So as anyone who knows me is aware, I’m a sucker for TLC shows. From “19 Kids and Counting” and “Little People, Big World” to my current fave, “Sister Wives,” I can’t get enough of the “reality” TV offered up by the cable channel.
But try as I might, I can’t get into “Long Island Medium.” And here’s why – I’m pretty darned sure she’s a fake.
Theresa Caputo is a bleached-blond, gum-chomping Long Island mom who just happens to communicate regularly with the dead. As another blogger put it, she’s sort of a UPS delivery person for the deceased, dropping in at homes and businesses to tell people such things as, “Your grandfather visited me and wants me to tell you you’re a great dad.”
Nice sentiment, but I’m calling “foul” all over the place. As a chronic information-gatherer, I can tell you with great certainty that virtually anything Theresa tells anyone can be found online … maybe not specifically, but if you dig a little, it’s there.
Case in point: Theresa and her teenage daughter walk into a bakery to buy some cupcakes. They order, and Theresa says, "I need to do a reading." The cupcake people look at her strangely and she says, "I'm getting a vibe -- is this a family business?"
Prior to the trip, she or a producer or an assistant easily could have Googled the store. "(Store name here) has been in the (name here) family for three generations," the website could have read. There's your "psychic" reading.
The rest of the cupcake visit goes much the same way. The owner, her husband and an employee appear to be in their 50s; "Did an older person in your family recently pass?" Theresa asks. It's a pretty safe bet that in the last few years, someone might have lost a parent or aunt or uncle.
Gasps all around: Amazingly (!), the owner's father had died in the past year. And wouldn't you know it: He's there! At that moment! To talk to the owner, via Theresa the Psychic!
"All I wanted was a cupcake," the teenage daughter tells the camera. Indeed.
Don't get me wrong; I think Theresa probably feels things strongly and may even have some sort of intuition. And she's not doing a bad thing; telling a grieving woman that her dead husband is OK and loves her very much can't be anything but comforting.
But it's also sort of a no-brainer. If she's truly a psychic, why isn't she finding missing college students or kidnapped babies?
I don't fault Theresa for taking advantage of a good situation. She's an Italian girl, so of course she's smart! She has two kids to put through college. She's not hurting anybody. So what's the harm?
The harm, I guess, is that people are on TV with their grief laid bare, and other people -- including me -- are tuning in to watch it. Maybe I'll feel differently if Theresa calls me and tells me my late dad is trying to get ahold of me. In the meantime, I don't think I'll watch anymore.
Interesting article. I am doing some research on Theresa to see the reactions - I understand the show has been picked up for a 2nd season. I wrote a mini article on her which I thought you might be interested in:
ReplyDeleteTheresa Caputo may be a working psychic - (although she hates the term "psychic"). She seems to be very concerned if people do not believe in her, which I don't understand why she's so concerned about that. Also, a bit odd that she didn't know she had those abilities until she was in her 40's or so - usually you find about if you have that type thing in your childhood when strange things happen to you and you see things others do not. The message I got is that most of the folks are real (a few may be hired actors) and detectives find out a lot of stuff about them but they don't know about the research done. Theresa knows about it of course. Hubby pointed out that when she walks into a store or other, with a full camera crew, she isn't really going to be surprising anyone. Most "psychics" who charge bucks for it (and she seems the main income of her family which means she's making pretty good bucks) are mostly reading signals that people give off or doing some telepathy (which in itself, is a skill which can be developed and Theresa seems to have worked on developing this). Most psychics can get 70% accuracy - people give off a lot most info about themselves than they realize, just by body language and in their thoughts etc. We also do not see any wrong statements or assumptions Theresa may have made with clients. Theresa admits that she apprenticed with a psychic healer for several years (I've been watching a marathon today on TLC). The information she gives about the location of the dead is basically incorrect according to several belief systems (Catholic for example, which teaches newly dead go to a place where they are perfected in preparation for eternal life and are basically incomunicado as far as folks on earth are concerned). Although my feelings tell me that Theresa is some kind of Catholic (or was?) Bottom line - there may be some truth in the show but likely not to the extent TLC would have us believe.
she's a gum chomping embarassment to science and religion, who mirrors the facial expression of the person she is reading (That amazed gasping look reminds me of Phyllis Diller, who actually is more attractive than Caputo in my opinion). Yes, she _is_ doing harm just as the other "I talk to the dead" television personalities are doing. G-D is NOT for sale and shams like Caputo and their shills should be avoided at all costs. They make fools of those who believe in them allowing themselves to be manipulated. If Houdini could not communicate with the dead, neither can Caputo. He spent his years after losing his mom, exposing con artists who claimed the same abilities. When I watch the show, my mouth hangs open like Caputo's; not out of amazement at her abilities, but out of shock that scam artists will sell anything for a buck and attention.
ReplyDeleteYa'll need to get a life. Obviously you don't read people well, nor watch with an open mind. Some things just can not be explained. Maybe they don't need to be. If you don't like it don't watch it. I on the other hand, never miss an episode.
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ReplyDeleteThank you all for reading and commenting. I appreciate the feedback!
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