Ghost Hunters Academy

So has anyone watched this? What are your thoughts?

Never watched more than 5 minutes of it, found it boring...although I do like Steve and Tango I tend to dislike the show more and more....the original GH that is.

I really don't watch the paranormal shows very much any more.

But I do like Steve and Tango they make me laugh and seem very nice and down to earth..something we all need more of.

Ghost Hunters Academy wasn't what I expected, but it is still interesting. I was expecting the academy to show how Taps typically trains their new members. It turns out a contest was held and five people were selected to compete against each other. Only one person will be selected to be a new Taps member. Every couple of weeks a person who is not cutting it gets the boot. The twist is everyone has to use teamwork during the competetion.

The players have to set up and investigate with minimal help from Steve and Tango. The three locations they have investigated so far are pretty big and places that have been investigated on previous episdoes, a fort, a battleship, and a penitintary. I never realized before how much work it is to set up for an investigation! I'm not sure what their experience levels are, but the players have been having problems coordinating their efforts and setting up in timely manner. It's not surprising these places are huge!

Two of the players are mediums. One of the women, sees and hears entities and the other woman feels emotions. The first person had revealed before hand that she is a medium, and the other woman didn't reveal her abilites during the interview process. I was really surprised that a medium was chosen at all. The prevailing attitude appears to me to be that things can only be proven scientifically and all mediums are frauds.

Steve doesn't seem happy with the group at all. He keeps telling them they are screwing up. He is also very upset the two women are using non-scientific methods to investigate. He was especially upset that the empathic woman did not reveal her ablilites. I don't blame her. He told her that she had violated everyone's trust. The woman that feels emotions at one point started feeling extreemly distraught and had to go to the van to recuperate.

When the penitintary was being investigated the one woman said that there was something on the third level and that they should go up there and try to document activity. Steve got all upset and said that they had been told to investigate the second level because that was where the documented evidence had occured before. He told her she knew they only accepted evidence collected scientifically and said something to the effect of why did she bother to apply at all. She got booted from the show. All of the players were upset that she was asked to leave.

I was hoping that they had started to be more open minded about mediums and maybe be able to uncover more evidence with someone who could tell them where to look. Yes, using scientific methods is a good thing, but why the hositility against mediums? They are investigating paranormal activity.

During the third episode they presented a new player. Steve was critiquing their efforts and scolded the new woman for not placing a camera correctly. She got upset and had to leave the room to calm down. I probably would have done the same thing. Most women prefer encouragement over harsh criticism. Steve's attitude has been slightly on the harsh side and he seems to want to keep the drama to a mimimum. It seems strange that he would give one person the boot who seems to be rather together, but keeps the people who seem to be a bit on the anxious side. I think all the people who were chosen are basically good people. Its a very challenging task that they have been presented with and everyone is trying.

It was funny at one point two of the invistigators became quite concerned with a very large amount of mist that seemed to be coming from one coridoors in the penitentiary. I thought maybe a steam pipe burst. They turned the corner and there was Steve and Tango with pots of dry ice! They were testing them to see if they got scared. I'm looking forward to upcoming episodes.

I had no idea the show was a GH version of a reality show. Oh brother. I never have watched much of it cause it was dull lol. I do have an issue with GH's over reliance (sole reliance?) on quantifiable evidence. Sensitives, psychics, mediums, etc.,can really be a great tool as they tend to "wake up" whatever spirit activity there is plus, who better to deal with the paranormal realm than someone woth paranormal gifts? True, a lot are phoney but most are honest, ime.

as far as using or not using mediums and empaths, let's not forget that jason hawes himself is a "sensative" but chooses to use science that produces evidence. as i understand it, olives help to quwell the "sensative" in people.

i guess it boils down to what are you doing it for? help people, use every tool you can...to prove the exsistance of something to the outside world, you can only use visible evidence.

but while on the subject, who all saw the episode a few years back in louisianna where they visited a medium, and recorded it with the thermal? who all saw the strange patterns develop while the medium questioned jason? what did ya'll think? evidence? fluke? proof? camera malfunction?
whatr are ya'lls thoughts?

Prior to the TV series (when Sandra, Brian, Carl and I were all members), TAPS actually utilized "sensitives" or psychics in the group. In fact, according to Jason, there are still some psychics who operate in the home team, although they prefer to remain anonymous. Our stance was always that, whenever we worked with psychics, we always attempted to confirm their findings with scientific data. In other words, if one one our sensitives sensed a "presence" in a spot within a particular room or area, it wouldn't hurt to begin snapping photos in that area, or asking questions in an attempt to capture EVP. If one of them intuitively picked up on a bit of history, we'd of course also try to verify what they'd picked up on by conducting as much historic research as was available, rather than simply taking their word for it and leaving it at that.

there is no doubt that a medium would come in handy for pointing you in the right direction to find that elusive evidence (not exactly good for t.v. i guess) . but i also wander about various types of beings using a medium to misdirect a hunter or researcher.

to me, it is not unlike evp's. you never really know who you are talking to, or in a mediums case, who it is you are in contact with...Except for those demons that truely are full of pride, and immediately let you know they are bad news, the ones that make you sick to the stomache before you even go to the site. (or at least a minion, pretending to be someone who is really bad news.)

it's a shame things are not like hollywood. magic gun, magic bullets, demons sent back to hell. entertaining, yes. accurate, not even close.

decent...I honestly think it could be better, but it's too early to tell in my opinion...honestly I'd like more theory, then application...this seems more like here's the equipment, here's the place to hunt, we'll help you set up once, but after that your on your own...where's the teaching? An academy there is usually lots of work, lots of things to absorb. Currently it's just too dry, anyone who's watched the original gh, knows the stuff they've covered...the only thing covered that I didn't know, was that the focus ring was just behind the lens...and thats what the manual is for...should you buy a thermal you generally read the instruction manual...I account the major screw ups so far on tango and steve...I just don't think their teaching much from what I've seen. A few pointers here and there don't really constitute teaching. How to fix it?

To begin with a proper education, you need to learn the basics, the theory behind it. Like for example if I walked up to a stranger and said tell me what is the precursory pop theory and how does it relate to the paranormal? They will most likely walk faster down the street trying to get away from the deranged shaggy man asking about theory's of the paranormal...yet if they sat down, and were taught that it is the theory that to make an evp they must come into our relm and this transition makes a sound, that can be sometimes picked up by the recorder, they are not gonna be running down the street getting away.

Then again what goes on behind the scenes is completely unknown to me, so maybe it's not steve and tango's teaching, it's the students chewing gum, flicking rubber bands at one another, and rocketing paper clips at one another from rubber band guns, or my personal favorite...sleeping!

from there, basic application of theory...applying theory to the field...from there advanced theory and application....from there basic equipment...what are the very minimum basics, and how to apply that...how best to use the basics! from there advanced equipment...how exactly to set up and use advanced equipment, like tesla coils...and how to do it safely!

Maybe even a basic medical training....after all, running around in the dark can be hazardous, expecially if your a guy, and the furniture is slightly below waste level....least in my experiance it helps. Things for minor burns, scapes scratches broken bones...you know stuff that can happen when you fall, after all most accidents occur in the home and involve stairs. (expecially stairs that your not accustome to)

behind the scene's dvd?

Quite true. I at least hope that on GHA, they don't count it against the new trainees for jumping at spiders.

The Johnson family would know better than most, after being around and involved with the show. So much happens, and is condensed into so little time, viewers may never get a real sense of how the GH caddets really perform, or who they really are. a moment caught on camera can influence the audiences perception of who these people are, but in reality, it was just a tiny sliver of their lives.


but then again, afraid of bugs, is afraid of bugs, no matter how many times you see it. poor guy. saddled with alot of phobias. his own inner demons, you might say.

we all have our demons. I've got my phobia of needles, then again I think thats from a previous life, but maybe all his phobias claimed him at one point or another in a previous life.

I am not really into the show.. I have seen it a few times and will only watch it if there is nothing better on. I find Keith's show Ghost R Near to be a much better program:)

I've never actually seen keiths show, but sadly the family is addicted to taps, and some other odds and ends.