StopSylviaBrowne - Emails: Psychic Baiting Browne & Skeptic in the Audience

[RSLancastr]

New up today:

http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/articles/email_psychicbaitingbrowne.shtml
Email: "Psychic Baiting" Sylvia Browne
A man tests Browne's "psychic abilities" during the taping of a Montel Williams Show.

http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/articles/email_askepticintheaudience.shtml
Email: A Skeptic in the Audience
An account of the taping of a Sylvia Browne episode of the Montel Williams Show.

[Locknar]

Holy excellent articles Batman!

I’d have to wonder how many folks are asked to leave Montel when SB is on; I’m sure this is not a isolated incident.

[Empress]

Exceptional job, as always, Robert.

I've always wondered what would happen in a psychic baiting situation, and it was fascinating to see the immediate ouster of the baiter in question. I wonder if anyone in the audience noticed that the two were gone afterwards.

The "Skeptic in the Audience" article is one of the best and most devestating I've read on your site. I'm assuming this was Eeny, but whoever it was did a fantastic job of revealing exactly why people like Sylvia et al need to be stopped. This woman (and Montel as well, who, in this article, shows himself to be just as much a fraud as Sylvia herself) is engaging in behavior that can clearly cause long-lasting pysical and emotional harm--and due to her nonsensical medical pronouncements, might actually kill.

I applaud you and your correspondents. You're doing noble work! Keep it up!

[Empress]

Oops. Double post...

[Macoy]

New up today:
http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/articles/email_psychicbaitingbrowne.shtml
Email: "Psychic Baiting" Sylvia Browne
A man tests Browne's "psychic abilities" during the taping of a Montel Williams Show.

http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/articles/email_askepticintheaudience.shtml
Email: A Skeptic in the Audience
An account of the taping of a Sylvia Browne episode of the Montel Williams Show.

Cracking stuff, though I had to take breathers.

It reminds me of stalin:

"Stalin's dead!"

"Oh no! Who's gonna tell him?"

[Magic 9-Ball]

Good work, RSL. Always look forward to your updates. You should do them daily. :D

Anyway, it's a recorded program, so we'll only see what they want us to see. I'm interested in the "hidden camera" or such in one of her appearances or cruises. There must be recordings like that around, yet I haven't seen many at all.

[alfaniner]

(saying this only half in jest...)

Maybe somebody should put a bug in that anonymous group's ear about SB. After all, they seem to be currently giving Tom Cruise's favorite Organization a good challenge.

:duck:

[Boo]

Absolutely devastating articles Robert. Hopefully they will lead even more people to question not just SB but all 'psychics' and what they see on television.


Kudos to Eeney. I'm not sure I would have been able to keep my seat and would needed to be physically restrained from keep me leaving.




Boo

[ExMinister]

Great articles, Robert, and great job Eeney! Also by the other writer who contributed his/her interesting story about being part of the audience.

I have to say she used to be a lot better about saying what people seemed desperately to need to hear. If Sylvia is going slightly deaf, that might be another reason she's winding up the lecture tour this year. Since hearing should have nothing at all to do with psychic ability, it might be a little hard to explain to the public that your psychic ability doesn't work so good when you can't hear! :rolleyes:

I also like your suggestion at the end to bait secretly and report back to you! :D That could work at the lectures, too. Will be interesting to see if anyone tries it.

[rjh01]

Reading the article about psychic baiting I think we should have put on the site someone saying they are in the audience and going to bait her for every session, even if this is not true. That would have made most of her recording unusable.

[bjb]

Great job, EMM and Robert!

This really got my attention:

So, perhaps the people at Montel's show were afraid that some "psychic baiting" had gone on, and decided not to air the show, for fear that after the show aired, people would come forward to state that Browne had been fooled by them.

Montel's producers would not have eaten the expense of losing an episode without good reason. They must have truly feared the embarrassment of having Sylvia blatantly exposed by JREF skeptics. After all, look what Randi did in Project Alpha, Carlos, etc.

At this point, it seems to be in Sylvia's best interest to avoid Montel's show and limit her appearances to those where she has total control. Sylvia can't afford to be exposed on her friend Montel's show, and Montel can't afford yet another personal embarrassment. Both of their careers could be devastated by a single very motivated skeptic. Who knows, Randi might even get himself involved. Both Montel and Sylvia will do just fine without each other so why risk it?

[alfaniner]

That all may soon be moot. Stay tuned.

[rjh01]

That all may soon be moot. Stay tuned.

Read this thread Montel Williams show to cease production? (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=105012):D

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Rob, if I could be in the same room as you, I'd heartily shake your hand and exchange a round of high fives. :D

I did invite you- twice. :) I had two extra tickets so you could have brought Susan along, too.

Bizzarely enough, a friend of mine and I were going to try the exact same thing as this person when we got tickets for January. My friend was going to ask Sylvia something to the effect of, "A friend of mine from high school named Eeney overdosed on codeine a few years ago. Do you see her? She's on the short side, has red hair and brown eyes and is slightly overweight. Could you say something to her?" before pointing to me and saying something like "She's alive. She's sitting right next to me! I didn't say it was fatal- she didn't even have to go to a hospital!"

We had the whole routine all worked out and we were ready to do it on the day of the taping but thanks to you, we got cancelled.

I'm still sorry Nancy and her group got innocently blamed and took the full fall for me, while I was about to waltz in and out of the studio with a clear-as-day coast.

They got the wrong time, anyway- my episode was at 12 something and I understand they were booked for the one at 3.

[ExMinister]

Wow, that's great news!! I'm guessing she will find it harder to continue to build her empire now and will have to at least semi-retire. Too bad she gets to semi-retire in luxury. Then again, it's not over til it's over. If only there were some curious IRS people on the forum...

[Kilgore Trout]

Excellent. The psychic baiting was interesting to see how this guy came to do it (from seeing her act and getting angry) but the baiting itself seems ineffectual; it never aired, and I'm sure he was just a dark entity which confused Francine.. :p

EMM's email was great. I remember reading much of the account before and I liked the mention of the odd coincidence that it was also Nancy Williams' show, too.

[RSLancastr]

Holy excellent articles Batman!Thanks, Locknar!

I’d have to wonder how many folks are asked to leave Montel when SB is on; I’m sure this is not a isolated incident.I agree.

Exceptional job, as always, Robert.Thanks, Empress!

I've always wondered what would happen in a psychic baiting situation, and it was fascinating to see the immediate ouster of the baiter in question. I wonder if anyone in the audience noticed that the two were gone afterwards.I would imagine that most who did were glad to have this person's "negative vibrations" taken away.

The "Skeptic in the Audience" article is one of the best and most devestating I've read on your site. I'm assuming this was Eeny, but whoever it was did a fantastic job of revealing exactly why people like Sylvia et al need to be stopped.It was Eeney all right!

I applaud you and your correspondents. You're doing noble work! Keep it up!You're very kind, thanks.

Cracking stuff, though I had to take breathers.I know what you mean. I mainly inserted the comments into the "Skeptic in the Audience" article as breathers. I wanted to add section headings as well (for the same reasons), but it didn't lend itself to that.

Good work, RSL. Always look forward to your updates. You should do them daily. :DI wish I could!

Anyway, it's a recorded program, so we'll only see what they want us to see. I'm interested in the "hidden camera" or such in one of her appearances or cruises. There must be recordings like that around, yet I haven't seen many at all.I haven't seen any, regarding Browne. Have you?

(saying this only half in jest...)

Maybe somebody should put a bug in that anonymous group's ear about SB. After all, they seem to be currently giving Tom Cruise's favorite Organization a good challenge.Sorry, I don't know which anoynymous group you mean. I don't follow the Co$ stuff much.

Absolutely devastating articles Robert. Hopefully they will lead even more people to question not just SB but all 'psychics' and what they see on television.Thanks, Boo. I hope so too.

Kudos to Eeney. I'm not sure I would have been able to keep my seat and would needed to be physically restrained from keep me leaving.I know what you mean. :mad:

Great articles, Robert, and great job Eeney!Thanks, EM!

I have to say she used to be a lot better about saying what people seemed desperately to need to hear.Perhaps she is beyond caring what they want. The suckers are lined up, so she doesn't need to please them to keep more coming.

If Sylvia is going slightly deaf, that might be another reason she's winding up the lecture tour this year. Since hearing should have nothing at all to do with psychic ability, it might be a little hard to explain to the public that your psychic ability doesn't work so good when you can't hear! :rolleyes:Interesting point!

I also like your suggestion at the end to bait secretly and report back to you! :D That could work at the lectures, too. Will be interesting to see if anyone tries it.:D

Reading the article about psychic baiting I think we should have put on the site someone saying they are in the audience and going to bait her for every session, even if this is not true. That would have made most of her recording unusable.The thought had occurred to me as well!

Great job, EMM and Robert!Thanks, bjb!

Montel's producers would not have eaten the expense of losing an episode without good reason. They must have truly feared the embarrassment of having Sylvia blatantly exposed by JREF skeptics. After all, look what Randi did in Project Alpha, Carlos, etc.Either that, or there weren't enough usable readings in there for them to cobble together an episode...

Both Montel and Sylvia will do just fine without each other so why risk it?I don't know if that is true. Now that the Montel Show has announced there will be no more seasons (see other threads), I think it will have a major impact on Browne's book sales, as well as her phone readings.

We'll see.

That all may soon be moot. Stay tuned.Indeed.

Read this thread Montel Williams show to cease production? (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=105012):DYup!

Rob, if I could be in the same room as you, I'd heartily shake your hand and exchange a round of high fives. :DThanks, Eeney!

But even with the Montel Circus folding its tent, and her announcing her Farewell Lecture Tour, we shouldn't be counting any pre-hatched chickens just yet.

[Cueshark]

Those were the best articles yet. Despite being anecdotal, I am willing to go out on a limb and say I have full faith in the accuracy of the content.

The Sylvia Browne tv set reminds me of my experiences working in timeshare. During the presentation we had to make sure our couples sat beside each other real close making it difficult for them exchange any potential negative vibes about the product. They were allowed only one coffee, they weren't allowed to touch the brochures. It was all about control and any couples disrupting that control were shown the door (taking away with them their free holiday to a time share complex complete with an even more brutal sales presentation)

That's only time share, yet anyone with any kind of desire to do something worthwhile in their life would not stay there for a minute. It's degrading for all people involved.

HOW can these people, the camera men, the editors, the producers, Montel, how can they not feel so awfully ashamed working, their careers, in that kind of upsetting and controlled environment? I can't believe anyone could let this go on.

Rant over.

[Fnord]

HOW can these people, the camera men, the editors, the producers, Montel, how can they not feel so awfully ashamed working, their careers, in that kind of upsetting and controlled environment?
You could be writing about the porn industry, so I guess that it must require the same sort of mind-set.

"The producers pay me to do whatever the director tells me to do." -- A friend of mine who works on both sides of the camera in a Van Nuys XXX studio, explaining his motivation.

[chran]

There were some more questions about careers and career decisions and advice on buying and selling homes, to which she gave just dumb answers like "Yes cause the market's really good now and it's gonna be like that for a couple more years." Oh, dear ...

:dl:

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Exceptional job, as always, Robert.

The "Skeptic in the Audience" article is one of the best and most devestating I've read on your site. I'm assuming this was Eeny, but whoever it was did a fantastic job of revealing exactly why people like Sylvia et al need to be stopped. This woman (and Montel as well, who, in this article, shows himself to be just as much a fraud as Sylvia herself) is engaging in behavior that can clearly cause long-lasting pysical and emotional harm--and due to her nonsensical medical pronouncements, might actually kill.

I applaud you and your correspondents. You're doing noble work! Keep it up!


Agreed. :) Robert did an exceptional job, too. As always.

And thank you very much.

Good work, RSL. Always look forward to your updates. You should do them daily. :D

I second that. :)

Absolutely devastating articles Robert. Hopefully they will lead even more people to question not just SB but all 'psychics' and what they see on television.

Kudos to Eeney. I'm not sure I would have been able to keep my seat and would needed to be physically restrained from keep me leaving.


I agree and I hope so, too.

You have no idea. I was soon asking myself why I ever actually wanted to be there. After about 20 minutes, I couldn't believe I had actually volunteered for what I was doing. Excruciating.

Great articles, Robert, and great job Eeney! Also by the other writer who contributed his/her interesting story about being part of the audience.

I have to say she used to be a lot better about saying what people seemed desperately to need to hear. If Sylvia is going slightly deaf, that might be another reason she's winding up the lecture tour this year. Since hearing should have nothing at all to do with psychic ability, it might be a little hard to explain to the public that your psychic ability doesn't work so good when you can't hear! :rolleyes:



Thanks! It got so bad and so many reading were so badly botched, where the answer was almost in the question and she could have just simply said "yes" and not even used cold-reading, that I almost wanted to take over.

Great job, EMM and Robert!
Montel's producers would not have eaten the expense of losing an episode without good reason. They must have truly feared the embarrassment of having Sylvia blatantly exposed by JREF skeptics. After all, look what Randi did in Project Alpha, Carlos, etc.


Thanks! I think so, too. In my opinion, even with the trainwreck readings of the studio audience, there was more than enough to make an episode.

The guests all had successful readings and there were enough readings that she didn't botch. There was no moment or reading that was impressive to me but they could have scrapped together a good enough episode.


EMM's email was great. I remember reading much of the account before and I liked the mention of the odd coincidence that it was also Nancy Williams' show, too.

Thanks! I believe Nancy's was actually a few hours later...and yeah, I'm really pleased to have found out how I singlehandedly rocked Sylvia's boat but I'm sorry Nancy ended up taking the blame for me. :o

Those were the best articles yet. Despite being anecdotal, I am willing to go out on a limb and say I have full faith in the accuracy of the content.

...

That's only time share, yet anyone with any kind of desire to do something worthwhile in their life would not stay there for a minute. It's degrading for all people involved.

HOW can these people, the camera men, the editors, the producers, Montel, how can they not feel so awfully ashamed working, their careers, in that kind of upsetting and controlled environment? I can't believe anyone could let this go on.



Thanks! I'm very happy to hear that you've gone out on a limb and believed me. :)

I'm obviously biased but I think my article is one of my four or five favorites on the site. I don't think it's the best stylistically by far but I'm very proud of it for the content and the effect.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I know what you mean. I mainly inserted the comments into the "Skeptic in the Audience" article as breathers. I wanted to add section headings as well (for the same reasons), but it didn't lend itself to that.


Yeah. :o When I sat down to write it, I had actually intended to be a few paragraphs long...but it sort of kept growing and growing and I kept finding more and more to add.

But I didn't want to leave anything out and you've had longer articles on your site and I was sure that Brownians, fence-sitters and skeptics alike would be willing to read every word and the space and time would be well spent for them.

As it is, it's short for a three hour-or-so experience. If I were to have even faithfully enough written down everything that I saw and heard, Robert would still be reading it. I mean, she must have given individual readings to what, somewhere in the vicinity of 200 people?

[Minarvia]

Great articles, especially the "skeptic in the audience" one. Eeney's account was very thorough and at parts, gutwrenching. I realize that there are so many desperate people there hoping for real help and comfort but until I pondered that that would be almost the entire audience it hadn't hit me how very heavy and sad the atmosphere would truly be.

About Montel's show going away I am rather surprised. When I tune in to the Sylvia Wednesday's I see all the commercials touting how caring and what a difference Montel has made for over 16 years and it seems they are trying to keep his show at the top (if it is there, I don't know). And they are really pushing his "Living Well" series of books and videos. I wasn't expecting to see him take down his shingle, so to speak. But I can't help but :D:D:D

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Great articles, especially the "skeptic in the audience" one. Eeney's account was very thorough and at parts, gutwrenching. I realize that there are so many desperate people there hoping for real help and comfort but until I pondered that that would be almost the entire audience it hadn't hit me how very heavy and sad the atmosphere would truly be.


Thank you Minarvia, that means alot.

Take my word for it, don't plant yourself at one of those things. You'll regret it very quickly. Not only is it one of the most depressing events you can imagine, but it's also excruciatingly boring. Cold reading is only "cool" if you either believe in psychic powers or if the person performing it is very good at it. Otherwise, it's an endless and very slow Q and A.

I'm actually amazed at Jon Ronson for sticking it out for 5 days (is that right?). If I were alone and in the middle of the ocean with Sylvia Browne and her "clients", I'd have jumped ship the first day.

As a matter of fact, reading the other one, I now regret I didn't make a scene and get myself thrown out.

Edit:

I submitted my account to the webmaster of BadPsychics.com and he put it up as a front page article few days ago. I forgot to ask him to withhold my name and he didn't think of it himself and I guess the cat's out of the bag now. Safe to say I won't be asked back to another Sylvia Browne Wednesday now.

Note to self: I must compare notes with Rebecca, since I think either she or someone writing on her blog once planted themselves at a Sylvia Browne lecture.

[Wauthan]

Since I've already broken a nearly ten year long record of lurking around these forums I might as well post some long overdue praise. :)

To Mr Lancaster.
Ever since the start of your StopKaz site I've been keeping an eye on your efforts. And over the years you've stood as a firm, rational and well spoken counterweight against the nearly unopposed claims of two well known and influential "psychics". To completely honest I don't know what I've come to admire the most when it comes to your work.

Your sheer mental endurance is something I greatly envy, because I'm sure there have been moments your project has felt like a thankless chore, especially considering the relentless endorsements from those who chose to believe the claims of Kaz and Sylvia.

But all things considered I think what I've come to like the most it is the humble and honest way you've chosen to approach those that doubt. You always welcomed opposing views, stating over and over that solid, verifiable, evidence is all that's needed to change your mind. And that is the genius of it, no? For if they actually possess the powers they claim to wield providing such proof would require very little effort indeed.

You have my thanks, for what it's worth, as an inspired science journalist and greatly entertained reader. Though it might feel like a small candle in a long night, it shows well the nature of candles and how make them shine.

To EenyMinnieMoe.
After reading "A Skeptic in the Audience" I think it's safe bet that your bloody amazing, full stop. If I could reach through the lengths of the net and hand you a cold beer and/or a cookie I would, because you earned them. Heck! You've earned a whole box. That session must have felt like... well I have no idea what to compare it to really.

[Cueshark]

Thanks! I'm very happy to hear that you've gone out on a limb and believed me. :)

That was you doing the baiting???? :eye-poppi

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

To EenyMinnieMoe.
After reading "A Skeptic in the Audience" I think it's safe bet that your bloody amazing, full stop. If I could reach through the lengths of the net and hand you a cold beer and/or a cookie I would, because you earned them. Heck! You've earned a whole box. That session must have felt like... well I have no idea what to compare it to really.

Thank you :blush:. Hold that thought for perhaps someday at one of the TAMs? :D

It was like...no, I can't compare it to anything, either. My worst days at least favorite job don't compare.

I'd throw some credit back at Robert. It was his site and his efforts that inspired me and gave me the drive in the first place and all of my work would be useless if he didn't provide a forum.

And as thankless and depressing as my work can sometimes be and as awful as it is to have to constantly soak my head in Sylvia Browne, I remind myself that he's the one who's had to watch Montel every week for the past year! Not to mention read all of her books and spend all his free time on her.

That was you doing the baiting???? :eye-poppi

Oh no, I was the "Skeptic in the Audience". :o

[Gravy]

Great articles, Robert. It was an honor to shake your hand this weekend, and your talk was informative, inspiring, and hilarious!

Eeney, thanks for that detailed account. I've considered using my TV connections to try to get into the Montel audience on Sylvia days, but honestly I don't know if I could sit through that without screaming obscenities.

[Wildy]

Excellent articles as always RSL.

There is just one small thing. If you were the reason they stopped filming Montel then doesn't that mean you have shot yourself in the foot? How else will you get new information on SB?

[ObscureReferenceMan]

Great stuff, Robert!

It's too bad that "psychic baiting" won't get past the editors. I think the only way to make it work would be to make your own video. Show what you plan to ask the psychic (say, about your non-existent uncle Merv); go to the Montel show and ask the question (and get the answer); then show the clip on your video. Just a thought.

[rjh01]

Great stuff, Robert!

It's too bad that "psychic baiting" won't get past the editors. I think the only way to make it work would be to make your own video. Show what you plan to ask the psychic (say, about your non-existent uncle Merv); go to the Montel show and ask the question (and get the answer); then show the clip on your video. Just a thought.

This would not be true if your uncle Merv did exist and everything you said was right. But your response to anything she said would be to say something like 'right' or 'Is that so?' Neither confirming nor denying what she said. It would also be OK to ask for more details. Say nothing that is either a lie nor say anything that says you are a skeptic.

When you are shown on TV then send the clip to Robert with your comments. He will know what to do. I think Robert said this somewhere.

[Brown]

Interesting read.

I am struck by an underlying theme that resonates in both pieces, namely, the lack of good faith on the part of Browne's "enablers." It is one thing for Browne to try to sell her drivel as useful knowledge. It is another to enable her to do that. Montel and company would seem to be classic enablers.

The typical defense of an enabler is good faith. "It's not my business to put a stop to it," is an old stand-by excuse of an enabler, as are "I just let the information get out and let the people decide for themselves," "She's just trying to help," and "This is not hurting anyone."

The stories in these two articles, if true, stab the notion of good faith right in the heart.

These stories suggest strongly that Montel and company are not merely enablers, but accomplices, if not full-fledged co-conspirators, in a deliberate and conscous attempt to deceive others and to acquire wealth.

Excuse me while I spit.

[ilikefrogs]

EMM: I am amazed you managed to sit though that. Just reading some of the accounts on SSB makes me shake my head and laugh. I can't image sitting there, looking amazed for 3 hours. :boggled:

As for the "psychic baiting," I almost jumped out of my chair and cheered when I read
Indeed, I DID have a roommate who worked at the World Trade Center on 9/11, but SHE was out of town on business, HER office was below the impact zone, and furthermore SHE was sitting right next to me during the entire taping, alive and well.

:D

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

EMM: I am amazed you managed to sit though that. Just reading some of the accounts on SSB makes me shake my head and laugh. I can't image sitting there, looking amazed for 3 hours. :boggled:



You have no idea. After about fifteen minutes, I couldn't believe I had actually wanted to and volunteered to be there. You couldn't make me do it again if you paid me by the minute.

[RSLancastr]

ALL:

It looks as thought the Tuesday Feb 19th Montel may be the one wich Eeney attended, and described in the email within the "A skeptic in the audience" article.

The commercial for the episode has Browne saying "Who here lost a Kevin?", which is something Eeney described.

By the way, Eeney: Clean out your PM box!

[Kilgore Trout]

It took them, what, a year or so to finally air that episode? Something seems odd about that. I thought for sure it was never going to see the light of day for some bizarre reason known only to the paranoid Browne camp.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I just got your email, Robert. I turned on the tube right away and, damn it all, I won't be able to be home when it airs!

I'm guessing someone will be taping it? Granted that it even is the one I saw...

[Lisa Simpson]

I'm all set to record it as long as my computer doesn't crash!!

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Thanks, Lisa. Only, was it an episode where she hawks Psychic Children? Because if not, then it can't be mine.

If it's too much trouble to upload it or send me a DVD, I could read the transcript when it's added to Lexis Nexis.

[Kilgore Trout]

Oh, it's definitely your show, Eeney. She was pushing Psychic Children, there was a segment with a woman seeing an angel, the slightly confused woman with a dark haired man with wavy hair, a dead Kevin (off the top of my head). I'm very curious to hear your account of the aired episode.

The dead Kevin, for example, aired with Sylvia probing the audience, and it looked like several raised their hands (or maybe had them raised to ask a question?). One woman was asked to go to the microphone and Sylvia said something about a head/face injury, the woman acknowledged that, and they agreed he was annoying and that he had a small dog. But I didn't catch if he was an uncle or cousin, since you said one woman had an uncle but Sylvia couldn't get any good hits, but the cousin Kevin worked better. I get the impression they edited out the first woman entirely, and made it seem like it was a perfect display by Sylvia.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Yes! Took them long enough!

Could someone make the episode available to me as soon as possible? I'd like to watch it as soon as I can and get back to Robert with anything unusual or noteworthy I notice.

Hmm, wonder if I show up anywhere on the tape...:)

[Lisa Simpson]

If you send me your email addy (either a PM here or to my email address lisa_simpson@randi.org) I will send it off to you right away.

[devnull]

Regarding psychic baiting.......... I think it is probably beneficial if people psychic bait as often as possible, but *do not* alert them to it at the time. Play along, let them think they got their win..... let them broadcast it.

If we could create a list of baitings it would have much more impact than somebody getting thrown out of the taping.

Just a thought anyway.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

If only this hadn't been aired almost a year later. I'd have been able to tell you alot more about it.

So far, I recognize all of the guests (Gail, Jennifer, the brother and sister asking about their grandmother) and many of the studio audience members but the different segments are shown very much out of order of occurence and highly edited down and slicked up- at least from what I remember.

Take the Hispanic woman asking about whether she should marry her boyfriend- that was at least two times longer in person. The pauses, awkward exchanges and misses are all seemlessly removed and covered up by reaction shots from Sylvia and Montel. And I remember it happening much later in the show, after many other readings had gone by.

In general, the most successful questions from the audience are cherrypicked, edited down and inserted between segments at random. And I think it works to their advantage that the readings aren't shown in order of occurence.

Edit: I remember the Midwestern farmer man but, likewise, I think it's a shorter reading than the question-and-answer, cold-reading-guessing-game-between-Montel's-outbursts that really took place...It could just be me but I thought the past life folks were actually pretty disappointed to have found out they weren't anyone famous :).

The "restaurant or deli" woman's reaction shots and responses are edited down, from what I remember. From where I was sitting, it looked like she, after some time, finally thanked Sylvia out of politeness, after she had bombed.

And the Kevin "hit" is not how it happened. Not at all.

I remember the "four" and "thirteen" man. And the "it's you sitting on you" girl. I also think I remember the two people after them and to the best of my recollection, the readings happened pretty much the way they were shown.

I recall the car accident victim and the angel stuff but I think it's edited down, too. I remember Sheryl as doing alot more of the talking.

The woman with the car crash victim son was also an edited down reading. If I'm remembering the right person, it went on alot longer than that and that was just the last of the exchange.

The tiny teenager with the dead boyfriend was one of the worst. She told Sylvia literally everything she needed to know (she started by explaining that her boyfriend had died and how) and Sylvia got a simple question to the effect of "Is he telling me anything?". Sylvia didn't understand a word she was saying- she had a very soft voice- and she butchered it so badly, the girlfriend got no answer at all and after getting nothing, finally just sat down and that's when his mother, who was sitting next to her, stood up and tried.

She explained that she was the mother and she was together with the girlfriend (and that took Sylvia and Montel forever to finally understand and get through their heads) and after a very long and protracted cold reading, Sylvia came up with that. What's shown are the last few seconds of an abysmal reading.

Edit: I remember the Hispanic woman with the thick glasses- I was standing right next to her on line. And the Hispanic woman asking about her late mother- I was talking to her before the show began. And most of the people seen in the background.

And the kid who asked about brain aneurysms- but he was appeared way before that. And I remember the woman who's boyfriend passed away and that whole exchange between Montel and Sylvia but even that's edited down a little.

[Worm]

It took them, what, a year or so to finally air that episode? Something seems odd about that. I thought for sure it was never going to see the light of day for some bizarre reason known only to the paranoid Browne camp.

Even more surprising (in my opinion) is the shows that get aired in the UK, which are a long way behind the shows broadcast in the US. I don't watch these as a matter of routine, but I have TiVo'd a few of them to check out SB in person. (not a pleasant task)

The most recent show I got on TiVo was the Shawn Hornbeck episode - almost exactly 5 years behind :eek:

Not only is this one hell of a delay - but they apparently didn't even consider not showing it, despite the negative publicity it generated. it may have been edited down of course, I'm not sure, I'd need to compare it to the orginal. Still, if I was a producer at ITV I would have made damn sure that the Shawn Hornbeck episode was pulled from the schedule. But then they clearly don't care about 'filler' programs such as this. I am going to be writing to ITV to make them aware of the kind of material they are broadcasting, particularly when it is known to be as tasteless and harmful as this. Possibly this may add some small amount to the SSB cause - you never know.