Bigfoot in popular culture
Bigfoot or Sasquatch is an alleged ape-like creature purportedly inhabiting forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. More than fifty years have passed since the first supposed sightings of Bigfoot were reported in California. The character of Bigfoot has been used frequently in popular culture including film, TV, advertising, and literature. Bigfoot has also been the subject of several tourism campaigns.
Advertising
"Bigfoot" and "Sasquatch" are pop culture terms that have been used in advertising across many different products and services, such as pizzas, beef jerky, skateboards, skis, an Internet search engine, a computer hard drive series, gas stations, Kokanee beer, Bigfoot Shadows award winning wine and a monster truck.- Jack Link's brand of beef jerky produces a series of commercials entitled "Messin' with Sasquatch". In the commercials, hikers play tricks on Sasquatch. The end of the commercials typically show Sasquatch reacting angrily to the pranks, chasing, and sometimes picking up the hikers and throwing them into the air or objects.
- Game camera manufacturer the Bushnell Corporation, along with Field & Stream, launched a promotional contest over a photo taken in September 2007, by deer hunter Rick Jacobs of Pennsylvania on his game camera of what some believe could be a young Sasquatch. More skeptical viewers deemed it a bear. The companies offered a one million dollar reward for a verifiable photo of Bigfoot taken on a game camera.
- The food chain Red Robin ran a television commercial in which a hiker speaks the words "Red Robin" and hears a reply of "Yummm" from Bigfoot.
- The restaurant chain Boston Pizza used "Louie" the sasquatch in a series of television commercials around 2007. Ultimately they decided to drop the character as a promotional gimmick.
- Kokanee beer used "Mel" the sasquatch in a series of commercials pitting him against the "Kokanee Ranger" played by John Novak. In 2004, a Mel The Sasquatch statue was built in Creston, British Columbia. The Columbia Brewery Company paid for half the construction costs.
Films
- Bigfoot
- The Geek
- The Legend of Boggy Creek
- Sasqua
- Bigfoot Man or Beast
- The Mysterious Monsters
- Creature From Black Lake
- Snowbeast
- Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigfoot
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Manbeast, Myth Or Monster?
- Curse of Bigfoot
- The Capture of Bigfoot
- Revenge of Bigfoot
- Night of the Demon
- '
- Bigfoot
- Cry Wilderness
- Harry and the Hendersons
- Drawing Flies, A movie produced by Kevin Smith. Starring Jason Lee as the character Donner who wants to find Sasquatch.
- A Goofy Movie
- Little Bigfoot
- Little Bigfoot 2: The Journey Home
- Sasquatch Hunters,
- Monsters, Inc.
- Ape Canyon Whatcom County
- The Untold
- They Call Him Sasquatch
- Sasquatch Hunters
- The Unknown
- Stomp! Shout! Scream!
- Bigfoot
- Abominable
- Bigfoot
- Sasquatch Mountain, a made-for-TV movie from the Sci-Fi Channel.
- The Legend of Sasquatch
- Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
- The Sasquatch Gang
- TMNT
- Noah's Ark
- Strange Wilderness
- Bedtime Stories
- Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie
- Bigfoot
- The Wild Man of the Navidad, released by IFC Films
- Boggy Creek
- Momo
- Letters from the Big Man
- The Erickson Project
- Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes
- Bigfoot
- Hotel Transylvania
- The Cabin in the Woods
- Willow Creek
- Feed the Gods
- Exists
- The Legend of Grassman
- Something in the Woods
- Valley of the Sasquatch
- Hotel Transylvania 2
- Sassquatch: Return of the Queen
- Gimme Head: the Tale of the Cuyahoga Valley Bigfoot
- The Bigfoot Project
- The Son of Bigfoot
- '
- The Man Who Killed Hitler and then The Bigfoot
- Missing Link
- Cajun Fried Werewolf
- Freddie Goes To Washington''
Games
- The interactive robot from Mattel called the BIGFOOT Monster comes with a wireless remote control to burp, chew, throw a ball and do exercises.
- In Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow the yeti's sprite is very similar to a photograph of Bigfoot.
- In the Darkstalkers series, Sasquatch is a playable character who lives in a village of other Sasquatches deep in the Canadian Rockies.
- The adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road involves a search for a Sasquatch that had escaped from a traveling freak show.
- In ' Bigfoot makes an appearance, able to be hunted down with an achievement referring to the Bigfoot myth in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas above.
- In The Simpsons arcade game, Bigfoot is an opponent which players encounter during the 3.5 Springfield Butte level.
- In Banjo-Tooie, the Bear and Bird duo can encounter a "Biggafoot" in Hailfire Peaks - in the handheld title Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, they can also encounter a creature in the swamp level Bad Magic Bayou called a "Bogfoot".
- In Ski Resort Tycoon you can create an exhibition in which you may display a captured Sasquatch.
- In Tony Hawk's Underground 2, when unlocked, Bigfoot is a playable character.
- In Zoo Tycoon players can unlock Bigfoot which costs $10,000.
- In Poptropica, on Cryptids Island, Bigfoot is the last cryptid that the player must find. He is proven to be real, and is found in the Pacific Northwest.
- In Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004, Bigfoot is seen hiding behind a tree on one of the holes as an Easter egg.
- In Assassin's Creed III, the young assassin Connor is told stories of a tall, hairy figure who steals from hunter's traps. This starts a side quest, where the player is tasked with finding out the truth about this story.
- In ', Bigfoot is seen in the game's "Predator" mission. After finishing the game 100% you'll be treated to a random Mission where you'll actually get to hunt down Bigfoot, although it turns out to be a man in a suit.
- In The Sims 2: Bon Voyage expansion pack, a Bigfoot sim can be found on a secret vacation lot. He can be asked to move in and get a job, though he can never marry or have children.
- In WarioWare Gold, several Sasquatch Family members are seen in the Potluck Gang's story at the Peridot Campgrounds.
- Sasquatch is set to appear in the horror fighting game Terrordrome 2: Reign of the Legends.
Law
In response to Al Magnussen from the Mt. Baker Chamber of Commerce, Whatcom County, Washington, an Agenda Bill was drafted on 6/9/91, which unanimously passed a resolution declaring Whatcom County a Sasquatch Protection and Refuge Area.
The Skamania County ordinance explicitly calls out hunter-on-hunter violence as a possibility, while also speculating on whether Bigfoot is a subspecies of homo sapiens.
Literature
Many have written on the subject, demonstrating a broad spectrum of approaches from a small body of serious scholarly work to lurid tabloids, such as the Weekly World News. The Gwaii, published by Arcana Studio, is an award winning children's graphic novel that features a sasquatch named Tanu searching for his mother and tribe in the Canadian wilderness. John Prufrock, the hero of the comic book Proof, is a Bigfoot who works for a secret agency that hunts and captures other cryptids. The comic, an ongoing series, was written by Alex Grecian and illustrated by Riley Rossmo. It was published in Image Comics from October 2007 to May 2011. "Donations to Clarity", a 2011 novel by Noah Baird, tells the story of a Bigfoot who falls in love with a Bigfoot hoaxer. The Sasquatch appears in the Italian comic series Tex and Martin Mystère. In the non-canon Star Wars Tales comic "Into the Great Unknown" - in which the Millennium Falcon, after a blind hyperspace jump, crash-lands on what appears to be Endor but is in fact the Pacific Northwest around the time of Lewis and Clark, resulting in Han Solo's death at the hands of the natives and the eventual discovery of his body by Indiana Jones - "Sasquatch" is actually Chewbacca. One of the main characters from the Canadian Marvel Comics superhero team Alpha Flight is Sasquatch.Famed alternate history author Harry Turtledove has written stories as part of the "State of Jefferson Stories" titled "Visitor from the East", "Peace is Better", "Typecasting" and "Three Men and a Sasquatch" where Sasquatches, Yetis and other related cryptids are real. However, unlike common popular depictions of such creatures as less evolved primates, they are essentially another race of human beings, and have been integrated into society.
The version of Bigfoot appearing in A Goofy Movie reappears in the comic strip "Picture Perfect" of the Brandon J. Santigo webcomic Erma, playing with Erma Williams, the series' title character. The series is published in conjunction with Outcast Studios. In the poem "Satch" by Jeannette Allée, Bigfoot is a metaphor for how individuals childishly hide from their own talents, desires, love. In the SCP Foundation mythos, the Bigfoot creature is classified as SCP-1000.
Sasquatch Books is the largest publishing house in the Pacific Northwest. Its logo features a Sasquatch paw print.
Music
Bigfoot has been addressed in American song and music, with both songs written about and by Bigfoot enthusiasts, as well as music incorporating what are claimed to be or supposed to be recordings of Bigfoot sounds made in nature.- ", by singer/songwriter Danny Freyer, has become somewhat of an anthem for Bigfoot enthusiasts since it was first released in 2005, and is used in the closing credits of a film forthcoming production titled," which is directed by American comedian . The song's lyrics include, "I still believe in Bigfoot/Don't care what they say/Still believe in apple pie and the good ol' U.S.A," and were written in response to a news article following the death of , the man who claimed responsibility for finding Bigfoot evidence. The article quoted Wallace's son stating that his father had perpetrated a hoax, carving the footprints himself. The song highlights the desire of many Bigfoot enthusiasts to believe in Bigfoot, regardless of scientific evidence or lack thereof.
The pop punk band Groovie Ghoulies performed a song about Bigfoot called "Running with Bigfoot".
Podcasts
- The Adventure Zone, a popular real-play RPG podcast, features Bigfoot as a side character in its Amnesty campaign, set in West Virginia.
Sports
- Bigfoot is the name of the first series of monster trucks. In 1975, Bob Chandler created the original truck, which he named after his driving style rather than its characteristically large tires.
- Squatch was the mascot of the Seattle SuperSonics, who were a professional basketball franchise that was based in Seattle, Washington and played in the NBA from 1967 until 2008.
- Quatchi, one of three mascots for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, is portrayed as a "young sasquatch who comes from the mysterious forests of Canada".
Television
- The Six Million Dollar Man/The Bionic Woman featured three separate stories featuring a bionic Bigfoot which was created by advanced aliens. In the first two-part episode, the creature was played by professional wrestler André the Giant while in the latter episodes he was played by Ted Cassidy.
- The Beachcombers featured a season 2, episode 2 storyline titled "The Sasquatch Walks By Night", in which a mysterious bigfoot is sighted but turns out to be a hoax.
- Bigfoot and Wildboy, which started as a segment of the second season of the Krofft Supershow before spinning off into a series, has the title character joined by a young orphan.
- Harry and the Hendersons was a 72 episode show that ran from 1991 to 1993 and was based on the film of the same name.
- In the Canadian TV show Trailer Park Boys one of the characters frequently mispronounces Sasquatch as a "samsquanch" and in one episode beats up another character wrapped in a fur blanket to resemble a "samsquanch".
- Sasquatch was also featured in the Tenacious D TV show and wanted to join the band but was unable to. Sasquatch did, however, cause Jack Black and Kyle Gass regained their trust in the rock star mythos.
- Bigfoot makes an appearance in a Futurama episode entitled "Spanish Fry", where Fry attempts to find Bigfoot.
- A female Bigfoot appears near in the end of The All New Popeye Hour episode "Popeye and Bigfoot" and carries Bluto.
- In the TV series The Invisible Man, the title character of Darien Fawkes is turned invisible by a chemical derived from Bigfoot; Bigfoot has escaped detection over the centuries by turning invisible.
- In The Simpsons episode "The Call of the Simpsons", Homer gets covered in mud and is mistaken for Bigfoot.
- In DuckTales episode "The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck!", Bigfoot was found with a thorn in his paw by Huey, who removed the thorn, hoarded him in McDuck Manor, and named him Tenderfeet.
- In Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Sasquashed", while on a camping trip, Tom, Jerry and Tuffy find a Bigfoot named Sheldon.
- In Phineas and Ferb episode "Get That Bigfoot Outta My Face!", Candace was eaten by a Bigfoot, mistaking with real, however, it turns out that was a Bigfoot costume instead of real.
- In The Newsroom episode "I'll Fix You", news researchers discuss and debate the reality of Bigfoot as a future story for the news.
- The iCarly episode "iBelieve in Bigfoot" focuses on the main characters visiting a forest in search of Bigfoot.
- Finding Bigfoot is a show on Animal Planet following a team of BFRO members searching for the elusive and "ninja-like" creature.
- In The California Raisin Show, the Raisins, sick and tired of autograph hounds and obsessive fans, elect to go camping in the deep woods for a much needed vacation. One of the Raisins tells of a Native American legend of a monster called "Sasquash". In the fruit & vegetable manner of the show, the Raisins come across a race of gigantic anthropomorphic squash and appease them by performing an impromptu concert, then return to civilization leaving a boombox of their music and an autograph for the Bigfoot-type creatures.
- Bigfoot makes an appearance in the "Summer Camp!" episode of the family comedy series The Aquabats! Super Show!, turning out to be the boyfriend of a female shapeshifting "Were-Ape" which has been terrorizing a summer camp.
- In the Brickleberry episode "Steve's Bald", one of the park rangers, Steve, is mistaken for Bigfoot after overuse of a black-market baldness cure leaves his whole body covered in hair, playing along with the misconception until being accused of killing Steve - prompting a chase which leads to the discovery, and death, of the real Bigfoot.
- The episode "Cryptozoology" discusses Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
- The Spike reality show 10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty has nine teams trying to find proof of Bigfoot's existence.
- In the Littlest Pet Shop episode "Littlest Bigfoot", Penny Ling encounters a juvenile bigfoot in a forested National Park. Her friends are skeptical of her findings, until they encounter the creature themselves later in the episode.
- In the Australian YouTube series The Big Lez Show, Sassy the Sasquatch is one of the main protagonists, accompanied by other Sasquatch like creatures. Sassy and his friends frequently engage in recreational drug use.
- In Gravity Falls, Bigfoot appears for a split second in the theme song and is parodied in the series.
- In Timon & Pumbaa episode “Bigfoot, Littlebrain”, Timon and Pumbaa meet Bigfoot. When they accidentally eat Bigfoot's bug friends, Bigfoot makes them keep him company so that he won't be lonely.
- In How I Met Your Mother, Marshall Eriksen has often declared himself a 'believer' of Sasquatch, although being frequently mocked for this by his friends.
- Organization Australian Yowie Research's members are known as 'The Yowie Hunters' by the media, but prefer to go simply by Australian Yowie Research.
- Bigfoot is a recurring character in Back at the Barnyard.
- Timo Rose directed a documentary-style webseries over the American legend, with Max Evans, Andre Koock, Jennifer Lim and Nina Fischer in the leading roles.
- In the Goof Troop episode "Winter Blunderland", Pete convinces Goofy to play Bigfoot in order to bring business to his car lot. Instead of customers, the real female Bigfoot is attracted.
- In the SheZow episode "SheSquatch", SheZow and Maz help a female Sasquatch named SheSquatch from an evil park ranger from forcing her to scare campers.
- In the Round the Twist episode "The Nirandathal Beast", the title creature is based on Bigfoot. Bronson gets mistaken for the beast after growing a long beard due to using the family razor before Pete and gets the attention of the authorities and eventually bounty hunters.
- In the Cartoon Network series We Bare Bears, the character Charlie is an anthropomorphic Bigfoot.
- In The A-Team episode "Timber", Murdock searches for Bigfoot.
- A childlike version of Bigfoot is a recurring character in Wabbit, voiced by Matthew Mercer.
- Stan Lakowski, a purple Bigfoot, is Friends with Ari the half-daemon In Freddie as F.R.O.7: The Animated Series Voiced by Don Lake.
- Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg of Point Grey Pictures are working on an animated comedy about Bigfoot.
- In Mr. Pickles, a mafia hit-man is turned into Bigfoot.
- "Bigfoot: The Convincing Evidence", released on April 14, 2017, is episode 2 of season 2 of BuzzFeed web series, BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural in which evidence suggesting the existence of Bigfoot is discussed and investigated.
- In the Courage the Cowardly Dog episode "Courage Meets Bigfoot" the titular character befriends a Bigfoot and protects him from a mob.
- In the Dexter's Laboratory episode "Sassy Come Home", Dee Dee befriends a Bigfoot due to their huge feet and they have to contend with Dexter, who is determined to capture the sasquatch.
- In The Powerpuff Girls episode "Say Uncle", The girls takes a Bigfoot by mistake to home thinking their uncle, but the confusions begin when the girls take this legendary creature to Townsville.
- In the CatDog episodes, "The Great Parent Mystery" and "Vexed of Kin", the titular characters' adopted mother is a blue-furred sasquatch married to a big-nosed frog.
- In the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi episode "Camping Caper", Ami gets kidnapped by a giant Bigfoot, Yumi attempts to rescue Ami before being eaten by the Bigfoot.
- In the MacGyver episode "Ghost Ship", MacGyver encounters BigFoot on an abandoned boat in an Alaskan bay.
Theatre
Tourism
There are annual Bigfoot-related conventions, and the creature plays a role in Pacific Northwest tourism, such as the annual "Sasquatch Daze" held for several years in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia and the Oregon Bigfoot Festival held in Troutdale Oregon which draws thousands in attendance from all over.Primatologist and Bigfoot researcher John Napier commented on this, stating that "Bigfoot in some quarters of North America has become big business... It can no longer be considered simply as a natural phenomenon that can be studied with the techniques of a naturalist; the entrepreneurs have moved in and folklore has become fakelore."