G.Angstadt Analysis 5-1

The Paranormal

          For this week’s analysis I chose the topic of the paranormal. I believe people have always been infatuated with the paranormal and unknown. Back in the mid 1970’s and 80’s there was a show called In Search of… hosted by Leonard Nemoy that became very popular. Since then topics on the paranormal have been few and far between. Sure, we had the occasional movies or shows on Bigfoot or other mysterious creatures and UFO’s, but nothing really took off and caught the eye of society until recently.

     Not too very long ago there were a couple of shows that came along that caught our attention. We had shows that came out and dealt with myths such as Bigfoot, Yeti, werewolves, and other creatures and unexplained phenomen caught on tape. These shows were titled MonsterQuest and MysteryQuest. Then we had shows that dealt with the paranormal such as the two plumbers who started hunting ghosts and created a show called Ghost Hunters. Eventually, other shows spawned up like Ghost Adventures and The Unexplained. Then a movie came along like no other that sent our society into a talespin and really put the phenomena of the paranormal on the map and made it one of the most popular subjects in our culture at the present time. That movie was Paranormal Activity. That movie became so popular they decided to create a combined prequel/ sequel called Paranormal Activity 2.

     Since then many shows have exploded onto the scene. Shows such as Paranormal State, UFO Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, Celebrity Ghost Stories, and The Haunted just to name a few. Everywhere you turn you can turn on the television and watch something about the paranormal or unexplained.

     So are these shows real? Maybe, maybe not but I think that is why our society is so curious about this subject and why it has become so popular as of late

References

Duplatt, L. (2008). Why Paranormal Topics Are So Popular in the Media. Retrieved February 2, 2011, from www.associatedcontent.com: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/778441/why_paranormal_topics_are_so_popular_pg2.html?cat=38