Re: Toward a new US-World dialogue

From: Steve Drew (sd014a6399@blueyonder.co.uk)
Date: Tue 10 Dec 2002 - 00:12:32 GMT

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    > Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 15:17:44 -0500
    > From: Wade Smith <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
    > Subject: Re: Toward a new US-World dialogue
    >
    > On Monday, December 9, 2002, at 01:08 PM, Virginia Bowen wrote:
    >
    >> why is that "religion" so tempting to celebrities?
    >
    > Well, most celebrities are actors, and from only anecdotal
    > evidence, a larger than mean percentage of actors are very
    > gullible types who drift into all sorts of quackeries and
    > fringes and newage (rhymes with sewage) trends and fashions.
    > Shirley MacLaine is not an aberration, let us say.
    >
    > It would be nice if some celebrity came on board skeptically,
    > memetically. Penn Gillette, of Penn and Teller, is the only
    > celeb I know about who expounds with regularity against
    > quackeries and frauds, like feng shui and Uri Geller and
    > scientology and acupuncture, although the list is seemingly
    > endless and it would take a tireless squad of celebrities (even
    > knowing celebrities' opinions are worth 100 normal opinions in
    > the marketplace) to quash irrationality.
    >
    > And, presumptuous me, I doubt there are many celebrities who
    > would or could champion memetics.

    Most sociologist and social psychologists I have come across pull faces as well.
    >
    > - - Wade

    Regards

    Steve

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