Opinion of Art Bell

[HillGoose]

Creator and original host of one of my favorite radio programs, Coast to Coast AM. As much as I disagree with some of his beliefs, I admire his willingness to give a platform to things that aren't usually discussed. For that, I give him FF.

More about him if you don't know who he is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Bell

[Alabama_Indy10]

Conspiracy theorist = FF

[Reluctant Republican]

Honestly I somewhat prefer George Noory, the guy who replaced him on Coast. That said, Art certainly  is an important factor in the history of Talk radio. And his heyday in the 90's certainly fit in with the times: turn of the millennial conspiracy theories, alien abduction, men in black riding in their silent helicopters. Y2K coming and wiping everyone out. Great times. I don't really give much credence to much of what he spoke of, but as a writer it certainly is fun to think about .

My favorite call of his is the infamous Area 51 caller. If you've not listened I highly recommend it. https://youtu.be/ee3bld4lTG0?t=45s One of the few moments that legitimately freaked me out.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

Honestly I somewhat prefer George Noory, the guy who replaced him on Coast.

You sicken me.

[Reluctant Republican]

Honestly I somewhat prefer George Noory, the guy who replaced him on Coast.

You sicken me.

LOL. In my defense, I first got into the show with Noory as the host, so I only really heard Bell when he occasionally guest hosted. So much of my nostalgia for the show is entwined with him.   

[dead0man]

on one hand, he seemed to be fun/was enjoying himself, was DIY and I suspect he was doing it for the yuks and the dollars more than he actually believed everything he was talking about.

On the other hand, he spread a TON of woo and encouraged millions to believe in stupid sh**t.  Just like the Pope!

HP

[136or142]

Art Bell was also one of my favorites.  Of course he could be too willing to believe some of the paranormal things (but, he was even willing to admit that, like his admission that he thought The Blair Witch Project film was actually found footage) but he was also genuinely seeking out possible real explanations for paranormal events and had actual physicists on his show other than Michio Kaku to try and explain them.  

Noory has a few on as well (at least the last time I listened about 7 months ago) but whereas Art Bell understood what they were saying and could have actual conversations with them, Noory asks the same handful of dimwitted stock questions to physicists and astronomers.

1.The 'Big Bang' I don't get it.  Can you be the one to explain it to me?
2.I don't want to call it 'God' but can the order in the universe be explained without something like God?
3.How much more do you think Einstein could have accomplished if he had had computers?
4.The whole universe if made of the same primordial soup, isn't it likely the universe is teaming with life?  
5.When I was in school, I said to my science teacher 'I think there are planets throughout the universe and she disagreed with me. Wasn't I a genius?'

Noory actually changed this anecdote to make his teacher seem less impressive.  The first several times he told the story, he said the teacher replied to him 'that might be true, but so far all that has been confirmed is that there are planets in this solar system.'

Noory's has guests on for two hours, and he does the interview in the first hour and takes calls in the second hour.  He usually asks about 10 questions over the hour, so these stock questions are around half of the questions he asks a physicist or an astronomer.
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On a more positive note, the excellent Dave Schrader has taken over Art Bell's Darkness Radio on a full time basis.