The Ghosts of N.O.

September 23, 2005 7:23 PM

Ghosts: Soldiers spooked by New Orleans ghosts. Film at eleven.
posted by johnj (32 comments total)

Where is Ann Rice? Would she know of the shades and spirits of the place built on shifting silts and sands that are the foundation of a city that should be abandoned to the lake, river and sea?
posted by longsleeves at 7:41 PM on September 23, 2005

You mean there's a station in the US that doesn't have 24/7 Rita coverage? I suppose a divergence from the common news is the only real news.

That a news agency would even be reporting that is somewhat pathetic.
posted by mystyk at 7:42 PM on September 23, 2005

American soldiers are carrying the word of God? So much for separation of church and state.
posted by greatgefilte at 7:44 PM on September 23, 2005

What's particularly troubling about this is the uniformed clergyman (presumably he's a clergyman, he might simply be extremely religious) walking though buildings in an effort to exorcize spirits. Later in the piece he remarks:

"This is indeed a dark city and we're bringing the light. You know, wherever our soldiers go there goes the word of God.

Massive work needs to be done in New Orleans. In the aftermath of a massive natural disaster, I suspect there isn't time for worrying about the supernatural.
posted by aladfar at 7:51 PM on September 23, 2005

There is just so much going on about the video clip that deservers discussion. Church\State separation, Local nescoveragequality, the absurdity of how quickly the media drop on-going stories. Where to begin? The disaster just becomes more subtle every day.
posted by johnj at 7:56 PM on September 23, 2005

Subtle and pervasive.
posted by johnj at 7:57 PM on September 23, 2005

I foresaw this. Sorta
posted by TwelveTwo at 7:58 PM on September 23, 2005

"Laying in my sleeping bag, I opened my eyes, and in the doorway was a little girl. It wasn't my imagination."

Yes. Yes, it was.
posted by Soulfather at 8:05 PM on September 23, 2005

Has anyone else noticed that the tags, in the order they're shown, read almost like a few short sentences?
posted by mystyk at 8:16 PM on September 23, 2005

"You know, behind this wall, there's a supply closet. And that's really creepy."
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 8:23 PM on September 23, 2005

Cannibalism?
posted by sohcahtoa at 8:24 PM on September 23, 2005

"You know, behind this wall, there's a supply closet. And that's really creepy."
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 11:23 PM EST on September 23 [!]

Actually, I think she said 'freaky', which I don't think I've ever heard a reporter say before.

And that clergyman was really freaky.
posted by jikel_morten at 8:29 PM on September 23, 2005

no wonder the prez is back on the hootch
posted by tsarfan at 8:32 PM on September 23, 2005

Scariest part of the whole piece:

"This is indeed a dark city and we're bringing the light. You know, wherever our soldiers go there goes the word of God."

Is this his viewpoint or is there an indoctrination in the service that carries this in the heads of our soldiers?
posted by tatnasty at 8:37 PM on September 23, 2005

Sidenote: I grew up in Nebraska, and I always wondered why they said "film at eleven," 'cause the film was always at ten.

Fucked with my mind as a child. I get it now. Timezones.
posted by etc. at 8:37 PM on September 23, 2005

I have to repeat what has been said earlier:

Cannibalism??
posted by melt away at 8:49 PM on September 23, 2005

There's no TV broadcasting worse than local news broadcasts.
posted by Bort at 8:51 PM on September 23, 2005

Stunningly bad "journalism." Just utter bullshit.
posted by davebush at 9:07 PM on September 23, 2005

Cannibalism
posted by joelf at 9:11 PM on September 23, 2005

Thanks, I hadn't heard that, joelf. What our warrior-priest says, though ("New Orleans is also very ingrained in voodoo, cannibalism, witchcraft") makes me think he's talking about some long-standing culinary tradition.
posted by sohcahtoa at 9:27 PM on September 23, 2005

Is this his viewpoint or is there an indoctrination in the service that carries this in the heads of our soldiers?

Who knows, but it would play great on the next Al-Qaeda recruiting DVD.
posted by iamck at 9:29 PM on September 23, 2005

If you haven't read it, this book has some good discussion about why local news is filled with mindless pap like this.
posted by boredomjockey at 9:32 PM on September 23, 2005

Revelation 10 and 11? Nothing like what they said in the film is in those chapters - that I could find.

href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?book_id=73&chapter=10&version=31">
posted by donkelly at 9:39 PM on September 23, 2005

How come they can walk through walls but not fall through the floor? Magic, man.
posted by CynicalKnight at 10:52 PM on September 23, 2005

cannibalism? what-ever. i've lived in new orleans all my life (with the exception of college and the last month) and i've never eaten ANYONE. i mean, you know. like that. we've got better things for dinner than people.

actually that piece is great for the city, as it perpetuates the absurd historical stereotypes that draw millions of tourists to NOLA every year... and will hopefully do so again soon.

seriously, though, i totally appreciate troops from all over the country coming to keep my neighborhood safe from looters - honestly i do - but is it part of their mission to go bringing their midwestern protestant "word of god" and "light" and all that? hello, we lapsed catholics in new orleans we like our ghosts, please leave them there for us to come back to...
posted by ab3 at 1:04 AM on September 24, 2005

That one soldier has beeg fahking teets, man.
posted by Eideteker at 1:51 AM on September 24, 2005

Those midwestern protestants are from California, though. And, living currently in the midwest, I would've guessed those religious soldiers were from the south, if I hadn't known.

But I realize New Orleans is different than my conception of "the south".
posted by sohcahtoa at 8:28 AM on September 24, 2005

If it's not ghosts, what else could it be? It's not like these people have had any sort of recent experience that might cause mental stress.
posted by revgeorge at 8:42 AM on September 24, 2005

Great. Now the first business to get a boost in the Crescent City is those stupid fucking ghost tours.
posted by maxsparber at 1:29 PM on September 24, 2005

"Laying in my sleeping bag, I opened my eyes, and in the doorway was a little girl. It wasn't my imagination."

Soulfather: Yes. Yes, it was.

Isn't it interesting how "skeptics" seem to know much, much more about an unusual observed phenomenon that the observers themselves? Soulfather read that article and seems to know much better what that soldier saw than the soldier himself/herself.

Most people who label themselves "skeptic" are actually reactionaires. Big difference.
posted by zardoz at 1:38 AM on September 25, 2005

Well, skeptics are reactionaries who weigh in on the side of extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary proof. If I am to be called a reactionary for responding to unprovable bullshit by calling bullshit, then a reactionary I shall be.
posted by maxsparber at 9:14 AM on September 25, 2005

I am skeptical of this. Sounds like just a bunch of freaked out stressed people.
posted by fashionair at 9:39 PM on September 25, 2005