The Mothman: Harbinger of Disasters?

[@Pylo-ry6ff]

Just started watching. Already know this is going to be great. Simon having to read a whole script about a cryptid cannot help but be hilarious.

[@dawnpalmby5100]

The random 1 he believes could've existed, definitely interesting

[@SunBear69420]

Boner alert

[@rossvegas1346]

Good news, Simon! The reason vampires traditionally don’t show up in mirrors is because mirror backing used to be made of silver. Modern mirror backing is made of aluminum, so you should be able to see vampires in mirrors now :)

[@NillyTheKid]

but then how are we supposed to recognize them

[@ku8721]

@@NillyTheKid Pallor, fangs, avoiding garlic and the cross... or you could recognize that they are fictional!

[@NillyTheKid]

@@ku8721 that's what they want me to think

[@coralblake9868]

Vampirism is the name of a disease people suffer who are allergic to sunlight. Therefore they’re very low on vitamin D. So if you’re attacked by a vampire, consider it a vitamin D donation.

[@LoverBoy-im7xv]

@@ku8721 0ll0l0l0lĺl

[@Plaprad]

Ooo! Something I have a connection to. My grandmothers family is from Point Pleasant. My great grandmother lived on Highway 2 about a mile from where the bridge was. In the 90's we went up there for a week. That Sunday I went to the local church and mentioned the Mothman. Spent the next couple hours hearing all kinds of stories from the locals. There were a lot more sightings than you usually hear about. My great grandmother apparently saw it once, but all she would tell me was she saw a "demon" fly overhead. She was very religious, so she just ran inside and started praying over her Bible. I did talk to one farmer who lost some of his barn cats during the time. He said one day he saw something on top of his barn, so in the day he went on the roof with his brother and their shotguns. He said it looked like something had been hanging out up there, but never saw it again. Some wild stories from there.

[@willy.b.b3427]

So do you believe in the mothman?

[@elizabethveldonstuff]

@@willy.b.b3427 i think the question with the mothman is not 'was it real' but just admitting that something weird happened in that place. i'm not someone prone to believing anything that i am presented with but the book is worth reading to understand just how odd this whole thing was as it has been toned town significantly for this video. Something happened in this story but, frustratingly, we will prob never be able to say what it was and it may forever be an unknown. that, in the end, is what i see here: something odd happened (and trust me, a bit of research into this will make you realise just how odd) and we will prob never know the cause or causes of it but something did happen.

[@Plaprad]

@@willy.b.b3427 Nah. A lot of the stories told up there were WAY out of it. My personal opinion is someone saw "something", thought it was something else. the story spread, and people started seeing "Mothman" instead of a bird of trick of light. The only one that really stuck with me was the guy who saw something on his barn. It really felt like he saw something weird, but probably has a rational explanation. But, to be honest, at least in the 90's when I was last up there, that place gets creepy at night.

[@TeganRhodes]

@@elizabethveldonstuff there’s one theory about it being a CIA Psy-Op. create a situation where a monster/alien is spotted by a bunch of people. Study the reactions. Nudge them in certain directions if need be.

[@elizabethveldonstuff]

@@TeganRhodes interesting idea.

[@mtvdvm4940]

The BMW rule is universal. Even over here in Texas there isn’t a single BMW driver that doesn’t drive like what Simon would call an “absolute bell end.”

[@Nethershaw]

Preach. Same here in New York... I'm not sure how these drivers manage not to know what they're signaling themselves to be, but that's probably due to the same smoothbrain personality trait that informs their behavior.

[@Wolfintery]

I swear, at least where I live, I've never seen a BMW use their turn signal. And they consistently cut people off.

[@kal69]

I guess that what they show in their commercials is true,...in a BMW you are the only car on the road !

[@crystalgreenfield7234]

And here I was thinking it was only an Atlanta thing!

[@frazzs9012]

Same in Edinburgh Scotland BMW drivers are generally wankers

[@feyrannahunter1062]

I've always figured big owl. Their eyes do flash, it's really more of a yellow but can look red, their wingspans are huge, they can be pretty fussy and divebomb people/cars. I disagree that the group of kids would willingly go to the cops, I think they really did get scared and everything seemed bigger/faster/scarier in the moment and then they did psych each other up. All it would have taken would be a large owl moving into the area and pissing off all the owls making all of them extra fussy. It's also possible some other people were seeing herons instead but I think the kids just saw a large grumpy owl.

[@rosemadder5547]

What about it keeping up with them chasing them down the road? I don't believe in it but... ppl are skipping that part or saying something lame like "they were scared". That doesn't explain that away as easily as ppl are trying to make it.

[@ladygrndr9424]

@@rosemadder5547 That's why my theory is that it was a kite ;) Some prankster attached the kite to their bumper, then in a costume startled the car. The car took off, the kite lifted off and "chased" them until the string broke and the kite drifted into a nearby field.

[@ku8721]

@@rosemadder5547 100 mph on back roads? In a 1960s Chevy??? I've driven a Dodge Viper wouldn't try that on modern roads outside a highway. Either way that 100 mph unless it was a really well maintained road is 100% BS

[@morganbanefort181]

After reading the witnesses reports and doing extensive research on the case the owl theory just doesn't fit in my opinion 1 the witnesses knew what an owl/sandhill crane looked like 1. They got a good look at the creature 2. At one point it chased and kept up with the Scarberry's and Mallettes when they were driving a around a hundred miles no large bird is that fast 3. In a couple of accounts it went straight up in the air no large bird can do that either 4. Doesn't explain all the other strangeness like the men in black and the ufos sighted

[@morganbanefort181]

@@ku8721 it's quite possible

[@tarynebright4048]

I’ve been obsessed with this story since 7th grade and last year I finally got to go see everything in person (I live in Cleveland so it was only a four hour drive down there). The tnt area would be impressive even without the legend. There are around a hundred huge bunkers on the property (now a wildlife preserve) and you can access most of them with a short hike back from a long gravel road. They’re covered in dirt and vegetation from the Cold War era (to stop them being seen from the air) and were super fun to sing in because they’re basically like the acoustics of your shower but a thousand times bigger. The museum was cute but not a must, but the gift shop was awesome (I bought a moth man root beer). The statue and the bridge memorial were my favorite parts though. When you walk the streets of point pleasant you can feel something in the air, like the whole town is waiting for something. It took me a while to figure out what it was but I know now that it’s grief. It may have been a long time ago but this town will never get back the people it lost that day. It’s easy to ignore this part of the story but as I get older I realize it’s importance.

[@zafarsyed6437]

"Even small jets are tiny" -- excellent observation Simon! 👍

[@dlstc]

I’m watching this in Charleston, WV, lived here since 1995. Point Pleasant is a lovely place. There is a museum and it has several props from the movie, donated by the production company. There is an annual festival which is a typical street fair with various fried foods and local arts and crafts.

[@diyeana]

20 years ago, Mothman Prophecies scared the crap out of me, especially the sounds they had it make. Today, I'm with Simon and think some kids saw a bird, a town had a group panic attack, and then a coincidental bridge tragedy occurred. I'm just glad that Richard Gere was there to save the day.

[@ressljs]

I was surprised when I heard The Mothman Prophecies was a garbage movie. I saw it as soon as it hit DVD and I loved it. And I rewatched it a few months ago and I still think it's a good film.

[@TheAtkey]

@@ressljs I liked it too. My only minor complaint it took place in present day when the it happend in 1967.

[@cjvaye99]

i wasn't scared of the mothman I was scared of indrid cold "Chapppstickkkk" 😂😂😂

[@irenewilliams3735]

This is not the first time Simon is referring to "Vampires reflecting in mirrors", so I'll put my 2 cents in. The reason people believed that vampires can't reflect in mirrors, is because in the past, the back of the glass was covered in silver to create a mirror. And it's largely known that supernatural is not dealing well with silver. They're not doing it anymore, so not to worries - you'll see the vampires in mirrors just fine!!

[@DAGGER479]

This was a fun episode, glad Im here for this mans hilarious skepticism and enjoyable banter. Plus a very well written script from Katy

[@LivingBlooper]

I want Simon's reaction when he finds out the majority of bridges in the US are not structurally sound anymore but still in use.

[@andreakoroknai1071]

yes, it's hardly a unique event, I grew up in Central Florida and there was the collapse of the bridge that was the predecessor to the Sunshine Skyway, it's down to human error, laziness, corruption. Where I live now, Budapest, Hungary, recently part of a residential building just straight up collapsed, and Petőfi Bridge over the Danube has been rumored to be unsafe ever since I moved here in '06 edit: there is weirdly enough also a Hungarian movie about Mothman titled MOTH from 2016, I haven't watched it because it's a found footage horror and I hate those :) but I guess the premise is basically "what if Mothman in Bp/HU?"

[@stephenk.1997]

I know. I had the same reaction to his naïveté. Crumbling infrastructure is practically a matter of course here.

[@kerrynicholls6683]

So another reason to never visit. It’s a long list….

[@cam6144]

Was about to comment that too. US infrastructure is so shit.

[@Zyo117]

Might have something to do with the fact that they're all exorbitantly expensive, neither cities nor states make enough to actually pay for the replacement cost of their own infrastructure. Detroit Disease.

[@angelatheriault8855]

I was driving down a paved road outside of a housing area on the edge of town after dark. I was traveling pretty fast when I caught something standing on the road out of the corner of my eye before it whooshed upwards and away. I was left with the impression it was a man wearing a long cape similar to Count Dracula. I slammed on the brakes and my son said, “Mom, are you blind? You nearly hit that owl.”

[@RainbowTheSnail]

You should do a Decoding the unknown on the Men in Black. It would be fun. 💗

[@blackhat4206]

That would be a good one. 👍 Alligators in the sewers and the jersey devil would be, too. That is, if he hasn’t already done a video about it on one of his numerous channels. Urban legends are great.

[@D-Maulish]

We covered the Men in Black in a folklore class I took. While the professor had been completing her PhD, she knew another student who was investigating aliens and claimed to have been approached by the Men in Black. They told him to stop researching or else. Whether true or the result of being a PhD student, either way it was interesting.

[@Zuemmel]

Jen's editing is so spot on. Keep up that awesome work!

[@cynthiasimpson931]

I remember when the bridge collapsed, but I don't remember hearing about Mothman. Granted, in 1967 I was 9 years old and didn't yet have my interest in the strange and unusual as I have now.

[@Miapetdragon69]

I'm telling you I was watching a show a nature show the other day and the way they describe the Mothman if you saw this bird you'd swear to God it's what it is It's called a harpy eagle and it fits the description of what the Mothman looks like, the only problem is is Harpy eagles only live in like Guatemala Ecuador things places like that.

[@amandajones661]

Maybe someone had an illegal one that got loose and the story grew from there.

[@darlenedenis5686]

They are very scary and very huge predators 😬😲

[@anikajain571]

Interesting, a Harpie eagle is a massive, majestic & beautiful creature but I can't imagine it being mistaken for a mothman, unless at night, in the dark by drunks or people tripping balls. I guess in darkness & not being familiar with such large birds it could be imagined. We have Wedge Tailed eagles in Australia, they are huge and are often spotted along outback roadsides feasting on road kill. They are big enough to prey on kangaroos and dogs. I wouldn't want one swooping over my unsuspecting head in the dark.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

@@anikajain571 I've seen video of harpy eagles just chilling in a sanctuary, and they look intimidating af.

[@roweng.4245]

Their eyes reflect red as well, as do the eyes of the also quite large eagle-owl.

[@oldeskul]

The KZbin channel Trey the Explainer did an episode on the Mothman a while back. His conclusion was that with the first sighting, the teens saw a species of owl that was common to the area, its eyes reflected red from the headlights from the car and the teens couldn't it because it was dark. The human mind when encountering something it can't immediately make sense of tends to fill in the blanks and will create images that aren't there. It's dark, you see some glowing eyes, a shape you can't immediately identify, that's going to leave you a bit surprised and shocked, when you combine that with teenage minds, you can get a wild tale of a monster. It following them for a while at a high rate of speed, they could have been seeing the tail lights of the car reflecting off signs and other things along the road, you combine that with scared young minds, you get a monster chasing you down the road, well you mind makes up a monster chasing you down the road. As for the other sightings? Good old fashioned mass hysteria or even attention seeking. As for the "men in black", that could have been travelling salesmen, businessmen on a road trip, employees of any number of government agencies simply travelling through the town. This was also at the height of the cold war, mass fear and hysteria of "the commies" was fairly common, red scare propaganda was everywhere, and the memories of Senator McCarthy's communist witch hunt was still rolling around in many people's heads, the new threat of hippies and rock & roll music the fresh conspiracy theories of the day(kinda like how super secret Satanic sects sacrificing scores were the hot conspiracy theories of the 80's). The 1960's were the golden age of cryptid sightings, cold war hysteria was still high, hippies and rock & roll music were "menacing" good Christian middle class neighborhoods.

[@khaightlynn]

Trey the Explainer is rad 👍👍

[@kokorolex]

I saw that video too! Shout outs to Trey The Explainer

[@walteringle2258]

White Sulphur Springs, WV is where the Green Briar Hotel is located, about 3 hours from Point Pleasant, WV. Under the hotel was a cold war bunker for US officials (congress, the president, etc.) in case the bombs started falling. Well into the 80s there was a rather high number of G-men (different agencies) in the area according to anecdotes from people that were in WV in those decades (~1960 to ~1990, while the bunker was still secret). Interesting note: The easiest way these days to get from Point Pleasant to White Sulphur Springs takes you through Beckley, WV which is is the most dangerous municipality in WV according to FBI statistics.

[@stephenk.1997]

Yeah, and add to that passengers in the car screaming, “go faster! go faster! it’s coming! it’s coming!” And let’s be honest with ourselves, there’s a good chance those teenagers were not sober at the time: all that makes for terrible eyewitnesses. And your hypothesis of traveling salesmen is much better than my first thought, which was a Blues Brothers fan convention. but then I guess that movie hadn’t been made yet so that’s a terrible but funny idea.

[@AllHailDiskordia]

Joe Nickell did it before Trey

[@philblais6971]

Can't get enough of ur videos. I think I'm subscribed to all 47 of ur channels. Please keep creating content. We need more meaningful information in our lives with perfect amount of comic relief and personal relatability.

[@andreakoroknai1071]

oh, I was waiting for Simon to cover this, it's my favorite cryptid story, mainly because it used to scare the crap out of me as a kid, but I was thinking tread lightly because Mothman is somewhat of an institution in the US with many people really believing

[@geofff.3343]

What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine? A porcupine has its pricks on the outside.

[@highlandoutsider]

🤣🔥

[@Sayitwityachest]

One is a prick by nature and the other is naturally a prick.

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

The best theory I heard, and maybe you’ll get to it, that it was a great horned owl. Humans suck at estimating height and such. The owl was not man sized. I think that was either History channel or Discovery that ran that theory and offered very fine evidence. And once again, while not super close, that part of West Virginia is not far from my part of Ohio. Apparently a lot of “stuff” happens around the Ohio River valley corridor. And owls and herons have HUGE wing spans. As do the sand hill cranes. I’ve had a fledgling heron fly over my car and the wings were as wide as my car. The owls too have huge wing spans, hunt at night in cold weather as well as warm, and their eyes glow red when hit with light. No weird chemicals required. People are terrible at guessing sizes and details. My husband was a court bailiff for twenty years and trust me, people get measurements way off all the time. It was always a riot to hear his latest story of outrageous miss measures.

[@Darkflo23]

Yeah, a barn owl on a branch with a shrub under it would look like the description when illuminated by a flashlight at night. Same thing for the instance when it pursed the car, and when it was ssen on the bridge, just a big owl.

[@findtherapists]

I remember seeing something possibly on discovery about big cat sightings in the UK and zoomed in video footage of what looked like a panther stalking across some open ground was actually just a normal black cat.

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

@@findtherapists I can believe it. LOL.

[@darkskyinwinter]

My money's on a cloak.

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

@@darkskyinwinter on an owl? That is one well dressed owl! Wonder if it has a top hat for when it’s not flying.

[@Slainte.Mactire]

You and Katie have really been helping me get through some hard times. The only time I’m able to have peace in my life is when I’m watching you and listening to Katie’s writing. You guys are amazing❤ thank you

[@sonyonker]

I like how it’s pronounced like Mothman is a surname, like Hoffman instead of it being a moth-man. Poor mr mothman, he probably exists and doesn’t understand the problem but has been hiding in fear ever since

[@mycatisaudrey]

It is pronounced like Spiderman, not like a surname.

[@foxhoundp9949]

Also many older versions of the story do put it as moth-man... It only became consistent after the movie. Most people also say Hoffman like hoff-men no one says moth-men, Simon has an accent... like the other person said it's like spiderman which also is supposed to be hyphenated actually.

[@kiriyama_kazuo]

@@mycatisaudrey what about Phil Spiderman?

[@ComedorDelrico]

That's just Simon's accent. No one in Point Pleasant pronounces it that way. They pronounce it "Moth Man" as if it were two separate words, similarly to how Spiderman or Batman is pronounced.

[@Zelmel]

Harvey Mothman, Attorney at Law.

[@foxhoundp9949]

Y'all should do a decoding the unknown on a bunch of small cryptids! Like the squonk from Pennsylvania or the grafton monster also from west Virginia, they don't have as long and as complicated stories as mothman but a compilation on them and an analysis of what causes stuff like cryptid folklore would be really fun to explore.

[@katieskarlette]

I second that suggestion, and nominate Iowa's Van Meter Visitor, too!

[@TeganRhodes]

The “military facility” was the McClintock Wildlife Refuge, aka TNT area, a WWII munitions factory. It was converted into a wildlife refuge after the war was over. People fished and such there.

[@nerdy2287]

yes we do

[@TheGrungy1]

It's a nice place

[@falloutmaster1100]

@@nerdy2287 no you don’t

[@TeganRhodes]

@@nerdy2287 I’ve been up there a few times, explored the open bunkers. Took the tour given by Mothman Fest once.

[@nerdy2287]

@@falloutmaster1100 yes I have fish's in TnT that have a lot of stocked ponds that are great to drive up to pull out some poles and drink beer

[@oliviagrahammake-upservice7480]

I'm a fence sitter, but god you are funny, Simon. I like to go bush walking and I listen to your podcast and often I'm just sitting in the bushes laughing to myself like a lunatic. 🤣

[@grumpypotamus7143]

Just found this episode. We went out to the Mothman Museum last summer and it was a lot of fun. Point Pleasant is actually a very pleasant little town, very quaint with big baskets of beautiful flowers on the lamp posts on the main street by the museum. Yes, we took pictures with the statue and went to the museum. It really had a lot more than we expected and we were quite pleased. One of the main theories about the Mothman that you didn't cover in your episode though is that it was a individual flight suit being tested. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is across the river in Ohio, not far from where the sightings were in West Virginia. The USAF was testing a lot of things at the time, and Wright-Patterson was/is a major test center. I think (not that anyone cares what I think) that a flight suit test is the most likely explanation, but that didn't make the museum any less fun (and we found the best cheeseburgers we've ever had at a little trailer park camp store nearby)! Also, 1966 was the age of the American muscle car. Definitely capable of exceeding 100 mph.

[@jordanr.4150]

wouldn’t a flight suit make quite a bit of noise? or was it more like a wing suit gliding deal? although i suppose it could be using some hypergolic fuel mixture that would probably be quieter than a turbine engine or somethin

[@grumpypotamus7143]

@@jordanr.4150 I was thinking like a wing suit, controlled glide.

[@hectorsmommy1717]

LOL, as Simon was reading the theory that Mothman might have been a Sandhill crane, I thought his editor added sound effects, then realized I have a pair of them bugling in my back yard. Perfect timing! Yes, Sandhills are large and Whooping cranes even larger (they are North America's tallest birds) but those are not found in W. Virginia, not to mention they are highly endangered. Only 44 birds existed in 1966 when Mothman was seen (they are up to 800 now after 60 years of conservation work)

[@Starsforever38]

I love your skepticism hahah. "But they seemed to not know how to shake hands" Simon: "Yeah, because you made it up"

[@sarahlevine776]

I've been to the Mothman Museum. It's kind of fun in a touristy, geeky way. If you're in south-eastern Ohio or in West Virginia I'd recommend going to see it. There are some rather nice state parks in south-eastern Ohio with easy hiking trails, some of which lead to hunted places, that are relaxing. I grew up in Meigs County Ohio, which is across the river from West Virginia. You'd be surprised how many forested places there are in that area.

[@JadeStone00]

Agreed! I've been there too, and I like how the town seems to just sort of play along for the sake of humoring the tourists (and their wallets). It's a fun side trip if you're out that way.

[@mooncat7009]

Does that museum have a stuffed Shitepoke in it?

[@sarahlevine776]

@@mooncat7009 I don't remember.

[@dubuyajay9964]

You aren't scared going across that bridge?

[@sarahlevine776]

@@dubuyajay9964 That original bridge is gone. They put up a different one as a memorial in a different spot on the river, but I am not scared of bridges.

[@Majesticmay4523]

I listen/ watch while I work and it’s great conversation among my colleagues but also the editing just cracks me up!😂 thank you dear editor

[@BruceBoyde]

Aw yeah, Mothman is my favorite cryptid. Possibly sacrilegious given that I live in bigfoot territory, but there's something incredibly menacing but also immensely stupid about Mothman that I love. Also, fun fact on that John Denver song: based on the geographic references, the song seems to refer to western Virginia rather than West Virginia. Doesn't really matter since everyone accepts it to be about the state, but it's kind of amusing.

[@cicada38]

Mothman is my favorite too. ❤️

[@ComedorDelrico]

The only geographic references are to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River, both of which are in West Virginia. Descriptive phrases such as "miner's lady" "dark and dusty" and "stranger to blue water" are certainly more descriptive of West Virginia than western Virginia. While there has been some mining in western Virginia, it is much more prevalent in West Virginia. Also, there is definitely plenty of blue water in western Virginia, while it's almost unheard of in West Virginia.

[@BruceBoyde]

@@ComedorDelrico only just barely though; like up in the panhandle for a few miles. But yeah, the coal mining references do match the state proper better. But it's a little amusing that a guy who never had any connection to either place wrote the folk anthem of the place. Edit: just to clarify, I would never claim that it's not about the state (it was surely meant to be). The fun fact is more that he was apparently never there and sort of made a minor goof either because it sounded good or he didn't check a map for something more decidedly in the heart of that state.

[@gh8447]

Huh, so you think John Denver was singing about west Virginia, not West Virginia? It's a subtle distinction, but it fits!

[@BruceBoyde]

@@gh8447 oh nah, like another guy said, he does reference a bunch of stuff like coal mining that is more West Virginia; it's just the few things at the start. Denver had apparently never been there, so it was probably just because of that

[@TheSweeeeeetz]

I’ve had Simon’s videos on all evening but not really watching. It’s just nice to have him yapping away in the background 😂 I’ve seen them all so I can tune in and out anytime

[@whoever6458]

I've seen some very large birds before. One time, a Great Horned Owl made a nest on the library at college and you could go up on to the top floor and see the nest and the babies out of the window. This made the parent birds uneasy and, even with the thick glass between you and the parent birds, they sure seemed big and scary, even in the daytime.

[@whoever6458]

Those South American Condors are pretty fucking huge too and they tend to stand with their wings all open for a longer time than I've ever seen any other bird do so.

[@requious84]

Omg the ADD is delectably strong with this one *raucous laughter* best ‘thoughts with Simon’ ever.

[@mr.watson3237]

Slight problem mate. The Charleston mentioned in the first witness's story is probably Charleston, West Virginia. NOT Charleston, South Carolina lol

[@TeganRhodes]

And wasn’t it technically Clendenin where the gravediggers spotted the creature?

[@mr.watson3237]

@@TeganRhodes Oh I have no idea. I just know Charleston Soutg Carolina is WAY father than 50 miles from west Virginia lol

[@paulceglinski3087]

Saw that too. But the picture did look like South Carolina. Palm trees kinda gave it away. Got a good laugh though. Cheers from Tennessee.

[@TeganRhodes]

@@mr.watson3237 looked it up. It was Clendenin, which is between Charleston WV and Huntington WV (just a bit south of Pt Pleasant)

[@resileaf9501]

You guys have too many Charlestons.

[@mia-dc7rj]

At 4:40, did you mean to put *Charleston, West Virginia* instead of *Charleston, South Carolina* ? I live in South Carolina now and actually used to live in West Virginia; and so while there IS indeed a Charleston in both of these states, I was just curious as to whether you had mixed that up, being that this is about something that originated in the state of West Virginia , not South Carolina...? Aside from this, I absolutely 💕 the uniqueness you put into the content of all your channels, and the variety offered across all of your platforms. I just recently discovered them and have been binge watching all of them ever since. Keep it coming! 🤓 Also,🤭 your rendition of John Denver's "Country Roads (West Virginia)" was quite superb, by the way. 😅 😂 🤣

[@seanentzel9616]

"soon to be box office kryptonite" Oh my God that was brilliant 😂

[@stellarart3444]

"Cock Block Mothman" needs to be a shirt. Too perfect. 🎺👏💜 If you do a picture, it has to be the giraffes. 🤣

[@ravenwind420]

Thank you for telling me that you thought necking was rubbing necks. I thought the same as a kid and thought I was the dumbest person ever. Now I know at worst I'm tied for that position lol

[@austinh7539]

More scripts from Katie please! More videos about old folklore and myths. Loving stuff like this!

[@jajssblue]

Mothman has a way more ominous ring to it than it feels like it deserves. Like what is eerie or mysterious about moths. They are stupid and annoying creatures at worst.

[@Pylo-ry6ff]

Well there are a few species that drink blood. Still look adorable though.

[@joshsmotherman9664]

If moths were 6 feet tall they’d be fairly scary 🙃

[@dylanwickund9109]

I dont think soo its just another srory for a town about some mythical creature usually after or before a tragic event this is common surprisingly i didnt think so but then after hearing about 2 other tragic accidents that had sightings before and just after but sometimes does not show up after but then i went and looked this kind of stuff up i found 5 more cases from around the world and theirs probably alot more just cant find them due to being in another language

[@cicada38]

Your opinion is WRONG!

[@ressljs]

The Japanese apocalyptic/fantasy game series Shin Megami Tensei depict the Mothman as a giant moth with eyes... And it's adorable!

[@doclewis8927]

JEN HERE'S A MESSAGE FOR YOU 😉: The white owl with the OMG was great. It literally made my day! I rewatched it several times! Thank you, Jen!

[@Sarah_D.]

My mom grew up in West Virginia, and she was a teen around the time this happened. Based on what she's told me about her youth, I would bet good money those teens in the car were smoking weed. I mean, a couple of kids, out in a remote area, in the 1960's? Yeah. Besides, being high can alter one's perception. Like, you won't see anything that's not really there, but at night in the woods when nothing can be seen clearly even under the best of circumstances, noises can appear louder and closer than they really are. Plus, being high can cause some people's levels of anxiety and paranoia go through the roof. And, when driving while stoned, you'll feel like you're driving impossibly fast speeds, but you're really only going about 20mph. So, the teens likely DID see something. But, if they were stoned, it could have seemed to them to be much larger and scarier than it actually was, and they probably FELT like they were driving 100mph when they were really driving just barely above a crawl.

[@morganbanefort181]

They were not smoking weed nor were they high that theory has been debunked

[@NoToAllOfThat]

Decoding the Unknown is my favorite Simon Whistler channel omg I always laugh so hard

[@gregmannos]

My friends dad grew up in this town at this time. He always said he never saw anything and had been at the TNT plant plenty of times at night. He said the town jumped on the story to make money off all the people this story brought in.

[@morganbanefort181]

That's doubtful

[@nicoleh3703]

I've always wondered what this was about! I love watching all of your stuff! Thanks for the always interesting content!

[@Becky317girl]

Simon mentioned dreams being fascinating only to the person who had the dream, but my husband had a dream that my sister's husband came home early from a trip and found her in bed with another guy. In the dream her husband went for a gun hidden in the dresser drawer. The EXACT thing happened the next night. I swear. He told me about his dream and I didn't tell my sister anything about it. When she called to tell me what had happened I was shocked. I never have dreams like that! Mine are disjointed episodes of weird flashing dioramas lol

[@vlamm676]

"Fucking cock block Mothman" is my favourite Simon quote ever

[@Axle911]

A little bummed Simon didn't mention Indrid Cold during the MIB part, he's one of my favorite parts of the legend

[@Tob1Kadach1]

Indrid Cold was just a made up story to cover up the fact some guy was having a gay relationship behind his wife's back.

[@Axle911]

@@Tob1Kadach1 Oh , I know. It's still a rad story though

[@ImageAfilms]

Simon, I come to this channel because of your wanderings and asides. You strict skepticism on anything paranormal makes me laugh!

[@ignitionfrn2223]

4:20 - Chapter 1 - 1st sightings 13:50 - Chapter 2 - Here comes the men in black 19:55 - Chapter 3 - Theories 21:10 - Chapter 3.1 - A supernatural entity 23:25 - Chapter 3.2 - A hoax 31:55 - Chapter 4 - Other stuff the mothman has been getting up to 37:10 - Conclusion

[@Zelmel]

None of the chapters are called "Shut the fuck up and get to the story. We're here for a MOTHMAN not to hear about BMW drivers!" 5/10, would read time codes again.

[@rosemarie1572]

Thank you!!!!!

[@joniroxanne96]

I, too, thought of that *John Denver* song. 😄 Courtesy of *Mark Strong* in the *Kingsmen* movies. 😅 Simon singing the *MiB* theme... 🙃 Maybe the silver suited people were... The dream police? 🤪 The *OutKast* bit... 😂

[@SMichaelDeHart]

My father saw the mothman perched on the Silver Bridge about 1.5 hour before the collapse. He crossed the bridge returning home from the Lowe Hotel in Point Pleasant, West Virginia to Saint Albans, WV. Dad worked for Appalachian Power Company and they were building the Transmission Towers and String the wire from Apple Grove, WV to Philip Sporns Hyro Electric Power Plant on the Ohio River, in the Fall of '67. I'm kidding...he did cross the bridge 1.5 hours before the collapse occurred, but the mothman is a wives tail!!

[@paulceglinski3087]

I'll wager good money that the ones that saw the Mothman had cracked corn within the hour. That's about how long it takes at least for me. LoL in Tennessee.

[@SMichaelDeHart]

@@paulceglinski3087 lol...I live 45-50 minutes from Point Pleasant. Have camped at the old TNT Military Base with Scouting camporees as a kid and worked Mason County area as a Insurance Special Investigator in Fraud and Fire Losses. So I know the area well. And my dad worked in that area, on and off from 60'to the 70's ( retiring in '82). And yet, we've NEVER seen hide nor hair of Red eyed, wing flapping beast...but it's good for tourism.

[@paulceglinski3087]

@@SMichaelDeHart I think I may have passed through that area years ago when I drove truck. But with close to 2 million miles through the years I can't be sure. Pretty country there. I'm originally from the Missouri Ozarks so it was a bit familiar. Course until the thing comes up and bites my behind, it ain't happening. That Show-Me soul I reckon. LoL. Cheers.

[@SMichaelDeHart]

@@paulceglinski3087 indeed...Well, I've a scary personal story pertaining to the Silver Bridge and the Lowe Hotel in Point Pleasant.. I was 6yo, had just started 1st grade. My father, after returning from the South Pacific Campaign of WWII in 1945 started working as a Class A Transmission Lineman for Appalachian Power Company (originally in Bluefield, WV, then transferred to Charleston, WV in 1956) and their crew was building Transmission Towers and stringing Transmission Lines from Apple Grove, WV to the APCO Phillip Sporns Coal Fired Hyro Power Plant along Ohio River during the fall/winter of 1967. Their crew stayed at the Lowe Hotel when working in that area. Dad had crossed the Silver Bridge about 1.5 hours before the collapse on December 15, 1967. After picking up his suitcase at the Lowe Hotel, he started back toward home in Saint Albans from Point Pleasant in the Company Dodge Powerwagon. I was watching our old black and white TV, while mom was fixing supper, expecting dad to get home around 6-7pm. WCHS TV channel 8 news came on with a special report about the Silver Bridge collapse and mom and I were VERY concerned...about 10 minutes later we saw dad's truck pulling in the upper driveway of our home. Talking about a prays being answered 🙏😌 The West Side Volunteer Fire Department I joined 11 years later (1/2 mile from our home) was called from Saint Albans to Point Pleasant to assist in searching for survivors and dead bodies, since our department had a old WWII Duk (the boat w/4 wheels and drive train)that could help. That truly was a scary night in our home, but the Mothman legend didn't come about till many many years after all those lives were lost in the Bridge collapse.

[@paulceglinski3087]

@@SMichaelDeHart Tragic. Glad he was ok.

[@malachi1974]

Simon, your beard is becoming downright majestic. Is it meant to parallel the steady growth of the podcasts and KZbin channels? If nothing else, I've found that it provides a kind of handy time stamp for watching your content in loose order. Well done, Sir, regarding both content and beard!

[@elfymcelferton2187]

"...bitten by a moth..." 🤣

[@Not-Great-at-Gaming]

Moth man moth man, does whatever a moth can.

[@glitchsample]

"Mothmans Got Jets" name of my next album, that is gold, thank you Simon.

[@MrExplosion449]

If you’ve ever been in a 60s car, everything feels twice as fast as a modern car; everything is louder and more rattley and the ride is a lot less smooth, especially at higher speeds

[@PeachM0de]

Thank you Katy and Jen for making Simon look good. You guys are the real heroes

[@dubuyajay9964]

#ShotsFired!

[@ThePittsburghToddy]

There’s a Japanese ska version of that John Denver song in which they sing “Take me Roads, Country Home…”

[@Big_Tex]

I spent the first 40 years of my life wondering where exactly Mountain Momma was.

[@charlottejay136]

“…like a randy giraffe..” has to be the quote of the week

[@Not-Great-at-Gaming]

Most cars in 1966 had thick steel frames and were much more sturdy than those built today.

[@DaleDix]

With no crumple zone. You'd be screwed.

[@chriswhite4999]

That driving scenario you talked about at the beginning is one of my biggest driving pet peeves. I DO NOT let those jack-wagons in! Also - from WV and have been to the Mothman Festival. :)

[@nanoglitch6693]

Honestly, that Richard Gere movie was really well done. I think I'ma give it a watch tonight.

[@xprettylightsx]

Which one is that?

[@blackhat4206]

@@xprettylightsx The Mothman Prophecies.

[@xprettylightsx]

@@blackhat4206 ty

[@blizzardkat]

Oh Simon... Necking 🤣🤣🤣. I also would love to hear an album of Simon singing classic country with no lyrics in front of him.

[@amandajones661]

Cock Block Mothmen --- Amazing band name.

[@tabithagreen6957]

I watch/listen to these while at work at a library and Co workers will just see me nodding along during Simon’s rants.

[@jajssblue]

Do you really get negative feedback on tangents? If so, I don't understand these people. I live for the tangents and long intros.

[@paulceglinski3087]

Truth that.

[@resileaf9501]

Amen

[@bingohomeslice5158]

I am absolutely here for your tangents Simon!!

[@Not-Great-at-Gaming]

Simon needs to play Fallout 76... Nevermind, that would be cruel.

[@gerasheo958]

I was terrified of Bloody Mary as a kid too (the terrifying thing in the mirror if you say her name 3 times supposedly). I consider myself a very rational adult person now, but still sometimes late at night I get scared of mirrors for no reason other than my childhood self was lol. I would always tell myself in the bathroom, "don't even think her name, what if that summoned her?" It's funny the crazy things you'll believe as a kid and how they stick with you despite knowing better now.

[@dmclayton4031]

Every once in a while I still quickly jump into my bed real fast and tuck my feet in… just in case 😂 Childhood fears suck

[@davepowell4216]

I grew up 20 miles from Pt Pleasant. It may be the only thing that where I grew up is known for except bad dental health and meth.

[@davepowell4216]

WTF, Charleston WV... not South Carolina

[@spacerat111]

well judging by the bad teeth at least you have good meth!

[@Beljasion]

You mentioned someone fitting a jet engine to a bicycle. While it's completely possible that it was another instance of someone doing the same thing. The one I saw had Jeremy Clarkson riding the bike but I don't think it was on Top Gear. I think it was on a documentary on high speed vehicles (Jeremy Clarkson's Speed), Concorde, etc. You may have seen it during research as your description is extremely close to what I recall.

[@williamblack6912]

I like the fallout 76 mothman it looks so fluffy and huggable.

[@Night4fingers]

Especially the "Wise Mothman" variant

[@miathemouse5659]

I went to the Mothman Museum, last summer. I will say that the museum doesn't actually have any artifacts, at all. It has news clippings and whatnot, but it felt like a lot, if not most of the stuff to see- as opposed to stuff that was there to read- was movie props. Overall, I think it was an excellent stop for a stretch during the road trip that I was on. It was designed to be fun, and it was good at that. If I'm not mistaken, however, the Point Pleasant River Museum has, or did have, an eyebar from the Silver Bridge. According to Google, it's "Temporarily Closed," but I believe that the museum is owned by the town, so they likely still have all of its artifacts, even if they aren't on display. I know that the museum had a fire in its attic, back in 2018, so I don't know if that shut it down, or something else is going on.

[@shadehunter]

Its nice to see this area get attention for something besides asbestos, poverty, government corruption and the rampant drug problem. The Mothman is nothing more than a myth, though. Thank you for covering it.

[@rachelcrowe4555]

I can’t get over how Simon says “mothman”. It has made my whole entire day. 😂

[@amandajones661]

Simon was talking about cars from the 60s. -- They were made bigger and with better materials. My dad was driving to work and was literally (yes, literally) hit by a fast moving train in his 1967 Chevrolet truck. After the crash stopped, he got out and cussed the train engineer and went to work. The entire front side panel was ripped off and the engine block was moved a little, but the truck still drove, so he drove it that way for many years. BTW he never sued the railroad or the state and didn't even go to the doctor.

[@resileaf9501]

Your dad sounds like an asshole for blaming the train engineer after he drove into the train.

[@morrigan908]

As a resident of Kanawha County, I'd like to congratulate Simon on being the only non-local I've ever heard pronounce Kanawha almost exactly correct on the first try. And you are correct, Simon, there is nothing particularly pleasant about Point Pleasant.

[@desireesantanaflores13]

Your tangents are life

[@24934637]

Intresting that you are talking about the safety aspect of 'old' cars! Back in 2001 I owned a 1971 Triumph Spitfire (2 seat soft top sports car). No roll cage, no seat belts, no air bags, no power brakes or steering, no ABS, no 'crumple zones' and very poor headlights and windscreen wipers. One day, having the oppertunity to take it onto a race track (because doing such a thing on a public road would be illegal obviously), I decided to see just how fast it would go. I floored it, and got it up to just over 100mph. Truly terrifying, and in retrospect there is NO way that I'd even consider doing that! Even in a moderate speed crash I'm fairly certain that I would have died. Cars back then were just SO incredibly dangerous compared to modern cars!

[@Periwinkie22]

Mothman the thiccest cryptid

[@charlottecooper9970]

11:01 are getting bloody Mary and Beetlejuice confused Simon? 😂

[@edwardsfamilychannel5807]

Nice one of the first comments, today is a good day

[@chrisbriggs1640]

This video should be called “confusing things from Simon’s childhood”. We need that video. Maybe pair it with Simon looking at a map of the U.S. and trying to place labels on states.

[@youdontneedtoknow6621]

Ryan and Shane did it better #shaneiack

[@OtherBlueFae]

Omg I’m so happy I saw this comment! 🤣

[@ace.l.w]

The TNT area is actually really cool! When I visited Point Pleasant for their Mothman museum and other such fun stuff around the New Year, I visited that area. The insides of the domes are covered in fascinating graffiti art, and the acoustics in there are EXCELLENT. I’m hoping to head up there again sometime with my bass and record something there.

[@nerdy2287]

i think they sealed them now, kids were partying in them but some people said a few were broken back open not sure it if is i have no reason to head up to TNT in years.

[@ace.l.w]

@@nerdy2287 they were open back in early January 2022! Hard to find and not marked on any maps: we had a local overhear my family trying to find it and she was awesome enough to give us directions. Nice town!

[@nerdy2287]

@@ace.l.w good they are cool to explore

[@nerfherder4284]

Top notch editing 👍🏻👍🏻 Btw Simon 1966 is probably near the pinnacle of US muscle cars. A British car might not go 100 in 1966...

[@adamrogers1889]

Also, 1966 cars were built like tanks. These are the cars that can drive through brick walls and still be mostly intact.

[@benjaminharcourt4861]

The only times I ever push into the line like that are when I don't realize the lane ends, and this wouldn't be one of those cases. Like when for the last 5 blocks, thr forward lane has been 2 lanes and then it suddenly switches to 1 and the lane you were in turns into a turn only lane. And I don't jump to the front, I jump in as soon as I realize the lane ends and whenever someone actually let's me in which never takes very long

[@normalityrelief]

Loved the quick Little Face addition Jen!

[@whoever6458]

I had exactly the same notion as you about what necking was when I was a kid. lol

[@KnightOwl1881]

Aww no Mothman video? I was excited to hear Simon commentary on it haha

[@ViFang77]

This was a fun episode! May I suggest you cover the disappearance of the Italian physicist Ettore Majorana, i think it would fit the show quite well.

[@crystl20]

I’d love to hear Simon’s take on Indrid Cold who supposedly also has ties to Mothman. That would be real fun

[@gingerlilyjena7078]

The random side tangents are my favorite parts of the videos.

[@sunnysoprano7101]

I'm from WV and the Mothman museum is actually pretty cool. It's filled with art work, old news papers, back drops & props to take your pictures with plus all kinds of fun stuff. We also have a Mothman festival every year in September.

[@jessestaggs2136]

I'm now envisioning a prequel to The Mothman Prophecies, The Cockblockman Prophecies! lol

[@AaronJLong]

Good to hear someone call out drivers that pull that. I remember one time my entire lane stopped moving, and after a minute I was able to slip into the right lane, and as I got to the front of the jam I saw it was being held up by someone trying to cut the line and squeeze into the left turn lane.

[@herluka]

"Shag is what happens after necking" :D :D :D The most Simon and the most Dad explanation of "shag"... Still trying to catch my breath from laughing out loud at that one :D