What is their motivation?
There are many accounts of sightings and encounters with cryptids such as Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster. However, even though sightings have been common for many years, skeptical minds and critical thinking have proven to be able to debunk some of these accounts as hoaxes. There are countless pictures, videos, and eyewitness accounts that claim these cryptid creatures are real, but professionals have not been able to find concrete evidence that proves whether or not these creatures actually exist. However, there have been ways of disproving some of these sightings as hoaxes. Though many hoaxers have been caught and forced into confessing the truth, there are still people out there that believe that there is no way that some of these instances could have been hoaxes. There is a lot of debate between hoaxers and believers, but evidence paired with the believers' ignorance allows for a pretty clear differentiation.
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In the book Abominable Science, a quote by John Green suggests that the motivation behind some hoaxes can be linked with the desperate "hope of fame or even financial gain" (65). When people create an elaborate hoax, there are people who would be willing to pay for this new information. Especially news stations and scientists are desperate to investigate new cryptid discoveries, and would accept any information that they receive. People who deliberately deceive others are often difficult to separate from those who actually believe that they have substantial evidence supporting the existence of cryptids. When someone truly believes that they have stumbled upon a Bigfoot foot print, or even see a giant prehistoric-looking shape in the water, they will say without a doubt that these creatures are real. However, they do not have all the evidence. One thing that may have happened is that they could have misidentified the object. There have been many occasions where Bigfoot sightings could have been large bears, but in a panic, these people could have misinterpreted what they saw. Another thing that happens is that people deliberately play out the hoaxes. Almost anyone could create a casting of a giant foot and then walk around a heavily forested area. That is, unless these hoaxers are exposed for what they are. With so many hoaxes and lack of substantial evidence, it becomes hard for people to judge for themselves whether creatures like Bigfoot and Nessie actually exist.
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It seems like whenever there is new "evidence" that supports the theory that cryptids exist, there is other evidence that is proven to be unreliable or fake. It is also stated in this book that "most of the foundational cases probably were fabrications" (65). If these eyewitness accounts are hoaxes, what is causing people to continue to support the existence of these creatures? The evidence everyone was once so sure of needs to be reevaluated with a more critical eye.
Rick Dyer's Elaborate HoaxEven though there are people who devote their lives to debunking the existence of Bigfoot, there are others like Rick Dyer and Matt Whitton who become hoaxers just for the fun of it. These two men tried to convince everyone they had found a dead bigfoot, and also saw more around that area. How did they do it? All it took to convince people was a Bigfoot costume stuffed with road kill and other meat scraps. This alleged Bigfoot was being kept on ice in order to preserve its body. However, when believers started promoting this special case, things got out of hand.
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This entire hoax started with a few YouTube videos, which should be a red flag in itself. It can be tricky when looking at videos as hard evidence. Videos are able to be edited, cut, and enhanced to the point where what you see is not necessarily what is real. When it is revealed that this deceased Sasquatch was being kept on ice away from the public eye, it amplified everyone's curiosity. Whitton and Dyer took advantage of this desperation for their own personal gain. They were now willing to show the body, but only if they were given money BEFORE the reveal. This is a great example of how hoaxers are willing to take advantage of the believers' ignorance for their own personal gain. Dyer and Whitton admit that it was simply a joke that "got out of hand".