The 6 Most Humiliating Public Failures by Celebrity Psychics

[SidDithers]

http://www.cracked.com/article_20566_the-6-most-humiliating-public-failures-by-celebrity-psychics.html

The frustrating thing about psychics, mediums, and fortune tellers is that they're still able to make a pretty goddamned comfortable living, even in 2013. Their inability to provide empirical evidence that what they do is anything other than a scam to prey on the gullible seems to have had little effect on their bottom line. Still, there have been little victories along the way, and cameras have been there to capture the hilarity.

#6. Uri Geller Is Exposed on the Johnny Carson Show

Contrary to what you might assume, the people most hostile to claims of supernatural powers are magicians. That's why nowadays they usually prefer the term "illusionist" -- they want to be clear from the outset that what they're doing is a trick. But then, every so often, one of them will hit the big time by claiming that they have genuine magic powers. Such is the case with Uri Geller, who in the '70s was basically the Sith Lord of illusionists. And millions of people believed him.

#5. Psychics Channel the Ghost of a Fake Person

A British television entertainer wanted to test the abilities of three psychics, inviting them to an abandoned chocolate factory to try to summon the spirit of its long-deceased owner. Amazingly, the psychics were all able to channel the ghost of the man -- an American named George Bull -- and provide a startlingly accurate account of his life on the spot. He had managed the factory in the late 1800s. Angry, aggressive, and generally the opposite of Willy Wonka, Bull got himself killed on the job when he caused a team of delivery horses to panic and trample him.

More, including the cringe-inducing videos, at the link. Say what you want about cracked, but they do critical thinking really, really well.

Edit: James Van Praagh failing miserably at cold reading

#t=167

Sid

[boguspotus]

1. Cracked.com in a great web site:

Lots of quick interesting reads.

[Control-Z]

2. I love cracked!

My kids love cracked. It's one of the few sites we can all enjoy equally.

[longship]

3. And the absolute worst, Sylvia Brown!

In relatively recent news, Sylvia told Amanda Berry's parents that their daughter was dead.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/sylvia-brownes-amanda-perry-psychic_n_3240157.html

Of course, Sylvia has a long history getting it wrong to bereaved parents.

There's also the Shawn Hornbeck affair. Sylvia working over his parents on the Montel Williams show is heartbreaking. Shawn is another young abductee who Sylvia told parents was dead who was actually alive and a long time prisoner of his abductee.
See her in action:

It's heartless!

I wish there was a Hell for this evil person.

[SidDithers]

5. I'm surprised she didn't make the list...

maybe there wasn't good video of her getting hung out to dry.

You're right tho, she is the absolute worst.

Sid

[longship]

6. Sad that Robert Lancaster had a stroke.

His Stop Sylvia Browne site has not kept up due to his health. Lancaster has been a fierce advocate against the kind of kookery that Sylvia, and Van Pragh, and John Edward, and, and, and, are peddling.

The JREF tried to tackle Sylvia a couple years ago and she just ignored them. Meanwhile I still see her on infomercials (hosted by Montel Williams, of course), pitching some kind of woo.

She's the worst of the worst.

As James Randi says, "They are unsinkable rubber duckies."

Always appreciate your posts, Sid. It's nice to see another militant atheist heathen skeptic around here.

[madaboutharry]

4. That was all incredibly interesting!

Thanks.