Paranormal State is an A&E series following Ryan Buell and his Penn State U paranormal research team as they ghost-bust for American families facing unexplained hauntings and other-worldy experiences.

Like any "reality" TV show, the show is often anything but reality. It's over-produced, over-hyped, and storylines are subject to heavy editor manipulation.

The A&E series website links to series star Ryan's actual Penn State paranormal research site, where he blogs. What I like about the blog is all shedding of the pretentious.

This post from Ryan is kind of cute and very real:

"Hey everyone,

Ya know, even though I'm 24, I still have a lot to learn about technology. So yeah, all my former entries, save for the one I saved, have been erased. So I'm starting from scratch. Oh well. Live and learn."

Yes, he's the hot-shot star of a well-rated show, but he'll admit when he dumps a bunch of posts through human error. What I particularly like about his posts are his transparency concerning the TV show. From his blog, addressing critics:

"Hey guys, big revelation: THIS IS A TV SHOW!!
I do not own A&E Network nor am I the executive producer. Are things sometimes over-produced? Over-edited? It's a freakin' TV show guys. Trust me, I'd LOVE to have a five-hour documentary on one of our investigations. But at this stage, we haven't had that opportunity.

So please be mindful that you're watching a television show. Try to sort through the creepy music and the edits and you might find some interesting materials."

The blog looks like crap. And it is written in a human tone offering readers real insights into Ryan's mind, versus polished b.s. written by some PR type like me. And that's a good thing!

Way to go Ryan; I think I enjoy your writing more than the show.