I am an intrepid — I mean vicarious — ghost hunter. I boldly watch the ghost hunting shows from the safety of my paranormally inactive home, imagining myself sleuthing about the dank, moldering armpits of the world where bad things have happened and the disembodied may or may not linger.
As a result, I have a fascination with, and admiration for, those who do the do in real life, facing their own internal fears, longings, and metaphysics in an effort to sort the real from the imagined, the numinous from the fallacious.
The granddaddy of all ghost hunting shows is, appropriately enough, Syfy's Ghost Hunters, which was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world in October of 2004. Led by no-nonsense Rhode Islanders Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson — "plumbers by day, ghost hunters by night" — founders of TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society), the Ghost Hunters franchise has evolved a solemn ethos of rigorous data and evidence gathering, with the avowed goal of debunking paranormal claims unless the evidence is incontrovertible.
Now entering its sixth season, the series celebrated its 100th episode last Wednesday night with an uncharacteristic flourish: a studio presentation live from NBC's (owner of Syfy) legendary Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, hosted by Josh Gates (of Destination Truth) and featuring the entire active Ghost Hunters crew, as well as stars from spin-offs Ghost Hunters International and Ghost Hunters Academy.
Between the live discussion among Gates, the Hunters, and the studio audience, the team aired their latest investigation, a rip-snorting frolic through the dreaded former federal prison on Alcatraz Island.
I had the pleasure of speaking by phone last week with the fearless, lovely, and charming women of the Ghost Hunters team, Kris Williams and Amy Bruni.
Eric: You guys put the genre on the map in terms of being taken seriously, and that’s an amazing thing really.
Kris and Amy: Thank you. The big thing for us is being skeptics and going into it to find out what’s going on . What we find is what we find – either people believe it or they don’t. We don’t put on an act – what you see is what you get. We’re very serious – unless it’s Steve and Tango! We have a good time, but we’re very passionate about finding the truth.
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Article comments
1 - Kevin Gustafson
My first reaction to this article is Eric you're an SOB--a lucky SOB!!!
2 - Eric Olsen
thanks, I think, Kevin - it was a lot of fun!
3 - Glen Boyd
Kris...is...hot.
4 - Kevin Gustafson
I love the show, but hated the Alcatraz episode. It tried to be too much. The anniversary needed to be a separate episode. I didn't like the Syfy season previews either. I wanted something more since I felt something physically running at me when I visited the prison on a field trip. Never be the last one left behind.
5 - Eric Olsen
it was a kind of "state of the franchise" statement and I don't blame them for a bit of crowing, but it was a bit busy
6 - Josh Hathaway
Nicely done interview, EO. It's always good to have you visible on the site. Outstanding stuff here.
7 - Kt
They are tough women. I get nervous watching them, and I think most of it is a HOAX. Most of it.
8 - Eric Olsen
thanks Josh! Kt, having watched a number of these shows very closely and now interviewed several of the participants, I think what you see is legit. I don't there is any hoaxing involved
9 - Jordan Richardson
Kris...is...hot.
Quoted for truth.
10 - Eric Olsen
of course, but I think Amy is equally alluring
11 - stefan
sooooooooo boring and a big blunder u did lolzzzzzzzzzzz...!
12 - ghostscaters
I like to see but sometimes the deduction is zzz I think some ghost must murder someone or anything like south park
13 - tepas
the best ghost hunter pair
14 - gc
Amy is HOT!!!