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The Rise Of Montauk Monster Journalism

Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water…

Remember the ‘Montauk Monster‘?  Last August, a strange carcass was photographed on Montauk, Long Island which made waves circulating the internet.  As I wrote then, despite rumors about genetic engineering, bioterrorism, and worse–the critter was probably a dog or raccoon.

Well it seems the public can’t get enough of the ‘mystery‘ and nearly a year later, ABC news is reporting another odd-looking animal on the beach in Long Island. So is Fox news.  But as for labeling it a ‘monster‘, I’m skeptical.  Foremost, both sites admit the story was initially reported on the blog Montauk-Monster.com.  Occam’s razor anyone?

Still, I’m not interested in discussing why 21st century popular media seems obsessed with dead animals and associated conspiracy theories.  It’s worth noting however, what’s making top news… and more importantly,  what’s not.

May 14th, 2009 Tags: Long Island, Montauk Monster, science news
by Sheril Kirshenbaum in Culture, Media and Science | 5 comments | RSS feed | Trackback >

5 Responses to “The Rise Of Montauk Monster Journalism”

1. 1.   Jason Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 12:33 pm

   I think it’s far more important that the news talk about the Montauk Monster, racy Prejean pictures and the latest spat between Democrats and Republicans instead of like.. something actually useful to know or possibly important to the development of society.

   Idiocracy here we come.

2. 2.   Wes Rolley Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

   From Brooklyn Eagle, New York November 4, 1892.
   

   It Looks Like a Man and Eats Bears and Sheep.

   Some of the old time hunters and Indian fighters who are still holding out in the city should endeavor to find a wild eyed individual who came in from the mountains this morning. Whether he discovered a new brand of whisky or whether it was the lonliness [sic] of his life in the mountains that caused him to see visions and hear sounds is not known, but, whatever the cause, he had told a story that knocks Joe Klaffki’s ghost story, attested to by Jack Brennan, completely in the shade.

   That kind of stuff has been around for a long time with the same fascination.

3. 3.   MadScientist Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 8:02 pm

   Seeing that fragment of the skull, the phrase ‘dead sheep’ comes to mind. Those tufts of wool still clinging to the skin also suggest ‘dead sheep’; they also suggest `idiots who can’t even tell dead sheep from imaginary monster’.

4. 4.   Another monster in Long Island « Skepacabra Says:
   May 15th, 2009 at 1:02 am

   [...] now that racoon–err, I mean “monster” [LOL] has company. Yet another photograph of a bizarre-looking dead creature in Long Island has surfaced. Well it ain’t Godzilla or Cloverfield. That’s for damned sure. It looks kinda like a [...]

5. 5.   More ‘Blood-sucking, Mythical’ Journalism | The Intersection | Discover Magazine Says:
   September 4th, 2009 at 1:19 am

   [...] again, another mystery critter has created a big stir in the media–this time it hails from Texas. The public can’t [...]

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