Making a Dent in a Vent
- A Vent on Fire
So it seems Bonnie Vent is more than a little bent out of shape about her claim to be able to talk to the deceased Michael Jackson. The real question is not one of legality of freedom of speech as far as I’m concerned. (See Steve Novella’s follow-up blog written in response to Vent’s threat to sue myself, Steve, the Skepticblog, and the Skeptics Society if we did not remove my opinion of her claims). It’s more about taking a stand against blatant exploitation of a deceased individual; namely, Michael Jackson. So where does all this go from here? I would suggest that the focus now be taken away from the apparently offensive suggestion that I was previously made aware of through an internet press release (that was taken down) that this medium is taking money for taking to Michael Jackson, to the real question at hand: Why are they doing this?
In my opinion, they are doing it for the publicity it brings them to gain customers for regular readings. that is, if you’ re the psychic whom Michael Jackson has blessed with communication from the dead, then you must have special powers indeed.
Look at the Google and this person’s Youtube stuff. Do you think that saying you channel Michael Jackson might increase your chances of selling a reading to someone who misses the poor guy? You betcha folks. That’s showbiz. I’m tempted to call myself. Maybe it goes something like this…
MEDIUM: Yes, I see you have a new love interest coming into you life in mid April. Your spirit guide is named Phyllis and I see travel for you during the summer months. Watch out for rocks in your shoes and you also have to watch out for Venus when in goes into retrograde… gaining weight may become an issue. Anything else I can help you with?
SITTER: Hmmmmm. That’s okay I guess. But what I really wanted to do was ask Michael Jackson a question through you like it said on Google and at your site. Can I please talk to him. I miss him so…. Please?
MEDIUM: Er, …ahhhh yes. Well …I can’t really do that right now… You see I don’t take money for seances with Michael…
SITTER: Really? I read all about you doing seance for him right after he died and everything…
MEDIUM: Er, …uh…well I, ….eh.
SITTER: Does this mean I’m going to have to sit here and spend the next twenty seven minutes just listening to stuff about me? If so, I want my money back!
- A Dirty Vent
- Hey Joe, Are You Angry Yet?
And what about the Jackson family? Don’t they have anything to say about this travesty? Hey Jermaine! Yo La Toya, Tito, Marlon and the rest of the First Family of Soul! Is this the kind of publicity you want for your dead brother? Can you allow someone like this to even pretend to disturb his resting in peace with such sideshow antics? And speaking of soul, what do you think Michael himself would make of all this?
What’s the impact of this entrepreneurial excess? Huge. As we get deeper into economic chaos, we can expect more and more of this type of insane exploitation. There’s no watchdog for this mess, no rules and no regulation whatsoever. In the worst cases, when faith and religion gets invoked, we lose even the tiniest chance to suggest critical thinking. These reprobates take every advantage of the faithful. I can only hope that because of blog interventions like this one, when net surfers look at so-called “paranormal research” sites and see adverts fo Eddie Munster dolls and “Buy/Sell Haunted Houses” listings, a few rational thinking minds might pause and consider that purveyors of this kind of garbage are nothing but snake oil salesmen (or saleswomen). In our present condition as a free-falling society, snake oil might be a viable option since there is so much of it is around. How much is snake oil per barrel anyway?
This new breed of low-brow marketing and yard sale mentality only makes the possibility of any serious discussion or scientific research into things supposedly paranormal less and less credible or approachable. I will make the debatable assumption that the regular readers of this blog have some basic common sense. Millions of other people don’t have a clue.
Let me make a few other things clear: Anyone can say they talk to spirits and dead people. Whether you sit at a computer and type it out, talk it on the telephone or sit at a seance table, it’s easy to talk the talk. I did it myself for 14 years at Hollywood’s Magic Castle. The difference is; I did what I did for entertainment purpose only and it has always been clearly labeled as such in my publicity and on my website. When I’m invited into the homes of clients to provide that entertainment, join in the party atmosphere and pretend to bring back the spirits of dead celebs like Hendrix, Elvis, Bela Lugosi or whoever, it is clearly understood by the hosts that we are out to have a good time. There is never any intention to convince anyone that I’m doing anything other than a dramatic send up of the traditional Victorian seance. If I have added in the words “Who knows?” in regard to whether or not something “real” might happen at one of these performances, that’s part of the mystery I’m selling. Magicians and mentalists have been doing this for centuries. Look at any of the advertising posters for Keller, Houdini or Thurston from earlier decades. There are cartoon demons and ghosts crawling all over them, sitting on there shoulders and whispering in their ears. I have an agent, not a spirit guide! In my performances, as far as I can control there is never an expectation of actual spirit contact or blessed relief from bereavement. If some people in the seance circle are more susceptible to seeing things in the dark or have overactive imaginations, I cannot control that anymore than a movie theater owner can take responsibility for a viewer having a nightmare after watching an effective horror film. Creating suspense, tension and release of that tension through pacing and theatrics is what I do. I have never taken money to do a seance for a grieving family. That’s not fun. In my many years of experience in the field seeing the damage that can occur by messing with epole’s hearts and minds in that way is only one thing: wrong.
If you set yourself up as a real spirit medium and say you are doing these things for real, regardless of whether or not you take one dime for what you say you do, you are eventually going to come up against forces that will question what you do, ask for proof and yes, likely be hostile to you. It’s a nasty business. If you are consciously defrauding the public with unsubstantiated claims, you put yourself squarely in the cross-hairs of the people of honor. In the absence of said authorities who refuse to recognize their duties, there will be people like myself to out your nefarious activities. If you are feeling abused, defamed or rejected after all this is said and done, there’s really only one way to put this whole situation truly to rest :
PROVE IT.
- A Cold Vent
Did anyone care to call and actually test the claims that Vent doesn’t charge for talking to Michael Jackson? Is it still legal for you to record your own phone conversations without telling people on the other end that you have a recorder running?
California’s wiretapping law is a “two-party consent” law.
http://www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/california-recording-law
http://www.rcfp.org/taping/states.html
Good blog Mark, Bonnie Vent would be an excellent candidate for the million-dollar challenge the administrator for the challenge lives here in Las Vegas. Not that far from San Diego, or we could conduct the test during TAM this July. Setting up a protocol both parties can agree on for a channeler Shouldn’t be that tough. What do you say Bonnie? Here is a link to the challenge application.
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge/challenge-application.html
Frequently asked questions link.
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge/challenge-faq.html
is that the sound of crickets?
Bonnie claims proof of communicating with the other side. Why not test it and win a million bucks as Paul T. suggests? She would instantly become the most famous person in the world. And a million dollars would only be the beginning of the fortune that she would accrue. I’d jump at the chance to prove my abilities! Wouldn’t anyone? Unless they were a fraud of course.There is no other valid reason that a psychic would not want their claims independently verified. None.
Why would anybody as successful (financially) as Vent risk their welfare on the challenge?
financially successful? Are you kidding? She sells collectible star wars toys on her site.
Risk?
The person that can prove communication between the dead and living would win the Nobel prize.
OH MY GOD! She sells Star Wars toys? To think I actually had zero respect for this con-artist! She just scored +2 respect points from me. Unfortunately, she’s still scoring below zero.
Good luck getting this person to accept the million $ challenge. Unless a psychic says he or she can connect with a spirit at any time that person chooses, there’s always the final excuse that the connection comes and goes, and there is no personal control over when it occurs. It’s the ultimate CYA. And we’ve all heard that one. Based on that disclaimer, there’s no way a psychic even need to try to prove so-called ability.
If a senator of the U. S. Congress can, during a live TV Nation-wide speech, call the Pres. of the U. S. a liar with, essentially, no fear of legal or public reprisal, I don’t think, Mark, that you or anyone with whom you are associated has anything to worry about when you deride scam artists.
Well said OldBabe. Why do we have to be all nice nice with this scum?
Proof isn’t in the cards for these Psychics.
Either they know they are charlatans or they’ve fooled themselves into thinking they actually have powers. Either way, they’ve built a lively hood around their “trade” and sacrificing ones career for the pursuit of truth, is tall order for anyone.
The best way to combat this is what’s going on now. Writing and satirizing they’re work in a free society.
Very soon, I’ll be publishing a storyline on Psychics on my skeptic comic strip http://www.apenotmonkey.com
Thanks for your link Jeffery. I added it to my bookmarks, you have some interesting stuff there.
PaleGreenPantsWithNobodyInsideThem says: “Why would anybody as successful (financially) as Vent risk their welfare on the challenge?”
Because proof of her psychic ability would totally change the world? So that she could help more people? So that she could give the million dollars to help needy children? She could help so many people. It boggles the mind at the potential good that she could do simply by proving her abilities.
The real question is: why wouldn’t one risk *everything* to share their gift with the world by proving that their psychic ability is real? It’s the epitome of selfishness not to. Vent is depriving the world.
I agree 100%. These psychics allege they’re “helping” and many make the claim they don’t charge for their services because their “gift” is not for financial gain.
So…why not take up the $1m challenge? How many people, charities, funds etc etc could benefit from a cool million?
Maybe they’re secretly donating all the money they make peddling snake oil. Who knows.
@Jeffrey Weston
Very cool blog, Jeffry! :-)
Why don’t you all go solve world hunger? Your blogs have been increasingly personal and hostile. Pictures of dryer vents? You call this journalism. I loathe the internet, anyone with opposible thumbs and a computer can rant with reckless disregard for the feelings of others. Many of you are so busy trying to kiss the derrier of your fellow skeptics it is nauseating. I have a challenge for you:
PROVE THAT THERE IS NO LIFE AFTER DEATH.
Don’t wimp out and say, “It is up to her to prove there is.” YOU are the ones making the allegation that there is no life after death. Prove that your hypothesis is true. You can’t. So, stuff it.
The onus of proof is on those making the claims. No one has said there’s no life after death. That would be silly because it can’t be proven. It’s not “wimping out” if you haven’t made that claim. Capiche?
Vent is making the claim there is life after death. So….got proof? Or are you going to wimp out and blame others for not submitting credible proof that follows protocols that qualify it as such when it’s clear no one has made that claim. Eh?
You make the claim. You prove it. It’s that simple.
Again…got proof?
Proof shouldn’t be too tough. Why doesn’t she have Michael tell her his ATM pin number? Seems like that’d go a long way.
While I can most certainly understand the nature of skeptics in this area, and I can also certainly understand your own skepticism, Mr. Edward, I do think it would help your column if you would take a much more active approach in terms of doing homework and research on your subjects. I can understand where you’re coming from, so to speak, but I can also say that having known at least two psychics personally, there really are people out there who have certain abilities that are strange, foreign or difficult to understand for the rest of us. I say this as a Christian woman who was raised and taught NOT to believe in these types of things.
I think it would be a good idea to at least observe the scientific and research based approach she has taken in regards to discussing life after death, religion, reincarnation, the spirit world, etc, by watching her “Conversations with the Dead” series of videos. It’s going to require several HOURS of your time to actually review these videos, but it might be worth your while. The questions posed are at times very interesting, and “The Connection” might be something for you to think about. Is “The Connection” Bonnie making things up as she goes along? Is “The Connection” a gimmick? Is Bonnie’s partner, who participates in this research project, a scam artist in cohoots with her? Why not watch the entire series of videos and listen very carefully to the questions asked and the answers given. Then form an opinion.
http://www.sdparanormal.com/SpiritAdvocateTV.html
Also, if you pay attention to the timelines of the videos in this series, you’ll find that they were recorded BEFORE Michael Jackson’s death, not after. In other words, Bonnie Vent has worked with the scientific community, or at least with some members of it, in an effort to try to offer proof of some things regarding the Paranormal and after-life well before Michael Jackson’s passing. It’s very difficult to prove some experiences, such as being psychic, experiencing a ghost, etc. At least with scientific research, high tech tools and methods, and an open while still somewhat skeptical mind, we get some insight into some crazy things going on out there.
As for Jackson, according to Ms. Vent, a distant family member DID actually verify Bonnie’s claims in terms of Michael having a private message for that family member. Your counter argument could be, “Well, let’s have the name of that particular family member, and let’s have the message.” The only problem there, as you already know, is that such revelations would be a violation of trust and an invasion of privacy on the part of the family member and Michael Jackson himself. So you see, it’s kind of a no-win, cyclical back and forth situation.
If you’ve never experienced a ghost, which I have, then you’re likely to call it a crock of garbage. If you’ve never encountered psychics and learned about their experiences or been given some kind of personal proof to your own satisfaction, then you will naturally remain skeptical.
Thank you for reading my essay. It’s much appreciated. Again, I suggest you watch the ENTIRE video series of “Conversations with the Dead” and THEN decide what you make of it and Ms. Vent’s claims. I think she’s earned the right to at least be acknowledged as someone who believes in research, asking questions, and seeking verification or proof of her own. And no, I’m not on her payroll, and I’m not a publicist – not for her or for anyone else.
Please forgive me for adding that the only person who seems “more than a little bent out of shape about her claim to be able to talk to the deceased Michael Jackson” is YOU, Mr. Edward. Ms. Vent isn’t “bent out of shape” regarding her claims. Her critics are. There IS a difference. Again, your wording is key to your blog, as is doing your research. I would suggest not confusing YOUR feelings and perceptions with hers.
Thank you again.
If any skeptics out there would care to review the following thread, you’ll find other skeptics who participated in the discussion, and a respectful dialogue or exchange which took place back in September 2005 with Ms. Vent and two other posters. Members of the scientific community are skeptical about some things but are also willing to look into things and ask questions. Science is a tool, but it can be limited. Personal experiences are just that – personal. I agree with one of the posters in the discussion as linked that the paranormal community does have a burden to bear, and that they cannot automatically expect the general public to believe every statement or claim that is made by their members. That was a point well made, in my opinion.
Where is the line drawn between skepticism and cynicism?
http://www.sdparanormal.com/board/board_topic/310672/104581.htm
Well, that settles it for me! Carmen knows at least two psychics and they have “certain abilities.” Why haven’t they taken up Randi’s challenge yet?
I watched as much of the video she recommended as i could stomach and all i could see was a younger, New Age version of Sylvia Browne. The most amazing thing about her is that she actually convinces anyone.