Examining Alien Abduction and UFO Research with Toby Ball
Podcaster Toby Ball joins Erica Lukes and Jack Brewer
Successful podcaster and writer Toby Ball guests on Expanding Frontiers for a thought provocative discussion covering how his work went from hobby podcasting to professional production. Toby describes how his Strange Arrivals podcast, which includes exploration of the Betty and Barney Hill case of alleged alien abduction, became the inspiration for an upcoming feature film slated to star Coleman Domingo and Demi Moore.
The Strange Arrivals series also has episodes on the Emma Woods-David Jacobs debacle, which include interviews with Carol Rainey and Jack Brewer, among others. The abusive actions of David Jacobs are discussed, leading to wider considerations of misogyny within the UFO culture. Carol Rainey and Emma Woods are identified as significantly pushing back against the misogyny they confronted.
This interesting discussion winds through the significance of memory and perception in evaluating UFO reports, leading Toby, Erica and Jack to consider selective citation, or cherry picking, to support a predetermined conclusion. This includes consideration of a rarely-to-never discussed letter written by Betty Hill to researcher Ann Druffel in which Betty expresses her low opinion of hypnosis and the alien abduction genre in no uncertain terms. Consideration is given to the protection of UFO sacred cows, as compared to conducting thorough research and sharing findings in objective manners.
Toby Ball also hosts the podcasts Rip Current, which explores the violent summer of 1975 and the attempted assassinations of the president of the United States; Crime Writers On, "The original true crime review podcast”; and More Like Ancient FAILiens, which reviews episodes of the dubious cable television show Ancient Aliens. Find Toby Ball on Bluesky.
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Budd Hopkins presents with David Jacobs at Intruders Foundation seminar, 2004. Credit: Carol Rainey. Text added.