Can I just mention (I’m assuming here that these commercials are national- but if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ve seem something similar) that CLEO chick who does tarot card reading? How I loathe her.
First of all, it makes it so obvious who they’re marketing to (“And I’m seeing…the father is in prison isn’t he? Ah-hun, ah-hun.”) People who, more than most, really don’t need a $1000 phone bill.
Secondly, even in the orchestrated commercial “readings” all she does is tell them what they already know (“I see you’re having an affair.” “How did you know that!?”) Why would you pay for this?
Thirdly just about the only time she actually gave new information it was to tell some guy - no you’re not the father. Do they really tell people this kind of thing!!! What if he believes her! “I’m not paying any child support, the tarot lady said you’re cheating on me.” Ahhhhh!
When I see this ads, I wonder how long before someone gets sued for slander. If a psychic tells you you’re husband is cheating on you, and you divorce him, then he could sue for slander.
I don’t think I’d be able to keep a job like this very long. Not with me screaming, “Stop wasting your money calling here!” to people who asked how they could improve their life…
I’ve had dreams that come true. I hate it, it bugs the crap out of me. Besides, I can’t tell which ones are just dreams, and which are going to happen later, so it really doesn’t do a whole lot of good. But it’ll usually be something strange, and I’ll wake up and think, oh, that one’ll never come true! But when it does… ARG!
I was going to be a phone psychic once. I went through the tarot card training, which was basically lessons on how to keep people on the phone. I finally logged in and chickened out while waiting for the phone to ring and never actually took a call.
One of my best friends (I generally introduce her as my sister) does tarot readings as a hobby.
There are several skills involved in a good tarot reading. One of them is good old-fashioned cold reading. Another is the ability to be vague enough to be universally applicable. Another is insight, and doing what you can with limited information. The most important, for her purposes, is to be entertaining. Jodi is very good on all these counts, and I have been pushing her to do it for money–not on the phone, but at county fairs or in some touristy area for a few bucks a reading.
So tell me–am I justified in enouraging Jodi’s hobby, while calling the “phone psychics” out for being the scum-sucking bottom feeders they are?
People enjoy Jodi’s readings. After she does one, everybody in the room wants to have theirs read. At worst it’s a waste of a few minutes. At best it’s entertaining–she’s an anthropologist, so she’s good at adding an air of ancient mystery–and her vague insights might make you think about your situation in a whole new way. She’d also be the first to tell you that there is nothing paranormal going on at all.
To me, even if she charges a fiver or so to do this, it’s radically different from the $2.99/minute lines. I liken it to my own magic act–it’s the difference between me displaying my ability to make balls appear under cups for tips and someone else charging a fee and promising to make wads of cash appear under the cups.
That’s how I see it, anyway, and that’s why I cringe when I see, at the bottom of the screen in those commercials, “For entertainment purposes only.” Horseshit.