"Do you believe the Ancient Astronauts tv shows?" Topic

I caught an episode last night with the Crazy Hair Guy last night. His hair was more messed up than usual. Perhaps that identifies the episode?

Anyway, it had the usual "could it be that…" and "theorists believe that…" phrases that don't exactly demonstrate intellectual rigor.

How would you rate the credibility of these theory shows?
On a scale of 0-10, with 10 meaning "I totally support the hypothesis and demand the Government spend tons of money to unearth The Truth, if it isn't doing it already."
To 0 for "Crap like this should not be allowed on the air!" (Which ignores that it goes out on Cable channels…)

Various degrees of "Well, that's interesting" should cluster around 5.

And for the TMPedants who want everything defined and get upset when they are not, I say

imgflip.com/i/lefy3

0

Don't believe their "theory" – they don't actually have one theory, but a jumble of disjointed ideas – but I believe in their First Amendment right and certainly enjoy the show.

Would be really nice if they have a unified narrative that we can use as a wargaming/RPG setting though. Hmm… maybe I can get in touch with this Giorgio fellow and we can kickstart something…

3. I think it is pretty interesting and could provide endless fodder for various pulp games. I don't find it interesting enough to actually watch it though. I suppose if I were planning on running some pulp or other games like that I would probably start doing my research there.

I've read parts of Von Daniken books and they are pretty funny.

I once read someone like Asimov tearing apart Van Daniken (sp?) chapter by chapter, line by line. It was so brutal that I actually felt sorry for the poor guy. So I gave him a Courtesy 2.
I give the tv show a Courtesy 3, based on the higher production values.
It's fun to watch, particularly as a drinking game. Take a shot every time someone says "Ancient astronaut theorists speculate that…" or "could it be that…?"

Applying Occam's Razor, I find the theories pretty far out, and coincidence far more likely.
But there are those who apply it and find that coincidence is the least likely and Aliens far more likely.

5- they occasionally produce a very interesting fact / discovery … but the programmes are now becoming mainly air filler time .

I suppose a 3, mostly on entertainment value.

2. And that is being generous. The first two seasons were interesting, now the show is treading water, recycling the same old theories and redressing them to justify making more episodes…

4.

I believe that the ancient astronauts' TV shows are all propoganda from the most dangerous illegal aliens.

8

2. Purely for the occasional entertainment value.

3

I suspect they are primarily done to generate some income for the people that put them on, like all those ghost-buster, and monster shows people are now doing as well.

Still, there are some pretty interesting accounts, art, and artifacts that do call things into question a bit, including noted quotes/accounts from ancient explorers and astronauts.

1

You know, there's a widespread belief among the 'truth-seeking' community that the wackier fringe theories are purposely concocted and popularised by the Powers That Be, in order to make 'serious' conspiracy theorists look ridiculous and to spread disinformation.

So… a courtesy 2.

Which only proves that the New World Order media-control apparatus is functioning as planned.

1 for credibility, but a 10 for inspiration for RPG's and Pulp or Science Fiction games.

0

I am waiting for the crossover show of Ancient Astronauts Search for Hitler.

1. I think the "theories" are nonsense, but I don't think we should get into the business of banning things from TV (and yes, that includes cigarette ads). Censorship is bad.

3, as long as the Crazy Hair Guy is on.

Doctor X, he is hiding under Oak Island.

It always the last place you'd look.

If anyone gives any credit to this stuff, there is a large bridge in Sydney that I could sell to them cheap.

10

I did get a real good laugh out of this "documentary" program featuring BJ Hunicutt himself, Mike Ferrel. Granted not an Ancient Aliens one but still it fits the theme.

My favorite bit is around the 1:20:35 mark where the "Expert" explians that the aliens have large eyes due to the extremely bright sunlight on their home planet. (OK – they said that was why they had two sets of eyelids or something). The BEST part was that they like Strawberry Ice Cream!

YouTube link

-10. I avoid this tripe like the plague.

1 because i wouldn't stop people's right to produce idiotic stuff.

But the only ancient aliens i watch is stargate sg1.

ZERO-POINT-ZERO. Even if there was an atom of fact in it, they deserve to be completely ignored just for making every moronic postulate possible at once!

This is the equivalent of pseudo-science as pornography, given the damage it is doing to young minds who hear no counterbalance.

TVAG

I can't give a numeric rating for the series as a whole. Episodes ramge from 1 (there is some pure crap) to 7 (some great ideas, but using a wild assumption in place of one step of the logic chain kills it) in our opinion. We watch it favor if most other TV because they have some of the best archaeology out there, but come up with some very strange conclusions. My wife is very good at identifying the logical fallacies inherent to the theories; I think a lot of our enjoyment of this series comes from deconstructing it.

0 for worldview – 7 for entertainment.

+1 for DoctorX

Rating their credibility is a different thing than advocating for government spending according to their views or censoring content.

I find the shows to be highly credible. I truly believe that "theorists believe" the things they say theorists believe.

Zero. Zilch. Nada. Zip. Zed.

0 for credibility, 2.7 for occasional entertainment value.

"0".

BUT…

"If so…"…

AND…

"What if…"…

I give "it" a…

(Wait for it)…

"10+"!!!

Zip.

For the entire series I give it a 5. For some of the specific shows in the first couple years, I'd give them 10+.

The theory ancient aliens manipulated our DNA and made us who we are today has as much supporting documentation as the theory we evolved from apes. And the ancient aliens theory hasn't even been researched as much as the we're evolved apes theory. lol

I believe that they are TV shows. Any aspect of the actual truth contained therein is certainly coincidental.

Negative 10, even as entertainment they have lost their appeal

0

It will be interesting to see an actual poll come out of this.
Very few are willing to commit above a 5 when it attaches to an "anonymous" internet name.
But with a Secret Ballot…..

Believers will come out of the closet.
After all, somebody must be watching this.

11.

Somebody's making money!

I haven't watched any of it so 0, I guess.

If I believe in it? No, not at all.

It's good material for RPG campaigns though :-)

Surprisingly, AHC has a debunking Ancient Astronauts show on right now.
The write up only lists it as a documentary.

It's my go to source. So wild there has to be some truth hidden in it

we should have a poll on what TMP'ers believe created us.

1. God made adam & eve. and we're decendants of their childrens incestual relationships.

2. Theory of evolution, we came from apes.

3. Ancient Aliens manipulated DNA and made homosapians.

4. Spontaneous creation (Stephen Hawking's view)

5. Agnostic view on such things.

I have at least anecdotal evidence that wisdom does not come with age…

My own Mother confided with me she is a little "down" because she has no one to talk to about the whole "Ancient Aliens" thing; she has been on a steady diet of History (and other) Channel(s) shows like this for years and they have convinced her 100%.

Everyone else in the family works and has college, so we do not have the time to expose ourselves to such pap. While she censors herself to keep from being called the family nut, she confided it is all she really "wants" to discuss and talk about…

The theory ancient aliens manipulated our DNA and made us who we are today has as much supporting documentation as the theory we evolved from apes. And the ancient aliens theory hasn't even been researched as much as the we're evolved apes theory. lol

No simply no it doesn't and you should really read something other then national inquirer.
Even watching sevral well made YouTube videos shows how wrong you are.
Or watch presentation by Dr. Kenneth Miller also available on YouTube both the short 10 minute video dealing specifically with ape human evolution or the whole 1+ hour long presentation.

And to be clear not only did we evolve from apes. We still are apes. Under all the ways to classify an ape. Humans fit perfectly.

The theory ancient aliens manipulated our DNA and made us who we are today has as much supporting documentation as the theory we evolved from apes.

Oh, my.

4. Spontaneous creation (Stephen Hawking's view)

Hawking is a firm believer in human evolution, so I have no idea where you pulled this one from.