Psychic TV called 'exploitainment'

Last updated 09:37 06/09/2008

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A Kiwi sceptic has labelled shows such as Sensing Murder "exploitainment" that takes advantage of grieving families while bolstering the income of so-called psychics.

As part of the show that screens on Tuesday, police investigating the suspected murder of retired Wellington woman Kaye Stewart, 62, turned to television psychics Deb Webber and Kelvin Cruickshank to uncover new leads.

Though they identified the area where Mrs Stewart was believed to have disappeared in the Rimutaka Forest Park in 2005 and unearthed the name of someone known to the inquiry, Detective Senior Sergeant Ross Levy said it had not resulted in any fresh leads.

Since both mediums had previous involvement with the Stewart family, Skeptics Society head Vicki Hyde said there was no way they could claim the information came from the dead.

Ms Hyde said Sensing Murder – which attracts more than 600,000 viewers – and its overseas variants had never led to a murder being solved.

"It exploits grieving and vulnerable families and adds to the psychic's marketing potential. It's ethically distasteful," she said.

Police were normally suspicious of psychic powers but welcomed the raised public awareness that the show offered.

Ms Hyde said the reconstructions in the show may jog witnesses' memories but the ends did not justify the means.

Sensing Murder associate producer Cinna Smith denied the show was exploitative and said it had received no complaints from victims' families. Its policy was to feature cases only where a family had contacted the show.

Up to 60 more families were wanting their case highlighted.

"Some families want to know that their loved ones live on but most just want to get the information out there. We're not promising the world."

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KiwiSkeptic #5 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

"I suggest she might like to go talk to them directly instead of commenting for them without consulting them."

Deb Webber had openly denied to go on radio show with Ms Hyde, because she claims that it would ruin her pychic powers.

"And yes they did provide items of personal information that they couldn't have known" If they have actual "powers" then why do the producers refuse to put them through independent scientific testing. You know the ones where they repeat the test over and over again to eliminate the possibility of "chance".

Gee I wonder why? Maybe it could be that she doesn't have powers. Eating Media Lunch did a really good expose on them

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2zSRAjjjE8

Falafulu Fisi #4 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Physical laws (ie, laws of Physics) alone eliminates the existence capabilities claimed by psychics or its proponents. I wrote a comment on it on NZ Reality TV web site (http://www.nzrealitytv.com/2007/09/physicist-says-psychics-are-bunk.html) about a year ago.

cashani #3 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I know at least two of the stories are real, although they are totally hyped up and glossed over.

Originally, after seeing an episode which dealt with the death of a friend of mine, I thought it was total rubbish. Everything that was said on the episode was things that the media had said many years prior to her disappearance. Also, it isn't hard to talk to any of her friends and family about what actually happened.

To be honest, I still think the show is trashy, but for some families, this is a form of closure. I think it also may be good to trigger someone's memory, where at the time they may have been present, and seen something but didn't think anything of it then. And if there is even the slightest hope that at least one of these cases may be solved from the assistance of a passer by from the recreation, how can that be bad for grieving families?

One other thing that just came to mind is, maybe the person/s who commited these crimes might have changed and grown a conscience over time, and might (by some miracle) come forward and hand themselves in. I know this is highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Vicky #2 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Ms Hyde is the one with all the red herrings. Provide evidence of families that have complained. The one family I know of from this series was nothing but grateful for the information that the psychics supplied. I suggest she might like to go talk to them directly instead of commenting for them without consulting them. Oh but I forgot they are silly and vunerable and you know best! Wrong they are intelligent and strong and they are in the best position to form an opinion on the information provided. And yes they did provide items of personal information that they couldn't have known.

Helen Fox #1 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I like the series of Sensing Murder too, but I do not believe that they are real live stories, for you never see any such results or answers. They are pretty good as "stories" go - but I do not think that they are "real"!

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