# I pit Halloween for bringing the woo-woos out! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 17, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669 "2004-10-17T14:28:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/1 "2004-10-17T14:28:46Z")
Fucking Halloween. If it only were about candy. Or Satan. But no, it is all about woo-woos, creduloids, New Agers, and all the true believers in supernatural horseshit. This is the time of year when TV runs all the drivel presented as scientific investigation of haunted sites. This is the time of year when discussion boards are overrun by doofuses talking about “psi” and “energies” and all the other non-existant crap this crowd just loves to wallow in. Crimoney, what a sad, insecure sack of shit you have to be to cling to belief in such nonsense. The part I don’t understand is why they bother drawing a line anywhere. If you believe in shit like psi, why not go ahead and believe in the Tooth Fairy, homeopathy, vampires, Advanced Aluminum Supersonic Nazi hell Creatures, too? I can’t wait until November 1 when all woo-woos go back to making sure their energy centers are aligned or whatever the hell it is they do the rest of the year. I think, to make myslef feel better, I’ll flog (Singapore-style) the next creduloid that quotes form _Hamlet_ to me. Whether there are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy or not, Shakespeare was an Elizabethan playwright, not an expert on scientific investigation of unexplained phenomena. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/2 "2004-10-17T14:44:06Z")
Never met a woo-woo personally. In fact, the only “Woo Woo” I know is in the chorus for the Stones’ **Sympathy for the Devil** , which, IMHO, is the perfect song to bring out for Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/3 "2004-10-17T14:56:49Z")
You’re an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/4 "2004-10-17T15:03:55Z")
It’s really inexcusable that cable channels like _The History Channel_, _Discovery_, and _The Learning Channel_ trot out uncritical “documentaries” about this kind of nonsense. Yes, I know that TV is all about “entertainment,” but a well-done debunking can be just as entertaining as an evidence-impaired speculation show. _Nova_ doesn’t do enough of this. A few years ago, they did a wonderful show about Erich von Daniken, the _Chariots of the Gods?_ guy - took him apart like Tinker Toys, revealing him to be the fraud he is. It is, indeed, puzzling how the woo-woos decide which particular bits of nonsense to believe, and which to reject. “Of course, I don’t believe in silly things like alien abductions, but I know several people who have seen ghosts, so I’m sure they’re real.” It never seems to dawn on them that the things they dismiss are supported by exactly the same kind of non-evidence as the things they passionately embrace. I find that inexplicable. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/5 "2004-10-17T15:19:05Z")
[url=http://lisupras.com/wooo.html]Obligitory[/ur] ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/6 "2004-10-17T15:20:07Z")
[Obligitory](http://lisupras.com/wooo.html) One day me code purdy ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/7 "2004-10-17T15:23:43Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Never met a woo-woo personally. In fact, the only “Woo Woo” I know is in the chorus for the Stones’ **Sympathy for the Devil** , which, IMHO, is the perfect song to bring out for Halloween. Oh c’mon. You’ve never seen Daffy do that jumpin around dance he does when Bugs Bunny drives him crazy? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/8 "2004-10-17T15:34:47Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > You’re an asshole. Careful now, you’re spreading negativity or bad vibes or unbalancing your energy centers or whatever the fuck it is. ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/9 "2004-10-17T15:36:42Z")
I don’t know what makes one religion more respectable than another, but I don’t believe that the “woo-woos” have any “sillier” beliefs than a Christian or Buddhist or Muslim or whatever does. Why is believing that a special rock will cure your headache less credible than believing that the son of God came to the natural sphere via a miraculous pregnancy? Whatever gets you through the day. I’m not presuming that you take stock in these beliefs, but you hardly ever see a post lambasting Christmas or Easter in this way. Or maybe I’m not attentive enough. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/10 "2004-10-17T15:41:54Z")
> [@ouisey](#): > > I don’t know what makes one religion more respectable than another, but I don’t believe that the “woo-woos” have any “sillier” beliefs than a Christian or Buddhist or Muslim or whatever does. Nor do I. I think it may be the only thing that communism was right about. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/11 "2004-10-17T15:42:03Z")
Scumpup? Apropos moniker indeed. All you need do is turn the channel, my friend. Or maybe, just get your scummy self up and out of the house, and away from the discussion boards, until these ‘creduloids’ go away. :rolleyes: You, are a schmuck. ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/12 "2004-10-17T15:48:39Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > Nor do I. I think it may be the only thing that communism was right about. But WHY? I don’t follow any particular religion myself, but as long as a person minds their own business I have absolutely no problem with them believing anything they feel like. Especially if those beliefs help them to be a productive member of society. And if those beliefs are interesting at all, because god wouldn’t it be boring if we all believed in a purely scientific experience. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/13 "2004-10-17T16:12:01Z")
> [@ouisey](#): > > But WHY? I don’t follow any particular religion myself, but as long as a person minds their own business I have absolutely no problem with them believing anything they feel like. Especially if those beliefs help them to be a productive member of society. And if those beliefs are interesting at all, because god wouldn’t it be boring if we all believed in a purely scientific experience. There’s a distinction to be drawn here between the specific and the general - not easy to explain, but I’ll try. If my friend Bob is, say, a Hindu, that’s no problem for me. As long as he’s not trying to drag me into his temple, or insisting that I make offerings to Vishnu, his beliefs don’t bother me in the least. I reserve the right to roll me eyes (to myself) whenever he tells me about what he believes, but I don’t really feel the need to beat him about the head and shoulders over it. In the more general case, however, I believe that widespread religious belief has been a severe hindrance in the human search for knowledge. Vast numbers of people are convinced, on the flimsiest of evidence, that they know why the universe is the way it is. They stop looking for answers. In many instances, they violently suppress those people who _are_ still looking for answers. They accept perfectly appalling conditions, because it’s “god’s will,” instead of trying to fix things. (Others - please don’t trot out examples of religious people doing good things. I’m speaking in broad generalities, here, so small counter-examples don’t mean much.) There’s another reason, however, why I suppose I’m willing to give most religions a “pass,” unlike my reaction to the “paranormal” nonsense. Religion, at least, tries to provide some explanation for phenomena for which science still hasn’t provided a good explanation. Granted, religion is slow to give up those explanations when science delivers the goods, but at least they’re dealing with real, live phenomena: life exists, so how did it get here? Nobody can say that life _doesn’t_ exist, so it really is something that needs explaining. The woo-woos, on the other hand, usually _can’t even point to an unexplained phenomenon_. If large numbers of people were successfully performing remote viewing, for example, that would be a phenomenon that was worth investigating. In fact, however, no one has ever been shown to be able to carry out remote viewing at a level that can’t be explained by “lucky guessing.” Some guy dowses for water, they drill a well, and up comes the water. Pretty remarkable, eh? Only until you realize that someone else, drilling for water _without_ going through the dowsing ritual, has the same success rate. This is what puts the woo-woos into a category all their own. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/14 "2004-10-17T16:18:38Z")
> [@buttonjockey308](#): > > Scumpup? Apropos moniker indeed. All you need do is turn the channel, my friend. Or maybe, just get your scummy self up and out of the house, and away from the discussion boards, until these ‘creduloids’ go away. :rolleyes: You, are a schmuck. What can I say-some people fight ignorance, while others ignore and/or tolerate it. ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/15 "2004-10-17T16:47:42Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > Some guy dowses for water, they drill a well, and up comes the water. Pretty remarkable, eh? Only until you realize that someone else, drilling for water _without_ going through the dowsing ritual, has the same success rate. This is what puts the woo-woos into a category all their own. So if a person claimed that God AND and a mastectomy got rid of their breast cancer, as opposed to just a mastectomy, would you call them a woo-woo? IOW, its not so much the religion but the person’s illogical supernatural conclusions that makes a woo-woo? Because I totally agree with you there. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/16 "2004-10-17T16:55:44Z")
Yikes, I thought for a moment you were being harrassed by [Ronnie Woo Woo](http://www.ronniewoowoo.com/). That would definitely merit a pitting. (Can you believe Ronnie Woo Woo has an official website?) ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/17 "2004-10-17T17:02:49Z")
> [@ouisey](#): > > So if a person claimed that God AND and a mastectomy got rid of their breast cancer, as opposed to just a mastectomy, would you call them a woo-woo? Well, I’d probably stop at “confused,” accompanied by the invisible eye-roll. Even in this case, of course, she’s not trying to explain a non-existent phenomenon. Her breast cancer really did go away. She’s just confused about the reason it went away. The true woo-woo would claim that supernatural forces had cured him of bad energy fields - in other words, no demonstrable cure took place. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/18 "2004-10-17T18:22:57Z")
buttonjockey, That was weak. You’d have been better served to light some scented candles and concentrate on the color lavender as a way to counter me than that lame-ass attempt at mockery based on my username. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/19 "2004-10-17T18:38:55Z")
This whole thread is impacting my self-actualizing anima with negative toxicity. It is creating a disease process. I will need centering holistic healing before I can achieve wellness. Fuckers. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669/20 "2004-10-17T18:49:14Z")
Having not come across the terms “woo woo” and “creduloid” before, thought I’d just say they are cool, and quite apt. Halloween doesn’t mean anything all _that_ special, though. They do their thing all year round. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-halloween-for-bringing-the-woo-woos-out/269669.md?page=2)