MovieChat Forums > Dead Famous (2005) Discussion > Am I the Only One that Abhors this Garba...

Am I the Only One that Abhors this Garbage?

posted 19 years ago by sneedy-1
6 replies | jump to latest

What a terrible, terrible idea for a show. I've seen a lot of paranormally-focused shows come and go over the years, but this is despicable. And yet at the same time I'm drawn to it just because I want to see what generally boobery will come next.

Sci-Fi airs "Ghost Hunters" on Wednesday, and while it's still bogus, it's at least doing a fair job with the entire suspension of disbelief angle. Stuff started happening on the show EVERY WEEK and I grew suspicious. Then the entire world caught on; everything 'happened' to the same goofball, who the audience and the creators knew to be a pathological liar. He lied and he lied and ghosts threw stuff or knocked over chairs when he was around. Thankfully he's been canned and that show is weathering out the storm. It doesn't make it any more legit, it just means the lying jackal is gone.

"Dead Famous" forgoes the hi-tech savvy, but instead focuses on one man's inate ability to sense and channel spirits of the dead. Chris is repulisively full of himself and brazen about it, too--were he a petty criminal, he'd be the kind to reach into the cash register and take what he wants and expect you not to notice. I can't say that he's lying, because while he's putting on a show from my view, people at war with the truth have a tendency to start believing their fabricated webs. Maybe he actually thinks he's fighting the good fight. Every episode he finds a way to channel the spirits, no matter hollow the victory he needs to impress whoever chooses to bother. It's no mystery why most of the spirits are physically or verbally hostile towards him; the mystery is why the camera crew doesn't beat the living daylights out of him, because he puts no other psychic investigators to shame.

Gail is the sidekick, who claims to be the skeptical interest. Unfortunately, her will is weak as her mind is putty and we see her relent her cynical edge EVERY given week. She's not cut out for this, and while I have no personal qualms, she needs to find another project to busy herself with. She seems quite adept at buying snake oil when Chris is the salesman. It's the same old story: Girl Meets Boy, Spooky Pursuits ensure, Girl Wants to Change Boy, Boy Has None of the That, Girl takes a bunch of pills.

Frankly, I liked it better when it happened in the film "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls".

And that's the bottom line; this guy is getting paid to entertain us. Not to burden us with the truth or advance the frontier of spiritual investigations or anything vain as that.

[–] sheryl-22 18 years ago

I like Dead Famous, but the show needs to lose Chris. He seems to work everyone up into a frenzy, especially the poor host. Then he seems to ham for the camera by insisting he sees a face or hears a voice when the camera is conveniently set on him and misses the shot.

His gyrating into what he calls being channeled is laughable and really makes the show less credible. He really makes what could be an interesting topic and show into a personal promote "Chris' career" hour.

Since nobody really knows for certain there are ghosts, it would be nice if the show could concentrate on finding proof. By the way of pictures, video, and even EVPs would be much more convenicing than Chris' continous mugging for the camera time. It only makes the skeptical all the more skeptical.

It is fun though each week to see how much more elaborate Chris' hairstyle becomes and his wardrobe improves due to his "success".

Because of Chris I much prefer Ghost Hunters. At least they are focused on the ghosts themselves and trying to debunk the experiences, not merely escalate their careers. Self-promotion such as what Chris' practices really makes me rather watch a soap opera during that time slot. Too Bad!

Lose Chris and the show would be great!

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] KingMercury 18 years ago

Ahhh, I wish I'd seen this thread before I posted regarding the 'Mae West' episode I caught last night. I completely agree about Chris- how the people around him at a seance dont burst into laughter is beyond me- and you're right. Concentrate on research. Saying you feel the spirits of two little children is one thing; in my opinion, the next logical thing, as opposed to meeting the co-host at a diner next day to discuss it, would be to hit the library and internet and find proof that there were ever two little children that died there. This show has potential; but that idiot needs to be given the boot. He's an actor.

[–] celtic_mama 18 years ago

You have no idea who Chris really is. There is so much footage that he and the crew have gotten that never makes it to air that you'd really be surprised. He has a website www.unknownmagazine.com where he does come to the forum and answer questions, even for the sceptics.

[–] rdpepper 16 years ago

I don't recall seeing Ghost Hunters episodes where things happen every week. In fact Grant and Jay say about 80% of places are not haunted. They have had quite a few episodes where they tell the people they could not find anything and gave them an explanation of what the "activity" could be. I'm sure they don't air a lot of the shows with nothing because they would not be interesting for the viewers. Most Haunted is more like that.

I like DF for the biographical information that they give on the celebrity and seeing where they grew up or became discovered. The paranormal you can take with a grain of salt. If Chris has some abilities, I think he overdoes the theatrics with it which makes the show less believable. The premise is a good idea though.

[–] jbaker1-2 16 years ago

"I don't recall seeing Ghost Hunters episodes where things happen every week. In fact Grant and Jay say about 80% of places are not haunted."

I'd say the actual percentage is closer to 100%.. <G>