Larry, Sylvia, and Gork

Does anybody remember when Larry King was only a late-night radio host?

I can remember back in the 1970s and '80s when every New Year's Eve, he'd do an "interview" with a character called Gork, an alien from the planet Fringus. Gork was all too obviously Larry King's electronically processed voice, but the "interview" was always played for comedy, with "Gork", who supposedly existed one year in the future, giving highlights of the coming year on Earth. The "predictions" were always deliberately preposterous, on the order of (not actual examples) "Prince Charles is going to marry Brooke Shields", or "The extraterrestrials will land in the White House swimming pool."

The Gork of Fringus nights always ended awkwardly, though, because by the time the show ended (5:00 a.m. Eastern time), people were calling to ask "Gork" -- in all sincerity -- exactly the same sort of things callers asked Sylvia Browne every time she was a guest on King's TV show. "My husband left me six months ago, will he come back?" "Will my daughter recover from her leukemia?" King always had to dismiss them with a vague, "I don't know what I'm talking about."

King, of all people, should know that some people will cling to anything, no matter how irrational or nonsensical. Even to things that were obvious fakes.

And yet, over and over, he had Sylvia Browne as a guest.

Yeah. Is it stupidity? Greed? Maybe he just has a very selective memory.

Very interesting, Cactus Wren!

In case you're forgetting, Rob, Lord-knows-how-many-months-ago I let you know of something likewise "very interesting". Very, very interesting as a matter of fact.

Larry King asked Sylvia Browne once about the possibility of coldreading. And, in almost as many words, confessed to having done it over the air for callers of his radio show! And briefly described what coldreading entails!

I'd look it up again but I know you have it. I sent it to you by email.

Yup, I have it, Eeney.

It would be interesting if someone could someday confront Larry King with this parallel. Some have defended Sylvia Browne with the assertion, "There must be some validity to her claims, because people believe!" Even King, IIRC, has claimed that Browne should have an opportunity to say what she likes and make what claims she likes, because after all, people believe.

Yes. But by five o'clock in the morning, when they're desperate enough, people will believe in Gork of Fringus.

That "people believe" something doesn't make it true.

I really prefer Larry,Moe,and Curly Joe. At least they were trying to be funny on purpose.