# The Pet Psychic **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 5, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483 "2002-06-05T14:08:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/1 "2002-06-05T14:08:46Z")
Here is a copy of a letter sent to [letters@discovery.com](mailto:letters@discovery.com) by me on June 3, 2002. This is the programming feedback address for Discovery Communications, the owners of Discovery Channel, TLC, Discovery Wings, Animal Planet and others. As aghast as I am for a major network picking up “Crossing Over”, at least I have never been under the delusion that they have had any other motive than to make a buck. The thought of a Discovery Network channel carrying a show as scorn worthy as the “Pet Psychic” just turns my stomach. Perhaps, if a few more thinking persons step up and submit similar complaints, Discovery Communications will remember their mission. > [@](#): > > Subject: The Pet Psychic on Animal Planet > > Truly, you should be ashamed to put a show like the “Pet Psychic” on a channel owned by your organization. Garbage like that is the anathema of everything your networks stand for. The esteem of Discovery Communications is severely tarnished in the eyes of thinking people everywhere. > > I should expect you to ridicule the other networks for proffering this type of programming, rather than jumping in with a “me too” show that places profit above the core cause of your network. > > Sincerely, > Scott Hurst > (snipped contact info) ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/2 "2002-06-05T14:15:50Z")
There is a thread abou this over on James Ranid’s board (where I am psy kick). They hopefully, will mail also. This progrma is an affront to thinking people!:mad: ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/3 "2002-06-05T14:18:13Z")
There is a thread abou this over on James Randi’s board (where I am psy kick). They hopefully, will mail also. This program is an affront to thinking people!:mad: ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/4 "2002-06-05T14:32:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*There is a thread abou this over on James Randi’s board (where I am psy kick). > They hopefully, will mail also. > This program is an affront to thinking people!:mad: \*\* Interestingly, I forwarded that message to Mr. Randi as well. He is usually pretty responsive. It would be interesting to see it quoted in his commentary section. (I could only hope). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/5 "2002-06-05T14:41:56Z")
I’m wondering if the program is staged or if the pet owners are compensated in any way. If they really are as clueless as they sound in the promos, they shouldn’t have that pet in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/6 "2002-06-05T14:54:01Z")
It definitely is not staged and the owners are not compensated. I know this because my wife’s boss was taped about two weeks ago for an episode scheduled to air in July. She had seen the ads soliciting people to call in, and she did it for a lark, as “for a goof,” as she likes to say. I don’t know what kind of pre-taping interviews or anything were conducted, or how much information the producer might have got beforehand that would have been useful for a hot read by the “psychic,” but I can find out. Needless to say, after Julie did the taping, she was amazed at how accurate the psychic was. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/7 "2002-06-05T15:06:31Z")
In this one she visits the trained killer dogs that mauled the lady to death in apartment hallway out in California. (I assume everyone is familiar with this murder case.) Pet Psychic (PP): Oh, what a big dog you are. PP: What big eyes you have. PP: What big teeth you have. Dog: Growl PP: What was that you are saying? PP: Oh, you say you want to eat me even though you aren’t hungry at the moment? PP: Hmmmm… That is very interesting. Dog: growls and attacks. PP: Argh… No don’t do End of show(s). ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/8 "2002-06-05T15:39:58Z")
I feel your pain. I used to enjoy watching TLC. Then, then went off into cheapass “Real Life Drama” shit - I mean, come on, “A Wedding Story”, “A Birth Story”, freakin’ matchmaking date shows, and now Pet Psychic? Gimme a freakin’ BREAK, damnit! I saw the promo for Pet Psychic and choked on my coffee. The S.O. was equally impressed. Pure garbage for the masses! Crap! Where did all the documentaries go? Where did the thought-provoking content go? Hail PBS. Guess we should support 'em at their next fundraising drive. Elly ---
**Author:** ![trishdish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@trishdish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trishdish)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/9 "2002-06-05T15:59:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scotth \* > \*\*…a “me too” show that places profit above the core cause of your network. > \*\* Thank you for providing me with my first laugh of the day. You do realize that Discovery Communications, Inc is a _for_ profit, private organization, correct? DCI is not PBS. And as far as the “core cause” of the company, the mission statement for DCI includes “to entertain, enlighten and satisfy our viewers curiosity and desire to explore their world”. I would argue that Pet Psychic falls under the "entertain"ment requirement of the mission statement. And if you don’t like, please turn the channel. Easy as that. Discovery Comminications is not out to save the planet, they are out to make a buck. Easy as that. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/10 "2002-06-05T16:19:41Z")
Hey, it could be worse. John Edwards could be teaching a dachsund’s dead grandfather how to roll over. ---
**Author:** ![trishdish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@trishdish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trishdish)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/11 "2002-06-05T16:24:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Elenfair \* > \*\*I feel your pain. > > I used to enjoy watching TLC. > > Then, then went off into cheapass “Real Life Drama” shit - I mean, come on, “A Wedding Story”, “A Birth Story”, freakin’ matchmaking date shows, and now Pet Psychic? Gimme a freakin’ BREAK, damnit! > > I saw the promo for Pet Psychic and choked on my coffee. The S.O. was equally impressed. Pure garbage for the masses! Crap! > > Where did all the documentaries go? Where did the thought-provoking content go? > > Hail PBS. Guess we should support 'em at their next fundraising drive. > > Elly \*\* “Pet Psychic” does not air on TLC. It airs on Animal Planet. You are refering to two completely different networks. And in regards to the programs you just rattled off that do appear on TLC - “Wedding Story”, “Baby Story” and “Dating Story” all air during the afternoon. That is a completely different demo they are targeting than at primetime. Daytime is primarily more touchy feely and is targeted for the stay at home mom/woman demographic. If you want to talk about primetime programming, you may want to mention “Trauma: Life in the ER” which, before all of the copycats arrived, was one of the most real, dead on “reality” type programs about emergency room and trauma situations. There is also the highly rated and highly lauded program “Junkyard Wars” which also explains the science behind the junkyard creations that are being made. And since you asked about the “documentaries”, I have to assume you missed “Journey Through The Valley Of The Kings” which premiered on TLC in March and you can catch again in August. Here is a description of "Journey Through The Valley Of The Kings for your edification: "A must-see for any armchair Indiana Jones - a journey into the most dazzling treasure trove known to man. This was the burial ground for the ancient world’s most powerful rulers - the pharaohs of Egypt. This one-of-a-kind program is based on world-renowned Egyptologist Kent Weeks’ Theban Mapping Project. Weeks is joined by an impressive team of experts, including Bob Brier, Nicole Douek, Nick Reeves and Kate Spence, who take the viewer on an astonishingly realistic tour of the Valley of the Kings. Harnessing groundbreaking computer graphic techniques and dramatic reconstruction, viewers are taken on a unique journey into the Valley’s 3500 year history. Our virtual ‘x-ray’ camera plunges beneath the valley surface, revealing a subterranean world riddled with more than 60 monumental tombs. Tutankhamun’s may be the most famous tomb - but as a team of archaeologists reveal, his treasures pale in comparison to those once buried with the greatest pharaohs in the valley." You may have also missed “Hell In The Pacific” which premiered in December and recently was awarded with a Peabody. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/12 "2002-06-05T16:27:00Z")
Or combine the two shows and have _both_ fakes “talking” to dead pets. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/13 "2002-06-05T16:30:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by trishdish \* > **"Pet Psychic" does not air on TLC. It airs on Animal Planet. You are refering to two completely different networks.** They’re not all that different, both are under [Discovery’s umbrella](http://dsc.discovery.com/). ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/14 "2002-06-05T16:39:23Z")
Man, she makes those 900 numbers look like Nostradamas. Your dog loves you, and likes it when you feed him and take him for walks. Bah, you moron, I could come up with that same generic feel good bullshit for the chronically gullible. Here are ones I would LIKE to hear: “Fido says if you don’t stop talking to him in “baby talk”, he is going to rip your throat out while you sleep” “Tweety says she hates your guts for taking her from the jungle and inprisoning her in that stupid cage” “Kitty is planning on feasting on your corpse when you die” “Spot is very angry with you for having his balls cut off, and is actively planning to return the favor” Now THAT I would watch. . . . :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![trishdish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@trishdish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trishdish)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/15 "2002-06-05T16:51:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*They’re not all that different, both are under [Discovery’s umbrella](http://dsc.discovery.com/). \*\* But they are completely different networks with competely different audiences/demos and completely different genres. Animal Planet - All _Animals_, All the Time TLC - Are You _Human_? If the SDMB is about fighting ignorance, I felt it my duty that when someone runs off a laundry list of programs on a particular network to inform them that the one in question in this particular Pit thread does not air on the network (TLC) they are bitching about in their post. ---
**Author:** ![trishdish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@trishdish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trishdish)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/16 "2002-06-05T16:56:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elf6c \* > \*\*Man, she makes those 900 numbers look like Nostradamas. > > Your dog loves you, and likes it when you feed him and take him for walks. Bah, you moron, I could come up with that same generic feel good bullshit for the chronically gullible. > > Here are ones I would LIKE to hear: > > “Fido says if you don’t stop talking to him in “baby talk”, he is going to rip your throat out while you sleep” > > “Tweety says she hates your guts for taking her from the jungle and inprisoning her in that stupid cage” > > “Kitty is planning on feasting on your corpse when you die” > > “Spot is very angry with you for having his balls cut off, and is actively planning to return the favor” > > Now THAT I would watch. . . . > > :rolleyes: \*\* So would I! I’d like to see your Pet Psychic with the Osbourne’s menagerie. Now there’s some TV worthing watching! ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/17 "2002-06-05T17:19:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by trishdish \* > \*\*And in regards to the programs you just rattled off that do appear on TLC - “Wedding Story”, “Baby Story” and “Dating Story” all air during the afternoon. That is a completely different demo they are targeting than at primetime. Daytime is primarily more touchy feely and is targeted for the stay at home mom/woman demographic. \*\* Huh. I get those shows running into primetime down here. :yuk: > [@](#): > > I’d like to see your Pet Psychic with the Osbourne’s menagerie. Now there’s some TV worthing watching! Maybe she could translate whatever the hell Ozzie is saying…? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/18 "2002-06-05T17:35:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by trishdish \* > \*\*If the SDMB is about fighting ignorance, I felt it my duty that when someone runs off a laundry list of programs on a particular network to inform them that the one in question in this particular Pit thread does not air on the network (TLC) they are bitching about in their post. \*\* No problem there but because nearly all of Discovery’s programming (including AP and TLC) is so similar that what’s on where gets mixed up pretty often on these boards. ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/19 "2002-06-05T17:39:43Z")
> [@](#): > > “Pet Psychic” does not air on TLC. It airs on Animal Planet. You are refering to two completely different networks. Same network different channels. All owned and run by Discover Communications. > [@](#): > > You do realize that Discovery Communications, Inc is a for profit, private organization, correct? DCI is not PBS. > > And as far as the “core cause” of the company, the mission statement for DCI includes “to entertain, enlighten and satisfy our viewers curiosity and desire to explore their world”. > > I would argue that Pet Psychic falls under the "entertain"ment requirement of the mission statement. Clearly, I understand the difference. Though I cannot find DCI’s mission statement in writing anywhere, garbage such as the “Pet Psychic” is clearly contrary to their cultivated public image. It is certainly at odds with the programs they run under their “Public Responsiblity” [banner](http://www.discovery.com/corporate/public/public.html). I never confused them with not for profit. But, this is about as appropriate to their nature as a food company that prides itself on and touts its own environmentally friendly nature, coming out with a “Baby Seal and Rhino Horn” breakfast cereal. Even in the mission statement you provide, I would say the operative word is “AND”. It should entertain while educating and enlightening at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![trishdish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@trishdish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trishdish)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483/20 "2002-06-05T18:13:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tranquilis \* > **Huh. I get those shows running into primetime down here. :yuk:** Hmmm, that’s interesting…primetime is usually 8 - 11pm. The only time that I recall a daytime program airing in primetime was when they aired Mindy Paige Davis’s Wedding Story wedding program after a Trading Spaces episode. She’s the host of TS. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pet-psychic/112483.md?page=2)