Tag Archives: ryan buell

Don’t Feed the Buell

15 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by in Famous People, In the News, Paranormal, paranormal state, Reality TV, Uncategorized

≈ Comments Off on Don’t Feed the Buell

Tags

, , , ,

Book

Don’t Feed the Buell

According to the Urban Dictionary, the saying “Don’t feed the bears” is a cautionary statement made to E.R. doctors who may over-prescribe narcotics. “Hey, doc, don’t feed the bears” means don’t prescribe the meds or even handout the meds because the bears get hungry and will return for more.

An earlier metaphor using the same words directed people to not feed the bears (in this case people without money to pay for food) because they will remain lazy and not seek employment.

Although the meanings have evolved, the message is clear: Do Not Feed. Alternately, feed at own risk. Over the past week, my social media feed has quite a few references to Ryan Buell. After reading the posts, all I could think was: Please people. If you’re really a fan, stop feeding him. Do. Not. Feed. The. Buell.

Ryan D. Buell erupted on the paranormal scene while a college student. He founded the Paranormal Research Society (PRS) at Pennsylvania State University, a.k.a. PennState). The group garnered media attention and his popular paranormal TV show Paranormal State debuted in 2007. The show lasted 6 seasons, ending in 2011. Ryan enjoyed great status as a young Catholic man seeking answers from the paranormal world. He made connections with psychic Chip Coffey and paranormal investigator and demonologist Lorraine Warren. By all appearances he was setting up himself for a lucrative career in the paranormal field post graduation. However, his life took a turn. He didn’t graduate. Instead, he lost sight of himself and the road he was to follow.

The popular show ended in 2011. He quickly began to profit by selling DVDs of the show, books, and the like. Sadly, a lot of the items were paid for but not being shipped. This began to concern his fans. Shortly after, Buell announced he was battling pancreatic cancer.

In an effort to jumpstart his career, he announced a paranormal roadshow titled “Conversations with the Dead” in 2014. He booked other paranormal celebrities to join, he created a schedule with venue locations, he sold tickets, and then he cancelled. Unfortunately, he failed to reimburse most of his fans who had already pre-purchased tickets and paraphernalia. It ultimately cost him his friendship with Chip Coffey.

Last September 18, Buell was arrested and extradited back to Pennsylvania. He was facing 2 felony charges related to his refusal or inability to return a rental car. Eventually, bail was lowered and he bonded out. His hearing was last November. Today, Buell is out of jail.

There’s a great deal of speculation about Ryan’s erratic behavior. His own mother publicly implored his fans to stop enabling him. She drew attention by stating he wasn’t battling cancer but something else. Fans quickly surmised it was alcohol or drug abuse. Ryan seemed to lay low and remained silent…until this week.

Q&A

Ryan is back on Facebook. He is hocking signed copies of his book. For $45, he will send you a signed book. He’s even posted a video showing him mailing a package out. Undoubtedly to restore faith to all those people whom he stiffed in 2014. Although troubling, this isn’t the most serious issue. He is now live streaming Q&A (Question and Answer) sessions via Facebook. I watched a few.

He needs to stop. Merely looking at him, one can surmise there is something wrong. The 34-year-old 6’2” man has lost a lot of weight. A lot. He appears drowsy. I’m not a drug counselor; however, he was slurring his words. He looked out of it. Actually, he lacked focus. And it’s sad.

I wish that he would take time off, repair his personal life, fix his mental health, heal his body, and get it together. His fans are rooting for him to pull through this. But his fans are concerned. Very concerned. One can scroll through the comments which overwhelmingly beg and urge him to seek professional help. He won’t get the help until he is forced to. He must forage for food on his own. Don’t feed the Buell. If he is to recover, he must do it himself.

Book2

 

Carol Malone Bombs in Tombstone

03 Sunday May 2015

Posted by in Ghost Hunting, Ghost Tours, Scams, Special Events

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Carol Malone

Carol Malone

Carol Malone Bombs in Tombstone

Fresh on the heels of last year’s Ryan Buell scandal, the paranormal community has been hit with another fiasco. Carol Malone, aka London Knight, has been promoting “A Haunting in Tombstone” for over six months. The 3-day event included paranormal investigations at some of the most active locations in Tombstone, Arizona. The initial talent listing was top-notch. VIP ticket holders would receive hotel accommodations at either The Larian Motel or the Tombstone Bordello, daily hot breakfast, dinner, entry into a Meet and Greet, and access to lots of old buildings. The event could have been outstanding. Unfortunately, the event was doomed from the start.

Rumors swirled after Malone’s Gadsden Hotel visit. Allegations volleyed across the Internet mostly via Facebook. Malone’s “A Haunting at Sloss” earlier this year did so-so with less than 10 people attending. Then there was all the stalker/court case/slander drama that consumed nearly every posting. Honestly, I was exhausted reading it all.

I purchased a VIP ticket back in October. Warning signs appeared shortly thereafter. I grew concerned that Tombstone wasn’t going to happen. I cancelled because I’m still recovering from last year’s battle with breast cancer and unsure if a cross-country trip would hinder my progress. Surprisingly, Malone did refund my money. However, many, many more people may not be so lucky.

Malone arrived in Tombstone Thursday ready to prove the critics wrong. She was unable to satisfy and make good on the event schedule. She failed to address the lack of paid rooms, abbreviated talent roster, and general low morale from a lot of attendees. People seemed lost, posting questions as to where they should go. This could have been avoided had Malone cancelled the event before people arrived.

Malone’s people continued to post the event was happening. They went so far as to slander anyone who said otherwise. Sadly, Malone could not cancel for she probably didn’t have the money to reimburse ticket purchasers. So her show had to go on.

Malone threatened one attendee that she would be arrested if she set foot in Tombstone. Connie Williams-Williams had already felt Malone’s wrath earlier in the week and was threatened with imprisonment by the Marshalls. Connie held a VIP ticket and was entitled to attend all of the events. Malone tried to have her removed from a venue, claiming she wasn’t invited.

Seems Connie salvaged some of the event. She worked with talent and set up gallery readings. She hosted other talent who were “guaranteed” accommodations only to arrive to none. By mid-day Saturday Connie had appeared on two radio shows: The Chat Room with Tony Wolf Paw (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tonywolfpaw) and Archer Paranormal Radio (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/archerpi/2015/05/02/api-gals-welcome-connie-williams-williams) discussing the event meltdown. By then things were deteriorating. Shortly after the Archer show, Malone cancelled the event page on Facebook and started unfriending her detractors.

The show ended Saturday evening when Malone was cited for theft of services and released. No fingerprints. No mug shot. Just a court date in two weeks.

Some good did come from this fiasco. Connie has teamed up with some other credible paranormal enthusiasts and formed ASAP Entertainment, LLC, https://www.facebook.com/pages/ASAP-EntertainmentLLC/374700822720906?pnref=story. Their mission: [T]o provide quality events with awesome talent and to host some of the best and most memorable events ever! ASAP Entertainment, LLC is dedicated to bringing you the very best in talent management and promotions.

Support those passionate about the paranormal community and have a proven track record. This tightknit community must stand up against those trying to exploit us. We aren’t suckers and we hate to be conned.

Imploding Like a Rock Star

24 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Ghost Hunting, In the News, Media, Paranormal, Reality TV

≈ Comments Off on Imploding Like a Rock Star

Tags

, , ,

Ryan Buell

Ryan Buell

Imploding Like a Rock Star

The paranormal community has identity problems. We are constantly barraged by skeptics. We all do our homework before we investigate.* We check our facts. We test our equipment. We do a lot to ensure the evidence we gather is the best and most accurate obtainable. Just when we gain a little more credibility, something comes along and sets us back.

As I see it, the paranormal community is divided into 4 categories: 1) Professionals, 2) Professional Celebrities, 3) Celebrities, and 4) Amateurs. The bulk of the people fall into the first category: Professionals. These are the people working in the field. They are investigating, writing, and observing all things paranormal. These are the working-class paranormal peeps. They don’t get paid for what they love; they do it for the love of it. They act respectfully and professionally.

Some move from the first group into Group 2: Professional Celebrities. They are “celebrities” because their education and skills elevated them to experts in the field. They’re on television. Do the conference circuit. Write the better books. They are the “face” of the community.

The third group contains people who are “celebrities” but haven’t a clue what they’re doing. They may have good intentions, they may have gone to the dark side, they may have let “fame” go to their heads. Professionals know who they are and try to avoid them. Unfortunately, the general public sees them as the real-deal. They’re not. This group is very small; however, the paranormal community should be cognizant that it may grow with continued media exploitation.

The final group contains the Amateurs. These are the thrill-seekers. They hunt ghosts because the celebrities make it look easy. These are the people who dabble and get into serious trouble. They are the folks who get their kicks in the black arts. They’re also the fools who get drunk, trespass onto private property, and burn the plantation down. The media loves this group! For them, they represent the para-community. Unfortunately, this group is growing.

Recently, two former television paranormal investigators made the news. Examiner.com broke both stories. Brian Harnois, formerly of Ghost Hunters, is accused of scamming fans by not refunding money or providing products. For those who watched the early episodes with Brian, you should not be surprised. I’m not. I always considered him the drama queen of the show and a distraction. His situation is minor and I hope he gets it together.

The second one is more troubling. Ryan Buell, star of Paranormal State, is accused of booking tours, selling tickets, cancelling the show, and then refusing to refund the money. In addition, there was some confusion as to the actual participants, which could be viewed as misleading. Originally, Chip Coffey was scheduled to appear on the “Conversations with the Dead” tour; however, he withdrew for “professional and personal” reasons. Somewhere along the line communication broke down, and Chip Coffey’s name was not removed from the program. Hence the misleading issue. This has since been rectified. The bigger issue looms. How much are we really taking about? According to Coffey’s post on Facebook, it hovers in the six figure range. Six figures! That’s a lot money. That’s huge. Since the story broke, the “Conversations with the Dead” website has been updated, displaying make-up dates and the removal of Coffey’s name. I hope the tour happens. Until then, Buell’s controversy has become a major paranormal distraction. It’s time he fixed it.

Paranormal people on television have a larger burden than the regular reality TV star. Viewers know that Honey Boo Boo does not represent the State of Georgia; however, the distinction cannot be made for paranormal investigators on TV. They shouldn’t waste the opportunity or blow it. It’s like a rock star imploding. It’s hard to recover from.

 

*I’m presuming that ALL paranormal investigators do this because they really should. There are professional responsibilities involved. But I’ll save that argument for another blog.