Are Art's guest becoming more stupid, or are we just getting less gullible?

[area51drone]

Based on the GIS show, and the other shows that we have bagged on, are we becoming less gullible after all this time, or, are the guests just not being careful about revealing their stupidity?

[Jnthn932]

I'm not sure what it is, but there's something different about DM. Art is as good as ever. I think the paranormal field in general has lost all credibility because of douchers like chunga. Our first reaction when hearing something paranormal is no longer WHHHHAAAA? Tell me more! It's, you're full of shit. Blame chunga and ass clowns like him.

[WOTR]

I think a mixture of the two as well as google and a lower tolerance for guests who cannot spin their BS into interesting geometric shapes and patterns like RCH seems to manage...

[DanTSX]

I think the beleef-ability and credibility of the guests has parallels to say........The History Channel of the 1990's to today......

So, in the 90's you had intellectual discussion, few commercials, and thoughtful analysis and speculation.   Now, you have to have some spikey-haired doochebag in a tapout shirt that cannot comprehend that they are not 26, and not in a nightclub, spazzing out over every cold breeze or dust particle that crosses the lens of their cheap Sony vid cam.   Maybe challenge the ghosts to a fight and hit on the poor fat asst curator that has to babysit the ghost bullfighters that night.


Look at an episode of ancient aliens.   It's all sound bites.   No content.   Basically a big Mountain Dew commercial.   So extreeeme!

[Foodlion]

Art himself has improved but his guests have been dummied down by C2C. There's a lot of catching up to do.

[DanTSX]

I think a mixture of the two as well as google and a lower tolerance for guests who cannot spin their BS into interesting geometric shapes and patterns like RCH seems to manage...

Hoagland is just good for proving that one must not be an intellectual heavyweight to denounce an intellectual lightweight.   

[Agent : Orange]

I hope Art gets some new guests on. The same old are getting tired and we're responding to that. Some new stuff is needed to keep the show fresh. I'm sure once some time goes by we will find that the show finds it's legs.

[Kressida]

I hope Art gets some new guests on. The same old are getting tired and we're responding to that. Some new stuff is needed to keep the show fresh. I'm sure once some time goes by we will find that the show finds it's legs.

^This.

Some of Art's best shows were his open lines shows. I'm glad that he will have a show dedicated to open lines later this week.

However, I have been disappointed with some of his guests since DM started. I enjoy UFO discussion, too, but EVERY night? (Or damn close.) The point about us reacting to the same old, tired stuff is accurate. Most of us have listened to Art Bell for years. This is all old news to us. I wonder how the new listeners are reacting?

[Chocolate coated jackboot]

Open Lines won't help. The majority of the callers are dumber and less articulate than the guests.

[DanTSX]

Open Lines won't help. The majority of the callers are dumber and less articulate than the guests.

that remains to be seen........


Smart money follows and pays to hear Art.   Even if the topics and guests are absurd, we enjoy the ride and the discussion.

Hopeful dingbats that want to see their kitty's in heaven and have "just enough" education listen to "just functional" snooron on am radio.


Satellites baby!

Art you are the best!  Thanks for coming back!

[HorrorRetro]

I think Art is doing a great job, and I enjoy the show.  I, however, am more jaded than I was in the '90s.  Twenty years changes a lot.  I'm a lot less likely to believe what I did back then.

[onan]

Unhappy with Art? slog on over to c2c for a few. That should help.

[Wintermute]

I don't know... I think the conspiracy market is definitely open for business, just not as out-there as it was in 1995. Art avoiding politics kind of limits the government conspiracy topic in a way.

As far as cryptozoology (bigfoot, chupacabra...) there isn't a lot of patience for that kind of thing right now.

Ghosts... between SyFy and THC it's been done to death. Art needs to have on the Ghost Hunter people to have a legit topical chance because they are the modern equivalent of the folks Art used to speak with 15yrs ago.

The Pseudo-sci thing is VERY off at the moment. People today embrace real science. Look at how quantitative analysis and big data is changing business and the world. Pseudo-sci does not equal Quant... it equals "stupid" today. It's only good for a laugh... which is fine.

[grano salis]

Art himself has improved but his guests have been dummied down by C2C. There's a lot of catching up to do.

Yes. Art IS better than I remembered.  He is sharper  now and stays on topic.  I wish that he would challenge his guests more but so many are old acquaintances or friends, that may be a little delicate.  He is challenging the guests more with each passing week, however.

[Grov505th]

I think a mixture of the two as well as google and a lower tolerance for guests who cannot spin their BS into interesting geometric shapes and patterns like RCH seems to manage...

I agree, with the modern internet (not 1990's) we can look up just about everything. I mean take a look at GIS live chat. People were looking up chunga faster then he could shuck and jive his way into history.
And I think having old guest on that havent come up with anything new(RCH) or keep adding BS to a already told story(Weeber) or out right BS (Reed) might be a problem.
Hopefully in the coming weeks we get new blood on board.

just my 2 cents

[DanTSX]

Yes. Art IS better than I remembered.  He is sharper  now and stays on topic.  I wish that he would challenge his guests more but so many are old acquaintances or friends, that may be a little delicate.  He is challenging the guests more with each passing week, however.

Here is the deal……

Art is just having fun doing his thing. 

He has high standards for himself and has the inate ability and experience to demand the same from his guests.  But when it comes down to it, Art is doing this show because he wants to do it.  What did I read his salary was?  $75k/yr?  I was making that before I was 27.  I wouldn't get out of bed for that at 32, unless it was something that I just thought was fun and games.

[West of the Rockies]

I agree with the idea that market saturation on matters paranormal is to blame...  I used to watch Monster Quest and still think it is fun, but I pretty quickly came to realize it was nonsense.  The evidence collected to suggest something cryptozoological was always incredibly thin.  Most shows ended with more or less the same silly observations and questions:  "Scientists cannot say for sure what this man saw..." (Well, no, because scientists aren't sitting around pondering what said man saw.  Besides, it's pretty damn hard to prove a negative.)  "Is it possible that deep sea creatures remain undetected in the world's oceans?"  (Yes, it certainly is possible.)

These shows (whether TV or radio) can be fun and entertaining, in particular if they feature solid production values and a charistmatic host (Bell, Nimoy).  But the bad versions of such shows DO dumb down the market and leave us more skeptical.

[WOTR]

These shows (whether TV or radio) can be fun and entertaining, in particular if they feature solid production values and a charistmatic host (Bell, Nimoy).  But the bad versions of such shows DO dumb down the market and leave us more skeptical.

For a moment I read that you thought that Bell and NOORY were charismatic hosts.  I had to re-read that 3 times because I was certain that you would not have put those two on the same level unless it was a joke.

[Cynnie]

I think Art is doing a great job, and I enjoy the show.  I, however, am more jaded than I was in the '90s.  Twenty years changes a lot.  I'm a lot less likely to believe what I did back then.

Art is doing a great job , but we have the " history " showing wall to wall ancient aliens ..so we are a bit jaded .

But i have faith ..art will find the new stuff

[West of the Rockies]

For a moment I read that you thought that Bell and NOORY were charismatic hosts.  I had to re-read that 3 times because I was certain that you would not have put those two on the same level unless it was a joke.

May the fleas of a thousand camels infest my armpits if ever I utter such a thing! 

(George Noory, you're no Leonard Nimoy.)

[Juan Cena]

Y'all should go to Art's Dark Matter site, contact paulbowman@artbell.com, and send you his guest suggestions. I suggested Neil Gaiman and the guy who discovered the none lost Doctor Who episodes recovered last week.

[WildCard]

Neil Gaiman

Yes! "American Gods", is brilliant.

[Gassy Man]

The paranormal has become "mainstream," which frequently dumbs things down.  Lowest common denominator at that point flattens things out.  Art is doing well, but there is a smaller range of "credible" guests to pull from.  I hope that he seeks out more scholars doing research into the unusual.  It's probably time to clean house of the many guests who essentially do the paranormal circuit and end up on Coast to Coast every few weeks.

[West of the Rockies]

The same thing happens, Gassy Man, with most subjects it seems:  the metaphysical, politics...  someone sees a chance to make a buck.  The market gets flooded, the product becomes lowered in quality.

[HMC]

Open Lines won't help. The majority of the callers are dumber and less articulate than the guests.

God, I thought I was the only one who hated Open Lines... Some of them are so uncomfortable.

[area51drone]

I like open lines, as long as Art boots the slow-mo's and keeps the pace going.   Open lines created some of the best Art Bell clips ever.  Also, I know that there is email now, but I always loved it when Art would call someone who had faxed him a story.   It would be classic for him to bring back a fax line.

[Juan Cena]

For a moment I read that you thought that Bell and NOORY were charismatic hosts.  I had to re-read that 3 times because I was certain that you would not have put those two on the same level unless it was a joke.

In Search Of was brilliant. I liked it better when it got into historical mysteries like Jack the Ripper or Lincoln's assassination than I did the paranormal stuff, though. 

[Juan Cena]

The paranormal has become "mainstream," which frequently dumbs things down.  Lowest common denominator at that point flattens things out.  Art is doing well, but there is a smaller range of "credible" guests to pull from.  I hope that he seeks out more scholars doing research into the unusual.  It's probably time to clean house of the many guests who essentially do the paranormal circuit and end up on Coast to Coast every few weeks.

SiriusXM really needs to step up and try to book some higher-profile guests for Art. I mentioned Gaiman. I'd love to hear Art interview Alan Moore or Grant Morrison as well.

At least they could try to book some of the kinds of guests Ian used to interview on the weekends. Like the guy that escaped from the Scientology compound. Or the author of that ninja book.

[Designx]

I think all that was said here is right about the old topic topics not being believable - I think this is why talk radio has moved into the more government conspiratorial topics because they are much harder to explain away. Alex jones et al will have their day as proven con artists but for now people seem to eat that crap up with a shovel.

[Agent : Orange]

SiriusXM really needs to step up and try to book some higher-profile guests for Art. I mentioned Gaiman. I'd love to hear Art interview Alan Moore or Grant Morrison as well.

At least they could try to book some of the kinds of guests Ian used to interview on the weekends. Like the guy that escaped from the Scientology compound. Or the author of that ninja book.

Brilliant, Art could do fantastic and epic interviews with both Moore and Morrison. Great suggestions there.