Shuvrajit Das Biswas
The paranormal is always fascinating to those concerned about life after death. ‘Ghost Hunters‘ is a reality television series that taps into this interest. The show started with Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, co-founders of TAPS, or The Atlantic Paranormal Society. They began investigating places that are reported to be haunted.
In later seasons, Grant works with a new investigative team, not directly linked to TAPS. ‘Ghost Hunters’ has not only popularized paranormal reality television but has also given rise to ghost hunters across the country. It might make you curious whether ‘Ghost Hunters’ itself is grounded in reality. We have got you covered in that regard.
Is Ghost Hunters Fake and Scripted?
‘Ghost Hunters’ came into being only after the New York Times ran an article on Jason Hawes and RIPS (Rhode Island Paranormal Society). It was meant as a support group before Wilson joined. Soon, they changed the name to TAPS and began exploring the supernatural.
One of the first things that the team on ‘Ghost Hunters’ does is emphasize that they are the first to investigate a place. Most of the time, this is a false claim. Usually, if a site is haunted for years, there must have been others who looked into the place before them. However, for the sake of retaining viewer interest, the hosts of the show cannot lead with the fact that other paranormal investigators didn’t find anything.
Donna Lacroix, a former investigator for the team, busted this myth on a radio show called ‘Ghost Divas.’ She’s described most of ‘Ghost Hunters’ as “shenanigans” guided by poor ethics. One might feel this is a rant from a bitter ex-employee. However, she might be right about the shenanigans.
Apparently, there is proof that the show is scripted. While filming at the Overbrook Hospital, a script got leaked. It details instructions for the ‘characters.’ Naturally, the team at ‘Ghost Hunters’ has rejected the authenticity of the text. You can check out an image of the alleged script and decide for yourself.
A Reddit thread has further cast doubts, with a user claiming to have been present on set. The Redditor says that the crew was filming in a subway station in Buffalo when they heard someone shouting ‘get out’ at a lower level. Though it turned out to be the manager screaming at some homeless people, it appeared in the show as something different. However, since the information comes from Reddit, take it with a pinch of salt.
That said, it would require good editing to make the screams in the subway sound paranormal. It ties in with what Donna says. She mentioned how the editing team sometimes made scenes appear differently than they happened.
One other accusation hurled at the ‘Ghost Hunters’ has been that they carry out paranormal investigations overnight, while they need weeks or even months. However, one can understand the time crunch on television that requires things to be sped up. The crew is onsite weeks in advance, setting up equipment.
To make the setting seem more spooky, ‘Ghost Hunters’ apparently uses a staging crew, as per Donna. Some of the equipment they use also tend to malfunction. For example, the EMF sensor can give readings even if cellphones or watches are nearby. In fact, in one of the episodes, when the EMF goes off, the person holding it has a massive watch on his wrist.
Lastly, charges have been levied that TAPS has a questionable business model. While some claim it to be a nonprofit organization, which runs on donations, others have stated that the producers pay for high-end equipment. ‘Ghost Hunters’ is a reality show, despite dealing with the paranormal. Thus, one can expect some facts to be embellished.
The series has garnered enough hatred from practicing parapsychologists, who believe that ‘Ghost Hunters’ has stolen the spotlight away from them. However, ‘Ghost Hunters’ is in it for the thrills, and it successfully delivers that, which is why it remains so beloved among viewers even today.
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