The Internet’s Funniest Ghost Hunters Aren’t Going to Solve Anything
You can define BuzzFeed Unsolved in one viral meme: “Hey there demons,” says Shane Madej, a tall, millennial male with boy next door looks in the basement of a haunted Kentucky bar. “It’s me, ya boy.”
The scene, which has become a widely-shared GIF on Tumblr and Twitter, comes from the Season 2 premiere of BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural. Hosted by Madej and Ryan Bergara, the series bucks the spooky tropes of most paranormal and true crime shows on basic cable, which so often go hard in serious speculation, high-tech gadgets, and professional expertise.
Instead, there’s jokes, friendship, and an array of tools like a bouncy ball, a “Spirit Box,” and, in one episode, a Ouija board (yes really). But the real magic of BuzzFeed’s hit show is its power to appeal to believers and skeptics alike, who come together to laugh with, or at, the pair of charismatic Angelenos. Humor is the real secret weapon against the unknown and it makes for one of the most popular shows of its kind on the internet.
“I don’t think we would have amassed the fanbase we have if people couldn’t relate to us,” Bergara tells Inverse. “People place themselves by relating to either one of us. Neither of us claim to be experts.”
“I’ll give you this exclusive,” Madej interjects over the phone. “We’re never going to solve anything.”