I've thought a lot about John Edward, and my friend Mike and I happened to see that episode this past week. The thing is, I don't think Edward is "preying" on anyone. He's giving them a little comfort. If he were bilking people out of their money, like some psychics do, I would feel differently. But if people go to one of his "readings" and feel better afterward, I don't see the harm.
Religions tell people that their loved ones are waiting for them in heaven, and watching over them in life. This gives people comfort. Is that "preying on those who have suffered a loss"?
He is making money, but is he hurting people? He's not promising that their loved ones will come back to life, or that he can cure disease or anything like that. He's telling people, your mother or brother or father loves you and thinks about you. And the people leave the "readings" feeling better. What's wrong about that?
Yeah, he's a douche, but people are responsible for what they do with their money. Even hurting people.
And to a degree, I will go along with Adam on funeral directors. There are all kinds (I know some very good people who provide this service to families). And I've run into some douchebags.
At one time, the industry was rife with them. Jessica Mitford wrote a really harsh critique of the funeral industry called The American Way of Death which was largely responsible for the industry holding itself accountable for decent business practices (such as an itemized list of services... something you couldn't get in 1963).
Yeah, she was a commie, and she was wrong in her snotty assault on the human need of a commemorative service, but she did catch em with their pants down, and kicked their collective arse.
Jerry (and Pam): I guess I would use "bamboozle" for people who are actually hurt by someone else's actions. How are these audience members hurt? To me, this is a level of comfort that doesn't rise much above a condolence card.
And when I mentioned funeral directors, I wasn't even talking about the ones that take advantage of people and get them to buy stuff they don't need. I was saying that the whole industry, by definition, exists because of people's grief. But people get services they need from it.
A much more deserving target for "douche" status would be the televangelists, who get little old ladies sitting in their living rooms to keep donating because Billy Bob says God told him he needs more money. Now there's some bamboozling for you.
Oh yeah, I agree with televangelists!!!! Jim and Tammy Faye total douchebags.
I understand what you are saying, Adam, and you make a valid point. I don't agree with funeral directors in general because they are a necessary funtion. I mean, what would we do with our dead if they weren't around?
Pyres? That's a bit too middle ages for me.
I just can't stand the fact that he is peddling false hope for profit. Also, the people who are buying it are in a weakened state of mind.
I guess I would quarrel with "peddling false hope." He's not saying they will come back, only that, as I've said, they see you and love you. I don't see "hope" in that, only comfort.
And as for "buying it," as far as I know these people aren't paying more than a ticket to see an Edwards show. I saw "Bewitched" and hated it, but I don't think the people who made that movie are going to Hell. :-)
If John Edward said, for example, "You have to come back 10 more times and pay more money each time, and I will tell you more," then I would agree that he was "preying." But within the confines of what he actually does, no.
It's funny. I was trying to do some research online, to see if Edward was ever accused of bilking people out of their money with his "powers." And I put "John Edward bilking" into Google, and the first hit was my own weblog:
Steven Malcolm Anderson 4 GodsSelfSex (mail) (www):
I know nothing about this John Edward, but he does sound questionable. I don't go in for "spiritism" or "channeling". I thought at first you were referring to a certain trial lawyer who pretended to channel the souls of the unborn (even while he was for abortion!). Anyway....
The Queen of All Evil wrote:
"Pyres? That's a bit too middle ages for me."
And yet the Queen is a Catholic monarchist! HAIL....!!!! It is my understanding that the Catholic church in the Middle Ages forbade cremation as it seemed to deny the resurrection of the body in the Last Judgment. The Vikings burned their dead warriors on their ships. I'm thinking that I should find a way to get myself buried Egyptian-style.
Leonard Peikoff condemned "channelers". The most famous of the "channelers" is a Communist actress, one Shirley MacLaine, who visited Communist China in the 1970s and then, unfortunately, came back, saying that their system was superior to ours because they believed that "the group is more important than the individual." I can only pray that someday she "channels" some of the 100,000,000+ souls of those who were starved to death or otherwise murdered in the name of the Communist doctrine that "the group is more important than the individual."
There's my nominee for "Biggest Douche in the Universe".
Scam artists have been abusing religion since before Noah - but there have always been people like Mother Theresa who took the money and did good with it.
Steven Malcolm Anderson 4 GodsSelfSex (mail) (www):
Billy Graham is one evangelist I respect. He's been preaching since before I was born. That was a very interesting site Wince linked to, interesting doctrines preached there along with the expose of Peter Popoff.
As for Peter Popoff: Back in the early 1980s, a Christian lady who believed in him got me to send for a booklet of his purportedly showing photographs of Jesus Christ in the clouds seen from an airplane. For a long time after, he kept sending me letters and offers begging for money. I never sent him a dime. And I wasn't surprised that he was soon after exposed as a total fraud. The only thing that suprises me is that he hasn't been prosecuted. But, then, maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's a good thing if our laws or courts bend so far backward to protect freedom of religion. Some atheists think all religion is just such a fraud. Let him pop off all he wants, just not on my dime.
Whenever I think of Peter Popoff, I always think of his diametrical opposite: Leonard Peikoff. An atheist, but my kind of atheist. I look forward to reading his forthcoming book, The DIM [Disintegration, Integration, Misintegration] Hypothesis. I can't wait to get my hands on James S. Valliant's The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics. I also must get G. K. Chesterton's A Short History of England and Alain de Benoist's What is a Pagan?. Books, books, books, books.... It never ends....
I have no love for John Edward, but I as far as psychics go, I find him to be less of a douchebag than most. He's providing a service that people apparently want. I used to occasionally catch his show, and people there would be greiving over relatives who died 20 years ago. While that's understandable if it were someone close, I was close to my grandfather who died a year ago, and I haven't had any desire to talk to him from beyond. Unfortunately, these people need someone like John Edward, so if it weren't him, it would be someone else.
I find Sylvia Browne to be much worse. Not only is she a douchebag, she's almost never right in her predictions. I think she's predicted a terrorist attack by the end of the year in the U.S. each year since 9-11 (not exactly a stretch, and even so, she's been wrong). On the rare occasions that I've seen her on talk shows, she's predicting life-threatening illnesses to fall upon audience members. It's a good thing to suggest that people keep up on their health, but scaring the hell out of them?
Which brings me to another group that qualifies for the "Biggest Douche in the Universe" contest: daytime talk show hosts. If you think John Edward preys on the misery of people, then think about what people like Dr. Phil and the like do. They bring miserable people up on stage to air out their dirty laundry in public, give them commonsense advice that anyone over the age of 20 already knows, and then send them to a counselor who has to do the real grunt work, while they collect their substantial paychecks. And, instead of allowing people to come to them, they openly solicit guests for their show with requests like: "If you've recently had a sex change and your in-laws are having trouble dealing with it, please call us at xxx-xxxx."
That said, my single nomination for "Biggest Douche In The Universe": Jerry Springer
Religions tell people that their loved ones are waiting for them in heaven, and watching over them in life. This gives people comfort. Is that "preying on those who have suffered a loss"?
And to a degree, I will go along with Adam on funeral directors. There are all kinds (I know some very good people who provide this service to families). And I've run into some douchebags.
At one time, the industry was rife with them. Jessica Mitford wrote a really harsh critique of the funeral industry called The American Way of Death which was largely responsible for the industry holding itself accountable for decent business practices (such as an itemized list of services... something you couldn't get in 1963).
Yeah, she was a commie, and she was wrong in her snotty assault on the human need of a commemorative service, but she did catch em with their pants down, and kicked their collective arse.
And when I mentioned funeral directors, I wasn't even talking about the ones that take advantage of people and get them to buy stuff they don't need. I was saying that the whole industry, by definition, exists because of people's grief. But people get services they need from it.
A much more deserving target for "douche" status would be the televangelists, who get little old ladies sitting in their living rooms to keep donating because Billy Bob says God told him he needs more money. Now there's some bamboozling for you.
I understand what you are saying, Adam, and you make a valid point. I don't agree with funeral directors in general because they are a necessary funtion. I mean, what would we do with our dead if they weren't around?
Pyres? That's a bit too middle ages for me.
I just can't stand the fact that he is peddling false hope for profit. Also, the people who are buying it are in a weakened state of mind.
And as for "buying it," as far as I know these people aren't paying more than a ticket to see an Edwards show. I saw "Bewitched" and hated it, but I don't think the people who made that movie are going to Hell. :-)
If John Edward said, for example, "You have to come back 10 more times and pay more money each time, and I will tell you more," then I would agree that he was "preying." But within the confines of what he actually does, no.
http://tinyurl.com/8o6bh
The internet is a strange, wonderful place.
The Queen of All Evil wrote:
"Pyres? That's a bit too middle ages for me."
And yet the Queen is a Catholic monarchist! HAIL....!!!! It is my understanding that the Catholic church in the Middle Ages forbade cremation as it seemed to deny the resurrection of the body in the Last Judgment. The Vikings burned their dead warriors on their ships. I'm thinking that I should find a way to get myself buried Egyptian-style.
Leonard Peikoff condemned "channelers". The most famous of the "channelers" is a Communist actress, one Shirley MacLaine, who visited Communist China in the 1970s and then, unfortunately, came back, saying that their system was superior to ours because they believed that "the group is more important than the individual." I can only pray that someday she "channels" some of the 100,000,000+ souls of those who were starved to death or otherwise murdered in the name of the Communist doctrine that "the group is more important than the individual."
There's my nominee for "Biggest Douche in the Universe".
Scam artists have been abusing religion since before Noah - but there have always been people like Mother Theresa who took the money and did good with it.
Yours,
Wince
But I digress.
My choice: Bob Novak, Douche-bag for Liberty.
As for Peter Popoff: Back in the early 1980s, a Christian lady who believed in him got me to send for a booklet of his purportedly showing photographs of Jesus Christ in the clouds seen from an airplane. For a long time after, he kept sending me letters and offers begging for money. I never sent him a dime. And I wasn't surprised that he was soon after exposed as a total fraud. The only thing that suprises me is that he hasn't been prosecuted. But, then, maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's a good thing if our laws or courts bend so far backward to protect freedom of religion. Some atheists think all religion is just such a fraud. Let him pop off all he wants, just not on my dime.
Whenever I think of Peter Popoff, I always think of his diametrical opposite: Leonard Peikoff. An atheist, but my kind of atheist. I look forward to reading his forthcoming book, The DIM [Disintegration, Integration, Misintegration] Hypothesis. I can't wait to get my hands on James S. Valliant's The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics. I also must get G. K. Chesterton's A Short History of England and Alain de Benoist's What is a Pagan?. Books, books, books, books.... It never ends....
I find Sylvia Browne to be much worse. Not only is she a douchebag, she's almost never right in her predictions. I think she's predicted a terrorist attack by the end of the year in the U.S. each year since 9-11 (not exactly a stretch, and even so, she's been wrong). On the rare occasions that I've seen her on talk shows, she's predicting life-threatening illnesses to fall upon audience members. It's a good thing to suggest that people keep up on their health, but scaring the hell out of them?
Which brings me to another group that qualifies for the "Biggest Douche in the Universe" contest: daytime talk show hosts. If you think John Edward preys on the misery of people, then think about what people like Dr. Phil and the like do. They bring miserable people up on stage to air out their dirty laundry in public, give them commonsense advice that anyone over the age of 20 already knows, and then send them to a counselor who has to do the real grunt work, while they collect their substantial paychecks. And, instead of allowing people to come to them, they openly solicit guests for their show with requests like: "If you've recently had a sex change and your in-laws are having trouble dealing with it, please call us at xxx-xxxx."
That said, my single nomination for "Biggest Douche In The Universe": Jerry Springer
By being lied to.