Dan Akroyd on Ghosts...

[headscratcher4]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-aykroyd/about-ghosts_b_327453.html

What a marooon.

[Pure Argent]

I like the way he cites repeatedly-debunked "psychics" like Palladino as evidence of the paranormal. It shows a real grasp of fantasy.

[Denver]

And let us not forget Mr Akroyd's video on ghosts, ufos, and vodka.

http://crystalheadvodka.com/

[Skeptic Guy]

It would appear that there's a Ghostbusters 3 in the works.

[Aepervius]

And let us not forget Mr Akroyd's video on ghosts, ufos, and vodka.

http://crystalheadvodka.com/

Hey, it certainly show spirits on the video. look again ;).

[Minarvia]

Hume was also caught "cheating" I once read somewhere but he was never actually taken to task for "fraud." When Palladino was caught "cheating" her defenders said she was so under pressure to perform and to please her audience that she sometimes "had to."

Bleh. As Houdini once said, if someone cheats once or twice how can you EVER believe that anything they do is genuine?

Plus, Hume was a scum who took an older lady for a lot of money and even got himself into her will, iirc. I don't recall off the top of my head if she found out the truth about him and removed him as an heir later on or not.

And Ackroyd believes in these people? What a dope.

[Madalch]

I imagine him reading this out loud in the same frenzied believer voice he used to introduce Psi Factor.

[LibraryLady]

Funny, he doesn't mention Houdini in the article....

[Audible Click]

I wonder if he believes in the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man too.

[joobz]

I didn't actually see him admit he beleives in ghosts. Only that "people are interested in believing ghosts". He gives the impression that he does, but he never says it. It's the kind of artsy run arround given so that the "magic" of the story isn't ruined.

[Achán hiNidráne]

Oh come on! It's just good clean fun and if he makes some money of it, so much the better! :mad:

[joobz]

Oh come on! It's just good clean fun and if he makes some money of it, so much the better! :mad:
That seems to me that this is entirely the type of facade he is attempting to put forward.

I find it less respectable then if he actually did beleive.

[Derwoods]

in the article he mentions his dad has a book he is promoting about ghosts, and with the crystal head once again there is a reason to play up the stories. I don't doubt that he is somewhat into the woo but there is plenty of incentive to play it up here.

[Achán hiNidráne]

That seems to me that this is entirely the type of facade he is attempting to put forward.

I find it less respectable then if he actually did beleive.

I'm not talking about Akroyd... I'm talking about the JREF forums.
(http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=5228975#post5228975)

[Brown]

Remember: it's two Y's: Aykroyd.

The man himself is not too wise.

[Big Les]

You know, I have a feeling that Ghostbusters was so great precisely because Aykroyd (thanks Brown!) was a woo, and Ramis was a sceptic (or cynic?). The whole premise of academic ghosthunters being scoffed at and a paranormal revelation proving them right is what drives the film. Then again, I could be wrong.

I'm mercenary - if it makes GB3 more likely, shine on that crazy diamond.

[NoZed Avenger]

I didn't actually see him admit he beleives in ghosts. Only that "people are interested in believing ghosts". He gives the impression that he does, but he never says it. It's the kind of artsy run arround given so that the "magic" of the story isn't ruined.

I recall an old interview on Carson where he showed spirit photographs made by, IIRC, a relative of his back when that type of thing was popular. He accepted those types of photos as unexplained evidence of the paranormal; I have to suspect he actually does believe at least some of it.

[DevilsAdvocate]

I didn't actually see him admit he beleives in ghosts. Only that "people are interested in believing ghosts". He gives the impression that he does, but he never says it. It's the kind of artsy run arround given so that the "magic" of the story isn't ruined.I have never actually seen or heard Aykroyd actually SAY that he believes in any sort of woo-woo stuff. I've seen him talk about it, and give examples, and say that many people believe it, and that it is interesting, and so on.

The most he says here is that he has “felt an unseen presence”. Who hasn’t?

Here is a summary:

QUESTIONS:

Do I think ghosts really could exist? Are ghosts real? And if so what are they made of?

ANSWERS:

Doctor Hans Holzer wrote some stuff about ghosts.
I have never seen a ghost. I have “felt an unseen presence”.
There is a sotry about one of General George Patton’s sisters seeing Patton’s ghost.
People are fascinated with ghosts.
There is a book Ghost of Flight 401 about ghosts.
A hundred years ago people were fascinated with ghosts.
A hundred years ago woo-woos spent time investigating ghosts.
A hundred years ago there were woo-woos named Daniel Dunglas Hume and Eusapio Paladino.
My father wrote a book about how Hume and Paladino were caught cheating.
When I promote my father’s book about ghosts, there will be people that bring up questions about ghosts.
Questions about ghosts and my father’s book that I am promoting will be worthwhile and entertaining.

REVIEW:

Do I think ghosts really could exist? Not answered.
Are ghosts real? Not answered.
And if so what are they made of? Not answered.

SCORE:

FAIL. :boggled:

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Have you noticed that a lot of celebrities do this?

When they are asked if they believe in ghosts, psychics, mediums, astrology, etc. they give a cynical and wish washy "You never know/Well, wouldn't that be fun!/I always keep an open mind about it" type of answer. Or dodge the question with a cheery joke.

This is especially true of when they are promoting a movie about it. And if it's a movie about religion, the answer is always "I'm spiritual but not religious".

Just for once, I'd like an actor or actress say "No, I don't believe in it. It's a movie, it contains fiction."