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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to an airwave media podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>Throughout history, there have been stories of dolls that were dangerous.

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<v Speaker 2>Sometimes such tales come from voodoo legends, or from TV

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<v Speaker 2>shows like The Twilight Zone or Night Gallery, or from

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<v Speaker 2>films like Child's Play. A few strange occurrences can turn

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<v Speaker 2>a child's plaything into an object of terror, changing a

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<v Speaker 2>trusted doll into a totem of fear. Let me tell

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<v Speaker 2>you a story. And while you may find it hard

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<v Speaker 2>to believe, the following story is true, the story took

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<v Speaker 2>place just a few years ago. There's a little girl

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<v Speaker 2>we're going to call her im Em was a child

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<v Speaker 2>who loved to play with her dolls, But she was

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<v Speaker 2>also very creative and liked to decorate her dolls with

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<v Speaker 2>paint and markers. Now, in her mind, she was just

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<v Speaker 2>having fun, but it bothered her parents to see her

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<v Speaker 2>dolls transformed into garishly painted and occasionally dismembered creatures. One day,

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<v Speaker 2>they found her favorite doll with his hair cut and

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<v Speaker 2>permanent marker stains on his face. It was missing a leg.

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<v Speaker 2>Her parents wanted to teach her a lesson, to teach

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<v Speaker 2>her not to mistreat her toys, so they told her

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<v Speaker 2>she needed to apologize to the doll. Reluctantly, she did so,

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<v Speaker 2>but then came the hard part. They told her she

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<v Speaker 2>had to throw the doll away. She didn't want to

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<v Speaker 2>do it, but they were insistent and made her take

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<v Speaker 2>it to the trash can and put it inside. Later

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<v Speaker 2>that day, her parents took the trash out to the

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<v Speaker 2>street for pickup. The next day, Em woke up to

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<v Speaker 2>find that her doll was back, lying on the floor

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<v Speaker 2>of her room. Her parents found her there holding the

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<v Speaker 2>doll and accused her of getting it out of the

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<v Speaker 2>trash can. The trash is dirty and it can make

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<v Speaker 2>you sick, they told her. We know you like the doll,

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<v Speaker 2>but it needs to go away, So back into the

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<v Speaker 2>trash it went. And this time EM's father took the

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<v Speaker 2>doll himself and put it in a trash bag while

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<v Speaker 2>the girl watched, And then he took the bag out

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<v Speaker 2>to the bin and dropped it into the bottom of

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<v Speaker 2>the can. You need to stay out of the trash.

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<v Speaker 2>You said goodbye to your doll, he chied at her.

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<v Speaker 2>Don't let me catch you out here, trying to get

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<v Speaker 2>her back now. Em denied having touched the trash, but

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<v Speaker 2>she agreed that she would not do so. But the

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<v Speaker 2>next day the doll was back, and this time it

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<v Speaker 2>was in the girl's bed. When she woke up, she

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<v Speaker 2>screamed and her parents came running into the room. Her

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<v Speaker 2>mother asked the girl why she'd gotten the doll out

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<v Speaker 2>of the trash, but she said she hadn't. Oh, we

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<v Speaker 2>want to believe you, honey, But dolls don't climb out

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<v Speaker 2>of the trash, they told her, Yet she was insistent

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<v Speaker 2>she hadn't touched the trash. The doll must have come

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<v Speaker 2>back on its own. So the father and the daughter

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<v Speaker 2>put the doll into a plastic bag, and together they

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<v Speaker 2>drove more than a mile away, where the little girl

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<v Speaker 2>watched as he threw the bag into a dumpster. This

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<v Speaker 2>should solve the problem, he said, and they went home.

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<v Speaker 2>A few days later, the whole family was planning to

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<v Speaker 2>take a road trip, and as they were preparing to leave,

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<v Speaker 2>taking their bags out of the car and loading up

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<v Speaker 2>to go, the parents heard a scream. When they went

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<v Speaker 2>to the car, there sitting in the car seat was

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<v Speaker 2>the doll. Everyone was shaken up by this, but EM's

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<v Speaker 2>father insisted there had to be a logical explanation. Still,

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<v Speaker 2>everyone was a little relieved as they watched him place

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<v Speaker 2>the doll into the trash yet again before they all

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<v Speaker 2>got into their car and drove off on vacation. The

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<v Speaker 2>trip was uneventful. They arrived at their hotel well, they

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<v Speaker 2>got room keys for two rooms with a connecting door,

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<v Speaker 2>and the father went to park the car while the

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<v Speaker 2>rest of the family made their way up to the

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<v Speaker 2>new rooms, where they found the dolls sitting on the

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<v Speaker 2>bed as if it were waiting for them. When this

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<v Speaker 2>story began, I assured you it was true, and it

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<v Speaker 2>is a true story. That little girl was my daughter

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<v Speaker 2>and the terrible, terrible appl prankster who kept putting the

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<v Speaker 2>doll back was me. Coming up next, demonic dolls. It's

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<v Speaker 2>actually quite unlike anything we've ever seen before.

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<v Speaker 3>A giant, hairy creature park Ape Park Mass in Larkness,

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<v Speaker 3>a twenty four a mile long bottomless lake in the

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<v Speaker 3>Highlands of Scotland.

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<v Speaker 4>Get the creature known as the Luckness Monster.

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<v Speaker 3>Monster doll.

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<v Speaker 5>Welcome to Monster Talk.

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<v Speaker 6>I'm Karen Stolsner and I'm Blake Smith.

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<v Speaker 2>Demonic dolls, devil dolls, monster dolls, creepy dolls. Call them

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<v Speaker 2>what you want, but the history of dolls that people

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<v Speaker 2>have seen is monstrous, is quite long and full of

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<v Speaker 2>frightening stories of the type that will make your hair

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<v Speaker 2>stand up on ann and give you goose flesh. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>quite fond of the episodes of Twilight Zone that features

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<v Speaker 2>scary dolls, or of night gallery movies like Child's Play

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<v Speaker 2>and the movie Magic Fit thiss Motif as well, but

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<v Speaker 2>many of these tales aren't considered pure fiction. The self

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<v Speaker 2>proclaimed demonologists Ed and Lorraine war l'urn keep an allegedly

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<v Speaker 2>cursed raggedy ann doll called Annabelle in their home museum

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<v Speaker 2>and claim that the doll has led to deaths. Voodoo

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<v Speaker 2>dolls are alleged to help enable magic spells the heck

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<v Speaker 2>some heads, while seeming to be mundane in origin, and

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<v Speaker 2>somehow are alleged to have inspired lycanthropic activity. But perhaps

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<v Speaker 2>no alleged the evil doll is more famous than Robert

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<v Speaker 2>the Doll. There are links to some of the stories

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<v Speaker 2>about Robert in our show notes at monster talk dot org,

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<v Speaker 2>and there have been books and movies made about him

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<v Speaker 2>as well. Countless TV shows have shown the doll, and

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<v Speaker 2>legends gather around Robert like spiderwebs in an attic corner.

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<v Speaker 2>As you might guess, I'm a fan of other podcasts,

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<v Speaker 2>and the very popular show called Lore covered Robert in

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<v Speaker 2>episode fifteen.

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<v Speaker 6>I enjoy Lore.

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<v Speaker 2>Although the host, Aaron Mankey, has different purposes in mind

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<v Speaker 2>for his show than I do, he does tell a

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<v Speaker 2>good story and I think that that episode gives you

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<v Speaker 2>a good feel for what people might be thinking when

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<v Speaker 2>they go to see Robert the Doll for the first time.

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<v Speaker 2>A link to that episode of Laws in our show

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<v Speaker 2>notes at monster talk dot org, along with other fascinating connections.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's get to our interview now, but stick around because

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<v Speaker 2>I want to do a little bit more talking about

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<v Speaker 2>Robert after we've heard from his curator, doctor Corey Convertito,

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<v Speaker 2>Mors tutor.

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<v Speaker 5>Doctor Corey Confortito has a PhD in maritime history, focusing

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<v Speaker 5>on the eighteenth century British naval history. Corey is the

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<v Speaker 5>curator of the Key West Art and Historical Society, which

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<v Speaker 5>oversees the Fort East Martello Museum, which is the home

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<v Speaker 5>of Robert the Dole. So welcome to the show, Corey.

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<v Speaker 7>Thank you great to be here.

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<v Speaker 6>I bet this time of the year you get a

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<v Speaker 6>lot of questions about.

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<v Speaker 4>Robert I see all year along we get questions about Robert.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean this time of year, Yeah, with Halloween, and

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<v Speaker 4>it's also his birthday this month, so I think that,

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<v Speaker 4>oh how old is?

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<v Speaker 7>That adds to it. He's one hundred and twelve, one

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<v Speaker 7>hundred and twelve.

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<v Speaker 5>I heard that he received a letter from George Bush

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<v Speaker 5>when he turned one hundred. Is that true?

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<v Speaker 7>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 4>He did, wow, both President Bush and then he also

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<v Speaker 4>got one. I think it was the year or two

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<v Speaker 4>leader when Jeb Bush was governor of Florida, he got

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<v Speaker 4>one for his birthday as well.

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<v Speaker 5>Well, famous guy.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, they probably thought they were writing Bob Dole. Could

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<v Speaker 2>you tell us the story of Robert the doll and

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<v Speaker 2>why he's so famous?

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<v Speaker 7>I suppose.

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<v Speaker 4>I guess we can start with what he is, and

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<v Speaker 4>then I guess how he came to be here. Robert

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<v Speaker 4>is a Steife doll. It's a German doll company that's

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<v Speaker 4>been around. I think they were established a little bit

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<v Speaker 4>earlier than Robert was fabricated.

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<v Speaker 7>I'm they're the famous.

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<v Speaker 4>They've made the first Teddy bear for Teddy Roosevelt, so

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<v Speaker 4>they're they're quite well known and their production like their

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<v Speaker 4>dolls are and bears are quite valuable, so he was

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<v Speaker 4>made and brought to There was a family that lived

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<v Speaker 4>in Key West called the Auto family. They were a

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<v Speaker 4>multi generational family that lived on the island and they

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<v Speaker 4>were of Prussian descent and stife being in present day Germany,

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<v Speaker 4>there's the connection between the family and.

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<v Speaker 7>The area where Robert was made.

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<v Speaker 4>And so a family member of the Auto family actually

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<v Speaker 4>bought the doll four of the young boy named Robert

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<v Speaker 4>Eugene Otto, who lived in Key West and his dad

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<v Speaker 4>was a doctor and his grandparents owned a pharmacy here,

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<v Speaker 4>so they were quite prominent family in town. They were

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<v Speaker 4>very well off family, and their young son came to

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<v Speaker 4>have this doll in nineteen oh four, and the doll

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<v Speaker 4>and the boy were inseparable for years.

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<v Speaker 7>You know, the doll is quite large.

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<v Speaker 4>It was life sized, but putten close to Robert Eugene

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<v Speaker 4>out of the living boy size when he received him,

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<v Speaker 4>and they were just really inseparable. The family remembers Robert

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<v Speaker 4>bringing the doll around with him, taking him where he went,

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<v Speaker 4>talking to him, and the story goes that Robert the

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<v Speaker 4>boy would blame Robert the doll for things that Robert

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<v Speaker 4>the boy had done wrong, and so this transference possibly

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<v Speaker 4>created some kind of energy around the doll. And so people, uh,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, believe that Robert is plenty of things either,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, whatever, their base has their interpretations of Robert.

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<v Speaker 4>But this energy that was projected onto the doll, I

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<v Speaker 4>think that's really the base of the story of how

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<v Speaker 4>Robert got to Key West. And I'm sure you have

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<v Speaker 4>follow up questions, yes, yeah, for that, So I don't

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<v Speaker 4>want to I don't want to give.

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<v Speaker 7>Away everything right right now.

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<v Speaker 5>So what are some of the odd events that have

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<v Speaker 5>surrounded the doll?

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<v Speaker 2>And maybe could if you don't mind, can we do

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<v Speaker 2>like what kind of odd events happened while Robert had

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<v Speaker 2>the doll and then and then maybe split that into

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<v Speaker 2>before and after Robert along in.

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<v Speaker 4>The picture the boy started going by Jene, so that

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<v Speaker 4>might add some clarity to whatever we I guess discussed

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<v Speaker 4>From from now forward, I'll just call him. The boy

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<v Speaker 4>will be Gene and the doll will be Robert. So

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<v Speaker 4>that will be that will hopefully listening things usual, right,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, his family was and I think that's a

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<v Speaker 4>very it's a different time when when obviously Gene was

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<v Speaker 4>a little boy. So I'm not sure that any of

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<v Speaker 4>the stories when, like the initial stories about the doll

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<v Speaker 4>a sign from the odd relationship that people felt that

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<v Speaker 4>Gene and Robert had. I don't think there's many stories

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<v Speaker 4>like early on about goings on in the house. Most

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<v Speaker 4>of the things start coming out later on in life,

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<v Speaker 4>and I think that is a time frame issue when

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<v Speaker 4>people just didn't really divulge their personal business and talk

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<v Speaker 4>about things like this, especially really early twentieth century. So

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of the stories about Robert and the problems

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<v Speaker 4>that people felt that Robert was causing kind of came out.

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<v Speaker 4>I'd say probably in like nineteen twenties. People would say

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<v Speaker 4>they would hear noises in the house and they would

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<v Speaker 4>hear Jane talk to the doll, but they would hear

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<v Speaker 4>in a different voice the doll answer him. That's usually

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<v Speaker 4>what the family remembers the most about the early relationship

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<v Speaker 4>that and Robert had. Later on, Jane moved away, moved

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<v Speaker 4>to France to study art. He was a really talented

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00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:58.399
<v Speaker 4>artist wanted to follow this as his life's passion. Went

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<v Speaker 4>to France, studied art and stayed away for a while

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00:13:02.279 --> 00:13:05.759
<v Speaker 4>because he met what was to be his future wife,

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<v Speaker 4>and so he returned as an adult. He'd left a

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<v Speaker 4>teenager late or early twenties and then had come back

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<v Speaker 4>and had been married. So the situation, I think it

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<v Speaker 4>kind of escalated more once Eugene returned to Key West

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<v Speaker 4>with his wife and took possession of the house, and

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<v Speaker 4>that's when they started getting a little bit more pronounced.

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<v Speaker 4>I think neighbors took notice, and obviously with other people

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<v Speaker 4>non family members.

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<v Speaker 7>Living in the house, i e.

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<v Speaker 4>Jean's wife, I think that that sort of prompted a

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<v Speaker 4>little bit more hubbub about the relationship and potentially what

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<v Speaker 4>was going on. A lot of it was two different

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<v Speaker 4>voices coming from a room that only contained.

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<v Speaker 7>Eugene and Robert, So that.

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00:13:52.279 --> 00:13:55.200
<v Speaker 4>I think was one of their big concerns, and that

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00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:59.360
<v Speaker 4>was something that circulated around Key West. The most people

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00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:00.759
<v Speaker 4>would be at the house and they would say they

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00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:05.600
<v Speaker 4>would hear footsteps in rooms that were said to be vacant.

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<v Speaker 4>Some people said they would see Robert in one window

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00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:13.399
<v Speaker 4>in the house and in a different window, you know,

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00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:16.360
<v Speaker 4>within a couple of minutes, and nobody was in the room.

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00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:20.720
<v Speaker 4>So how would he have moved if nobody was there?

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00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.200
<v Speaker 4>So possibly just on his own. So I think that

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<v Speaker 4>was a lot of the strange goings on in the house.

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<v Speaker 2>So was there malice do you think in the activities

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00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:32.679
<v Speaker 2>at that point or was it just bizarre.

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00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:36.200
<v Speaker 7>I mean, I think it's more bizarre, and I don't know.

247
00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:39.320
<v Speaker 4>I mean I should probably just say that, you know,

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00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:42.559
<v Speaker 4>I try to learn about and obviously I'm for what

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00:14:42.600 --> 00:14:46.360
<v Speaker 4>I do. I look for facts for things and trying

250
00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:50.200
<v Speaker 4>to understand, well, being a story and we kind of

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00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:52.639
<v Speaker 4>rely on that. So there's a lot of speculation, a

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00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:54.279
<v Speaker 4>lot of stories, and you can find it, you know,

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00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:58.320
<v Speaker 4>so many things on the internet about Robert and these

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00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:02.320
<v Speaker 4>you know, it goes from das filed to completely you know,

255
00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:06.039
<v Speaker 4>insane what you can find out there about him and

256
00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:08.480
<v Speaker 4>what people have written and said that they've experienced or

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00:15:08.519 --> 00:15:11.360
<v Speaker 4>they heard this happened. And there's lots of different stories

258
00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:13.440
<v Speaker 4>about how he was created. And I think that if

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00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:18.399
<v Speaker 4>you dial back to what Robert really is and where

260
00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:23.320
<v Speaker 4>he was from, I meaner stories about him being possessed

261
00:15:23.399 --> 00:15:25.919
<v Speaker 4>or having voodoo because he was made by a Behamian

262
00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:29.799
<v Speaker 4>servant working for the Auto family. Well, like I know

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00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:32.120
<v Speaker 4>that's not true because he is a stife doll. We've

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00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:36.399
<v Speaker 4>had We've had multiple discussions with Stife's company historians that

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00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:40.039
<v Speaker 4>have validated that Robert is part of a series that

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00:15:40.159 --> 00:15:43.600
<v Speaker 4>was done in the year that he was purchased for

267
00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:47.600
<v Speaker 4>Eugene Auto. So, you know, once you kind of remove

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00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:51.759
<v Speaker 4>those voodoo stories, a lot of the more crazy antics,

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<v Speaker 4>I think also become removed as well, because it's the

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00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:58.840
<v Speaker 4>same folks and the same bits of information that are

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<v Speaker 4>basing it on voodoo have like the more Robert, you know,

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00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:03.039
<v Speaker 4>sets things on fire.

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<v Speaker 7>Well, you know, we've.

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00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:08.240
<v Speaker 4>Never found anything to substantiate any of that. Nobody's ever

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00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:11.519
<v Speaker 4>called and complained that Robert has set their house on

276
00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.120
<v Speaker 4>fire or people. I mean one story was a person

277
00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:17.080
<v Speaker 4>was set on fire by Robert and they had to

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00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.840
<v Speaker 4>run to the ocean and jump in to to put

279
00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:25.480
<v Speaker 4>themselves out. I mean, it's it's borders on a little insanity.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, straw men typically avoid fire. I don't

281
00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:33.399
<v Speaker 2>know what he's stuffed with, but you know.

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00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:36.679
<v Speaker 7>Yeah, yeah, usually they do. Well that's interesting.

283
00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:40.360
<v Speaker 4>You know, it really depends, I think, on what version

284
00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:44.159
<v Speaker 4>of the story you're listening to and what has actually.

285
00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:45.360
<v Speaker 7>Been complained about.

286
00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:47.120
<v Speaker 4>I mean a lot of people complain about him, and

287
00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.480
<v Speaker 4>there's definitely people that lived in Key West that have

288
00:16:49.559 --> 00:16:54.600
<v Speaker 4>been interviewed that felt uncomfortable in the house, felt unco

289
00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:58.240
<v Speaker 4>that felt a very uncomfortable spirit. What that is attributed to?

290
00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:04.039
<v Speaker 4>I mean, obviously to Robert, yes, but what exactly it is?

291
00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:06.160
<v Speaker 4>I mean, is it is it malice? Is it just

292
00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:09.559
<v Speaker 4>a bit of bizarre behavior? Is it a child impish

293
00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:13.319
<v Speaker 4>like behavior to do mischief? You know, people have their

294
00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:17.000
<v Speaker 4>own theories, and it's you know, I think it I

295
00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:21.759
<v Speaker 4>think it probably dials back from malice, specifically because they

296
00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:26.000
<v Speaker 4>seem to be more outrageous stories that nobody can actually substantiate.

297
00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:30.519
<v Speaker 7>So we we kind of the museum likes.

298
00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:33.880
<v Speaker 4>To say, or we we think he has. There's obviously

299
00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:38.079
<v Speaker 4>an energy about him. That's that's an absolute. What that

300
00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:41.039
<v Speaker 4>energy is and how it affects different people, I think

301
00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:44.799
<v Speaker 4>it depends on people's attitudes toward Robert, how they treat him,

302
00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:49.759
<v Speaker 4>and then what response they get from him varies because

303
00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:51.880
<v Speaker 4>some people have a very good experience with them. Some

304
00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:56.240
<v Speaker 4>people have horrible experiences and say, you know, terrible things

305
00:17:56.279 --> 00:18:01.839
<v Speaker 4>happen as soon as they leave him. So it's you know,

306
00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:07.160
<v Speaker 4>I think it's all in his interpretation of the encounter

307
00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:08.119
<v Speaker 4>and the experience.

308
00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.039
<v Speaker 5>Well, it's very interesting to hear that Robert was part

309
00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:12.920
<v Speaker 5>of a series. I wonder if there are other Robert

310
00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:15.079
<v Speaker 5>the dolls in existence somewhere else.

311
00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:17.160
<v Speaker 7>Well, there are there is one.

312
00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:21.440
<v Speaker 4>Basically what he was was he was made for Stife.

313
00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.880
<v Speaker 4>They made smaller versions of Robert. But I mean Robert

314
00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:27.599
<v Speaker 4>wasn't made as a Robert. He was made as a

315
00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:33.480
<v Speaker 4>court gesture. That's the series was very circus like court jestery.

316
00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:37.000
<v Speaker 4>He would originally had on something similar to a court

317
00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:41.960
<v Speaker 4>gesture with a multi colored almost Harlequin looked to him

318
00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:46.880
<v Speaker 4>Rosy Cheeks had on. There was another one that the

319
00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:50.960
<v Speaker 4>Stife company historian came across. He Robert would have been

320
00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:55.359
<v Speaker 4>a window decoration alongside other dolls of the same size.

321
00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:58.920
<v Speaker 4>They were just meant as a window display, and then

322
00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:04.160
<v Speaker 4>Stife was selling much smaller versions for sale.

323
00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:08.240
<v Speaker 7>So we think in the study historian has kind of

324
00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:08.720
<v Speaker 7>led us.

325
00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:11.079
<v Speaker 4>I mean, that's where we've learned a lot about the

326
00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:15.599
<v Speaker 4>origins of the doll. We think that because the family

327
00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:17.839
<v Speaker 4>was very well off, and because it was meant for

328
00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:21.000
<v Speaker 4>a birthday present, that either of the series was ending

329
00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:23.240
<v Speaker 4>and they were going to change out the window display,

330
00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:26.839
<v Speaker 4>that those dolls became available or somebody came in and

331
00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:29.799
<v Speaker 4>just offered a lot of money for the doll because

332
00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:31.240
<v Speaker 4>they wanted to bring it back.

333
00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:34.720
<v Speaker 7>So there are other dolls, not very many of that size.

334
00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:38.200
<v Speaker 4>Most of them are much smaller, and by appearance, he

335
00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:42.920
<v Speaker 4>honestly wouldn't recognize them. Robert's face has faded quite a

336
00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:46.240
<v Speaker 4>bit over the years, so like he's lost his rosy cheeks,

337
00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:49.000
<v Speaker 4>and he would have had color like not I want

338
00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:51.960
<v Speaker 4>to say lipstick because it seems not nice to say,

339
00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:54.599
<v Speaker 4>but he would have had some color in his lips

340
00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:56.160
<v Speaker 4>where he doesn't now, So a lot.

341
00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:57.599
<v Speaker 7>Of that stuff has faded away.

342
00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:01.279
<v Speaker 4>But he would have been a court gesture stroke harlequin.

343
00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:03.599
<v Speaker 5>That's interesting because a lot of people think that he's

344
00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:06.160
<v Speaker 5>a sailah from the outfit what's left of it.

345
00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:10.359
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, that that is an outfit that Eugene had to

346
00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:12.839
<v Speaker 4>have put on him, and we think that that was

347
00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:17.319
<v Speaker 4>probably Eugene's own clothing from one he was younger.

348
00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:18.599
<v Speaker 7>Is that big?

349
00:20:20.279 --> 00:20:22.240
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, No, he's the size of before he's the size

350
00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:24.720
<v Speaker 4>of a four year old child. I mean he's almost

351
00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:28.720
<v Speaker 4>four feet tall. Yeah, that's not that's not an original

352
00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:31.200
<v Speaker 4>costume for him. That would have been. We think it

353
00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:36.920
<v Speaker 4>was probably Gene Autos. There's a picture that his Jeene's

354
00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:40.079
<v Speaker 4>sister had el Spith I think her name is of

355
00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:42.720
<v Speaker 4>Gene in a sailor suit and it's it's he's kind

356
00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:44.440
<v Speaker 4>of far in the distance, So we've tried to make

357
00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:47.960
<v Speaker 4>it looks very very similar.

358
00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:49.759
<v Speaker 7>In appearance.

359
00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:53.160
<v Speaker 4>So we think that was probably at one point Jeane's

360
00:20:54.200 --> 00:20:55.960
<v Speaker 4>clothing that then he put on the doll.

361
00:20:56.359 --> 00:20:59.920
<v Speaker 2>I am I'm just delighted that you're sort of pop

362
00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:02.359
<v Speaker 2>the balloon of some of these stories right off the bat,

363
00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:04.440
<v Speaker 2>because that's kind of where our show tends to skew.

364
00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:10.440
<v Speaker 2>But from a historical perspective, I'm wondering these stories themselves.

365
00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:12.920
<v Speaker 2>Are they mostly from an oral tradition or is there

366
00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:16.039
<v Speaker 2>actually written testimony of anyone who saw something strange, newspaper

367
00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:18.880
<v Speaker 2>stories or any like. What historical documentation do you have

368
00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:22.720
<v Speaker 2>for this sort of attitude that there was something bizarre

369
00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:25.839
<v Speaker 2>about the doll or the relationship that Robert what Eugene

370
00:21:25.880 --> 00:21:26.480
<v Speaker 2>had with the doll.

371
00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:28.119
<v Speaker 7>Some people are still alive.

372
00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:31.680
<v Speaker 4>I mean, Gene only died in the seventies, so there

373
00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:34.359
<v Speaker 4>are still a lot of folks who you know, lived here,

374
00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:38.599
<v Speaker 4>very long standing families in this town. I mean in fact,

375
00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.240
<v Speaker 4>the next stort of the neighbor that lived across the

376
00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:45.599
<v Speaker 4>street from the Autos. They i mean they've owned that

377
00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:48.920
<v Speaker 4>house for you know, forty fifty years. I mean they

378
00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:51.279
<v Speaker 4>remember Anne still being alive and living there. I mean

379
00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.799
<v Speaker 4>the guy across the street was very good friends with Anne,

380
00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:58.000
<v Speaker 4>who was Jean's wife, so they remember them very vividly.

381
00:21:58.039 --> 00:22:01.599
<v Speaker 4>I mean he's very elderly now, but there's I mean,

382
00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:04.160
<v Speaker 4>there's always been an interest in Robert, and especially when

383
00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:07.839
<v Speaker 4>he came to the museum in the nineties, I think

384
00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:11.759
<v Speaker 4>people started digging around for information. I mean, there's the

385
00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:17.079
<v Speaker 4>people that purchased gene Auto's house after he passed away

386
00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:21.519
<v Speaker 4>and left the premises they inherited the doll because the

387
00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:23.799
<v Speaker 4>doll was still in the house and did not take

388
00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:25.359
<v Speaker 4>the doll with her.

389
00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:26.200
<v Speaker 7>When she moved.

390
00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:29.960
<v Speaker 4>And the son of the people that purchased the house

391
00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.319
<v Speaker 4>is still alive, and I mean he remembers things, so

392
00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:36.440
<v Speaker 4>you know, while he doesn't remember Jane specifically, he lived

393
00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:40.519
<v Speaker 4>in the same house with Robert for a time before

394
00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:44.279
<v Speaker 4>his mother donated the doll to the museum, so he

395
00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:45.200
<v Speaker 4>felt something.

396
00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:46.400
<v Speaker 7>So you know, we do.

397
00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:52.640
<v Speaker 4>Have we have people that we can probe for information

398
00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:55.960
<v Speaker 4>on Robert, their experiences Robert, what they remember. I mean,

399
00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:58.720
<v Speaker 4>of course there was some newspaper, but that was later

400
00:22:58.759 --> 00:23:02.599
<v Speaker 4>on after Jean died. At people always thought him to

401
00:23:02.680 --> 00:23:10.000
<v Speaker 4>be an odd duck, and when he died, I think

402
00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:12.640
<v Speaker 4>a lot of people sort of becoming more vocal about

403
00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:17.240
<v Speaker 4>how bizarre they felt his behavior was. You know, he

404
00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:22.359
<v Speaker 4>moved in pretty influential circles because his family had money,

405
00:23:22.359 --> 00:23:26.119
<v Speaker 4>but also because he was a very accomplished artist. And

406
00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:30.680
<v Speaker 4>Anne was actually a concert pianist. I think she you know,

407
00:23:30.759 --> 00:23:34.400
<v Speaker 4>she played in New York and they wrote music together,

408
00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:40.400
<v Speaker 4>so they were they moved in quite affluent circles, and

409
00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:43.119
<v Speaker 4>so you know, you don't find that people are very

410
00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:46.160
<v Speaker 4>vocal about the affluent.

411
00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:47.799
<v Speaker 7>Uh.

412
00:23:48.359 --> 00:23:50.559
<v Speaker 4>You know, it's only after they died they start making

413
00:23:50.599 --> 00:23:52.200
<v Speaker 4>comments because of course they don't want to fall out

414
00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:54.079
<v Speaker 4>of favor with their friends who have money, so they

415
00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:56.559
<v Speaker 4>would never you know, typically say something.

416
00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:58.440
<v Speaker 7>Negative.

417
00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:01.599
<v Speaker 4>So you know, you're finding a lot of these stories

418
00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:05.400
<v Speaker 4>later on, after Gene died and the house changed hands

419
00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:12.000
<v Speaker 4>and you know, Robert was moving into you know, in

420
00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:15.000
<v Speaker 4>with a different family and then ultimately with the museum.

421
00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:16.680
<v Speaker 4>So that's when a lot of this comes out, but

422
00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:18.440
<v Speaker 4>a lot of people do remember and they're still alive.

423
00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:21.240
<v Speaker 5>Episode, is there a book in the works at all,

424
00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:23.279
<v Speaker 5>because it sounds like it would be interesting while these

425
00:24:23.319 --> 00:24:26.640
<v Speaker 5>people are still alive to get their stories, and too,

426
00:24:27.319 --> 00:24:29.440
<v Speaker 5>because you have certainly a lot more information than you

427
00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:32.200
<v Speaker 5>can find online. A lot of it seems to be

428
00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:34.279
<v Speaker 5>just folklore and myth.

429
00:24:34.839 --> 00:24:35.079
<v Speaker 7>Yeah.

430
00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:39.440
<v Speaker 4>David Sloane, who run the Ghost Tour a QS, he

431
00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:43.319
<v Speaker 4>actually started the original Ghost Hour because QS is I guess,

432
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:46.119
<v Speaker 4>by all intents and purposes, considered quite haunted.

433
00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:48.400
<v Speaker 7>There's quite a lot of houses there was.

434
00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:52.039
<v Speaker 4>You know, with belts of yellow fever, so we had

435
00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:56.079
<v Speaker 4>huge losses of life at times. So David Sloane actually

436
00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:59.000
<v Speaker 4>started a ghost tour company down here. I would say, well,

437
00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:02.079
<v Speaker 4>I don't even know any did that probably the mid nineties.

438
00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:07.240
<v Speaker 4>And David always had some affinity for Robert. He was

439
00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:11.200
<v Speaker 4>when he Robert Gart donated to the museum. David was

440
00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:15.079
<v Speaker 4>very inted in finding out a lot about the doll

441
00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:17.759
<v Speaker 4>and has actually I think it's been about two years

442
00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:19.640
<v Speaker 4>the book's been out now. David wrote a book. We

443
00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:22.359
<v Speaker 4>gave him access to a lot of our archival material

444
00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:25.119
<v Speaker 4>and he did the leg works. The museum is just

445
00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:27.920
<v Speaker 4>we're a small museum. We don't have the manpower to

446
00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:30.599
<v Speaker 4>do that. And David and I've known each other for years,

447
00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:36.279
<v Speaker 4>so it made sense for David to take the lead

448
00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:39.559
<v Speaker 4>on that to find things. So he spent you know,

449
00:25:39.799 --> 00:25:44.599
<v Speaker 4>days at the library contacting family members, contacting folks who

450
00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:49.960
<v Speaker 4>would have remembered Jane and Anne living down here, and

451
00:25:50.039 --> 00:25:53.599
<v Speaker 4>interviewing people and asking for photographs. So David did a

452
00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:55.839
<v Speaker 4>lot of leg work, and David did put out a

453
00:25:55.839 --> 00:26:00.000
<v Speaker 4>book must be almost two years ago now that David

454
00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:03.720
<v Speaker 4>so he did, and it's not something the museum could

455
00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:04.440
<v Speaker 4>have undertaken.

456
00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:06.200
<v Speaker 7>So we were very happy and we gave it.

457
00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:09.799
<v Speaker 4>Like I said, we gave him access to anything that

458
00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:11.319
<v Speaker 4>we had to make sure that the book was as

459
00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:12.359
<v Speaker 4>thorough as possible.

460
00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:13.640
<v Speaker 6>We'll put a link in the show notes.

461
00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:17.119
<v Speaker 2>I know people who actually are quite afraid of Robert

462
00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:21.400
<v Speaker 2>are very deferential to him, even from Afar, And I

463
00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:25.039
<v Speaker 2>wonder there's this habit of sending letters of apology or

464
00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:26.960
<v Speaker 2>something like that is can you explain that or talk

465
00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:28.440
<v Speaker 2>about that or what's that about?

466
00:26:29.160 --> 00:26:29.440
<v Speaker 7>Sure?

467
00:26:29.960 --> 00:26:31.920
<v Speaker 4>You know, again, I think this goes back to people's

468
00:26:31.960 --> 00:26:36.640
<v Speaker 4>experiences and everybody who interacts with Robert, whether it's you know,

469
00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:39.559
<v Speaker 4>some people don't even interact with him in perse and

470
00:26:39.599 --> 00:26:43.279
<v Speaker 4>some people feel that they've interacted with him online by

471
00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:48.880
<v Speaker 4>learning his story or watching videos on YouTube or wherever

472
00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:52.599
<v Speaker 4>they can find them. And each person obviously has a

473
00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:57.960
<v Speaker 4>very different experience with Robert, and they whatever it is,

474
00:26:58.519 --> 00:27:03.400
<v Speaker 4>the Robert I suppose, I mean, I don't know. This

475
00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:05.400
<v Speaker 4>is something that's been long standing. Even before I was

476
00:27:05.400 --> 00:27:09.920
<v Speaker 4>at the museum. Apology letters started filtering in from folks

477
00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:13.960
<v Speaker 4>who had visited and felt that they had done something

478
00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:18.559
<v Speaker 4>incorrect to Robert and needed to apologize to something because

479
00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:22.319
<v Speaker 4>they were experiencing a string of bad luck, you know,

480
00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:24.680
<v Speaker 4>and that varied in the degree. I mean, sometimes it

481
00:27:24.759 --> 00:27:25.799
<v Speaker 4>was just as simple.

482
00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:27.920
<v Speaker 7>As our flights were delayed when we were leaving in

483
00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:30.319
<v Speaker 7>Key West to Okay.

484
00:27:30.359 --> 00:27:32.839
<v Speaker 4>We came home from Key West and we found like

485
00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:35.920
<v Speaker 4>a dead bat in our washing machine, you know, just

486
00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:41.920
<v Speaker 4>weird things, and so we get letters, emails, people contact him, honestly,

487
00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:43.880
<v Speaker 4>I mean, Robert has his own Facebook page and his

488
00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:48.559
<v Speaker 4>own Twitter page, So people contact him anyway that they can,

489
00:27:48.839 --> 00:27:55.680
<v Speaker 4>from all over the world and just apologize or want

490
00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:58.519
<v Speaker 4>to know why they're having bad luck. Because they just

491
00:27:58.559 --> 00:28:00.839
<v Speaker 4>watched a video or felt that they were very respectful

492
00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.839
<v Speaker 4>to Robert when they visited, but they still are having

493
00:28:02.839 --> 00:28:06.599
<v Speaker 4>these horrible things happened to them and want Robert to

494
00:28:06.680 --> 00:28:11.440
<v Speaker 4>lift whatever it is, whatever negative energy surrounding these people.

495
00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:16.359
<v Speaker 4>So we get all sorts of letters and I mean

496
00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:17.599
<v Speaker 4>full call people call.

497
00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:20.599
<v Speaker 7>You know, it's it's incredible.

498
00:28:20.839 --> 00:28:23.680
<v Speaker 5>Isn't there a particular protocol that some people believe in

499
00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:25.119
<v Speaker 5>for taking photographs?

500
00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:30.319
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I mean there is, and people are meant to

501
00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:33.559
<v Speaker 4>ask permission of Robert to take his photo.

502
00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:34.200
<v Speaker 7>He doesn't.

503
00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:38.880
<v Speaker 4>He's classically not enjoyed his photo being taken. He has

504
00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:42.680
<v Speaker 4>really messed with people's cameras. The Travel Channel was down

505
00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:45.759
<v Speaker 4>and they actually their main camera that they brought with

506
00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:48.480
<v Speaker 4>them broke, so they had to use their backup camera

507
00:28:48.519 --> 00:28:51.279
<v Speaker 4>to film them mysteries at the museum. I think it

508
00:28:51.359 --> 00:28:54.960
<v Speaker 4>was had come down and done it from the Travel Channel,

509
00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:57.240
<v Speaker 4>and you know, their camera was messed ups, and these

510
00:28:57.240 --> 00:29:00.359
<v Speaker 4>are professional people that know how to operate their whipment.

511
00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:02.559
<v Speaker 7>So they actually.

512
00:29:02.200 --> 00:29:05.480
<v Speaker 4>All sent apology letters to Robert after they left because

513
00:29:05.640 --> 00:29:11.480
<v Speaker 4>they they were completely convinced that Robert had done something

514
00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:12.319
<v Speaker 4>to their equipment.

515
00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:19.240
<v Speaker 2>So it sounds like Robert is them an apology.

516
00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:23.240
<v Speaker 7>I'm not sure that's how it works. It make its

517
00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:24.000
<v Speaker 7>the other way around.

518
00:29:24.039 --> 00:29:27.079
<v Speaker 2>Can you apologize via Twitter or does it strictly have

519
00:29:27.160 --> 00:29:28.839
<v Speaker 2>to be a letter or how does that work?

520
00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:29.000
<v Speaker 8>Mean?

521
00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:29.319
<v Speaker 5>You know?

522
00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:30.759
<v Speaker 4>I mean, you know, in this day and age, I

523
00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:35.880
<v Speaker 4>think Robert has to be slightly adaptable to people's apologies.

524
00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:37.440
<v Speaker 7>And like I said, sometimes it comes from people that

525
00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:38.599
<v Speaker 7>I have never even met him.

526
00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:44.160
<v Speaker 4>I mean, he has a woman in Indonesia who believes

527
00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:46.599
<v Speaker 4>that Robert is going to come kill her and her

528
00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:50.720
<v Speaker 4>family and sends things privately, and that's not something the

529
00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:53.839
<v Speaker 4>museum would necessarily share, like to her letters or not.

530
00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:56.519
<v Speaker 4>You know, we try to be selective with what we

531
00:29:56.559 --> 00:29:58.480
<v Speaker 4>put out there because I think people feel that they

532
00:29:58.480 --> 00:30:01.400
<v Speaker 4>are really writing to Robert. I didn't put anything out,

533
00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:05.039
<v Speaker 4>you know, and on on the internet. It's not necessarily

534
00:30:05.880 --> 00:30:09.599
<v Speaker 4>something that they would like because it's a private letter

535
00:30:10.119 --> 00:30:13.480
<v Speaker 4>to an entity. And so, you know, we we have

536
00:30:13.559 --> 00:30:18.279
<v Speaker 4>this person Indonesia who is completely apparently convinced, and so

537
00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:22.400
<v Speaker 4>she's she emails him at least three or four times

538
00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:26.680
<v Speaker 4>a day and has done for gosh, the last five

539
00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:30.359
<v Speaker 4>or six months, and then actually went to the museum

540
00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:33.640
<v Speaker 4>social media page started emailing to the point that you know,

541
00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:37.440
<v Speaker 4>the museum staff who checks the social media said.

542
00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:38.559
<v Speaker 7>Oh my god, you know, do we need to be.

543
00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:42.279
<v Speaker 4>Concerned about this because of the town And she's never

544
00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:46.079
<v Speaker 4>met him, She's never she's never left Indonesia, so I

545
00:30:46.119 --> 00:30:49.160
<v Speaker 4>mean he's very far reaching. So he gets messages from

546
00:30:49.400 --> 00:30:54.119
<v Speaker 4>people who I don't have access or don't have the ability.

547
00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:55.400
<v Speaker 4>I mean, there's no way that she can write this

548
00:30:55.480 --> 00:30:59.119
<v Speaker 4>many letters per day and actually post them. So, you know,

549
00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:02.200
<v Speaker 4>the museum is a actable to how he receives any

550
00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:05.680
<v Speaker 4>kind of correspondence right here. He's got a Facebook page too,

551
00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:10.240
<v Speaker 4>doesn't he He does, He's got his own Yeah, he does, well,

552
00:31:10.279 --> 00:31:10.599
<v Speaker 4>he does.

553
00:31:10.680 --> 00:31:11.319
<v Speaker 6>It's fortunate.

554
00:31:11.319 --> 00:31:13.440
<v Speaker 2>I guess they don't have an unlike button, right, so,

555
00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:17.000
<v Speaker 2>I mean, no one can offend him too much on Facebook.

556
00:31:17.960 --> 00:31:19.759
<v Speaker 5>Got an angry button, I.

557
00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:21.079
<v Speaker 7>Guess, Yeah, yeah.

558
00:31:21.559 --> 00:31:23.480
<v Speaker 4>I mean, you know, some some people say things that

559
00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:26.079
<v Speaker 4>they don't believe in him on his Facebook page, and

560
00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:29.160
<v Speaker 4>you know, Robert typically doesn't have to respond to any

561
00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:30.559
<v Speaker 4>of that because anybody.

562
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:31.799
<v Speaker 7>Else who's very supportive of.

563
00:31:31.960 --> 00:31:38.839
<v Speaker 4>Robert and and follows him will just take up.

564
00:31:39.559 --> 00:31:40.599
<v Speaker 7>Yeah, yeah, he does.

565
00:31:40.680 --> 00:31:44.440
<v Speaker 4>He really does people people just you know, they gravitate

566
00:31:44.599 --> 00:31:46.759
<v Speaker 4>toward him, good and good and bad.

567
00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:50.240
<v Speaker 2>So, so Robert has been in the museum a while now,

568
00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:54.640
<v Speaker 2>and then he was on that TV show with Zach Baggin's.

569
00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:57.000
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, so what was that like?

570
00:31:59.279 --> 00:31:59.799
<v Speaker 7>Interesting?

571
00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:00.920
<v Speaker 6>Okay, interesting?

572
00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:04.079
<v Speaker 7>Robert. Robert never left Florida after he arrived.

573
00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:09.640
<v Speaker 4>We cannot find any documentation that once Jean's family members

574
00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:13.680
<v Speaker 4>brought Robert to Florida, that Robert has ever left the

575
00:32:13.680 --> 00:32:17.160
<v Speaker 4>state of Florida since. And so Travel Channel reached out

576
00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:21.599
<v Speaker 4>to us asking if we would be keen on this

577
00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:26.279
<v Speaker 4>bringing Robert to this program. And you know, we were

578
00:32:26.279 --> 00:32:29.640
<v Speaker 4>obviously very apprehensive about doing that because you know, he's

579
00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:31.880
<v Speaker 4>he's fragile, and you know from the angle that I

580
00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:33.720
<v Speaker 4>have to come at it.

581
00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:35.200
<v Speaker 7>I'm the curator.

582
00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:38.319
<v Speaker 4>I have to make sure that if objects are moving around,

583
00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:41.599
<v Speaker 4>that they are very well protected, that they're safe to

584
00:32:41.640 --> 00:32:43.960
<v Speaker 4>do that that they're in such a fragile condition, you know.

585
00:32:44.039 --> 00:32:46.559
<v Speaker 4>Never mind that he's in a very human environment and

586
00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:50.680
<v Speaker 4>I'm taking him to a very dry environment of Las Vegas.

587
00:32:50.720 --> 00:32:54.319
<v Speaker 4>That we're not compromising a museum artifact because I know

588
00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:55.920
<v Speaker 4>we all I mean and all of us are guilty

589
00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:57.839
<v Speaker 4>of it. Even at the museum, we refer to Robert

590
00:32:57.839 --> 00:32:59.720
<v Speaker 4>as a human, you know, we call him him. We

591
00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:03.200
<v Speaker 4>don't call it it, but you know, we I have

592
00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:06.880
<v Speaker 4>to have some realization that Robert actually is a museum

593
00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:08.759
<v Speaker 4>artifact and so he has to be treated as such.

594
00:33:08.799 --> 00:33:10.559
<v Speaker 7>So that was our big concern. Uh.

595
00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:14.200
<v Speaker 4>And the Travel Channel people actually were super about it.

596
00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:17.359
<v Speaker 4>And you know, I'm not sure, uh, you know, I

597
00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:19.440
<v Speaker 4>know they of course they have an angle about what

598
00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:22.920
<v Speaker 4>they were wanting to portray Robert as and what we

599
00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:26.960
<v Speaker 4>were hoping I guess what they were hoping to to

600
00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:31.359
<v Speaker 4>get their viewership to believe about him. And you know,

601
00:33:31.400 --> 00:33:34.000
<v Speaker 4>it was it was an interesting It was an interesting experience.

602
00:33:35.720 --> 00:33:38.519
<v Speaker 4>I'm sure we get a lot of pr traction out

603
00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:41.359
<v Speaker 4>of it for the museum and for Robert. So, I mean,

604
00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:44.559
<v Speaker 4>we saw his Facebook numbers jump and people were paying

605
00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:46.640
<v Speaker 4>a lot more attention and people, I mean people were

606
00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:49.359
<v Speaker 4>calling the museum to tell us how upset because they thought,

607
00:33:49.400 --> 00:33:51.960
<v Speaker 4>you know, they just saw Robert in Las Vegas and

608
00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:55.039
<v Speaker 4>they just thought with the museum had sold him, or

609
00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:59.119
<v Speaker 4>the museum had our museum had moved him to Vegas permanently.

610
00:33:59.160 --> 00:34:00.240
<v Speaker 7>And we got some really.

611
00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:05.599
<v Speaker 4>Rude correspondence from people in phone calls saying.

612
00:34:05.319 --> 00:34:08.440
<v Speaker 7>How dare we you know, how how dare we move

613
00:34:08.519 --> 00:34:09.320
<v Speaker 7>him to Vegas?

614
00:34:09.400 --> 00:34:12.639
<v Speaker 4>And how he's meant to be in Key West and

615
00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:15.039
<v Speaker 4>how we're all going to be cursed because of it.

616
00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:18.239
<v Speaker 4>So it was really I found that probably more fascinating

617
00:34:18.239 --> 00:34:23.360
<v Speaker 4>than anything, were people's response to Robert leaving key West,

618
00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:24.920
<v Speaker 4>even if it was only temporary.

619
00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:27.039
<v Speaker 5>He was going to get his own Vegas act.

620
00:34:27.239 --> 00:34:29.599
<v Speaker 2>I was gonna say, and whatever's cursed in Vegas stays

621
00:34:29.599 --> 00:34:30.639
<v Speaker 2>in Vegas, so that's all good.

622
00:34:30.760 --> 00:34:33.480
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, right, Well, we made sure a lot of it

623
00:34:33.559 --> 00:34:35.079
<v Speaker 4>hit his social media pages.

624
00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:37.000
<v Speaker 7>I actually got him.

625
00:34:37.159 --> 00:34:39.920
<v Speaker 4>We took him because I mean he's huge, to be fair,

626
00:34:40.039 --> 00:34:44.239
<v Speaker 4>you know, he's the size of a child, so we

627
00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:48.639
<v Speaker 4>were uh we took him into one of the casinos

628
00:34:48.639 --> 00:34:49.960
<v Speaker 4>and asked if we can actually put him at a

629
00:34:49.960 --> 00:34:53.559
<v Speaker 4>slot machine and take his photo nice and uh yeah,

630
00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:55.760
<v Speaker 4>because you know, when in Vegas he might as well.

631
00:34:56.199 --> 00:34:58.480
<v Speaker 7>Uh. And it was it was absolutely insane people.

632
00:34:58.480 --> 00:35:00.559
<v Speaker 4>I had to go talk to the pit boss about it,

633
00:35:00.719 --> 00:35:05.000
<v Speaker 4>and we had security around us because you know, the

634
00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:07.239
<v Speaker 4>guy said, you have a whate because he traveled in

635
00:35:07.320 --> 00:35:11.800
<v Speaker 4>a body bag effectively, so he could I mean really,

636
00:35:12.199 --> 00:35:14.880
<v Speaker 4>he was in a big suit bag because we couldn't

637
00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:18.920
<v Speaker 4>take the chance of anybody spilling anything on him. So

638
00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:21.760
<v Speaker 4>we walked into the casino with, you know, holding like

639
00:35:21.960 --> 00:35:24.800
<v Speaker 4>a kid a body bag, and.

640
00:35:24.719 --> 00:35:26.800
<v Speaker 7>So people obviously staring at you, and they're going, what

641
00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:27.719
<v Speaker 7>is going on?

642
00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:29.880
<v Speaker 6>How did he? How did he do? Did he do?

643
00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:33.679
<v Speaker 7>No, he wasn't allowed to play, that was the rule.

644
00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:35.480
<v Speaker 7>We could only take a photo.

645
00:35:35.719 --> 00:35:40.239
<v Speaker 4>Well, he's quite over age, I think because he wasn't

646
00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:41.840
<v Speaker 4>God forbid, you know, he won.

647
00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:47.239
<v Speaker 7>And he's I guess, I guess the I R S probably.

648
00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:50.719
<v Speaker 4>Couldn't come after him for for his winnings their share

649
00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:52.960
<v Speaker 4>of the winnings. So they said, just you know, a

650
00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:54.800
<v Speaker 4>couple of photos, and the pit boss had to stand

651
00:35:54.800 --> 00:35:57.800
<v Speaker 4>behind us, and we had security flanking us to make

652
00:35:57.800 --> 00:35:59.679
<v Speaker 4>sure that nobody came up to us, and we didn't

653
00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:01.440
<v Speaker 4>actually do anything.

654
00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:03.639
<v Speaker 7>That we I mean, you know, who knows what we're

655
00:36:03.719 --> 00:36:04.840
<v Speaker 7>up to? Me what a great story.

656
00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:08.280
<v Speaker 4>Sure, I'm carrying han to dollar around and he's playing

657
00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:10.159
<v Speaker 4>slot machines. I mean, we could have that could have

658
00:36:10.199 --> 00:36:13.079
<v Speaker 4>been some kind of ridiculous story to do something else that.

659
00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:16.360
<v Speaker 7>We were heavily guarded when we were there.

660
00:36:17.519 --> 00:36:20.519
<v Speaker 5>So you're talking about the agendas of these TV shows

661
00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:23.280
<v Speaker 5>and the angles that they take. Do you feel like

662
00:36:23.320 --> 00:36:25.639
<v Speaker 5>there's a lot of pressure for you guys there at

663
00:36:25.639 --> 00:36:29.719
<v Speaker 5>the museum to play up the supernatural aspects of Robert's story.

664
00:36:31.159 --> 00:36:32.280
<v Speaker 7>I think so.

665
00:36:33.239 --> 00:36:35.119
<v Speaker 4>I think so, and you know, and of course we

666
00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:38.639
<v Speaker 4>have to be very conscientious of not putting people off

667
00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:42.599
<v Speaker 4>because you know, it's we're the museum has to deal

668
00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:45.519
<v Speaker 4>in fact. But we also don't want to discourage people

669
00:36:45.559 --> 00:36:47.360
<v Speaker 4>feeling that the way, you know, the way that they

670
00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:48.639
<v Speaker 4>would naturally feel.

671
00:36:49.800 --> 00:36:51.599
<v Speaker 7>So, you know, we we do not.

672
00:36:51.800 --> 00:36:55.320
<v Speaker 4>Say for anybody like whatever our personal beliefs are, whether

673
00:36:55.440 --> 00:36:57.840
<v Speaker 4>or not. I mean, there's staff members who really believe

674
00:36:57.880 --> 00:37:00.199
<v Speaker 4>in Robert and talk to him all the time they're

675
00:37:00.199 --> 00:37:02.880
<v Speaker 4>in the museum, and there are staff members that just say,

676
00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:05.639
<v Speaker 4>you know, really, this is you.

677
00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:07.039
<v Speaker 7>Know, it's it's a doll.

678
00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:11.519
<v Speaker 4>So, you know, we we can't let our personal beliefs

679
00:37:11.519 --> 00:37:14.320
<v Speaker 4>come into that and what the museum allows out there.

680
00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:16.880
<v Speaker 7>I mean, you know, my take on it is.

681
00:37:18.840 --> 00:37:21.920
<v Speaker 4>There's there has to be something to it because all

682
00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:25.679
<v Speaker 4>these people can't be wrong. I mean, he's contacted by

683
00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:29.559
<v Speaker 4>so many individuals talking about so many things, and how

684
00:37:29.599 --> 00:37:32.320
<v Speaker 4>he affects so many people's lives, Like who is the

685
00:37:32.360 --> 00:37:35.800
<v Speaker 4>museum to say yes or no that you're right or wrong?

686
00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:40.719
<v Speaker 4>So the museum has to be very ambiguous. But we

687
00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:47.400
<v Speaker 4>certainly will not make up something just to to follow

688
00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:49.719
<v Speaker 4>through with an agenda, let's say, for a program like that.

689
00:37:49.760 --> 00:37:52.159
<v Speaker 4>I mean, We've been contacted by a lot of programs.

690
00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:53.920
<v Speaker 4>I don't want to single them out like they're they're

691
00:37:54.119 --> 00:37:56.360
<v Speaker 4>they're the only ones. I mean, you know, he's been

692
00:37:56.400 --> 00:38:01.480
<v Speaker 4>to paranormal uh conference, and you know, I know that

693
00:38:01.800 --> 00:38:05.320
<v Speaker 4>they were some people there were very much trying to

694
00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:07.480
<v Speaker 4>push something, and then the other people were just like, Okay,

695
00:38:07.519 --> 00:38:09.559
<v Speaker 4>I'm just curious and I want to learn something. So

696
00:38:10.280 --> 00:38:11.960
<v Speaker 4>we just try to be very middle of the road

697
00:38:12.360 --> 00:38:14.199
<v Speaker 4>and let people make their own decisions.

698
00:38:14.559 --> 00:38:16.440
<v Speaker 5>I'm sure it can be a good gateway to history

699
00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:17.320
<v Speaker 5>in many ways too.

700
00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:18.920
<v Speaker 7>Yeah, I think so.

701
00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:23.199
<v Speaker 2>Would people still come see Robert if Eugene had just

702
00:38:23.239 --> 00:38:25.280
<v Speaker 2>been an adult with an attachment to a doll? I mean,

703
00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:29.000
<v Speaker 2>like if he had a mundane doll history, except that

704
00:38:29.079 --> 00:38:32.599
<v Speaker 2>his owner had been peculiar without the supernatural elements.

705
00:38:33.159 --> 00:38:34.880
<v Speaker 7>I know, who knows.

706
00:38:35.400 --> 00:38:37.800
<v Speaker 4>I don't know what the fascination is for people I

707
00:38:39.039 --> 00:38:42.559
<v Speaker 4>can't say. I mean, some people are attracted to the

708
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:46.480
<v Speaker 4>Roberts story sort of the Eugene story more because I

709
00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:48.400
<v Speaker 4>don't know if it's something that they can identify with.

710
00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:51.559
<v Speaker 4>I don't know if it's like a lonely little boy

711
00:38:51.639 --> 00:38:53.599
<v Speaker 4>thing that people you know growing up and you have

712
00:38:53.679 --> 00:38:57.599
<v Speaker 4>an attachment to, you know, other people or objects. So

713
00:38:57.639 --> 00:39:01.800
<v Speaker 4>some people find the fascination and the hatchment and not

714
00:39:01.840 --> 00:39:04.519
<v Speaker 4>necessarily Robert, where other people are just fascinated by the

715
00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:07.840
<v Speaker 4>supernatural and by Robert and.

716
00:39:09.480 --> 00:39:12.000
<v Speaker 7>You know who. I don't know. I don't know what

717
00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:12.880
<v Speaker 7>people come in.

718
00:39:12.920 --> 00:39:15.639
<v Speaker 4>People come to the museum because specifically because they don't

719
00:39:15.679 --> 00:39:18.159
<v Speaker 4>believe in Robert and they just want to prove something

720
00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:22.280
<v Speaker 4>that nothing will happen to them. I see, so you

721
00:39:22.320 --> 00:39:25.679
<v Speaker 4>know who knew. I can't really say whether or not

722
00:39:25.719 --> 00:39:29.000
<v Speaker 4>people would still come. I think that they would because

723
00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:31.199
<v Speaker 4>they do now for all sorts of reasons. So if

724
00:39:31.559 --> 00:39:35.400
<v Speaker 4>the circumstance changed but Robert was still on display, yeah,

725
00:39:35.400 --> 00:39:37.360
<v Speaker 4>of course people would probably come see him because they

726
00:39:37.360 --> 00:39:41.760
<v Speaker 4>still have their own justifications for that and reasonings to

727
00:39:41.920 --> 00:39:42.960
<v Speaker 4>visit Robert.

728
00:39:43.679 --> 00:39:45.440
<v Speaker 6>This is kind of not really a follow up, but

729
00:39:45.480 --> 00:39:46.119
<v Speaker 6>I just thought of it.

730
00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:50.000
<v Speaker 2>I want to ask, is, is anyone who has been

731
00:39:50.039 --> 00:39:54.760
<v Speaker 2>interviewed about what they've heard with Robert and Eugene talking.

732
00:39:54.440 --> 00:39:55.000
<v Speaker 6>To each other?

733
00:39:55.320 --> 00:39:57.760
<v Speaker 2>Did they describe the voice that they heard?

734
00:39:58.159 --> 00:39:58.320
<v Speaker 6>Did?

735
00:39:58.480 --> 00:40:00.960
<v Speaker 2>I mean, I'm just curious whether was the voice of

736
00:40:01.599 --> 00:40:03.960
<v Speaker 2>you know how sometimes kids, you know, or even like

737
00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:06.840
<v Speaker 2>almost like a ventriloquism, or was it a completely different

738
00:40:06.920 --> 00:40:09.079
<v Speaker 2>alien you know, I don't mean like from another planet.

739
00:40:09.079 --> 00:40:12.079
<v Speaker 2>I mean, alien is not the voice of Eugene.

740
00:40:12.079 --> 00:40:12.800
<v Speaker 6>Does that make sense?

741
00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:15.280
<v Speaker 7>Yeah? It does. I don't know.

742
00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:19.480
<v Speaker 4>David Sloan again, who's the one who authored the book

743
00:40:19.559 --> 00:40:23.159
<v Speaker 4>on Robert, carried out those interviews. I sat in on

744
00:40:23.239 --> 00:40:26.000
<v Speaker 4>a couple of them, and he taped them, so he

745
00:40:26.039 --> 00:40:28.760
<v Speaker 4>shared some of those with me. I don't remember if

746
00:40:29.079 --> 00:40:33.079
<v Speaker 4>it was mentioned. I don't remember personally, and I know

747
00:40:33.199 --> 00:40:38.559
<v Speaker 4>he interviewed people that heard either Robert talking or Eugene

748
00:40:38.559 --> 00:40:41.679
<v Speaker 4>throwing his voice, whichever the case is, that you know

749
00:40:41.719 --> 00:40:46.239
<v Speaker 4>you believe, I don't remember. David Is would be a

750
00:40:46.239 --> 00:40:48.719
<v Speaker 4>better person to ask for that. I'm not sure what

751
00:40:48.760 --> 00:40:52.719
<v Speaker 4>the voice would have sounded like. I mean, for the

752
00:40:52.719 --> 00:40:54.679
<v Speaker 4>fact that people would follow up to say that they

753
00:40:54.719 --> 00:40:57.079
<v Speaker 4>thought there were two people in the room. My gut

754
00:40:57.079 --> 00:41:01.480
<v Speaker 4>instinct is that the voice was quite different, because wouldn't

755
00:41:01.480 --> 00:41:03.960
<v Speaker 4>you just think it was Eugene talking to himself if

756
00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:06.480
<v Speaker 4>the voice was similar.

757
00:41:07.360 --> 00:41:07.599
<v Speaker 7>Yeah.

758
00:41:07.719 --> 00:41:10.039
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, And certainly when these stories are passed on, they

759
00:41:10.079 --> 00:41:13.320
<v Speaker 5>become embellished and it's very difficult to know what really happened.

760
00:41:13.679 --> 00:41:13.880
<v Speaker 7>Right.

761
00:41:15.079 --> 00:41:19.679
<v Speaker 5>So you were talking about Eugene's art and how accomplished

762
00:41:19.840 --> 00:41:22.559
<v Speaker 5>and well known he was, and is do you actually

763
00:41:22.599 --> 00:41:26.440
<v Speaker 5>have any of his artworks on display in the museum.

764
00:41:26.480 --> 00:41:29.960
<v Speaker 7>We don't. We own some of his artwork, we don't

765
00:41:29.960 --> 00:41:30.840
<v Speaker 7>have it on display.

766
00:41:31.679 --> 00:41:35.719
<v Speaker 4>Some of the pieces it's we think it's probably it's

767
00:41:35.719 --> 00:41:38.559
<v Speaker 4>probably best security wise that they're not because they're smaller

768
00:41:39.480 --> 00:41:42.599
<v Speaker 4>and people are I mean, of course whenever we would

769
00:41:42.679 --> 00:41:46.119
<v Speaker 4>never accuse me. But you know, we certainly are more

770
00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:51.119
<v Speaker 4>cautious with Eugene's artwork because of its size and because

771
00:41:51.400 --> 00:41:56.920
<v Speaker 4>of the information circulating around about Robert, and if somebody

772
00:41:57.000 --> 00:41:59.519
<v Speaker 4>had an attachment to Robert, which they do, I mean,

773
00:41:59.559 --> 00:42:02.639
<v Speaker 4>he gets love letters and presents and all sorts of things.

774
00:42:02.679 --> 00:42:07.239
<v Speaker 4>So the museum feels that it's probably for the best

775
00:42:07.320 --> 00:42:10.960
<v Speaker 4>that we don't leave original artwork out because the museum

776
00:42:11.079 --> 00:42:13.960
<v Speaker 4>is busy, but it's not fully I mean it's supervised,

777
00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:15.880
<v Speaker 4>but it's not like we don't have security guards in

778
00:42:15.880 --> 00:42:17.599
<v Speaker 4>that room twenty four hours a day.

779
00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:19.639
<v Speaker 2>I think we'd actually like to talk a little bit

780
00:42:19.639 --> 00:42:23.159
<v Speaker 2>about the museum itself too. But I have one more

781
00:42:23.800 --> 00:42:28.599
<v Speaker 2>sort of Robert question, which is, I've heard that Chucky

782
00:42:28.639 --> 00:42:30.719
<v Speaker 2>from Child's Play was based on Robert.

783
00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:32.000
<v Speaker 6>Do you know if there's any truth for that?

784
00:42:33.840 --> 00:42:38.320
<v Speaker 4>No, absolutely, not even that the I don't remember the

785
00:42:38.360 --> 00:42:40.719
<v Speaker 4>director's name of the film. I mean he even came up,

786
00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:43.000
<v Speaker 4>because he's obviously been asked this question over and over again.

787
00:42:43.119 --> 00:42:47.800
<v Speaker 4>He said no, awesome, that's really interesting, he said no.

788
00:42:47.960 --> 00:42:49.880
<v Speaker 4>And I know David tried to follow up with him

789
00:42:49.880 --> 00:42:52.440
<v Speaker 4>who's writing the book, because that's something that David and

790
00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:55.119
<v Speaker 4>I have like a real bugbear about is And I understand.

791
00:42:55.199 --> 00:42:57.400
<v Speaker 4>I get it because they're dolls and they have owners,

792
00:42:57.440 --> 00:43:00.239
<v Speaker 4>and you know, Chucky killed people and Robert, but I

793
00:43:00.320 --> 00:43:03.119
<v Speaker 4>understand it being based on something. But even the movies

794
00:43:03.199 --> 00:43:07.079
<v Speaker 4>directors come out and said, no, there's no basis for that.

795
00:43:07.679 --> 00:43:09.280
<v Speaker 7>Yeah, I know it's out. I mean it's everywhere.

796
00:43:09.320 --> 00:43:11.679
<v Speaker 4>I mean people, it is. It is, and there's you know,

797
00:43:11.719 --> 00:43:15.639
<v Speaker 4>the museum says it isn't. But you know, there's there's

798
00:43:15.679 --> 00:43:17.039
<v Speaker 4>plenty of other websites that do.

799
00:43:17.159 --> 00:43:20.519
<v Speaker 5>So, Okay, well, we wanted to ask you a bit

800
00:43:20.519 --> 00:43:23.559
<v Speaker 5>more about the museum. So what kind of work does

801
00:43:23.639 --> 00:43:25.440
<v Speaker 5>curating a museum entail.

802
00:43:27.079 --> 00:43:30.639
<v Speaker 4>I'm responsible for all the objects in our collection and

803
00:43:31.320 --> 00:43:35.719
<v Speaker 4>writing all of the didactic information that gets put out there,

804
00:43:36.159 --> 00:43:40.599
<v Speaker 4>as well as doing the displays, so kind of kind

805
00:43:40.639 --> 00:43:45.000
<v Speaker 4>of a lot, kind of it keeps me extremely busy.

806
00:43:45.519 --> 00:43:47.599
<v Speaker 4>So that's that's kind of my job in nutshell and

807
00:43:47.960 --> 00:43:52.440
<v Speaker 4>doing all sorts of dealing with inquiries and it's it's

808
00:43:52.880 --> 00:43:54.679
<v Speaker 4>fascinating work.

809
00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:56.159
<v Speaker 7>I mean, Robert is one.

810
00:43:56.000 --> 00:43:59.440
<v Speaker 4>Of you know, we've we probably have at least thirty

811
00:43:59.480 --> 00:44:03.000
<v Speaker 4>thousand objects in the collection, so he's one of so

812
00:44:03.039 --> 00:44:06.280
<v Speaker 4>he's uh, I mean, he's a big responsibility because he's.

813
00:44:06.239 --> 00:44:09.719
<v Speaker 7>One of our more well known objects.

814
00:44:09.760 --> 00:44:13.400
<v Speaker 4>So he does get we have a bias toward him

815
00:44:13.400 --> 00:44:15.519
<v Speaker 4>because of course, you know, he is he is more

816
00:44:15.559 --> 00:44:17.760
<v Speaker 4>special than some of the other ones. He is pretty special,

817
00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:22.400
<v Speaker 4>so we do a bias. But that's that's that's my job.

818
00:44:22.480 --> 00:44:22.840
<v Speaker 7>Usually.

819
00:44:23.079 --> 00:44:25.159
<v Speaker 2>What sort of other objects do you have in the museum,

820
00:44:25.199 --> 00:44:28.559
<v Speaker 2>What what notable historical type things, what do you like

821
00:44:28.599 --> 00:44:29.840
<v Speaker 2>to highlight besides.

822
00:44:29.559 --> 00:44:34.280
<v Speaker 4>Robert Well, so Robert is in forty Smartella Museum. The

823
00:44:36.079 --> 00:44:40.000
<v Speaker 4>historical society that I work for, actually we have three museums,

824
00:44:40.599 --> 00:44:46.400
<v Speaker 4>so Robert is at the fort. There are we tend

825
00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:48.559
<v Speaker 4>to each one has its own identity. Each of the

826
00:44:48.599 --> 00:44:50.880
<v Speaker 4>museum sites has its own identity. We run the lighthouse

827
00:44:50.880 --> 00:44:54.039
<v Speaker 4>as well, so that has a completely separate identity and

828
00:44:54.079 --> 00:44:58.039
<v Speaker 4>attracts a completely different set of visitors. And then we

829
00:44:58.519 --> 00:45:01.159
<v Speaker 4>operate another museum that's the Museum of Art and History

830
00:45:01.159 --> 00:45:03.800
<v Speaker 4>of Key West. So there's a little bit of crossover

831
00:45:03.880 --> 00:45:08.039
<v Speaker 4>between the Fort and the Museum of Art and History.

832
00:45:08.280 --> 00:45:11.119
<v Speaker 4>So each one we try to highlight different objects in

833
00:45:11.159 --> 00:45:16.519
<v Speaker 4>each place because let's say, for instance, the lighthouse attracts

834
00:45:16.639 --> 00:45:22.280
<v Speaker 4>people that are more interested in military history usually or

835
00:45:22.360 --> 00:45:25.480
<v Speaker 4>nautical history, or you know, people just love lighthouses.

836
00:45:24.960 --> 00:45:25.719
<v Speaker 7>So they go there.

837
00:45:26.039 --> 00:45:28.719
<v Speaker 4>A lot of visitors to the fort are really interested

838
00:45:28.719 --> 00:45:31.519
<v Speaker 4>in Robert. I mean he is one of the big

839
00:45:31.639 --> 00:45:34.000
<v Speaker 4>drives for people to go to the fore. I mean

840
00:45:34.039 --> 00:45:35.800
<v Speaker 4>there's a lot of other objects there, and that's what

841
00:45:35.840 --> 00:45:39.000
<v Speaker 4>we tend to find with visitors. They'll come for Robert

842
00:45:39.280 --> 00:45:41.760
<v Speaker 4>and they learn so much more because we tried to

843
00:45:41.880 --> 00:45:45.679
<v Speaker 4>talk about the history of Key West in there in

844
00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:49.039
<v Speaker 4>that museum, we talk about all the different industries. The

845
00:45:49.159 --> 00:45:52.760
<v Speaker 4>museum itself is a Civil War era fort that was

846
00:45:52.920 --> 00:45:56.199
<v Speaker 4>used through the Civil War. It was used through the

847
00:45:56.199 --> 00:45:57.480
<v Speaker 4>Spanish American War.

848
00:45:57.880 --> 00:46:00.199
<v Speaker 7>They used it during World War one and two.

849
00:46:00.480 --> 00:46:03.320
<v Speaker 4>They also because Key West is the closest to Cuba,

850
00:46:03.440 --> 00:46:06.760
<v Speaker 4>when there was the Cuban Missile crisis, that actually that

851
00:46:06.800 --> 00:46:10.760
<v Speaker 4>fort is the closest building to or one of the

852
00:46:10.760 --> 00:46:13.880
<v Speaker 4>closest buildings to Cuba. So when Kennedy actually came to

853
00:46:13.920 --> 00:46:16.719
<v Speaker 4>Key westerning the Cuban missile crisis, you know, there was

854
00:46:16.760 --> 00:46:19.760
<v Speaker 4>a lot going on at the fort militarily. So people

855
00:46:19.920 --> 00:46:24.920
<v Speaker 4>liked that fort in particular because of its military.

856
00:46:24.480 --> 00:46:26.639
<v Speaker 7>Draw So we highlight a lot of that history.

857
00:46:27.239 --> 00:46:31.079
<v Speaker 4>What that also means is it when you have a

858
00:46:31.119 --> 00:46:35.320
<v Speaker 4>military history, especially civil war and especially before disease prevention

859
00:46:35.440 --> 00:46:40.079
<v Speaker 4>and disease control was much more mainstream, a lot of

860
00:46:40.079 --> 00:46:43.320
<v Speaker 4>the soldiers that were stationed in Key West, you know,

861
00:46:43.480 --> 00:46:47.000
<v Speaker 4>died because we're in a very tropical environment. Yellow fever

862
00:46:47.079 --> 00:46:51.599
<v Speaker 4>outbreaks happened a lot, and they would quarantine at the fort.

863
00:46:51.760 --> 00:46:55.519
<v Speaker 4>So I think there's always been this idea of death

864
00:46:55.840 --> 00:47:00.320
<v Speaker 4>and a little bit of a darkness surrounding it. And

865
00:47:00.400 --> 00:47:04.159
<v Speaker 4>so Robert was a natural fit for the fort when

866
00:47:04.199 --> 00:47:07.679
<v Speaker 4>he was donated, because I kind of had that connotation anyway,

867
00:47:08.599 --> 00:47:11.239
<v Speaker 4>and I think a lot of it is because the

868
00:47:11.280 --> 00:47:13.760
<v Speaker 4>history and history you're looking in the past, it's gone,

869
00:47:14.079 --> 00:47:16.760
<v Speaker 4>so it has that sort of error of not being

870
00:47:16.800 --> 00:47:21.320
<v Speaker 4>here anymore, because it's like industries that are defunct, so

871
00:47:21.480 --> 00:47:24.199
<v Speaker 4>you have I think that kind of that same mindset.

872
00:47:24.599 --> 00:47:27.039
<v Speaker 7>So Robert was a natural fit to be out there.

873
00:47:27.440 --> 00:47:29.960
<v Speaker 7>And then other objects started filtering in.

874
00:47:30.039 --> 00:47:33.039
<v Speaker 4>I mean, once you have, I guess, one haunted object,

875
00:47:33.039 --> 00:47:35.840
<v Speaker 4>everybody calls you to donate or talk to you about

876
00:47:36.039 --> 00:47:36.639
<v Speaker 4>other objects.

877
00:47:36.679 --> 00:47:39.320
<v Speaker 7>Actually, before Robert was there, we had.

878
00:47:39.079 --> 00:47:42.239
<v Speaker 4>A donation I think it was in the fifties, maybe

879
00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:46.199
<v Speaker 4>early nineteen sixties of a horse drawn hearse from the

880
00:47:46.239 --> 00:47:50.280
<v Speaker 4>funeral pollar down here, one of them down here. The

881
00:47:50.320 --> 00:47:54.159
<v Speaker 4>funeral director donated it because they obviously moved into a

882
00:47:54.239 --> 00:47:58.559
<v Speaker 4>vehicle for their funeral processions and they had this horse

883
00:47:58.639 --> 00:48:02.119
<v Speaker 4>drawn hearse that had carried you know, god who knows

884
00:48:02.119 --> 00:48:04.800
<v Speaker 4>how many bodies, and that was donated to us in

885
00:48:04.800 --> 00:48:07.920
<v Speaker 4>the sixties. So we've always had that as an organization,

886
00:48:08.159 --> 00:48:09.679
<v Speaker 4>and that's always been on display.

887
00:48:10.079 --> 00:48:12.920
<v Speaker 7>Then we had Robert. Then there was a.

888
00:48:13.000 --> 00:48:19.159
<v Speaker 4>Very really creepy, horrible story about a guy that stole

889
00:48:19.199 --> 00:48:23.719
<v Speaker 4>a woman out of the Keys Cemetery. The marker because

890
00:48:23.719 --> 00:48:25.599
<v Speaker 4>there was no headstone per se, because it was an

891
00:48:25.719 --> 00:48:27.760
<v Speaker 4>entire above ground mausoleum.

892
00:48:27.679 --> 00:48:28.719
<v Speaker 7>Built for her.

893
00:48:29.440 --> 00:48:34.039
<v Speaker 4>There was a marble sign that had her name on

894
00:48:34.119 --> 00:48:36.719
<v Speaker 4>it and you know, her birth date and her death date,

895
00:48:37.280 --> 00:48:44.079
<v Speaker 4>and one that the mausoleum exploded. Somebody salvaged this plaque,

896
00:48:44.280 --> 00:48:49.280
<v Speaker 4>this sign, marble stone sign, and the museum actually has it.

897
00:48:49.320 --> 00:48:52.199
<v Speaker 7>They donated it to the museum. So I'm curious.

898
00:48:52.280 --> 00:48:54.840
<v Speaker 5>Is anyone ever offered to buy Robert.

899
00:48:54.960 --> 00:48:59.440
<v Speaker 4>Absolutely, We've had phone calls from people offering a you know,

900
00:48:59.639 --> 00:49:02.880
<v Speaker 4>insane amounts of money for you know, truthful or not.

901
00:49:03.000 --> 00:49:05.480
<v Speaker 7>Who knows. I I don't know.

902
00:49:05.800 --> 00:49:08.599
<v Speaker 4>I usually get lucky enough to field these phone calls.

903
00:49:09.039 --> 00:49:14.559
<v Speaker 4>And yeah, I mean, you know, a million, a billion dollars. Okay,

904
00:49:15.440 --> 00:49:17.440
<v Speaker 4>she's not for sale. Yeah, he's not for sale as

905
00:49:17.440 --> 00:49:19.559
<v Speaker 4>a museum objects. You know, we don't, we're not in

906
00:49:19.559 --> 00:49:21.840
<v Speaker 4>the habit of selling museum objects. We had a woman

907
00:49:22.079 --> 00:49:23.199
<v Speaker 4>call saying that.

908
00:49:23.880 --> 00:49:26.559
<v Speaker 7>She was she was the.

909
00:49:28.280 --> 00:49:32.480
<v Speaker 4>I don't know, the somehow related. Oh, she was Eugene

910
00:49:32.599 --> 00:49:39.480
<v Speaker 4>auto's daughter and she wanted the doll and I said, okay,

911
00:49:40.480 --> 00:49:44.440
<v Speaker 4>you know, obviously I'll entertain the phone conversation. So I said, oh, okay,

912
00:49:44.480 --> 00:49:47.639
<v Speaker 4>so what are you proposing? And she said a whole

913
00:49:47.639 --> 00:49:49.880
<v Speaker 4>bunch of numbers, and I just said, well, you know,

914
00:49:49.880 --> 00:49:51.280
<v Speaker 4>they didn't have children, so I don't.

915
00:49:51.119 --> 00:49:53.599
<v Speaker 7>Know how you know you're possibly the daughter if they.

916
00:49:53.559 --> 00:49:57.000
<v Speaker 4>Didn't have children. And so then she said something really

917
00:49:57.119 --> 00:49:58.840
<v Speaker 4>nasty to me on the phone, told me I would

918
00:49:58.880 --> 00:50:01.360
<v Speaker 4>be cursed and hung up on. So, you know, we

919
00:50:01.400 --> 00:50:03.559
<v Speaker 4>get all we get all sorts. I mean, I don't

920
00:50:03.599 --> 00:50:08.320
<v Speaker 4>think we've ever had a legitimate offer for Robert that

921
00:50:08.400 --> 00:50:11.199
<v Speaker 4>people can follow through with, but we get a lot

922
00:50:11.199 --> 00:50:14.119
<v Speaker 4>of phone calls allegedly offering to purchase him.

923
00:50:15.360 --> 00:50:17.320
<v Speaker 2>Well, if we go to Key West and want to

924
00:50:17.360 --> 00:50:19.280
<v Speaker 2>see the museum, I mean you said there's more than

925
00:50:19.320 --> 00:50:22.079
<v Speaker 2>you've actually got three locations, but can you buy like

926
00:50:22.119 --> 00:50:24.039
<v Speaker 2>one pass and it covers all three or how does

927
00:50:24.079 --> 00:50:24.400
<v Speaker 2>that work?

928
00:50:24.480 --> 00:50:24.920
<v Speaker 6>Yeah?

929
00:50:24.960 --> 00:50:25.599
<v Speaker 7>Yeah you can.

930
00:50:26.039 --> 00:50:28.360
<v Speaker 5>Great, Okay, go to get out there someday.

931
00:50:28.800 --> 00:50:29.960
<v Speaker 7>Yeah, it's beautiful.

932
00:50:30.760 --> 00:50:32.320
<v Speaker 2>I've always wanted to go down there, and there seems

933
00:50:32.320 --> 00:50:34.320
<v Speaker 2>like there's a lot of things to see, so that

934
00:50:34.400 --> 00:50:37.159
<v Speaker 2>sounds neat yeah, and there's a beach too, apparently I

935
00:50:37.199 --> 00:50:39.679
<v Speaker 2>had If you haven't heard that, that's a just one.

936
00:50:41.199 --> 00:50:43.719
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, it's it's tough. It's tough living here.

937
00:50:44.280 --> 00:50:48.000
<v Speaker 5>Is there that interesting cemetery as well? With all of

938
00:50:48.119 --> 00:50:54.440
<v Speaker 5>the the witty epitaphs and some strange music.

939
00:50:55.039 --> 00:50:58.880
<v Speaker 4>Us Keys cemetery is I think it's one of the

940
00:50:58.920 --> 00:51:00.559
<v Speaker 4>most underrated.

941
00:51:01.639 --> 00:51:03.119
<v Speaker 7>Things to do down here.

942
00:51:03.599 --> 00:51:05.440
<v Speaker 4>You know, you go to places like New Orleans and

943
00:51:05.480 --> 00:51:08.639
<v Speaker 4>they have special tours all the time for and people

944
00:51:08.679 --> 00:51:12.559
<v Speaker 4>are just so engaged with the cemeteries, and here they

945
00:51:12.599 --> 00:51:16.000
<v Speaker 4>do as good a job as they can because it's

946
00:51:16.039 --> 00:51:19.440
<v Speaker 4>still an operational cemetery. Uh so they you know, they

947
00:51:19.440 --> 00:51:21.880
<v Speaker 4>can't do like regular tours, and they just encourage people

948
00:51:21.920 --> 00:51:23.079
<v Speaker 4>to go through on their own.

949
00:51:23.840 --> 00:51:24.199
<v Speaker 7>And they have.

950
00:51:24.199 --> 00:51:27.320
<v Speaker 4>Wonderful maps online, so they don't want to, you know,

951
00:51:27.360 --> 00:51:30.559
<v Speaker 4>disrupt services or tell people, you know, run tours while

952
00:51:31.360 --> 00:51:35.960
<v Speaker 4>families are grieving, so you know, they encourage you to

953
00:51:35.960 --> 00:51:37.559
<v Speaker 4>do it on your own. And I don't know that

954
00:51:37.679 --> 00:51:44.039
<v Speaker 4>enough people do that. I mean, there's some really hilarious headstones,

955
00:51:44.239 --> 00:51:47.719
<v Speaker 4>there's some really interesting people that are that are buried here,

956
00:51:48.159 --> 00:51:51.039
<v Speaker 4>and you have I think one of the more fascinating

957
00:51:51.079 --> 00:51:53.119
<v Speaker 4>aspects of it is, and it kind of I think

958
00:51:53.320 --> 00:51:57.880
<v Speaker 4>speaks to Key West in general historically. Is you know,

959
00:51:57.920 --> 00:52:02.079
<v Speaker 4>you've got everybody's in one cemetery, so you've you know,

960
00:52:02.119 --> 00:52:05.519
<v Speaker 4>you have the Jewish population, of the Catholic population, you

961
00:52:05.559 --> 00:52:07.559
<v Speaker 4>have blacks, you have white too, Hispanics. I mean, they're

962
00:52:07.559 --> 00:52:10.840
<v Speaker 4>all buried in and amongst each other. So it's a

963
00:52:10.880 --> 00:52:16.599
<v Speaker 4>really neat I think, cultural comment. But also I think

964
00:52:16.639 --> 00:52:18.960
<v Speaker 4>it gives you a really good idea of who lived

965
00:52:18.960 --> 00:52:21.679
<v Speaker 4>here in a lot of the history in qs and

966
00:52:21.719 --> 00:52:23.760
<v Speaker 4>some of the humor that goes with it. I mean,

967
00:52:23.800 --> 00:52:26.239
<v Speaker 4>somebody has their pet deer. Actually, the Auto family has

968
00:52:26.280 --> 00:52:28.519
<v Speaker 4>their deer buried with them.

969
00:52:28.559 --> 00:52:29.519
<v Speaker 7>They had a pet deer.

970
00:52:31.360 --> 00:52:36.199
<v Speaker 4>And they had you know, somebody has on a woman

971
00:52:37.119 --> 00:52:39.000
<v Speaker 4>wrote like a see I told you I was sick

972
00:52:39.039 --> 00:52:39.800
<v Speaker 4>on her headstone.

973
00:52:39.840 --> 00:52:42.639
<v Speaker 7>So there's lots of little funny.

974
00:52:43.000 --> 00:52:47.039
<v Speaker 6>That's really funny. But you know, Turky, I think it's kind.

975
00:52:46.840 --> 00:52:50.000
<v Speaker 2>Of lamentable that to some degree, a lot of these

976
00:52:50.039 --> 00:52:54.599
<v Speaker 2>ghosting TV shows seem to have played up the idea of,

977
00:52:54.800 --> 00:52:59.000
<v Speaker 2>you know, haunted graveyards and cemeteries. I think historically there

978
00:52:59.000 --> 00:53:00.960
<v Speaker 2>are places where you were member of the people, and

979
00:53:01.400 --> 00:53:03.760
<v Speaker 2>it's historical you remember the history of the people.

980
00:53:04.079 --> 00:53:04.960
<v Speaker 6>People you might not know.

981
00:53:05.079 --> 00:53:07.320
<v Speaker 2>You might stop and see something interesting and like want

982
00:53:07.360 --> 00:53:09.960
<v Speaker 2>to find out more about that person who did this

983
00:53:10.039 --> 00:53:12.920
<v Speaker 2>thing or who was remembered for this thing, or or

984
00:53:12.920 --> 00:53:16.039
<v Speaker 2>at least think about them right in the context that

985
00:53:16.079 --> 00:53:17.920
<v Speaker 2>they had and the you know, all the other things

986
00:53:17.960 --> 00:53:20.199
<v Speaker 2>that come with that, which you know, the brevity of

987
00:53:20.239 --> 00:53:23.480
<v Speaker 2>life and so on. But they're underrated. They're underrated. I

988
00:53:23.519 --> 00:53:25.800
<v Speaker 2>think our listeners probably like them, but you know, well, I.

989
00:53:25.800 --> 00:53:27.639
<v Speaker 5>Think a lot of them were. Historically, you treated it

990
00:53:27.639 --> 00:53:30.320
<v Speaker 5>as parks and the people would go there and have lunch,

991
00:53:30.400 --> 00:53:33.280
<v Speaker 5>and so they didn't quite have the stigma that they

992
00:53:33.360 --> 00:53:36.000
<v Speaker 5>often have today. Corey, we have a question that we

993
00:53:36.119 --> 00:53:38.360
<v Speaker 5>like to ask all of our guests, so our final question,

994
00:53:38.480 --> 00:53:40.320
<v Speaker 5>and that is what's your favorite monster.

995
00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:45.760
<v Speaker 7>I don't know, there's just so many.

996
00:53:45.519 --> 00:53:50.119
<v Speaker 4>To pick from. I would say, I don't know. I'm

997
00:53:50.199 --> 00:53:52.280
<v Speaker 4>kind of since I'm a historian. I think I'm a

998
00:53:52.280 --> 00:53:54.800
<v Speaker 4>little old school, and I would just stick to like

999
00:53:54.840 --> 00:53:56.519
<v Speaker 4>a good classic like Frankenstein.

1000
00:53:57.440 --> 00:53:58.639
<v Speaker 6>It's nice, can't go wrong.

1001
00:53:58.760 --> 00:54:01.639
<v Speaker 4>I mean, yeah, I think I'm just you know, like,

1002
00:54:01.760 --> 00:54:02.119
<v Speaker 4>I'd like.

1003
00:54:02.079 --> 00:54:02.880
<v Speaker 7>To keep it simple.

1004
00:54:03.400 --> 00:54:05.920
<v Speaker 5>I think we've had before, so that's good.

1005
00:54:06.000 --> 00:54:09.400
<v Speaker 2>Well, I think someone will throw something at their iPod

1006
00:54:09.440 --> 00:54:12.199
<v Speaker 2>if I don't say, well, technically Frankenstein was not the monster,

1007
00:54:12.280 --> 00:54:14.400
<v Speaker 2>but you know, it depends on how you look at it,

1008
00:54:14.440 --> 00:54:17.400
<v Speaker 2>and certainly within the Hammer films and their interpretation of it,

1009
00:54:17.800 --> 00:54:20.400
<v Speaker 2>the doctor Frankenstin did become the monster in many ways.

1010
00:54:20.440 --> 00:54:23.159
<v Speaker 2>But I actually just came back from watching young Young

1011
00:54:23.159 --> 00:54:27.039
<v Speaker 2>Frankenston on a special one night big screen presentation last night.

1012
00:54:27.079 --> 00:54:30.960
<v Speaker 2>I just the whole idea of reanimating the dead. It

1013
00:54:31.000 --> 00:54:35.199
<v Speaker 2>ties in nicely with this episode anyway. Definitely, I think

1014
00:54:35.239 --> 00:54:36.239
<v Speaker 2>it's a great choice.

1015
00:54:36.679 --> 00:54:37.400
<v Speaker 7>Yeah, excellent.

1016
00:54:38.079 --> 00:54:41.360
<v Speaker 5>Thanks, but yeah, thank you so much for coming on

1017
00:54:41.400 --> 00:54:43.360
<v Speaker 5>the show. We've been talking about wanting to do a

1018
00:54:43.440 --> 00:54:45.599
<v Speaker 5>rob at the Doll Show for years now, so we're

1019
00:54:45.719 --> 00:54:48.079
<v Speaker 5>very very happy and we're really excited about this one.

1020
00:54:48.159 --> 00:54:50.360
<v Speaker 2>And thank you so much for your work in preserving

1021
00:54:50.400 --> 00:54:51.800
<v Speaker 2>history and making it available to people.

1022
00:54:51.840 --> 00:54:52.679
<v Speaker 6>That's really important.

1023
00:54:53.280 --> 00:54:56.320
<v Speaker 7>Yeah, thank you. It's that's really what we do it for.

1024
00:54:56.400 --> 00:54:59.320
<v Speaker 4>You know, working for a nonprofits not the most glorious,

1025
00:54:59.360 --> 00:55:01.960
<v Speaker 4>so you know, it's things and just getting out there

1026
00:55:02.000 --> 00:55:04.760
<v Speaker 4>and getting people to learn really makes the job so

1027
00:55:04.840 --> 00:55:05.679
<v Speaker 4>much more rewarding.

1028
00:55:06.119 --> 00:55:11.119
<v Speaker 6>Monstertle, you've been listening to Monster Talk. I'm Blake Smith

1029
00:55:11.519 --> 00:55:12.800
<v Speaker 6>and I'm Karen Stolsner.

1030
00:55:13.239 --> 00:55:16.000
<v Speaker 2>You just heard an interview with doctor Corey Covertito about

1031
00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:19.239
<v Speaker 2>Robert the Doll in his Strange History. As you heard,

1032
00:55:19.599 --> 00:55:22.880
<v Speaker 2>there's a particular atmosphere surrounding Robert in his exhibit at

1033
00:55:22.920 --> 00:55:26.920
<v Speaker 2>Key West. Corey called it an energy. But I want

1034
00:55:26.960 --> 00:55:29.559
<v Speaker 2>to talk a little bit about that idea. In his

1035
00:55:29.679 --> 00:55:34.840
<v Speaker 2>book The Science of Superstition, psychology professor Bruce Hood tells

1036
00:55:34.880 --> 00:55:37.559
<v Speaker 2>about a fascinating experiment in which people were asked to

1037
00:55:37.559 --> 00:55:41.199
<v Speaker 2>try on a sweater. It's a simple experimental idea. Would

1038
00:55:41.239 --> 00:55:43.480
<v Speaker 2>people be willing to try on a clean sweater from

1039
00:55:43.480 --> 00:55:46.199
<v Speaker 2>a stranger? Most people wouldn't mind.

1040
00:55:46.599 --> 00:55:47.559
<v Speaker 6>But when Bruce.

1041
00:55:47.280 --> 00:55:50.639
<v Speaker 2>Tells them the sweater belonged to a notorious serial killer,

1042
00:55:51.039 --> 00:55:53.760
<v Speaker 2>Suddenly few people are willing to touch the sweater.

1043
00:55:54.360 --> 00:55:55.239
<v Speaker 6>Why.

1044
00:55:56.000 --> 00:55:59.599
<v Speaker 2>It's because we have an idea of tainted items, the

1045
00:55:59.679 --> 00:56:02.639
<v Speaker 2>things we experience, even the way we rate the quality

1046
00:56:02.679 --> 00:56:06.119
<v Speaker 2>of food and drink. It's heavily influenced by expectation and

1047
00:56:06.280 --> 00:56:09.760
<v Speaker 2>mood and a number of complicated feelings beyond the immediate

1048
00:56:09.840 --> 00:56:12.320
<v Speaker 2>visceral act of experiencing whatever it is.

1049
00:56:12.360 --> 00:56:12.920
<v Speaker 6>We're trying.

1050
00:56:13.519 --> 00:56:15.840
<v Speaker 2>A big idea in the study of superstition is that

1051
00:56:15.840 --> 00:56:20.559
<v Speaker 2>people attribute agency to particular patterns of events and sensations.

1052
00:56:21.199 --> 00:56:24.320
<v Speaker 2>Superstitions come from the very powerful effect of our brain

1053
00:56:24.400 --> 00:56:28.440
<v Speaker 2>finding patterns and matching them to a particular cause. If

1054
00:56:28.480 --> 00:56:31.360
<v Speaker 2>you wear green socks and your team winds, and then

1055
00:56:31.360 --> 00:56:34.400
<v Speaker 2>you wear green socks again later and your team wins.

1056
00:56:34.719 --> 00:56:35.519
<v Speaker 6>It's the socks.

1057
00:56:36.280 --> 00:56:38.119
<v Speaker 2>It couldn't be the skill of the players or the

1058
00:56:38.199 --> 00:56:42.159
<v Speaker 2>random variations that happened during a game. No, clearly, your

1059
00:56:42.199 --> 00:56:44.840
<v Speaker 2>footwear choices are really good siding factor of what else

1060
00:56:44.840 --> 00:56:49.239
<v Speaker 2>could explain it? Okay, that's a silly example, but that's

1061
00:56:49.280 --> 00:56:52.239
<v Speaker 2>the kind of stuff the superstition's made of. There's a

1062
00:56:52.280 --> 00:56:55.400
<v Speaker 2>mental effect called confirmation bias, which comes up again and

1063
00:56:55.400 --> 00:56:58.840
<v Speaker 2>again when we research why people believe bizarre and unlikely things.

1064
00:56:59.360 --> 00:57:02.440
<v Speaker 2>Confirmation bias is a tendency to see things which confirm

1065
00:57:02.480 --> 00:57:05.519
<v Speaker 2>to your belief and to ignore things which don't match

1066
00:57:05.559 --> 00:57:06.079
<v Speaker 2>the pattern.

1067
00:57:06.639 --> 00:57:07.440
<v Speaker 6>If you've ever.

1068
00:57:07.360 --> 00:57:09.519
<v Speaker 2>Lived with someone who frequently left the seat up on

1069
00:57:09.559 --> 00:57:12.960
<v Speaker 2>the toilet, you might find yourself thinking, he always leaves

1070
00:57:12.960 --> 00:57:16.280
<v Speaker 2>the seat up, Yet what if sometimes he doesn't? Would

1071
00:57:16.360 --> 00:57:19.159
<v Speaker 2>you notice? Why would you? That's not the pattern you're

1072
00:57:19.199 --> 00:57:25.000
<v Speaker 2>looking for. Attribution is a big challenge in researching the paranormal.

1073
00:57:25.320 --> 00:57:29.320
<v Speaker 2>When something peculiar happens, was it caused by aliens? Was

1074
00:57:29.360 --> 00:57:32.920
<v Speaker 2>it a ghost? Could it have been demons? Did anything

1075
00:57:32.960 --> 00:57:36.559
<v Speaker 2>even really happen? If something did happen, was it really peculiar?

1076
00:57:36.880 --> 00:57:40.039
<v Speaker 2>This whole problem of attribution, Who are what caused that

1077
00:57:40.079 --> 00:57:43.159
<v Speaker 2>strange event or that unusual feeling is something to consider

1078
00:57:43.280 --> 00:57:46.960
<v Speaker 2>very closely when thinking about Robert the Doll. And Another

1079
00:57:47.000 --> 00:57:51.119
<v Speaker 2>important psychological effect is called priming, the setting of expectations,

1080
00:57:51.119 --> 00:57:55.559
<v Speaker 2>whether consciously or unconsciously, before an encounter takes place. Just

1081
00:57:55.639 --> 00:57:58.559
<v Speaker 2>like listening to creepy music and seeing other scary trailers

1082
00:57:58.599 --> 00:58:01.760
<v Speaker 2>primes you for an experience at all horror film. Imagine

1083
00:58:01.800 --> 00:58:05.079
<v Speaker 2>hearing Legends and Laura surrounding this doll Robert before finally

1084
00:58:05.119 --> 00:58:08.199
<v Speaker 2>coming to see him on display. Robert isn't just a

1085
00:58:08.320 --> 00:58:11.239
<v Speaker 2>dolly museum, and he's not just adorned with a sailor

1086
00:58:11.280 --> 00:58:15.199
<v Speaker 2>outfit and filled with straw. Robert is decorated with thousands

1087
00:58:15.199 --> 00:58:18.000
<v Speaker 2>of stories in more than a century of lore. He's

1088
00:58:18.039 --> 00:58:19.480
<v Speaker 2>stuffed with meaning.

1089
00:58:19.119 --> 00:58:20.800
<v Speaker 6>As much as he's stuffed with straw.

1090
00:58:21.559 --> 00:58:24.400
<v Speaker 2>I don't think it's surprising that people find Robert frightening.

1091
00:58:25.079 --> 00:58:27.920
<v Speaker 2>But I hope listening to these ideas and perhaps reading

1092
00:58:27.960 --> 00:58:29.840
<v Speaker 2>some of the material I've linked to, will help you

1093
00:58:29.880 --> 00:58:33.639
<v Speaker 2>see that there are many very plausible reasons to be

1094
00:58:33.719 --> 00:58:39.039
<v Speaker 2>skeptical of Robert's allege's supernatural powers. No disrespect intended to Robert,

1095
00:58:39.079 --> 00:58:44.760
<v Speaker 2>of course. Monster Talk is an official podcast of Skeptic Magazine.

1096
00:58:45.000 --> 00:58:46.920
<v Speaker 2>The views you've heard on this show are those of

1097
00:58:46.960 --> 00:58:50.199
<v Speaker 2>myself and my guests and do not necessarily reflect the

1098
00:58:50.280 --> 00:58:53.480
<v Speaker 2>views or opinions of Skeptic Magazine or the Skeptic Society.

1099
00:58:54.239 --> 00:58:57.679
<v Speaker 2>If you'd like to see the reflected views of Skeptic Magazine,

1100
00:58:57.840 --> 00:59:00.719
<v Speaker 2>you'll need to get a silver mirror, creep into the

1101
00:59:00.800 --> 00:59:04.239
<v Speaker 2>darkness of a graveyard by moonlight, and then next to

1102
00:59:04.280 --> 00:59:07.119
<v Speaker 2>the big vaulted tomb, put your back to the entrance,

1103
00:59:07.239 --> 00:59:12.119
<v Speaker 2>look into the mirror, and mutter Michael Schermer three times.

1104
00:59:12.719 --> 00:59:15.480
<v Speaker 2>Or you could just buy the magazine as your local

1105
00:59:15.519 --> 00:59:17.920
<v Speaker 2>newsstand or subscribe at skeptic dot com.

1106
00:59:17.960 --> 00:59:18.519
<v Speaker 6>It's your call.

1107
00:59:18.880 --> 00:59:21.880
<v Speaker 2>Here's a quick reminder about a huge skeptics conference coming

1108
00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:25.440
<v Speaker 2>up in October. The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry is hosting

1109
00:59:25.480 --> 00:59:28.800
<v Speaker 2>p Ssicon twenty sixteen in Las Vegas. Go to CSI

1110
00:59:28.880 --> 00:59:32.519
<v Speaker 2>Conference dot org for more details. But the guest list

1111
00:59:32.760 --> 00:59:37.639
<v Speaker 2>is amazing. You got James Randy, Masimo Polidoro, Elizabeth Loftis,

1112
00:59:37.719 --> 00:59:41.599
<v Speaker 2>Ray Hyman, Joe Nicol, Eugenie Scott, Lawrence Krauss. Look, the

1113
00:59:41.679 --> 00:59:44.880
<v Speaker 2>list is just full of awesome people. Go check it out.

1114
00:59:44.920 --> 00:59:48.280
<v Speaker 2>That's CSI Conference dot org in Las Vegas, October twenty

1115
00:59:48.320 --> 00:59:52.719
<v Speaker 2>seventh through the thirtieth, twenty sixteen. We hope you've enjoyed

1116
00:59:52.719 --> 00:59:55.760
<v Speaker 2>this episode of Monster Talk. Each episode we strive to

1117
00:59:55.800 --> 00:59:58.199
<v Speaker 2>bring you the best in monster related content, with a

1118
00:59:58.199 --> 01:00:02.199
<v Speaker 2>focus on bringing scientific skeptics into the conversation. If you

1119
01:00:02.320 --> 01:00:04.880
<v Speaker 2>enjoy Monster Talk, we now have a variety of ways

1120
01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:08.199
<v Speaker 2>to support the show, all with convenient links at monster

1121
01:00:08.280 --> 01:00:12.280
<v Speaker 2>talk dot org forge slash support. That's monster talk dot

1122
01:00:12.360 --> 01:00:15.800
<v Speaker 2>org forge Slash support. There we have links to our

1123
01:00:15.840 --> 01:00:18.960
<v Speaker 2>Patreon pages as well as a donation button. A great

1124
01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:20.840
<v Speaker 2>way to support the show is to buy us books

1125
01:00:20.840 --> 01:00:24.559
<v Speaker 2>from our Amazon Monster Talk wish List, which directly helps

1126
01:00:24.599 --> 01:00:27.840
<v Speaker 2>us with our research. We love usbooks very much, so

1127
01:00:27.880 --> 01:00:29.920
<v Speaker 2>don't feel compelled to buy new ones, and we love

1128
01:00:30.000 --> 01:00:34.360
<v Speaker 2>Kindle and we can share our digital library with each other. Finally,

1129
01:00:34.440 --> 01:00:36.679
<v Speaker 2>without spending any money at all, you can support us

1130
01:00:36.679 --> 01:00:39.599
<v Speaker 2>by leaving a positive review at iTunes or wherever you

1131
01:00:39.679 --> 01:00:44.079
<v Speaker 2>get your podcasts. Positive reviews help keep us visible in iTunes,

1132
01:00:44.079 --> 01:00:46.079
<v Speaker 2>which is a great way to help us find new listeners.

1133
01:00:46.440 --> 01:00:50.000
<v Speaker 2>And please share our show on your favorite social media platforms.

1134
01:00:50.840 --> 01:00:53.760
<v Speaker 2>Monster Talk theme music is by Pete Steally Monkeys. The

1135
01:00:53.920 --> 01:00:58.800
<v Speaker 2>introduction segments music is the song Creepy Doll by Jonathan Colton.

1136
01:00:59.159 --> 01:01:01.480
<v Speaker 2>Stay tuned altro to hear the full version of that

1137
01:01:01.559 --> 01:01:05.320
<v Speaker 2>amazing song. Thanks again for listening.

1138
01:01:45.360 --> 01:01:48.440
<v Speaker 3>Want to stay abreast of the latest from Skeptic Magazine

1139
01:01:48.599 --> 01:01:53.000
<v Speaker 3>and The Skeptic Society. Want cutting edge skeptical articles delivered

1140
01:01:53.039 --> 01:01:58.000
<v Speaker 3>straight to your inbox every week, Then subscribe to E Skeptic,

1141
01:01:58.440 --> 01:02:03.119
<v Speaker 3>the free electronic newsletter the Skeptic Society. Visit skeptic dot

1142
01:02:03.159 --> 01:02:04.400
<v Speaker 3>com to sign up.

1143
01:02:09.119 --> 01:02:11.880
<v Speaker 9>Been a town in the woods at the top of

1144
01:02:11.920 --> 01:02:16.039
<v Speaker 9>a hill, there's a house where no one lives, so

1145
01:02:16.159 --> 01:02:19.360
<v Speaker 9>you take a big bag of your big city money

1146
01:02:19.400 --> 01:02:24.519
<v Speaker 9>there and buy it. But at night, when the house

1147
01:02:24.639 --> 01:02:25.599
<v Speaker 9>is dark.

1148
01:02:25.440 --> 01:02:27.559
<v Speaker 10>And you're all alone.

1149
01:02:27.079 --> 01:02:31.360
<v Speaker 9>There's a noise upstairs. At the top of the stairs,

1150
01:02:31.400 --> 01:02:33.079
<v Speaker 9>there's a door, and you take a.

1151
01:02:33.119 --> 01:02:35.800
<v Speaker 7>Deep breath and try it, and.

1152
01:02:35.880 --> 01:02:41.400
<v Speaker 10>The flashlight shows you something moving just inside the door.

1153
01:02:42.559 --> 01:02:44.519
<v Speaker 7>There's a tatter dress.

1154
01:02:44.320 --> 01:02:48.760
<v Speaker 10>And a feeling you have felt somewhere before.

1155
01:02:51.719 --> 01:02:58.239
<v Speaker 8>And then agreed down that it's got a ruin down

1156
01:02:59.000 --> 01:03:04.800
<v Speaker 8>it's all away. Oh, And then the creepy do rat

1157
01:03:05.039 --> 01:03:15.119
<v Speaker 8>with balad it's got a pretty bal fun holder. So

1158
01:03:15.280 --> 01:03:18.599
<v Speaker 8>you scream and you close the door, and you tell.

1159
01:03:18.559 --> 01:03:21.840
<v Speaker 9>Yourself it was just nut dream.

1160
01:03:22.000 --> 01:03:23.320
<v Speaker 2>In the morning, you.

1161
01:03:23.239 --> 01:03:28.960
<v Speaker 9>Head into town because you want to go antiqueing. In

1162
01:03:29.039 --> 01:03:32.519
<v Speaker 9>the store, there's a strange old man with a wandering

1163
01:03:32.719 --> 01:03:35.239
<v Speaker 9>eye and a withered hand.

1164
01:03:35.639 --> 01:03:38.639
<v Speaker 10>When he hands you the old wooden box, you can

1165
01:03:38.719 --> 01:03:43.039
<v Speaker 10>hear his old bones creaking, and you know what you

1166
01:03:43.400 --> 01:03:49.119
<v Speaker 10>will find inside the moment that you see. But some

1167
01:03:49.360 --> 01:03:54.159
<v Speaker 10>once carved your name into the tarnished silver key.

1168
01:03:57.679 --> 01:04:03.039
<v Speaker 8>And then the creepy down down that voice bottle, it's

1169
01:04:03.079 --> 01:04:09.000
<v Speaker 8>got a ruin dome. It's always Oh, that's the creepy

1170
01:04:10.599 --> 01:04:17.519
<v Speaker 8>that voice bottle. It's got a pretty bwallow you home

1171
01:04:18.119 --> 01:04:21.880
<v Speaker 8>when you come away, and the dolls way.

1172
01:04:25.000 --> 01:04:27.159
<v Speaker 10>When you fix the snack.

1173
01:04:27.079 --> 01:04:29.679
<v Speaker 8>The doll says it like one.

1174
01:04:29.880 --> 01:04:36.039
<v Speaker 10>You doll is in your house and in your in

1175
01:04:36.280 --> 01:04:39.280
<v Speaker 10>your bad the doll.

1176
01:04:39.199 --> 01:04:57.159
<v Speaker 9>Is in your eyes and your Now it's late and

1177
01:04:57.320 --> 01:05:00.760
<v Speaker 9>you head downstairs because you just can't sleep. So you

1178
01:05:00.960 --> 01:05:05.960
<v Speaker 9>make some tea, and the doll, disapprovingly, asks if you

1179
01:05:06.119 --> 01:05:12.599
<v Speaker 9>really need that much money. You decide that you've had enough, and.

1180
01:05:12.719 --> 01:05:15.880
<v Speaker 7>You locked the doll in the wood and box.

1181
01:05:16.599 --> 01:05:19.400
<v Speaker 9>You put the box in the fireplace next to.

1182
01:05:19.559 --> 01:05:22.000
<v Speaker 10>Your bag of big city money.

1183
01:05:22.800 --> 01:05:27.079
<v Speaker 9>As the smoke fills up your tiny room. There's nothing

1184
01:05:27.519 --> 01:05:33.840
<v Speaker 9>you can do for toolick. You see the one inside

1185
01:05:34.000 --> 01:05:35.239
<v Speaker 9>the boxes you.

1186
01:05:38.800 --> 01:05:44.519
<v Speaker 8>And then a creepy di raw if ballowed, it's gotta

1187
01:05:44.679 --> 01:05:50.519
<v Speaker 8>ruin don it's always oh, And then a creepy die

1188
01:05:51.760 --> 01:05:58.039
<v Speaker 8>row if ballowed, it's got a pretty bound follow you

1189
01:05:58.360 --> 01:05:58.840
<v Speaker 8>hold it