The new horror film The Conjuring 2 is, like its predecessor, supposedly based on the "true case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren," a real-life married pair of self-styled demonologists involved (however peripherally) in several high-profile haunted house reports,...
News
Solving a Ghost Photo Mystery- Queen Isabella, Is that You?
For those who didn't see it last month, I'm quoted in a news article explaining a new viral "ghost photo," supposedly of Queen Isabella in a castle... You can read it HERE. Ghost hunters at a 12th-century English castle snapped a photo of a milky white image of...
‘Sex Roulette Party’ Panic: Menace or Myth?
There's a new media-hyped moral panic about clandestine "Sex Roulette" parties. A bizarre sex game with a sinister twist has intrigued the tabloid press, but, on closer investigation, many of the "facts" simply don't add up. My closer look is HERE. You can find...
Regarding the “Extraordinary Nerdiness” of My Audiences…
Student feedback from a recent guest lecture I did for a course on skepticism and critical thinking: the fact that I didn't discuss my research into the mysterious Pokemon Panic of 1997 is "unfortunate given the extraordinary nerdiness of the audience." ...
Amy Schumer, the “Trainwreck” Shooting, and the Benefits of Skepticism
My new blog about Amy Schumer blaming herself for a shooting at her film "Trainwreck." By applying skepticism to news media claims we can see that she's blaming herself needlessly, and that there's no clear connection between the content of a film and violence that...
Catching Up With Itinerant Feminist Organizer Shelby Knox
A decade after meeting sex education activist (and documentary subject) Shelby Knox I interviewed her about her life since the film, feminism, and activism. My new CFI blog is out, you can read it HERE. You can find more on me and my work with a search for...
Joshua Hoffine Horror Photography Book Announced
Horror photographer Joshua Hoffine, whose creepy and gothic photos were used on the covers of my last two books "Mysterious New Mexico" and "Bad Clowns," has a Kickstarter campaign to fund his first-ever career retrospective of photos. Check it out HERE! You...
Woman Dies Searching for Legendary Monster
My recent article on the dangers of legend-tripping. It's long been a Wild West amateur hour of people looking for monsters and ghosts, and it can have consequences... you can read it HERE. You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin...
Radio Station Interview about “Bad Clowns”
For those of you who contacted me in tears because you missed my recent brilliant 15-minute interview with Paul Harris on 550 KTRS AM in St. Louis talking about my new book "Bad Clowns," I have good news for you. It's available HERE. Enjoy! You can find more on...
A Closer Look at Media Diversity: Should TV Reflect Reality?
In my recent CFI blog I examined studies on media representation, especially of minorities. Two recent reports have helped describe and quantify the issue, one from GLAAD (formerly the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and the other from the USC Annenberg...