Mermaids: The Bodies Found is a "docufiction" that premiered on Animal Planet this summer and has since been shown on the Discovery Channel. This Documentary explores the Aquatic Ape Theory and focuses on a story of a team of NOAA scientists who recover the body of a mermaid in the stomach of a shark.
The documentary involves testimony of NOAA scientists involved in the discovery, examines the evidence found, and shows two amateur videos of alleged mermaids. The documentary goes on to expose a navy cover up of evidence, due to the fact naval testing is killing these creatures.
The catch? The documentary is based on a fictional story. Other than the Aquatic Ape Theory (which is a real, albeit not widely accepted scientific theory), and a recording of "the bloop" (an unidentified sound recorded in the ocean) everything presented in this documentary is fictional. Although Animal Planet Issued the following press release
it is unclear in the show's actual content whether or not this is a genuine documentary. To further muddy the waters, a website associated with the program is claiming to be blocked by Homeland Security, although this is merely a graphic on the website, and the site itself is exactly what it is... just a graphic making it appear that the site was blocked.
Naturally, this has created a group that thinks the documentary is genuine, and are dedicated to believing that mermaids exist.
So, my question to the TL community:
Is this merely a creative way to examine a scientific theory, or is it intentional manipulation of viewers in an attempt to increase viewer counts and get publicity.
Poll: What do you think of this documentary?
Intentional Manipulation (168)
88%
Clearly science fiction with the intent of examining scientific theory (24)
13%
192 total votes
Your vote: What do you think of this documentary?
(Vote): Intentional Manipulation (Vote): Clearly science fiction with the intent of examining scientific theory
From the description in the OP, along with the "blocked" website, it sounds like they were trying to cash in on the viral ARG groove that lots of game companies have been using for their marketing before major title releases. Just as a way to spin up public notoriety about their channel.
Discovery channel / Animal planet have the same ownership and same gameplan in different market subdivisions.
I'm sure homeland security would take over the website and put their image in a media folder on their server:
<img src="media/img/mermaids_web.jpg" width="960" height="720" title="Mermaid Legends-Mermaid Sightings-water creature" alt="Mermaid legend is true, and there is proof of real live mermaids" />
And alt the image with "Mermaid legend is true, and there is proof of real live mermaids."
So badly done...
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hahah that website is a nice touch. This seems like a supremely dumb ratings grab by Animal Planet but at least its marginally more creative than the dumb shit they air on TLC/History lately.
On August 13 2012 05:21 heyoka wrote: hahah that website is a nice touch. This seems like a supremely dumb ratings grab by Animal Planet but at least its marginally more creative than the dumb shit they air on TLC/History lately.
The whole aquatic ape thing is moronic anyway.
Take that back you, leave my imaginary friends alone!
Last edit: 2012-08-13 05:24:11
PassiveAce United States. August 13 2012 05:26. Posts 4363
It's so sad to be old enough to remember the history channel before it became the hitler channel (Which was before it became Aliens, Rednecks and Pals!).
Same with TLC only midgets and strange or dysfunctional people.
Same with Discovery only ... mermaids.
They used to be my bastion of entertainment as a teenager. Now they're just gone, replaced with reality TV rubbish like this. Sad, sad, sad.
Edit: Oh, I actually caught about 3 minutes of it last night during one of IPLs many super long breaks. It was just as stupid as you imagine it is.
Last edit: 2012-08-13 05:31:56
우정호 KT_VIOLET 1988 - 2012 While we are postponing, life speeds by
Coagulation United States. August 13 2012 05:31. Posts 7561
On August 13 2012 05:21 heyoka wrote: hahah that website is a nice touch. This seems like a supremely dumb ratings grab by Animal Planet but at least its marginally more creative than the dumb shit they air on TLC/History lately.
The whole aquatic ape thing is moronic anyway.
Not that I have any knowledge about the subject but I was always under the impression that our ancestors evolved from some form of aquatic type creature. doesnt that explain the webbed feet gene that pops up now and then in people today and the way our hands have webbings between the fingers?
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Soulstice United States. August 13 2012 05:32. Posts 182
On August 13 2012 05:21 heyoka wrote: hahah that website is a nice touch. This seems like a supremely dumb ratings grab by Animal Planet but at least its marginally more creative than the dumb shit they air on TLC/History lately.
The whole aquatic ape thing is moronic anyway.
Not that I have any knowledge about the subject but I was always under the impression that our ancestors evolved from some form of aquatic type creature. doesnt that explain the webbed feet gene that pops up now and then in people today and the way our hands have webbings between the fingers?
To add to your argument, 2 people in my friends family were born with gills.
On August 13 2012 05:21 heyoka wrote: hahah that website is a nice touch. This seems like a supremely dumb ratings grab by Animal Planet but at least its marginally more creative than the dumb shit they air on TLC/History lately.
The whole aquatic ape thing is moronic anyway.
Not that I have any knowledge about the subject but I was always under the impression that our ancestors evolved from some form of aquatic type creature. doesnt that explain the webbed feet gene that pops up now and then in people today and the way our hands have webbings between the fingers?
While we did evolve from creatures that left the water at some point, there is hundreds of millions of years between that and when humans and apes diverged.
hahaha pretty much what heyoka said. Pretty creative there with the site being closed down LOL. Somewhere in the world somebody is putting on a tin foil hat and snorkeling gear. :D Obvious fake, though I suppose if they made it unobvious, it might actually be illegal.
"It has always been in my observation of human nature, that a man who has any good reason to believe in himself never flourishes himself before the faces of other people in order that they may believe in him."
Tewks44 United States. August 13 2012 05:44. Posts 1834
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