The climate will require thicker skin, thermals, mittens, and galoshes hip waders. I also heard MV is installing a drive through.

[GravitySucks]

Are you serious??

Art had no other options to mitigate the alleged stalker situation than to quit?!?.....with all his connections and more than deep pockets.....like $10M???....ad he really wanted to do the show?....c'mon

[GravitySucks]

So...what's going to happen with the site now? is it going to remain "BellGab?" The place has gone a little cold in recent days, too, with the remnants of trolls arguing ask and forth.

The site started in 2008 before Art ever had a plan to come back. It survived the Dark Matter quittening. It will survive this one. George Noory still sucks.

[Value Of Pi]

I say we all get out on the COD Death Match battlefield and have it out for all the marbles. The last one standing gets to write the history of the "Art Bell Stalker." History will be written by the victor. Palladin can't play because he was a Marine who will kick all our asses. It wouldn't be a fair fight.

[Night Train]

Are you serious??

Art had no other options to mitigate the alleged stalker situation than to quit?!?.....with all his connections and more than deep pockets.....like $10M???....ad he really wanted to do the show?....c'mon

Right.  He invokes Occam's Razor to demonstrate that Art's telling the truth.  Occam's Razor says that the simplest explanation is the best one.  But SFA is being disingenuous, because there's a whole lot more "entities" to  Art's story than just the stalker. 

**********

If Art's telling the truth, there's a whole host of things that need to be explained:

If the stalker stories are true, then why did Art pull a similar stunt with Sirius radio?  Coming up with some lame excuse for quitting shortly after starting the show and then walking out?

If the stalker stories are true, then why were some people on here and other forums saying in the months leading up to the events that it sounded like Art was building a foundation for quitting again? 

If the stalker stories are true, then why did Art "just happen" to say on the air on MITD one night that the only thing that would make him quit is if someone threatened his family? 

If the stalker stories are true, why did Art call Heather and she called the police about the "death threat"?  Why didn't he just call the cops himself?

If the stalker stories are true, why did Art call Airyn and have her call the cops about being shot at?

If the stalker stories are true, why did Art refuse to file a police report about the "death threat"?

If the stalker stories are true, why does Art still refuse to file a police report about the "death threat" in order to have the phone records checked?

If the stalker stories are true, then why did Art claim at first that the "death threat" was part of a relentless terror assault on his family, but when asked why he refuses to file a police report about it, shrugged it off as some kid goofing around and nothing to worry about?

If the stalker stories are true, and Art had to quit radio to save his life and the lives of his wife and daughter, then why did he appear as a guest with Heather immediately after that?

If the stalker stories are true, why were the police unable to find the slightest bit of evidence to back any of Art's claims up?

If the stalker stories are true, then why have cops closed the case, indicating that they don't believe there's anything to the reports?

If the stalker stories are true, why didn't Art hire security guards, at least for a month or two, after the alleged wave of terror incidents?

If the stalker stories are true, why didn't Art remove his family to a safe location after the alleged wave of terror incidents?

If the stalker stories are true, why did Art get very angry when people on Bellgab started raising questions about his patently absurd account?

If the stalker stories are true,  why didn't Art answer those questions, instead of denouncing the people asking them?

**********

These are by no means all of the "entities" that Occam was referring to that have to be explained if Art's telling the truth.  There are many more.

But if we skeptics are correct, and Art is simply lying, none of those things have to be explained. 

Our explanation is far, far simpler than the laundry list of stuff that goes into Art's fables.

So it's really stupid to bring Occam's Razor up in defense of Art. 

Really, really stupid.

[Father Jack]

K-Reist! What a feckin' load of shite this forum has become!  A bunch of radge lunatics you are (with a few exceptions that have not yet gone full bollocks.)

[Night Train]

K-Reist! What a feckin' load of shite this forum has become!  A bunch of radge lunatics you are (with a few exceptions that have not yet gone full bollocks.)

Welcome.

Post often. 

Fellate Art.

[Inglorious Bitch]

K-Reist! What a feckin' load of shite this forum has become!  A bunch of radge lunatics you are (with a few exceptions that have not yet gone full bollocks.)

Always loved Father Jack.

[Mr. Fidget]

Right.  He invokes Occam's Razor to demonstrate that Art's telling the truth.  Occam's Razor says that the simplest explanation is the best one.  But SFA is being disingenuous, because there's a whole lot more "entities" to  Art's story than just the stalker. 

**********

If Art's telling the truth, there's a whole host of things that need to be explained:

If the stalker stories are true, then why did Art pull a similar stunt with Sirius radio?  Coming up with some lame excuse for quitting shortly after starting the show and then walking out?

If the stalker stories are true, then why were some people on here and other forums saying in the months leading up to the events that it sounded like Art was building a foundation for quitting again? 

If the stalker stories are true, then why did Art "just happen" to say on the air on MITD one night that the only thing that would make him quit is if someone threatened his family? 

If the stalker stories are true, why did Art call Heather and she called the police about the "death threat"?  Why didn't he just call the cops himself?

If the stalker stories are true, why did Art call Airyn and have her call the cops about being shot at?

If the stalker stories are true, why did Art refuse to file a police report about the "death threat"?

If the stalker stories are true, why does Art still refuse to file a police report about the "death threat" in order to have the phone records checked?

If the stalker stories are true, then why did Art claim at first that the "death threat" was part of a relentless terror assault on his family, but when asked why he refuse to file a police report about it, shrugged it off as some kid goofing around and nothing to worry about?

If the stalker stories are true, and Art had to quit radio to save his life and the lives of his wife and daughter, then why did he appear as a guest with Heather immediately after that?

If the stalker stories are true, why were the police unable to find the slightest bit of evidence to back any of Art's claims up?

If the stalker stories are true, then why have cops closed the case, indicating that they don't believe there's anything to the reports?

If the stalker stories are true, why didn't Art hire security guards, at least for a month or two, after the alleged wave of terror incidents?

If the stalker stories are true, why didn't Art remove his family to a safe location after the alleged wave of terror incidents?

If the stalkers stories are true, why did Art get very angry when people on Bellgab started raising questions about his patently absurd account?

If the stalker stories are true,  why didn't Art answer those questions, instead of denouncing the people asking them?

**********

These are by no means all of the "entities" that Occam was referring to that have to be explained If Art's telling the truth.  There are many more.

But If we skeptics are correct, and Art is simply lying, none of those things have to be explained. 

Our explanation is far, far simpler than the laundry list of stuff that goes into Art's fables.

So it's really stupid to bring Occam's Razor up in defense of Art. 

Really, really stupid.

/reported too if'y

[GravitySucks]

Welcome.

Post often. 

Fellate Art.

I warned you that if you stuck around for more than 3 days we would have your ass hooked. Start as a maggot troll, now you are just an addict. Welcome to BellGab. Post often, we appreciated the revenue. How's that World's best productivity tool/site blocker working for you? Heh, Addict?

[Lt.Uhura]

In reading some of the comments critical of Art and Heather here I get the impression most BellGabers are in the under 50 demographic.  For those of you who grew up in the age of video, you might incorrectly assume you know--or should know--nearly everything about the person in front of the camera, or behind the mic.  This would explain your frustration with not having a visual of Heather.  Since this is a forum based on a radio personality, I think it might help to consider the historical context...

During the golden age of radio, (roughly 1940s-1970s, perhaps best demarcated by the arrival of MTV in 1981) radio personalities were essentially a disembodied voice behind the mic.  The inherent mystery of their identity was an essential component of the magic of radio, central to its theater of the mind. 

Also, it was common practice for radio personalities (and movie stars) to use pseudonyms.  Yet despite the near anonymity of most radio personalities, those who were skilled and talented were capable of creating an easy intimacy with their listeners.  And, as listeners solely captivated by their audio performance--we demanded nothing more; where they lived, who they dated, or what they ate for dinner ( )) was of no concern.

And now, in the age of the Internet and the immediacy with which we share personal pictures, video and audio around the world, we operate with little left to the imagination.  Because Art shared photos and some details of his life with his audience however, it doesn't equate with personally knowing him much better than if he were a disembodied voice on the radio in the 1960s.  To assume otherwise is foolish.  It seems to me those who hang around and continue to deride him here at BG for a litany of perceived hurts and disappointments are really no different from his "friends" on fb.  Both groups suffer under the illusion they know Art Bell.

Art is a hard, if not impossible act to follow.  I think as he approached retirement age he naively thought he'd find a replacement, as radio bosses did in the past.  As I've said previously, perhaps the best resolution here now is for Art to return on-air and give his extraordinary career the closure he and his listeners deserve.