There was a piece on Watchdog on BBC1 tonight about some psychic scamsters. Basically I think it is just worth watching, although I will add they tried to get someone to spend £800 on a 8ft candle to fix her aura
Probably about 10 minutes in or thereabouts. Link to the wonderful iPlayer below:
http://tinyurl.com/39pfbk
Just over 11 minutes actually.
What is annoying about the clip, is that the trading standards guy interviewed says that these fraudsters aren't 'genuine psychics'.
Must get some glasses - could have sworn you'd written "psychic hamsters"Originally Posted by FarSideOfTheMoon
Good point about the "genuine psychics" throwaway comment. It just goes to prove how deeply embedded the alternative rubbish is in today's world. It's rather depressing really.
And according to Julia Bradbury "there are genuine psychics out there", an outrageous comment that will no doubt be interpreted in some quarters as the BBC seal of approval. I think we should all complain to Watchdog itself, the BBC and OFCOM!
Seconded.
I don't think we can afford to let this sort of covert acceptance go by unchallenged.
I am drafting my e-mail of disapproval.
Is BadPsychics on red alert too?
I posted it over there too. I submitted a complaint via their own Watchdog bit of the BBC website. Guess that goes to the researchers, but if it was a general complaint to the BBC there is probably a better address to use.
Yes, the BadPsychics regulars are also appalled by Bradbury's comment and are no doubt typing away even as we speak!
I sent a comment to the BBC on this. On Sunday I received and an e-mail from the complaints dept, saying they were looking into it.
While there is not a hope in hell that the BBC would acknowledge that there is no such thing as a "genuine psychic", I hope that in future they use a bit more caution when talking about the subject.This is an update to let you know that we are dealing with your recent complaint but are waiting to clarify some points with other colleagues in the BBC before we reply more fully to you.
Hey,
Signed up specifically to comment on this. I saw it last night and couldn't believe what I was hearing. A part from anything else, it's unfair to single this woman out as a rip-off merchant when she does exactly the same thing as every other pyschic out there. If they want to complain about this "Mrs. Adams" then they have to complain about them all.
By singling this one woman out it gives validation to all the others. Talk about counter-productive.
Really shows like watchdog should be warning us off psychics in general. Still waiting to see an alternative medicine special, too. Surely they're bigger threats to the British public than dodgy DJs on the outskirts of Birmingham.
That's an excellent point. It just shows how entrenched this type of belief system is in our society.
I imagine a programme like Watchdog would be reluctant to state such an opinion however, as it could be seen as reducing their credibility with the typical viewer. Viewing figures are all that matters these days - not educating the GBP in reality. Whereas programmes like This Morning and similar crap are reluctant to criticise paranormal because (potentially) most of their viewers have some kind of belief in it.
Thats supposedly the beauty of the BBC. They don't have advertising, so they don't need to pander to the lowest common denominator. Screw what the masses believe, call a spade a spade and a quack a quack.
Anyway, Terry Wogan will feel my wrath. I complained to both Watchdog and Points of View. Take that BBC!
The media knows only one thing about the paranormal - it attracts viewers/readers. Apart from that, they are utterly clueless on the subject! Don't expect any coherent answers because they won't understand your complaint.
Anyone stupid enough to give money to supposed psychics, deserve to lose their hard earned cash.
You don't ahve to be stupid to give money to supposed psychics.Anyone stupid enough to give money to supposed psychics, deserve to lose their hard earned cash.
Even if that weer the case it doesn't mean that the psychics deserve to get the money.
I have friends and relatives who are (for want of a better term) stupid. I don't like the idea of people taking advantage of them.
People are definately stupid and need to be protected.
Look at the mass mailing of letters which inform the recipient they have just won a lottery they don't remember entering. I've read more than a few forum posts from people wondering if they are legitimate
What is more worrying is where vulnerable or elderly people are concerned though. They just don't have the same cynicism about people's motives as many of us do. They are prime candidates to be scammed in many different ways, and often are.
People spending money on scams and psychics is essentially a tax on the 'stupid', however the scammers do not deserve that money.
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