# Can John Edward talk back to the dead or is he just a receiver? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2003, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136 "2003-02-24T09:24:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/21 "2003-02-24T16:57:35Z")
So, the simple answer to the OP question is: Neither. ---
**Author:** ![Dobso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@Dobso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobso)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/22 "2003-02-24T21:40:34Z")
Thanks Beajerry, but you didn’t detect my sarcasm. I know the man is a trader in bottles of false hope to the gullible masses. He is fairly knew to us in Aust, and it’s an interesting observation that his deceipt raises so much attention, I guess that if so many people are willing to open their cheque books he deserves a pat on the back for his entrapreneurial skills. So how long will it be before we can expect to see copycat charlatains? ---
**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/23 "2003-02-24T21:46:40Z")
I would think he’s the copycat himself… there’s a grand old tradition of charging people money to sit around a crystal ball or Ouija board and speak, through the medium, to a dead relative. ---
**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/24 "2003-02-25T02:36:11Z")
The history of psychics and their cons is covered in Madam Blavatsky’s Baboon. Before Edward came on the scene, it was ruled by James Van Praagh. Edward was just smart enough to parlay the con into a successful tv show. Sorry, Dobso, I certainly did miss your sarcasm. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/25 "2003-02-25T02:41:17Z")
Even if he weren’t being sarcastic, the SDMB is _exactly_ where someone should sign up and ask that question. Go easy on the new guys unless they really start spouting garbage as opposed to asking about it, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/26 "2003-02-25T09:03:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dobso \* > I guess that if so many people are willing to open their cheque books he deserves a pat on the back for his entrapreneurial skills. Don’t forget, what people see on television is the edited version. You will never see him getting stood up or stumble around. This really borders on deception. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/27 "2003-02-25T13:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beajerry \* > \*\*And since you did ask that question, I’ll have to assign Carl Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World to you. > > I want a book report by Friday. \*\* First: Great Book. Second: If reading isn’t your bag, I want to assign a watching of the Penn and Teller show “Bullshit”. Their first episode deals with this and it even has a former “psychic” come on and admit he was being fraudulent. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/28 "2003-02-25T18:35:11Z")
Of course he’s a receiver. I have him bent over right in front of me…[snigger] ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/29 "2003-02-25T19:33:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meatros \* > \*\*If reading isn’t your bag, I want to assign a watching of the Penn and Teller show “Bullshit”. Their first episode deals with this and it even has a former “psychic” come on and admit he was being fraudulent. \*\* I also heartily recommend the South Park episode entitled “The Biggest Douche in the Universe”. That’s what **Tapioca Dextrin** was referring too, in case anyone didn’t know. A purely brilliant episode. I would _love_ to see it get an Emmy nomination. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/30 "2003-02-25T21:27:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*I also heartily recommend the South Park episode entitled “The Biggest Douche in the Universe”. That’s what **Tapioca Dextrin** was referring too, in case anyone didn’t know. \*\* I haven’t seen the episode, but I’ve heard pretty much all that is in it. I know that I _must_ check it out, I’ve heard so many good/funny things about it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/31 "2003-02-25T21:59:02Z")
**Meatros** , not only is it a funny episode, but one of the characters in it describes _exactly_ how cold-reading works. Gives pretty interesting examples during the show, too. I think any skeptic would be well-advised to see it if only for that much. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/32 "2003-02-25T23:48:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > \*\ ***Meatros** , not only is it a funny episode, but one of the characters in it describes _exactly_ how cold-reading works. Gives pretty interesting examples during the show, too. > > I think any skeptic would be well-advised to see it if only for that much. \*\* Yeah, but then when he tries to demonstrate how he’s just cold reading and not actually talking to dead people, no one believes him and he ends up with his own show for a while. Best South Park I’ve seen for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136/33 "2003-02-26T00:14:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skogcat \* > \*\*Yeah, but then when he tries to demonstrate how he’s just cold reading and not actually talking to dead people, no one believes him and he ends up with his own show for a while. > \*\* Hmmm…that sounds familar…😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-john-edward-talk-back-to-the-dead-or-is-he-just-a-receiver/157136.md?page=1)