Sunday, August 03, 2008

Permit me, please, a second to place my money down in a hypothetical wager on the story here. My money's on; stunt, hoax, fabrication, promotion, bullshit. I'm putting some hard won imaginary money down on the publicity pentafecta. This thing, this aquatic Frankensmurf fish from the deep, has at it origins some very commercial DNA (read; Cloverfield). If I might continue with some, as I see them, salient points. The Montauk Monster. Different poses yet none of the sand is disturbed around the little darling. It appears as though water has washed around it perhaps that accounts for the differences. Where have all the people gone? Montaulk is just down the road from New York City. Just guessing but the shadows would indicate these photos were made near midday. Summer, summer in the city and nobody's on the beach that might be able to corroborate MM was indeed reposing peacefully along a beach in close proximity to 8 million people? At the height of the very season that gave The Girl played by Marilyn Monroe reason to stand upon that one particular subway grate? Furthermore, is there anything, anything, in this world of even a potentially passing interest that isn't instantly photographed by more cameras than cover your average Super Bowl? Look at a google map. As per Newsday the thing washed up on Ditch Plains Beach. Literally in the front yards of a ton of houses. How could anyone find what for all intents and purposes appears like nothing else ever seen to most people and not be driven to find out what said find is all about? Take the creature to a veterinarian. The zoo. The police. A fishing boat captain fer christsakes!!!! Where's captin' Quint? Oh yeah, right. OK. Why, how, could somebody just take the carcass and bury it? What the hell does DNA stand for? Don't Notify Anybody?






Least you think me a cynic. Hard boiled and humorless. I choose until all bets are made and paid to suspend my disbelief as the originators no doubt want me to. Breath deeply the wafting possibility that some day, somewhere, somehow, little gray/blue monsters exist. As the title intones; I want to believe. Sasquatch, Yeti, Loch Ness, Gray's. Bring 'em all. I relish the thought of a quantum leap in zoology as much as the next person. But then the mystery is gone in a general way. Studied, identified, cataloged. The wonder of the unknown vanishes. Faith is not sole providence of religious believers. Having faith that there are things unknown, beyond our imagination even, provides no small amount of comfort. To have faith that we are not alone. To have faith there is new yet to be discovered is part of what makes us us. Sometimes we look around at this world, see the glass half empty and say to ourselves please don't let this be all there is. How could anyone be so arrogant as to think with any certainty that we know it all or the we here on earth is all there is. Here's hoping then that the Monster of Montaulk is as real as it gets.

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