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dimossi
Skeptic Friend
USA
141 Posts |
 Posted - 04/21/2003 : 20:13:58
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Just a heads up about this program that will be on Wed.:
Wednesday, April 23rd 8/7pm
Secrets of Psychics: Revealed
In this one-hour special, psychics perform amazing feats -- then reveal the secrets behind their seemingly psychic ability. We predict you'll be riveted! TVPG
http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Movies_&_Specials/
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"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." [Philip K. Dick, science-fiction author] |
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PhDreamer
SFN Regular
USA
925 Posts |
 Posted - 04/22/2003 : 12:52:23 [Permalink]
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| I wonder if this is prompted by the bit of success Penn & Teller are having on Showtime? |
I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through suffering and misery.
-Agent Smith |
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2003 : 16:41:55 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by PhDreamer
I wonder if this is prompted by the bit of success Penn & Teller are having on Showtime?
If that be the case, then may they all follow suit!
(wishful thinking mode)
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"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2003 : 01:33:35 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Randy
quote:
Originally posted by PhDreamer
I wonder if this is prompted by the bit of success Penn & Teller are having on Showtime?
If that be the case, then may they all follow suit!
(wishful thinking mode)
Haven't seen it yet, was taping it as I talked to PH and Walt in the chat room tonight. But am surprized to even see such a show on network TV, what with all the nonsense of the 'other side' and spirtual stuff that's on. I assume this show is not on the level of the one Randi did on PBS but it's a start. Let's hope SOME people start to 'believe' that all that junk is just that...junk thinking. Might have time to watch it on Friday, hope not to be disappointed. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2003 : 03:37:10 [Permalink]
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Went over to my son-in-law's house and caught it there (dunno why I bother to keep a dead toob around). I think it was only 'pretty good'. They showed a little slight-of-hand and some stage mentalist stuff, all pretty old, pretty simple, and, well, pretty ordinary.
One thing I did appreciate was where they showed how accomplists worked for the mentalist. That might cause some few people to become a little more skeptical. Or not.......
I was also amused by the clothing worn by the male performers. They dressed almost like John Edward, when he works his tv flim-flams.
While I'll only skeptic-rate it at about a 5.7 out of ten, I did enjoy it. But, I think an opportunity for an in-depth examination of how the likes of Browne and Edward et al work was pretty much missed.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2003 : 05:01:40 [Permalink]
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| I ssuspect that this will do little to convince believer of psychic powers. That the practice of such flim flam will still be a good way to separate believers from their money. |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2003 : 14:08:33 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by moakley
I ssuspect that this will do little to convince believer of psychic powers. That the practice of such flim flam will still be a good way to separate believers from their money.
Hm, reminds me of religion. |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2003 : 21:56:11 [Permalink]
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heh. You should see how George Noory and his guest from Wed regarded the show. They called it a "sham" set up by "professional debunkers" who are trying to convice everyone that just because a few "magicians doing magicians tricks", "apples and oranges" as compared to 'real' psychics' etc, that everyone will think that it's all fake.
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>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 00:27:52 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by the_ignored
heh. You should see how George Noory and his guest from Wed regarded the show. They called it a "sham" set up by "professional debunkers" who are trying to convice everyone that just because a few "magicians doing magicians tricks", "apples and oranges" as compared to 'real' psychics' etc, that everyone will think that it's all fake.
As I was watching it, my 1st thought was that it was a 'rip off' of the channel 11 specials, that series about 'the secrets of magicians reveled' or whatever the title was. It was pretty much the same thing. A trick was shown and then we saw how it was done.
This one 'Secrets of Psychics' was just for entertainment, as I said, not the in depth analization that the PBS show did a few years ago.
Funny Ignor, that you should mention 'real' psychics', because I wonder if anyone else was bothered by the words phoney and fake, refering to the 'psychics' on the show during the explanation of the tricks. As if there could be any other kind, like 'real' ones. Seems to me they implied that there could be real ones or am I being too picky or sensitive?
If they ever do another show like that on network TV, they SHOULD do a real expose with hard facts. But I won't hold my breath. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 00:37:40 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
Went over to my son-in-law's house and caught it there (dunno why I bother to keep a dead toob around).
What, you don't use it as a plant stand or paper weight?
quote:
I was also amused by the clothing worn by the male performers. They dressed almost like John Edward, when he works his tv flim-flams.
I didn't notice the cloths but did think some of the shots of the guys on stage looked like Edwards. I think they intentionaly did that.
quote:
I think an opportunity for an in-depth examination of how the likes of Browne and Edward et al work was pretty much missed.
You got that right but I bet they didn't want to ofend anyone so it was just for entertainment. They sure didn't bill it that way though. I naively thought it would be more intellectual. Oh well, what can one expect from network TV? |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 21:04:10 [Permalink]
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Man, this is a tough crowd. That we are hard-core enough to hang out at a skeptic site may say something about us. Yes, to us the show was pabulum. But this show went out to a prime time audience probably bigger than any show dedicated to debunking psychics, ever. There are a lot of people who have never given the validity of psychic claims a second thought. They just except what they see and that's that. Now, many of those people have something to chew on.
The segments that showed how a simple magicians trick can be used to deceive rather than entertain is of value. The next time a spoon bender comes along, the audience will at least have some doubt about that psychic claim. When viewing a demonstration of telekinesis, those people have learned that trickery may be involved. Not a bad lesson.
The audience may now recognize the general nature of the information they are given about themselves at a psychic reading. Or, they may now wonder how very specific information was gleaned. At the very least, doubt has been planted.
Because of the gentle nature of the show, My girlfriend can show it to her students who will be drawn in by the tricks. This show will be helpful in starting a discussion of critical thinking with her kids. She can't show them "Bullshit" for obvious reasons.
I too am happiest when a report on psychics is harder hitting. But given that this was a major network prime time show, I'll take it. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Stargirl
Skeptic Friend
USA
94 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 21:47:17 [Permalink]
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I have to agree with most of the members of this board in wishing it had been a little harder hitting. But I also realize that this was shown on a broadcast network in an early evening timeslot. I think a lot of the people who tuned in at that hour are probably looking for entertainment. The show has to grab the audience in the first five minutes. And unfortunately a hard hitting exposé along the lines of the one James Randi did for PBS would probably have lost most of its viewers before the end of the first segment. One thing I was pleased about was that I really expected a disclaimer of some sort along the lines of, “While we present ways in which psychic abilities can be faked many people believe that some individuals have genuine psychic abilities.” Or some such drivel like that.
I wonder what effect this will have on the ratings of Edwards Crossing Over and Beyond with Van Praagh?
I'm guessing none but we can hope.
Does anyone know if either of those shows is on any NBC stations?
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If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him - Voltaire |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 23:46:38 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Stargirl
I think a lot of the people who tuned in at that hour are probably looking for entertainment. The show has to grab the audience in the first five minutes.
That is a point, Star. And Kil, good point too.
quote:
I wonder what effect this will have on the ratings of Edwards Crossing Over and Beyond with Van Praagh?
I'm guessing none but we can hope.
I thought about that too and also agree with you. Anyone who really believes that nonsense would use any excuse in the book to discredit what they saw about debunking, or in other words....reality.
quote:
Does anyone know if either of those shows is on any NBC stations?
Here in Los Angeles they are on local channels, as far as I know not owned by NBC. As I am a stock holder of NBC (GE) I should know that information, sorry I don't but can check. |
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Stargirl
Skeptic Friend
USA
94 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2003 : 14:39:17 [Permalink]
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Thanks Snake
I check Edwards Web site and it only listed one NBC station that carried the show. It's in Cleveland Ohio and isn't an O&O, (owned and operated by NBC).
For Van Praagh's, really slow Web site you have to enter zips codes to check local listing and I wasn't going to hang around there that long.
But being syndicated shows they're both probably aired primarily on Independent stations.
After I posted I kind of figured that with the ratings both shows enjoy the corporate mentality at NBC, and any other network for that matter isn't likely to bite one of the hands that feed it.
Except maybe Fox, and then only to stir up controversy in an attempt to attract more viewers.
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If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him - Voltaire |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2003 : 17:36:59 [Permalink]
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Kil and Star, you are both right, of course. I'm delighted that a transcript might be shown to the kids. It might well help promote critical thinking. Unfortunatly, their parents (those who already believe in that crap) will shrug it off. They'll say, "Well, the fake physics might do it that way, but the real ones can really summon spirits. I saw it done on tv (at a show, was 'read' by one, whatever)."
Please pardon my cynicsm. I think it's getting worse.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Tim
SFN Regular
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2003 : 23:52:52 [Permalink]
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Again, Kil, you are a genius. (That's called shameless butt kissing).
We need to start taking a few lessons from the Fundies in realizing that the future lies in the hands of our children. We need to step up to the plate to try to teach our kids how to think, rather than what to think, and even the smallest step is a beginning. |
"We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin' out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their -- their love with women all across this country." Dubya in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 9/6/2004
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