Talk:Art Bell

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Feud with George Noory[edit]

The article states: "Bell's suit stated that several witnesses had reported hearing Oates accuse Bell of pedophilia. This was proven to be 100% false."

I'm concerned that the wording may be somewhat confusing to some readers. What was proven to be 100% false? Oates' reported accusation? Or, that witnesses had reported hearing Oates accuse Bell? As it's written, it suggests the latter, as the subject in the preceding sentence is actually Bell's suit, and not Oates' accusation. But, the citation given actually confirms the former, not the latter. Of course, most casual readers don't follow citations. I would suggest, for the purposes of clarity, a change along the lines of, perhaps:

"Bell's suit stated that several witnesses had reported hearing Oates accuse Bell of pedophilia. The court found that the accusations of pedophilia were both false and defamatory." ? 99.246.125.63 (talk) 23:34, 4 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

 Done Rationalobserver (talk) 00:31, 5 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Ramona Bell[edit]

As a person who never heard of this guy till now, may I ask the following questions:

  • Ramona's death is discussed twice in the article, in separate places. Is there a good reason for this?
  • But why is she mentioned in his article at all? She is not stated as having contributed to his work. Lots of celebrities have spouses, but unless the spouse does something worthy of note, they do not usually merit any mention in Wikipedia articles.
  • And why does she deserve yet another mention, in Deaths in 2006?

If she's notable, let's hear all about it. Otherwise, I suggest removing all references to her. JackofOz 12:18, 8 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • If the mention is a rote duplicate, then it should be removed.
  • She co-owned with Art their radio station in Parump, NV. She occasionaly was heard on the air with him. She is the stated reason for his latest retirement (to spend more time with her).
  • I dunno if her death should be mentioned in Deaths in 2006, but her death will most certainly call into question whether Art Bell will take a haitus from his show, and how long that might be.
Art often kept his listeners up-to-date on his household doings, and that means many of his listeners (including those in my household) are deeply saddened for his loss, especially as it appears to be so sudden and unexpected. That being said, I don't know, in this case, if there is a good rejoiner to the question of her "noteability", at least from me. Perhaps someone else can make a grander case? --NightMonkey 17:12, 8 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
But that is not stated in our article. There is no connection in the article between Art Bell's work and anything to do with his wife. Either the connection needs to be made, or remove references to her. JackofOz 23:05, 8 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ramona Bell was a radio executive (management/producer) and was instrumental in helping Art conceive and develop his show until it's being picked up by Premier Radio, and then later being purchased by Premier. Her contributions behind the scenes are as formitible as Art's are "out there" where we hear it all.
Great. Then please put that information into the article. That will stop people like me asking questions about why her death is mentioned all over the place when there's no other information about her. Cheers. JackofOz 00:28, 9 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why does it mention that Art and Romona owned pets and that pets contribute to asthma? Romona could have had acute allergies towards food and other substances, not necessarily towards animals. --Seekskeat 21:25, February 12, 2008 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Seekskeat (talkcontribs) 05:26, 13 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Please note that Ramona had ridden with Art in their motorhome south to a small town called Quartzsite, Az, where her asthma may have been triggered by the practice of dumping raw sewage from motorhomes & trailers in the desert. This dumping has gone on for decades and is tempered by the dry humidity, however can be very detrimental to asthma sufferers. They then moved on that night to Nevada where she passed.208.123.149.126 (talk) 20:41, 2 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Early years[edit]

I have a question of attribution. In the broadcast career section it mentions that he worked at KMST. While it does not give exact dates, other close-by dates make it appear as though it was roughly in the mid 1970s. I worked at KMST from 1973 to 1978. He did not work there during those years. Is there a more exact time period from whomever added that section?Onramp (talk) 21:54, 18 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Funny you mention that. Previously, I attempted to help with turning KENI into a real article. Art mentioned numerous times during the 1990s that he worked at that station as well during the mid 1970s. One of my co-workers at that time knew that I was a regular listener, and repeatedly pointed out to me that he worked at KENI at around the same time, yet was quite sure that he couldn't remember him being there. KENI has been one of the longest-running affiliates of Coast to Coast, so I would think somebody would have written something at some point regarding this.RadioKAOS (talk) 23:53, 18 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I believe that Art was a 911 dispatcher. It would be good to confirm this and add it.

  • I heard him say that it helped him get out of a traffic ticket. --Kalmia 04:09, 8 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Obama vote[edit]

The following was added to this article:

Bell has stated he voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

However, no source was provided. Can we get a source for this please? - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 06:13, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Of course the editor who initiated this change will also need to delete the entire “Trivia” section as 21 of 24 statements are unsourced. Coast Fans – you’re better equipped than I to handle this. I’ll unleash you guys on this one. Be nice and AGF. J Nothughthomas (talk) 09:30, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
That's not a bad idea, I dislike "trivia" sections. - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 10:50, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Fair enough. I won't object to the deletion of that section if you do it. Nothughthomas (talk) 10:52, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have moved all the references to calls and guests to a "callers and guests" section, and I moved the other pieces of info into the broadcasting section as these are notable incidents. If you feel that any of the information is unsourced, please feel free to source or remove to the talk page. - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 11:00, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Why don't you take that initiative? Why are you being selective in what unsourced statements you removed? A statement that a Washington Post writer - who happens to share a name with a Simpsons animator - had info of a connection between the President of the US and Osama bin Laden seems more necessary of a source than who Art Bell voted for ... I'm concerned why you chose to only remove my contributions and not act in a more consistent manner. Thanks.Nothughthomas (talk) 11:02, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
As I say, please feel free to remove any information you feel is not referenced correctly. I note that you still haven't provided a reference for the material that you added and that I have removed. - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 11:06, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Because I haven't attempted to reinsert it, nor will I until I have a source. Wikipedia is not a race. Why are you only deleting unsourced edits I made? Thank you for clarifying this point. Nothughthomas (talk) 11:08, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You are correct, it's not a race. When I find the time and inclination I'll probably start culling material. Or maybe I won't! Where is the source for your material? - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 11:15, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
For the second time, Wikipedia is not a race. As I said, I will provide a source at the time I reinsert the entry; at such time as I have the time to research one that meets our high standards. In the meantime, please don't cherry-pick no-source deletions from editors you're mad at. Thank you for helping to make wikipedia more harmonious. Nothughthomas (talk) 11:22, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Nothughthomas, in the interests of verifiability, you clearly added some material that you must have gotten from somewhere. What was your source? - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 11:28, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The subject of this entry said it in a radio statement. Obviously this can't be cited in a way that would meet your auditing standards. For that reason I will have to seek out an alternate sourcing method. It may be a few days before I have time to do this. Please AGF and don't cherry-pick no-source deletions from editors you're mad at. Thank you for helping to make wikipedia more harmonious. Nothughthomas (talk) 11:46, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Actually I think I can remember Art saying he voted for Obama aswell; i happened to have heard it on YouTube. Once you've got the date of the show just use this template Template:Cite_episode. It's OK to cite radio/tv/videos etc., no worries.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:40, 4 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You can in fact note that it was said on the radio show, and you can at least give the date that it was said. It would also be advisable to fully quote Art Bell so we know what he said. - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 11:49, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I would rather wait to be able to cite a source that is verifiable and will better withstand scrutiny. Because Wikipedia is not a race I'm willing to wait until I have a few minutes to do that. Please AGF and don't cherry-pick no-source deletions from editors you're mad at. Thank you for helping to make wikipedia more harmonious. Nothughthomas (talk) 11:53, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Certainly, finding a more reliable source sounds for the best. When you do, most certainly readd this material. In future, however, please ensure that you have a verifiable and reliable source before you add material such as this. - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 12:00, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Please be consistent in edits and don't cherry-pick no-source deletions just because you are angered with a user over a noticeboard complaint filed against you. It disrupts the entry. Thanks. Nothughthomas (talk) 12:03, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I removed some material that was not sourced, that is all. This is perfectly reasonable. If anything, you should not have added it. - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 12:08, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There are 29 unsourced statements here. You removed one. The one I made. Then you aggressively engaged me on it in a virtual inquisition style of questioning. Your deletion of my edit and request for citation was justified. The way you followed me from entry to entry and - in this case - cherry picked one - does not demonstrate good faith in wikipedia. It demonstrates an axe to grind. We both know what's going on here. Please, I promise I won't ever cross you again. Please just leave me alone. Nothughthomas (talk) 12:28, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
"Inquisitorial" is going a bit far I feel. I didn't torture you, or compel you to answer the questions against your will. I merely asked the same question a number of times until you provided an answer. I did so even though you saw fit to try to change the topic itself, which was that I had removed an unsourced statement that you had added. I stayed on point here, and eventually you provided a reasonable answer. Nothing I have done here is unreasonable in any way, and the ultimate outcome was that you answered my question. Nothing that happened here seems very radical or out of the ordinary to me! - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 12:32, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Tbsdy - once again, I will not engage you in any discussion in any entry any longer. Please. I don't know what else to say to you. Within minutes of me posting a noticeboard complaint against you began following me from entry to entry, engaging me in a very aggressive manner. I know this is a virtual environment but I'm a real human being. I deserve to be treated like one. Please stop doing this to me. Nothughthomas (talk) 12:37, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This is a talk page on Wikipedia, for the discussion of articles. I am currently (attempting!) to discuss this article. If you have something to say to me directly, the best mechanism to do this on is my user talk page. For the time being, I will continue discussing this article if I so desire, as I also wish to contribute to Wikipedia. - Tbsdy lives (formerly Ta bu shi da yu) talk 12:40, 3 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Kidnapping[edit]

Why has reference to the kidnapping of Art Bell's son been removed from this article? I started reading about it a few weeks ago and came back to read what happened. I cannot understand how this article could provide so much information on strangeness associated with this man (accusations, etc) yet not include one of the most valid and terrifying experiences of his life. Can someone with the know-how (I dont know how) restore this information? Thank you. 24.188.207.20 (talk) 00:00, 15 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I just read up on this through other sources and would like to retract this as what happened is the Bell Family's private business involving a minor and, as such, has no place here. 24.188.207.20 (talk) 02:32, 18 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Ages of Children and Wife[edit]

Is Art's current wife younger than some of his own children? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.217.137.183 (talk) 20:21, 11 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Facebook[edit]

There's some talk under Events of 2010-11 that he's posting on a Facebook. I can't seem to find an Art Bell account that backs this information up, can we get a link to Art Bell's Facebook with the alleged posts? Hukt own fonikz (talk) 15:32, 27 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Callers and guests[edit]

This section falls foul of WP:TRIVIA and needs tidying. 92.251.137.49 (talk) 21:08, 28 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]

liver cancer[edit]

Art announced the following on his Facebook page tonight:

"liver cancer, 3 to 6 months to live."

It's either true or his account was hacked. Please don't add this to the article until it can be verified with a reliable source. Freshfighter9talk 23:57, 16 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Whitley Strieber said tonight that he talked with Art and it's actually Art's father-in-law who is dying.Freshfighter9talk 02:30, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]
"Whitley Strieber said..." is called "hearsay" and it has no place on Wikipedia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2606:A000:F481:BA00:80F8:841B:7B15:7E1F (talk) 02:44, 20 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Wives[edit]

Infobox lists wife "Sukiyaki Sakamoto Kyo Bell (dates uncertain; divorced)", while the marriages section does not. Discuss. -Stevertigo (t | c) 08:31, 26 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

no japanese would have "sukiyaki" in their name; moreover, the song by that name was made famous by sakamoto kyu, with a u. so it's like saying his wife was named "Myway Sinutra Bell" or "Copacabana Munilow Bell".
it is either vandalism or a REALLY bad misquoting of something! meanwhile, where is VICKIE BAKER, who's mentioned only in the article?! 209.172.25.34 (talk) 00:57, 23 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Showed back up as Sakamoto Kyo Bell. Removed and fixed, but someone obviously thinks it's amusing to vandalize and the page needs looking after. — LlywelynII 00:26, 27 September 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Some Thoughts[edit]

Hi. I'd like to share a couple thoughts on the article:

  • This page certainly contains much information of interest to fans of Art. But it seems to me that some of the extensive details the article currently presents are excessive for an encyclopedic treatment of Art Bell's career and possibly border on WP:FANCRUFT. For example, I count 13 paragraphs within the section "Events of 2010–13", a time when Art's radio career was largely inactive. This section could be trimmed down to perhaps two summarized paragraphs. Some relatively trivial details can simply be deleted, but others could be retained in the footnotes and summarized in the main body of text. Anyways, I'm not inclined to be the one doing this editing, but I do want to put the thought out there for other editors to consider.
  • Here's an interesting observation on recent attempts to add a mention of Art's January 2013 Facebook posting. An IP reverted the edits, saying, "I have talked to Art Bell and his facebook page has been hacked" (diff). However, a member of a Coast to Coast fan forum emailed Art (on a non-Facebook account) and received the response "it was me Art" (Source). A bit of mystery here I suppose....but if the latter part is true and Art's Facebook wasn't hacked, I'm sure that we'll see it confirmed in a more reliable way soon enough. --Mike Agricola (talk) 22:56, 12 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  • I have checked out the coast to coast am fan site that in question"www.coastgab.com". The "art bell" on that forum is unknown if it the real art bell or not. The web master "claims" it the real art bell. there is no real way to prove it because I am a web master of my own forum and I can create accounts and claim its art bell or any other person. So I hope that people becareful to cite that site. I also would like to protect the art bell page on this site.--Thunderpilot (talk) 02:53, 21 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
You are certainly correct that we have to be careful with our sources. That said, there are two separate posts this month attributed to Art Bell and I was actually referring to the other one. I looked into this a bit via some Google searching and here's a rough outline of recent events:
  • On January 8, the following was posted on Art's Facebook page: "As of today Premiere Radio confirmed that my Non-compete contract is over and I am a free agent. Stay tuned."
  • Someone tried to add this to the article and an IP reverted it claiming that Art's Facebook account had been hacked. However, my searches could not find anything substantiating the hacking claim.
  • A Coastgab member emailed Art on the Mindspring account that Art used to promote back when he was on the air as a means to contact him. The member received the reply "it was me Art." (This had nothing to do with the "Art Bell" account also posting on that forum.)
  • Art Bell (or someone writing under the name "Art Bell") wrote a second post on Coastgab purporting to be a clarification of the earlier Facebook posting. An attempt was made to insert the entire post into the article but it was quickly reverted. I should also note that the article already contains another statement allegedly made by Bell via Coastgab: "February 2, 2012, Bell commented on the subject via a post on the Coastgab forum...." Given your valid point about Coastgab, that whole paragraph is probably unverifiable and thus deletable.
Anyways, I was hoping to locate some news coverage in a reliable news source before mentioning this in the article. This is the closest I could find to secondary news coverage, but it appears to be a blog and it may not qualify as a WP:RS. I suppose that, because the IP's hacking claim cannot be substantiated, a mention of Art Bell's original Facebook post could be included using the post itself as a primary source citation. Some paragraphs in ""Events of 2010–12" are already sourced with other Facebook posts written by Bell. On the other hand, including every statement made by Bell (or about Bell) that piques the interest of his fans has already filled the "Events of 2010–12" section with excessive details. It seems to me that those details notable enough for inclusion in an encyclopedic context should generally have their notability demonstrated by being reported in reliable secondary sources - and this goes back to my original comment about the need for the article to be cleaned up. --Mike Agricola (talk) 18:56, 21 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I dont know if we can get the "real" art bell to said if the info is right or wrong or have a newspaper and or a tv person to interview art to get the facts about what's really going on. --Thunderpilot (talk) 00:22, 23 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Probably the best course of action right now is simply to wait to see what happens. If Art posted this and it marks the beginning of a new chapter in his career, then whatever happens next (e.g. Art starting a new radio show) will clearly be big news and hence will receive wide coverage in reliable secondary news sources. We can discuss it in the article when said sources appear. Alternatively this could turn out to be nothing and Art remains retired, in which case the detail of Art (or someone writing under Art's name) posting to his Facebook about his non-compete contract expiring would in that context be a matter too trivial to include because it didn't affect his career in any way. --Mike Agricola (talk) 01:34, 23 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I agree. I prefer to have other source of info like from cnn, foxnews etc and or a major newspaper for example to be the source because it is easy to check the facts. Anyone can "be anyone" on the net like facebook or a forum. I maybe a little oldschool on this topic.--Thunderpilot (talk) 17:20, 23 January 2013 (UTC) I remove the paragraph from the www.coastgab.com because there is no prove it was from the real art bell.--Thunderpilot (talk) 22:30, 23 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

The Art Bell account on coastgab.com is indeed the real Art Bell. The moderator has confirmed his identity two different ways. Please stop reverting this page back to previous versions.174.113.175.37 (talk) 14:44, 28 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

The moderator can "make any account" and say its the real person. As I am moderator of a few fourms. The moderator at coastgab.com Cant really prove it. As I said in the above comments, We need to have the facts from a real source like foxnews, cnn, a major news network and/or a newpaper. If the moderator at coastgab.com(which is MV)he can contect me at wiki.--Thunderpilot (talk) 01:21, 29 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It must be stated with insistence, that Thunderpilot desire for major media quotes regarding Art Bell's statements regarding the developments occurring in January, are to merely promote his own website and his ego. Thunderpilot is suspected as being a well known and ridiculed troll on Coastgab. His indentity and the identity of his sock pocket accounts are obvious because of his broken English and poor syntax and many, many spelling errors. Thunderpilot must be held accountable for his vandalism of Art Bells Wikipedia page. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.196.167.34 (talk) 10:32, 29 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Template:{{Edit protected} art bells page --Thunderpilot (talk) 00:08, 30 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
The proof at Coastgab is not correct. We need to have proof that it is the real "art bell". art bells page need to be protected. As for the claim from 69.196.167.34 is false as I do not have an with coastgab.com. if the admin whats proof the can contect me by email and I will show the proof. If need be I will have law enforcement check out my computer.--Thunderpilot (talk) 00:13, 30 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Be careful Thunderpilot, that almost sounded like a legal threat.--Auric talk 00:27, 30 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It should be apparent to any reasonable admin that Thunderbolt is exercising an agenda and should be sanctioned. Threatening is NOT acceptable! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.196.171.228 (talk) 00:47, 30 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I did not threaten any one. but i will be stopping using wiki from now on because i dont want any trouble. thanks.--Thunderpilot (talk) 01:18, 30 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Nah, don't quit Thunderpilot. You've helped to show how forums aren't reliable sources for otherwise uncorroborated claims. Just keep cool and everything will be ok.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:38, 30 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
@Thunderpilot, I agree with Brianann. A good strategy to deal with controversial situations on Wikipedia is to seek consensus through discussion. If you can put forth a strong case for making a particular edit, then you will most likely find a good deal of support among other editors. At any rate, I just edited the article to include a mention of Bell's negotiations concerning a possible new radio show. Fortunately, we don't have to rely on discussion board posts this time around as the story was picked up by The Awl, an online news source that employs an editorial staff. Wikipedia generally regards media outlets with professional editors as reliable sources. So I (hope) my edit will be relatively non-controversial. --Mike Agricola (talk) 22:51, 31 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]
@Mike your edit is from a reliable source. The main problem that I have is that on forums are not a good source for info because any one can claim anything is true. There is not a real way to check if the info is right or the person is the real person in question. That is why I and many people want the info to be sourced.--Thunderpilot (talk) 17:13, 1 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

@Brianann Thanks--Thunderpilot (talk) 08:19, 2 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thunderpilot is precisely why I am no longer an active admin. He has an agenda and the agenda includes famewhoring, discrediting folks who disagree with him on this and other sites and lastly to drive traffic to his own website. I am willing to speak to the CIA about this and submit my computer to a search by the NSA. Let him go. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.175.234.86 (talk) 08:25, 1 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I just removed two things because of the lack of proof. if someone can provide some more proof about his wife visa problems and his online streaming with Kieth Rowland that would be great.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Capt Hawk (talkcontribs) 16:16, 19 July 2020 (UTC)[reply] 

There was a post that Art Bell posted in bellgab.com. My question is how do we know its the real art bell or someone pretending to be art bell. anyone can create an account using any username and pretend to be anyone.Capt Hawk (talk) 16:54, 19 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Harvard?[edit]

when u google art bell, the summary over on the right ("infobox"?) says "Education: Harvard". i see no sign of this in his bio, nor even in google's own results.

what generates that section? until now, i thought maybe it came from wiki. 209.172.25.34 (talk) 03:59, 21 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Alex Jones[edit]

Is he really best known for suggesting the Boston bombings are a hoax, of was that just the sheer laziness of the author to look into his other claims to infamy? One, He'[s the guy who interviewed Charlie Sheen when he had his meltdown talking about Tiger Blood and "winning." He's also one of the leaders of the so called "9/11 Truth movement." His gun debate with Pierce Morgan is another thing that got WAY more press than anything he said about the Boston bombings...it's just an ignorant comment all around. Jones has been in and out of the news for the last decade, long before the Boston bombing. 184.99.140.108 (talk) 08:01, 1 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Alrighty then, I'll edit it. 65.129.178.162 (talk) 12:03, 3 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Looks like it was sheer laziness of the author in just copypasting the original Time article, which did indeed describe Jones as "the conspiracy theorist best known for claiming that the government perpetrated the Boston bombings". I've rewritten the section to avoid the wider plagiarism, I think it's enough to call Jones a "conspiracy theorist". --McGeddon (talk) 12:32, 3 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]
He's best known for claiming that the Sandy Hook shootings were a false flag. Ridiculous that this note came after that event. He's a conspiracy theorist. 24.56.243.110 (talk) 07:57, 11 June 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Recent vandalism by IPs[edit]

We recently had a string of IP editors, all trying to add the same BLP-violating claim. I requested and received semi-protection for the article, hopefully that will take care of the problem. --MelanieN (talk) 21:21, 26 September 2014 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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His mother was a Marine Corps DI…in 1945?[edit]

Maybe later on, but in 1945 Art Bell's mother was a USMC drill instructor? Has this been verified?

Please see the following article regarding the history of women in the Marines:

http://marineparents.com/marinecorps/women-marines.asp

I would think that a female service member would have been discharged then upon pregnancy. According to the article, female Marines weren't even integrated from the reserves into the regular Corps until 1948HistoryBuff14 (talk) 23:46, 30 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Structure of article[edit]

I hate to say it, but this article is terrible. The structure is terrible, flipping between history and more general topics, it should be put in historical order and have sections at the end for an overview of his life, personal life sections etc. Also, the article is dominated by one liners about something he said on one of his shows (normally with no source). This includes the interminable retire/return cycle that is almost unreadable. We really need to pare down the descriptions of his shows to the most notable or provide a summary. Finding sources that aren't just the episodes themselves would go a long way to helping determine what is worth putting into an encyclopedia article. Ashmoo (talk) 10:46, 30 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I concur on all points made by Ashmoo. Some of the categories in the article make sense. Others appear to be jammed there for lack of any other place to put it. This entire article requires a matrix topic analysis followed by serious restructuring, and yes, elimination of a great deal of content that may be of interest to Art Bell fans but is best relocated to tribute websites, not on a Wikipedia page.Clepsydrae (talk) 05:16, 8 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Coming back randomly 5 years later and the article is still a complete mess. I'm going to start fixing. Ashmoo (talk) 11:42, 17 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]

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External links modified (January 2018)[edit]

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Biographies of Living Persons[edit]

Hi-I am very concern about adding the names of Art Bell's parents, spouses, etc., to the article. Wikipedia's Biographies of Living Persons has guidelines. I had added a citation about his birthplace and removed his parents names because of the BLP concern only to have the names were inserted again in the article. The citation about his birthplace is still in place. Because of BLP concerns the names of his parents, spouses, children, etc., should be removed. Thank you-RFD (talk) 21:04, 14 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]

@RFD: I would seem to think that your concerns are nullified, what with him having just died (hence him no longer being alive) and all. (talk page stalker) CrashUnderride 00:13, 15 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Err, not quite, per WP:BDP. ►К Ф Ƽ Ħ◄ 18:01, 19 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Las Vegas Review-Journal video clip from YouTube on August 2nd 2018[edit]

http:// youtu . be / fkz-dFRYT-E

http:// www . youtube . com / watch?v=fkz-dFRYT-E

Zeryphex (talk) 07:12, 3 August 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Conspiracy Theorist label[edit]

I think this description might need some re-examination, although properly referenced, this label has a different connotation in our current era from when that reference was initially published. AM radio and "conspiracies" evoke the image of right-wing or anti-government programming, his show was a platform that allowed alternative or fringe viewpoints but he certainly didn't condone or allow anything of that nature. He was dispassionate, IMHO, WRT to the subject matter of his guests, and there's nothing to suggest that he subscribed to or promoted any single position of his guests. He dealt with a very broad range of topics and as long as the guest wasn't espousing offensive viewpoints he afford them all an equal platform to speak.

He had guests ranging from the president of PETA, to UFO conspiracists, to Catholic exorcists. Offering a platform doesn't mean you subscribe to any particular point of view, and doesn't make one a conspiracy theorist, any more than the New York Times is a "conspiracy" publication for discussing the musings of Donald Trump. He offered a platform, and nothing more. 108.200.234.93 (talk) 05:16, 15 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]

I just want to add, look at Walter Cronkite, for example. While he was on the air, you couldn't deduce any political affiliation from his presentation style. (Many [eople thought he was a conservative, until he died and his biography came to light.) Similar for Art Bell. I would guess that Bell probably leaned conservative, but he certainly didn't color his content with his own political bias. Contrast this style to people like Jake Tapper or Don Lemon, for example. You know exactly where they stand on the political spectrum. 108.200.234.93 (talk) 07:02, 15 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]

It is true that alternate / fringe/ wild-eyed etc. theories of how the world really works were very much the preserve of the (far) left in the 70s / 80s and that there has been a sea change during the 90s / 00s toward the current mostly rightwing slant on conspiracies. Numerous factors can be cited to explain this. One this that populist disenchantment and paranoia is intrinsically ideologically shallow, and simply finds a home where it can or is welcomed in. Another is that the left had since the late 19th century championed a progression of society towards a different arrangement or set of basic premisses, which was a natural fit for alternative views, whereas the right was associated with staunch conservation of the established order. What factors explain the shift? One is the advance of the internet, in which the alternatively minded find that they are not always a good fit and cannot form a larger, homogeneous aggregate; in particular, what Trump so memorably called "the 2nd amendment people" do not always espouse enlightened ideas regarding civil rights and equality. To some extent this is coextensive with the rural/urban split. A related factor is that wealthy plutocrats must needs, in a democracy, create a distraction and saw an opportunity; Newt Gingrich stands out as perhaps not the engineer, then certainly a major symptom of the change. Yet another related factor is that, rather paradoxically, at least some progressive ideas have become the new normal for an overwhelming majority of the population, and if we regard the marginalised skeptic as a psychological profile, he will now find solace with extreme conservatism: he is told that the established order is left-wing or "liberal" (American use of this term is highly odd from a world-historical perspective, but that's another story) and as his basic contrarian need is to belong to the few who can see what is really going on, his politics follows suit. A final factor I might mention is that is has become very difficult to feel special in our highly connected world: our collective mind has become schizophrenic as regards maths, science, and technology, which are more powerful and important than ever and consequently a greater insult to the self-esteem of those who cannot keep up. Back in the day, it seemed easier to scoff at the one or two kids in the class who got the highest grades; now they seem destined to govern your life in ways that you can hardly begin to comprehend (the term nerd underwent a concurrent change: initially it was the sort of unfashionable loser who would understand computers and whatnot, now it is somebody who is into gaming --- if you were a teenager in the 80s, it is strange indeed so see that "nerdy" has become a sexy theme in porn, alongside French maid and schoolgirl). The response has been a marked uptick in magical thinking among the general population, which has subsumed the paranormal. 2A01:CB0C:CD:D800:F02A:633E:F3E5:B8E1 (talk) 09:12, 2 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

See WP:NOTFORUM. This page is for improving the article. --Hob Gadling (talk) 09:39, 2 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Famous caller: JC[edit]

JC or Jonathan Christian Webster was a comical caller in Art Bell's shows. Check Jonathan Christian Webster and Art Bell & JC Webster İ Philosophy of Life Radio Personality and God's TEN Star General!AnnaBruta (talk) 18:11, 6 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Not a reliable source. --Hob Gadling (talk) 09:39, 2 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

He was born at Camp Lejeune[edit]

Art Bell said numerous times on air over the years that he was born at Camp Lejeune. One such broadcast where he says it is on the 1996-05-10 - Coast to Coast AM Open Lines episode. His own words are far more trustworthy and more of a reliable source than some secondhand source who writes substandard books and pseudo encyclopedias. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ChonokisFigueroa (talkcontribs) 05:23, 5 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia policies disagree with you on that. --Hob Gadling (talk) 09:39, 2 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]