An Entertaining Truth...

I don't watch a lot of TV, but lately I've been exploring a variety of shows on Netflix Instant because it's so easy to start it streaming while doing something else. I've had fun with the over-the-top seriousness of Ghost Adventures and the occasional movie of late. My latest discovery, however, is a show that I've had quite a bit of fun with on a number of levels. The Syfy (strange spelling and all) has a show called Destination Truth hosted by a fellow named Josh Gates.

The premise of the show is that Josh and his crew travel to exotic locations to investigate local reports of (for lack of a better word) monster sightings. They have traveled from Africa and Japan to Egypt and the Ukraine, from the Everglades and Nepal to Indonesia and Australia. They gather photographic, audio, video, and other evidence and then bring it to experts to analyze.

Before I get into why I like it, though, I must first point out that it is not 'good' science. They only spend a day and night (or so) in an area, the cameras are generally pointed at their faces, and they have yet to find any conclusive evidence of anything other than 'there might be something there'.

But I love it anyway. I love it because of what they are exploring. The strange creatures come straight out of mythology and are fascinating reflections of local legends in and of themselves: the ninki nanka of The Gambia, the tarasque of Viet Nam, the mapinguary of the Amazon Rainforest, the tokeloshe of Lesotho in South Africa, el lobizon of Argentina, and the list goes on and on. They also explore things whose names are more familiar to us – sea serpents and the yeti, giant octopi and anaconda, ghosts, and the curse of Tutankhamen. Since I love mythology, I love these tales. And I love how he presents them.

The host and crew are very respectful of the cultures and belief systems they visit. They debunk when debunking is warranted, but they also acknowledge that sometimes belief and science can walk hand in hand – as long as you understand the powers of each. Josh has talked about how a creature seems to "live at the nexus of folklore and memory" and he is never judgmental of those he interviews. Unless they are just straight up silly. The fellow who 'transformed' into a werewolf on camera seemed a little dubious even with cultural respect in play. As Gates said, the way the gentleman checked his watch once the transformation was over to indicate he had lost time made his performance seem more fitting for dinner theater than for the strange phenomena books.

The episode on the Naga contains two of my favorite quotes. Together these quotes reflect some of my over-arching beliefs on mythology, science, truth, and spirituality. At one point, as he speaks to people who have more or less transformed their village into a temple dedicated to the naga, he says that "[he] was beginning to realize that the creature experiences in this town were more of the spiritual variety than the physical" (Season 1, Episode 2). And he says this without even the slightest trace of derision or scorn. His words are those of someone who is respecting the belief system of a culture that is completely and utterly removed from his own. As the episode concludes, he shares this:

My search for the naga revealed it to be more of a complex phenomenon than I ever could have imagined.  Steeped in Buddhist history, it seems to be a mythological meeting point between the physical and spiritual worlds.  As for its eye-witness accounts, I believe the Mekong River is sort of like a religious Rorschach test and that in Thailand, hints of that revered serpent  are what the faithful see in those waters....my instincts tell me it's a mystery for a reason.

This may not be good science, but it is good mythology and it acknowledges that there are things we will never understand and things we don't need to understand. I don't even care if they find anything – the investigation portion of the series is far less interesting to me than the interviews, the travel, the commentary, and the background.

So, I love the show for that – for seeking the truth (albeit in a limited made-for-TV way) but realizing that it probably won't be found. And then realizing, accepting, and respecting that it probably doesn't need to be found. For acknowledging that truth is not always painted in shades of literal fact and irrefutable evidence. For knowing that our world, for all its technology and civilization and progress, is a mysterious, dangerous, and wondrous place. And embracing that.

I love the show for all this.

And have I mentioned that Gates is also quite funny?  :)