Psychics = whack-a-mole.

Big Les · 15th February 2007, 02:44 AM

Or perhaps Groundhog Day?

http://heritage.scotsman.com/myths.cfm?id=210612007

Nice that the only comments got in before closure were from sceptics - good job lads.

But this guy has been about as roundly debunked as it's possible to be. His own TV show exposed and fired him. But like the Terminator, he absolutely. Will. Not. Stop. And it's the same story with the others; they get whacked by the rubber mallet of scepticism, and another one pops up nearby. Then the one you whacked just now pops back up as well!

This is what we're dealing with here; a mixture of overwhelming apathy from the majority, and a hardcore of fingers-in-the-ears bleevers who are able to sustain these frauds through an entire career. Robert Lancaster is doing sterling work with Sylvia, and many others have achieved great things in exposing psychics, from Houdini to Randi.

Sometimes it seems like ice-skating uphill. Are there that many fence-sitters to be convinced by our earnest antics in the press and (for most of us) in our everyday lives? I hope so.

I suppose the point of this thread is; has any psychic been so thoroughly debunked as to destroy, or even harm their career in a significant way? I can't think of one, and that depresses me.

Cuddles · 15th February 2007, 02:56 AM

Originally Posted by Big Les

I suppose the point of this thread is; has any psychic been so thoroughly debunked as to destroy, or even harm their career in a significant way? I can't think of one, and that depresses me.

Of couse, if you can't think of any that might be because they've been debunked so severely that no-one remembers them any more.

Big Les · 15th February 2007, 03:31 AM

Or they've been erased from the timeline. That gives me an idea for a TV show pitch - PSI-TIME-COP!

fuelair · 15th February 2007, 03:48 AM

I like Whack-a-mole! Maybe an offshoot : Whack-a-psychic where little figures of Slyvia, John Dedwards and Urine Gello pop up out of their BHoles only to be smited back with the mighty Hammer of Randiness.

Tricky · 15th February 2007, 04:58 AM

Originally Posted by Big Les

I suppose the point of this thread is; has any psychic been so thoroughly debunked as to destroy, or even harm their career in a significant way? I can't think of one, and that depresses me.

Well, there was Margery Crandon.

Rrose Selavy · 15th February 2007, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Les

I suppose the point of this thread is; has any psychic been so thoroughly debunked as to destroy, or even harm their career in a significant way? I can't think of one, and that depresses me.

Randi vs James Hydrick comes to mind - He came clean soon after that and I don't see a comeback tour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hydrick

Big Les · 15th February 2007, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by Tricky

Well, there was Margery Crandon.

Yes, that's as definitive as it gets I think (not that I would wish alcoholism on any of them

). But even that link says:

Quote:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and other prominent supporters of spiritualism never gave up their trust or belief in her.

And how many newcomers were there post-debunking who knew little of it and cared even less?

Originally Posted by Rose Selavy

Randi vs James Hydrick comes to mind - He came clean soon after that and I don't see a comeback tour.

True, but he was a "psychokinetic" like Geller; the psychic mediums and clairvoyants aren't using such manual magic tricks and so are harder to debunk by way of demonstration; there's always some leeway for bleevers to explain away and casual observers to still come away thinking there could be something to it. And of course Geller continues to fester away with the same old tired parlour tricks; I suspect Hydrick simply had a sense of shame about the whole thing and couldn't put himself back in the public eye after Randi did such a number on him.

JQH · 15th February 2007, 06:18 AM

Originally Posted by fuelair

I like Whack-a-mole! Maybe an offshoot : Whack-a-psychic where little figures of Slyvia, John Dedwards and Urine Gello pop up out of their BHoles only to be smited back with the mighty Hammer of Randiness.

A Hammer of Randiness brings a concept to British minds that I'm sure you wern't intending!

fuelair · 15th February 2007, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by JQH

A Hammer of Randiness brings a concept to British minds that I'm sure you wern't intending!

Never assume

(I am extremely familiar with British porn - wrote a term paper in high school on Fanny Hill -that was in '63 or '64 - and terminology).
Specific example: Randiana (collection from a periodical of that name). It is, though less often, used over the pond anyway!!

15th February 2007, 02:44 AM	#1
Big Les Not so much a medium as a large Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 5,004	Psychics = whack-a-mole. Or perhaps Groundhog Day? http://heritage.scotsman.com/myths.cfm?id=210612007 Nice that the only comments got in before closure were from sceptics - good job lads. But this guy has been about as roundly debunked as it's possible to be. His own TV show exposed and fired him. But like the Terminator, he absolutely. Will. Not. Stop. And it's the same story with the others; they get whacked by the rubber mallet of scepticism, and another one pops up nearby. Then the one you whacked just now pops back up as well! This is what we're dealing with here; a mixture of overwhelming apathy from the majority, and a hardcore of fingers-in-the-ears bleevers who are able to sustain these frauds through an entire career. Robert Lancaster is doing sterling work with Sylvia, and many others have achieved great things in exposing psychics, from Houdini to Randi. Sometimes it seems like ice-skating uphill. Are there that many fence-sitters to be convinced by our earnest antics in the press and (for most of us) in our everyday lives? I hope so. I suppose the point of this thread is; has any psychic been so thoroughly debunked as to destroy, or even harm their career in a significant way? I can't think of one, and that depresses me.
	__________________ "Feeling you’ve done something is not quite the same as the empirical scientific proof." -Stephen Fry The BS Historian

15th February 2007, 02:56 AM	#2
Cuddles Decoy Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: A magical land full of pink fluffy sheeps and bunnies Posts: 16,566	Originally Posted by Big Les I suppose the point of this thread is; has any psychic been so thoroughly debunked as to destroy, or even harm their career in a significant way? I can't think of one, and that depresses me. Of couse, if you can't think of any that might be because they've been debunked so severely that no-one remembers them any more.
	__________________ I am not a little teapot.

15th February 2007, 03:31 AM	#3
Big Les Not so much a medium as a large Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 5,004	Or they've been erased from the timeline. That gives me an idea for a TV show pitch - PSI-TIME-COP!
	__________________ "Feeling you’ve done something is not quite the same as the empirical scientific proof." -Stephen Fry The BS Historian

15th February 2007, 03:48 AM	#4
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,881	I like Whack-a-mole! Maybe an offshoot : Whack-a-psychic where little figures of Slyvia, John Dedwards and Urine Gello pop up out of their BHoles only to be smited back with the mighty Hammer of Randiness.
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,881

15th February 2007, 05:15 AM	#6
Rrose Selavy Stranded in Sub-Atomica Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: UK Posts: 2,915	Quote: Originally Posted by Big Les I suppose the point of this thread is; has any psychic been so thoroughly debunked as to destroy, or even harm their career in a significant way? I can't think of one, and that depresses me. Randi vs James Hydrick comes to mind - He came clean soon after that and I don't see a comeback tour. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hydrick
	Last edited by Rrose Selavy; 15th February 2007 at 05:19 AM.

15th February 2007, 04:58 AM	#5
Tricky Briefly immortal Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: The Group W bench Posts: 42,345	Originally Posted by Big Les I suppose the point of this thread is; has any psychic been so thoroughly debunked as to destroy, or even harm their career in a significant way? I can't think of one, and that depresses me. Well, there was Margery Crandon.

15th February 2007, 06:05 AM	#7
Big Les Not so much a medium as a large Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 5,004	Originally Posted by Tricky Well, there was Margery Crandon. Yes, that's as definitive as it gets I think (not that I would wish alcoholism on any of them ). But even that link says: Quote: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and other prominent supporters of spiritualism never gave up their trust or belief in her. And how many newcomers were there post-debunking who knew little of it and cared even less? Originally Posted by Rose Selavy Randi vs James Hydrick comes to mind - He came clean soon after that and I don't see a comeback tour. True, but he was a "psychokinetic" like Geller; the psychic mediums and clairvoyants aren't using such manual magic tricks and so are harder to debunk by way of demonstration; there's always some leeway for bleevers to explain away and casual observers to still come away thinking there could be something to it. And of course Geller continues to fester away with the same old tired parlour tricks; I suspect Hydrick simply had a sense of shame about the whole thing and couldn't put himself back in the public eye after Randi did such a number on him.
	__________________ "Feeling you’ve done something is not quite the same as the empirical scientific proof." -Stephen Fry The BS Historian

15th February 2007, 06:18 AM	#8
JQH Thinker Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 220	Originally Posted by fuelair I like Whack-a-mole! Maybe an offshoot : Whack-a-psychic where little figures of Slyvia, John Dedwards and Urine Gello pop up out of their BHoles only to be smited back with the mighty Hammer of Randiness. A Hammer of Randiness brings a concept to British minds that I'm sure you wern't intending!
JQH Thinker Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 220

15th February 2007, 06:54 AM	#9
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,881	Originally Posted by JQH A Hammer of Randiness brings a concept to British minds that I'm sure you wern't intending! Never assume (I am extremely familiar with British porn - wrote a term paper in high school on Fanny Hill -that was in '63 or '64 - and terminology). Specific example: Randiana (collection from a periodical of that name). It is, though less often, used over the pond anyway!!
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,881