Ghost-Hunting Shows and Social Decay

Last week I watched a ghost-hunting show in the Travel Channel. Nowadays I suppose anyone who buys fancy equipment can be a parapsychologist.

The leader of the expedition into a haunted insane asylum was a guy who looked like a typically insipid L.A. metrosexual fratboy.

Every other word out of his mouth was a swear word. If there was a bump in the night or a good EVP (Electic Voice Phenomenon) he exclaimed "Holy bleep! What the bleep was that? Oh my bleeping God! That was frickin' awesome! that was bleeping sweet!" Fratboys are now exploring the mysteries of life and death? Whatever happened to stylish Victorian eccentrics who smoked opium pipes and collected crystal skulls and other exotic artifacts?

I wanted to wash out the fratboy's filthy mouth with palmolive dish detergent. This is what should happen to barbarous children when they speak out of turn.

Is Mr. Fratboy a parapsychologist or just a bum on the street? Shouldn't a parapsychologist at least try to pull off a professional image? Should we trust the ultimate mysteries of the universe to a guy who does not look like he is good enough to paint a fence or wash a car?

Speaking of bums and sloppiness, the rest of his parapsychology team looked like rejects from a Sublime mosh pit. They had beards, earrings, nose rings and tattoos (probably tribal and Cadillac tattoos) covering their arms and legs. How can I trust a team that looks like Limp Bizkit on crack?

What's most funny is that even the ghosts seem to have no respect for them. Don't forget that most of these people died before Kurt Cobain and reality television.

The EVPs seem to pick up voices that ask questions like "Why don't you - static - wear a shirt and tie you - static - bum?" Or "Geez, why don't you - static - have enough respect - static - for the dead to - static - cover up your ugly - static - tattoos?"

In other episodes Mr. Fratboy and his team of Orange County punk-rock rejects attempt to provoke and confront the ghosts of ancient aristocrats with taunts like: "Dude, am I getting you pissed off? Do something about it, wuss! I'll kick your ass!"

I suppose that in the spirit world, as in our world, respect must be earned.