The Curse of Oak Island TV Series – Part Five

More of the Same, Pointless Narrative

“The Curse of Oak Island” TV series is now in its twelfth season. And yet, the treasure-hunting Lagina brothers, Marty and Rick are no closer to finding the Oak Island treasure.

Some have said that if found, the treasure would be the largest ever located and could change the course of history.

With all due respect to the Lagina brothers, because they are neophytes in the world of treasure hunting. But either they are unknowingly being led down a dead-end road or they are complicit in the skulduggery. There is no treasure buried hundreds of feet below the surface on Oak Island.

“Critical Thinking, Common Sense and Reasoning

Treasures found worldwide, both large and small are located after proper research has been completed. Some treasures are found by luck. However, treasure hunters who research and find a cache also use skills of critical thinking, common sense, and reasoning.

Using common sense and critical thinking by analyzing and asking logical questions in a treasure hunt is important. Being honest and open about what you are seeing during the search can save time and money. Yet, in modern society using common sense and critical thinking has become a lost art. Propaganda and gaslighting have replaced common sense.

Television and the Legacy media have turned many viewers into robots. Many are programmed to believe everything they see or hear. If media opinion journalists Dinky Bots, or Bimbo Karen, say it's true, viewers believe them.

The more gaslighting there is, the harder it is for many to use common sense.

Mark Twain said, “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”

If “The Curse” was about finding that treasure. And not about reaping millions from the production. Then the Lagina Brothers should be asking simple questions.

“How could a massive treasure be buried two hundred feet below the surface? During a time when no mechanical machines were available to dig that deep.

“Why would the treasure be that deep?

Those are common sense questions. Any treasure hunter who uses common sense would be asking them. I’ll address both.

“How could a massive treasure be buried two hundred feet below the surface? During a time when no mechanical machines were available to dig that deep?”

My common sense answer. It can’t be buried that deep without modern equipment.

“Why would the treasure be that deep?”

That question I cannot honestly answer. But based on experience. Buried treasures are at levels that are easy to retrieve. The person doing the burying does not want to spend hours or days retrieving it. If they are burying the treasure for others to dig up. The same answer applies.

Large treasures worth millions are often located between a foot and three feet deep.

The deepest treasures are sometimes cached deep inside caves. But those hordes need no special equipment or hours of digging to retrieve.

TV shows like “The Curse” use the same gaslighting or propaganda techniques as Legacy Media. But "The Curse" reasoning for gaslighting is different than why the media lies. Most of the media lies for a political purpose. The History Channel, its producers, directors, advertisers, and the investors behind the scenes are the ones who have discovered a treasure from the series. The Curse” TV show uses fake narratives for financial gain.

Trying to locate the supposed massive ancient horde has cost "The Curse" Millions of dollars. Whoever is paying for this treasure hunt? They are reaping a windfall worth many times more than what is being invested in the search.

Unfortunately, for the past decade. There has been an excess of treasure-hunting shows that are as fake as the legacy media. I know this because of my experience as the producer and host of my TV metal-detecting TV series “Exploring History’s Treasures.” I will not go into the details about my experience with my show here. I have written about it before.

Salting and Seeding The Ground, Fake TV

“Salting the ground” or “seeding it” is burying a coin or a relic into the ground to be found later. The person with the metal detector knows the item is there. It makes for good TV. It keeps viewers coming back. But it’s fake TV.

Planting items in the ground ahead of a search even among friends is common practice.

I know people caught seeding the ground with beautiful relics or coins. And then they act excited when they find them. It’s an ego trip. Wanting to be the best by faking a great item found is one of the bad qualities we see in the hobby today. There is a glut of YouTube videos about metal detecting. Many are scripted and edited videos showing salted coins and relics being found. And, that practice has carried over to TV.

Does “The Curse” seed the ground with relics or coins before Gary searches? At another time I will answer that question in detail.

One last point about seeding.

When an area as large as say an acre is searched with a metal detector. It’s rare that within a few minutes, a beautiful relic or coin is found.

The average size of a search coil at the bottom of the metal detector shaft is approximately eight inches in diameter. When a coil only covers about an eight-inch circumference of that acre of ground with each swing. It’s unlikely that a jaw-dropping discovery will immediately be made.

Ever notice how Gary walks to a large-sized area? Swings his detector, and immediately, BAM, he makes a jaw-dropping discovery.

Most times, in areas that large, hours go by swinging a detector before any item of significance is located. If a TV show is being filmed. Producers and directors do not want viewers watching a person with a metal detector searching an entire area without finding anything. If that happens. The production loses viewers. So what do the fakers of TV do? They salt the area with finds before filming.

Also, viewers never know what is going on behind the scenes. So, I’ll tell you what happens. Scripting, editing with transitions, jump cutting, mashups, J-cuts, and yes salting, and planting. All the above techniques are used to fit the narrative of the show. With the intention to create fake TV.

Those reality metal detecting/treasure hunting shows are not real. They are as fake as the Legacy media.

When we filmed my series we filmed sometimes twelve hours before we found an important item. I refused to salt the ground to impress my viewers. It cost me money to film longer. But I did not want to produce fake TV.

My Review for the First Two Episodes of “The Curse,” Season Twelve.

Episode One, Season Twelve

The treasure hunters are no closer to finding the treasure. However, the producers and everyone behind the scenes want you to believe otherwise. The History Channel needs to keep viewers coming back. They do this by squandering time with useless narratives.

The first ten minutes of episode one season twelve were talking about their efforts from the past and the LOL, progress they’ve made with their digging effort.

Then the narrator used time to explain why it was so important that the archaeologist unearthed another stone wall foundation. Really? The stone foundation doesn’t mean a damn thing about the treasure. All it means is that someone built a small home or a cold storage while living there. Oak Island has been around since the beginning of time. And like most islands. For thousands of years, travelers stopped at Oak Island to rest, or to live there.

Moving on, the narrator shows excitement about a cut Spanish cob. A coin found on the island. I’ll admit, that’s an awesome find. But it does not mean the Spanish buried a treasure two hundred feet below the surface. But, like the narrative about the stone wall. Talking about that coin is a way to keep viewers excited and returning.

Treasure hunter Rick Lagina is a nice guy. I have nothing bad to say about the brothers. But Rick gave a speech about inspiration and how important it was for the team to have it. That speech took a few more minutes. More wasted time.

This next scene was so ridiculous for the team that I found myself feeling sorry for them.

The team became overly excited because they found slate mixed with stone at the stone structure.

My God. You’d have thought they found the treasure. “Slate mixed with stone?” The narrator says in his thrilled voice.

“BIG DEAL, SLATE.” I’m screaming at the TV. Next, they ask.

“And where did it come from?”

“WHO CARES” I yelled.

“Who brought the slate here?”

“WHY DO I WATCH THIS SHOW.”

“Are you watching that TV show again?” My wife yelled from the other room.

I've metal detected and treasure hunted around hundreds of stone foundations in different States. Some dated back to the 1600s. Often, slate was mixed with the stone. The builders of those stone houses used whatever stone, rock, or slate was available. I never found a treasure at any stone structure where slate is mixed with stone. So for the crew of “The Curse” to assume that whoever brought the slate to the stone structure may have buried a massive treasure on Oak Island is preposterous.

But again, wasting air time with a nonsense narrative is needed. Because the treasure hunters are no closer to finding the history-changing treasure.

I cannot complete my assessment of “The Curse” without commenting, as I have in past posts, about the “metal detection expert,” Gary Drayton.

The History Channel ordained Gary “the metal detection expert” during its first season. But here’s a truth bomb. Gary is knowledgeable. He’s been on some great treasure searches. But if Gary is the expert to the twelfth degree, as the History Channel purports him to be. Then so are millions of others in the hobby.

Many people use metal detectors. And they would have had the same success on “The Curse,” that Gary has been bestowed with. But the show needed an expert to help with their false narrative. So Gary became the chosen one.

Many of the relics and coins Gary finds on Oak Island are the same kind of items located by others worldwide. Moreover, some of the common relics Gary finds, like an old, rusted, railroad spike, or an old square nail, are being hyped as, “a possible link to the treasure.”

BS, others have found many of those items. Including myself. I have boxes full of them. At times, along with other junk items I’ve found. I take them to the recycling plant. And BTW, none of those items have led to a treasure discovery.

About That Cut Spanish Cob

There was immense excitement when Gary found that cut cob Spanish coin. Anyone who metal detects would love finding one. The elation upon finding such a coin would be epic. But the response from Gary when he discovered that coin was beyond delirium. Gary became overly stimulated. For someone as experienced as Gary. Who has found many great relics and coins during his years, he was freakishly exuberant.

A child walks into a candy store for the first time and sees all that candy. Their reaction is pure delight. Each time that child visits the candy store, the child's excitement has mellowed some. Now Gary has been to the candy store of metal detecting relics many times. He’s found lots of goodies. But his reaction to seeing that Spanish cob was as if he found his first piece of candy. His reaction was orgasmic. His climax made great TV. It was like he had never seen such a great relic. I wonder how many times they practiced that scene before the final editing.

Season Twelve, Episode Two

Not much happened in this show. It was more of rehashing what the team has already found since the first season.

“The Curse” is not about locating a massive treasure that will change the course of history. But they want the viewers to believe that. “The Curse” is about making millions of dollars for all those involved with the production.

They Are searching in the Wrong Areas

It’s been my belief, even before “The Curse” series hit the airways. Treasures are buried on the island in areas other than where the team has been digging.

If I were searching the island. My concentration would be on locating the other treasures.

I won’t go into the detail here why I believe this. That’s coming in another post.

I Will Eat Crow

I’ve stated before.

If they find a massive treasure 180-200 feet below the ground surface on Oak Island. I will eat crow.

A Word To Those Who Speak of My Jealousy

For those who said that my negative views of “The Curse” have to do with my jealousy for not being asked to be a part of the series. My answer is this.

Get a grip.

I knew about the production of “The Curse” before it aired. And I never had any intention of wanting to be a part of that series. In addition.

During the past decade, I have been contacted by a dozen producers, and directors of new metal detecting/treasure hunting shows. They wanted me to be a part of their productions, as a treasure hunter in their show, or as a consultant. However, after meeting with them I turned down each offer. My reason why, and what I told them follows.

“Your production does not meet my standards of honesty. Your show will not be reality. I refuse to associate with any network, or production company that has the same low standards as the production of “The Curse of Oak Island.”