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The field of cryptozoology emerged in the mid-20th century as people began to investigate sightings of mysterious creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster using pseudoscientific methods. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by theorizing that cryptozoology emerged as a way for the United States and other Anglosphere countries to generate their own folklore. They delineate why it is a primarily American phenomenon, pointing to the country's huge swaths of undeveloped land. They then discuss several famous cryptids such as Bigfoot, Mothman, the Michigan Dogman, the Flatwoods Monster, the Loch Ness Monster, and Thunderbirds. They conclude with a discussion of how paranormal media “slopified” cable television in the early 2010s, and how the rise of AI has made photo and video evidence of cryptids even less believable.
Links:
What is a cryptid?
Cryptomundo
The Cryptid Zoo: Satyrs (or Fauns) in Cryptozoology
On the Track of Unknown Animals by Bernard Heuvelmans
The Discovery of the Okapi, Part 1
Backwoods Horror
The Maryland Snallygaster: Devil of Racist Politics by Jake Seboe
The racist roots of Maryland’s mythical Snallygaster monster by Julie Scharper
Patterson-Gimlin Film HD 60fps
The Mothman Prophecies by John A. Keel
The Mothman Revisited - Unsolved Mysteries
Episode 14: Chicago Tales - Otherworld podcast
Ep. 113: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 1 - Otherworld podcast
Ep. 114: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 2 - Otherworld podcast
#70: Flatwoods Monster - Cryptonauts podcast
Flatwoods Monster - Cryptid Wiki
The Flatwoods Monster
The Cryptid Collector’s Trio
Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004)
Thunderbird - Cryptid Wiki
MonsterQuest (2007-2010)
Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real (2004)
The Truth is out there” the Alan Champagne Morro Bay Disappearance by Katya Cengel
Artwork:
unknown
Recorded on 10/29/2025
