> -----Original Message----- > From: Sean Corfield [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 11:24 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: More Crap with John Edward > > On Dec 23, 2007 7:35 PM, Jim Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > This is just so typical. You gain notoriety, rake in some bucks get > a > > devoted following. You get cocky and get exposed as a fraud on a few > news > > shows and things start to go South. > > Hey Jim - can you provide some URLs for Edward being exposed as a > fraud? I'd be interested in reading more about that.
The one I remember specifically was the segment John Hockenberry did for NBC. Edwards "surprisingly" channeled the dead father of the NBC cameraman - big spot in the show, he "guessed" the guy's name, that his father had died and a few other tidbits. Later it was discovered that the same cameraman had done "b-roll" work with Edward that morning and had specifically has a conversation with him where his father's death was mentioned. Joe Nickell (one of the most respected skeptics active today) details the whole thing in a larger piece about Mediums in general and Edward in specific: http://www.csicop.org/si/2001-11/i-files.html Of course like most "mediums" the most telling debunking is that they do nothing truly special - nothing that can't be done by anybody with a little training and a little deception. The very first episode of "Penn and Teller: Bullshit" ("Talking to the Dead") has some great examples of this stuff: http://www.spikedhumor.com/articles/74438/Penn_Teller_Bullsh_t_Talking_to_th e_Dead.html Salon did a decent article on the technique (relating to Edward) here: http://dir.salon.com/story/people/feature/2002/06/13/probability/index.html It's hard to judge somebody like Edward from TV: the shows are so edited that it definitely does seem miraculous. The HUGE number of misses are just sent to the cutting room floor - but watch an unedited performance and really listen: nothing is all that special. If somebody admittedly fooling you can perform just as well as a self-proclaimed medium then why believe the medium? All it would take it ONE of these charlatans to perform under testable, repeatable circumstances to vindicate the entire profession. But none have and if history is any guide none ever will. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;160198600;22374440;w Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:249099 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
