Psychics: Idiots and scandals and freaks, oh my!

[Tiassa]

It took me a few minutes to decide what forum to subject to this topic, and, well, this is it. I tried to make a morality issue out of it, but I'm an American, so what's immoral?

At any rate: Psychics. From the Reuters' wire, the latest stupid exploitation of the dead. Highlights of the article:

• On the day that prosecutors charged actor Robert Blake with the murder of his wife, a television special was set to air an "interview" with the "spirit" of the late Bonny Lee Bakley as channeled through a psychic medium. (Note: I missed this show; anyone catch it?)

• "She does admit she contributes to ending her life but she doesn't want to say she committed suicide and it's very important you understand that,"

• A spokesman for ABC said the program would air as scheduled and added, "We looked at it after what happened with Mr. Blake and we did not see anything wrong with it." (Note: This line cracks me up for the obvious reasons, and is included for its macabre comedic value only.)

• Bakley, whom Anderson described as being accompanied by St. Joseph as she spoke, said her death was "terrifying at first and then ... a very strong calm came over her." She was "not surprised" at her fate, he added. (Note: Ah ... why bother with a note?)

• Anderson said Bakley refused to give a clue as to who had killed her. Nor did she have anything to say about Blake, who pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy charges on Monday in the shooting death of his 44-year-old wife last year. (Note: Are all dead people this stupid? Did Bakely give any reason why she refused?)

• Amazed at the many private things Bakley allegedly revealed through Anderson, her sister, Margerry Bakley said: "It's Bonny, out and out, word for word."

• During Monday night's "interview," Bakley said she did not want to speak about the circumstances of her death. "They already know that. She says you don't have to go over that again and relive the agony. She says we have to take up where it has been left off," medium Anderson said. (Note: Ah, there's the reason ...?)

• USA Today TV critic Robert Bianco said he had no objection to shows featuring psychic mediums who purport to talk to dead people. "I will say up front that everybody has intelligence lines they won't cross and mine is I believe people don't speak to the dead especially on a 'will call' basis. (Note: Sometimes a professional critic can earn his bread.)

• Margerry Bakley told Anderson on the show that she knew it was her sister communicating when Bakley allegedly told her: "We'll always be bosom buddies."

"We had breast reduction surgery together!" Margerry Bakley exclaimed. (Note: No comment.)

Like I said, I argued with myself about where this goes, but sure, psychic media fall under the pseudoscience banner better than my opinion of morality falls into that forum these days. So the practical questions:

• Are all psychic communiques this ... convenient?
• Are all psychic mediators this ... well, stupid?
• Breast reduction surgery?! Oh, come now. Okay, okay ... there's my comment on that one.

Quite obviously, I'm disbelieving this one for all its visible reasons. But as someone who perks his ears whenever he hears talk of the paranormal, what is it about this particular parlor game that keeps people believing?

Saint Joseph? Someone call the bloody Vatican and have them get on the phone with the Islamic fundamentalists ... a TV psychic is confirming the existence of Saint Joseph. Terrifying and then a calm? I'm sorry, but such comfort should be left for other arenas than moneygrubbing. Wait, no I'm not sorry. It's disgusting. I could have made that crap up.

And what reason would Bakley have for not naming her killer? What, did the guy put hits on her life in the afterworld? Not speaking about the circumstances of her death? What about the agony of sitting through a trial, watching the accused killer either wriggle out of it or get convicted, and then perhaps finding out too late that justice, one way or the other, was not served in her case? Imagine for a minute that Blake is actually innocent. Would the punishment of just anybody for Bakley's murder make the grieving family any happier?

Or did her agent go to the afterworld with her? If that's the case, well, Bonny's in hell because that's where all agents land

It's just that it really does sound like the gaps in the data come straight from a lawyer's mouth.

But this is coming from someone who routinely scores between 4-10% on Zener cards, so I might just be off my nut on this one.

Nonetheless, have a grim chuckle and let fly.

Breast reduction?

How about a fair question: Anyone ever see a legitimate psychic communicating with the dead?

thanx,
Tiassa

 

[Adam]

An even fairer question: Anyone ever see a legitimate psychic?

 

[Northwind]

Originally posted by Adam
An even fairer question: Anyone ever see a legitimate psychic?

Nope, no one has. Ever. There's no such thing.

 

[wet1]

Anyone ever see a legitimate psychic communicating with the dead?

No, real psychics know better then to go out in the open and risk to be ridiculed to death... :bugeye:

It happens, though. Guess this show Tiassa mentions, is really just show. Someone who tries to get away with a story which amaze the tv crowd and hold them to their chairs before the tv screens.

To say that all Psychics are fake, no, that you cannot say. Simply because you yourself have never experienced something like it. It is ridiculous that there is a Saint involved in this story, Saints, whatever you call 'em, seem to do good in such stories. Guess that's the religion part that appells to all people, even the ones who claim not to be godbelievers.

I don't think you should call every psychic a fake, for you just don't know that. Mostly the real psychics are the ones you never hear a thing from.

Typical American story, by the way...