Here’s some context before I address the superb new video itself.
Generally, I cringe whenever I see that a content creator has combined Southern Appalachian Culture with the Paranormal. My dismay applies not just to the producers of such spurious, exploitative slop, but to the readers and viewers who lap it up and come back for seconds.
Going back through my notes, I found something I wrote after watching a program on Judaculla Rock, produced by the History Channel or some such network. My BS detector activated when I recognized one of the “local guides” in the program as a fellow who had moved to Bryson City and promptly marketed himself as a genuine Mountain Man. I could see through his long white beard right away. His brogue was folksy enough to fool some listeners, but it very clearly was NOT Appalachian. He would tell reporters that he didn’t know how old he was. He would share witticisms from his old hillbilly Grandpappy. He probably boasted that he built the log cabin he was born in, but that last part is mere speculation on my part.
Going back through my notes, I found something I wrote after watching a program on Judaculla Rock, produced by the History Channel or some such network. My BS detector activated when I recognized one of the “local guides” in the program as a fellow who had moved to Bryson City and promptly marketed himself as a genuine Mountain Man. I could see through his long white beard right away. His brogue was folksy enough to fool some listeners, but it very clearly was NOT Appalachian. He would tell reporters that he didn’t know how old he was. He would share witticisms from his old hillbilly Grandpappy. He probably boasted that he built the log cabin he was born in, but that last part is mere speculation on my part.
He would board the tourist train to tell stories and, according to the online reviews, passengers were enthralled by this colorful “authentic” Mountain Man. (It slays me just how many glowing reviews used that word "authentic".)
One discerning tourist, though, suspected that Mountain Man was not what he claimed and uncovered a very credible charge of Stolen Valor in one doozy of an expose.
"Slick" is about right
Nevertheless the storytelling Mountain Man was on a roll, it would seem, until COVID, and then the curtain came down on that little show.
Here’s a bit of my own rant from 2016:
A couple of years ago, one show that will remain unnamed shot a program on Judaculla Rock. It was the overblown, conspiracy-theory, pseudo-scientific “investigation” one would expect and even cast an “authentic Appalachian guide,” who happened to be some dude that showed up in Bryson City a few years ago, grew out his beard, put on a rustic costume and adopted poor grammar to market himself as a Gen-yew-wine Hillbilly or something like that. But people love his act…
Bottom line: if you stumble upon a Judaculla video (or any other video) featuring the costumed jokers pictured here, DO NOT waste your time with their demeaning play-acting.
To point a finer point on it, dear reader, do you know Jim Crow? I'm not talking about "Jim Crow laws" but about the original Jim Crow, a character created by white actor Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice in the 1830s, who performed in blackface and portrayed a stereotypical, clumsy Black man. And I'll bet his antebellum audience enjoyed the "authenticity" too.
That explains why I was dubious about any new video!
On the Other Hand...
Happily, it turns out that a newly released video “The Nantahala Bigfoot Pursuit” is a real gem. Filmmaker Seth Breedlove actually has roots in the mountains. He found credible people with credible accounts of Bigfoot sightings. And his cinematography reveals a genuine love for this region, conveying the natural beauty and majesty of our environs.
On the Other Hand...
Happily, it turns out that a newly released video “The Nantahala Bigfoot Pursuit” is a real gem. Filmmaker Seth Breedlove actually has roots in the mountains. He found credible people with credible accounts of Bigfoot sightings. And his cinematography reveals a genuine love for this region, conveying the natural beauty and majesty of our environs.
One of those informants featured in the documentary is someone I met more than 40 years ago. I remember Jeff Carpenter as an affable, smart guy, and seeing him again convinced me that this video is the real deal. Jeff certainly is. I would recommend this episode to anyone, even a Sasquatch skeptic.
Browsing Breedlove’s channel, “Small Town Monsters,” I was surprised by the vast number of films he has produced. In addition to his new video, I urge you to check out “Bigfoot: The Shadow of the Smokies” which also presents the people and places of this region in a loving and respectful manner.
You can read much more about Seth Breedlove’s prolific career at his Wikipedia entry, where you will find this passage:
In 2018, when asked if he believes the individuals he interviews for his documentaries, Breedlove stated, "The simplest answer is I want to believe, but my confounded brain just won't let me accept everything I hear. I have too many questions as to how some of the phenomena could exist without definitive proof being offered for their existence. Having said that, I tend to believe that people I interview have experienced what they claim to experience more than I disbelieve them, so I think continuing to look into these subjects and seek answers to them is important."