I always liked Theresa Caputo, star of TLC's hit television series "The Long Island Medium" now about to enter its third season. She was seemingly natural, funny, loud-mouthed, and amazingly talented in her ability to speak to the dead with apparent accuracy. I especially enjoyed her very typically Italian Long Island obsession with her hair-do - an odd platinum, hair-sprayed helmet hair (rivaled only by Newt Gingrich's wife Callista's undented blonde head piece). Her obsession made her vulnerable and thus believable.
That is why I was so shocked and then disappointed to see her appear in a Priceline.com commercial which has aired repeated on television since June. The basic theme of the ad is that Theresa is sitting at a dining room table giving a psychic reading to a young couple who are trying to connect with the spirit of the Priceline Negotiator, an advertising character long played by actor William Shatner, until the character was "killed off" by the advertising agency in a bus accident. Theresa appears confusingly like herself in her hit reality show where she gives readings to clients seated across from them at a small table. She appears to be "linking" with the spirit of the deceased person the couple wishes to contact. Then, while gently waving incense with her shaman's eagle feather, she seems confused. She tells them she is hearing the spirit say something bizarre and she starts singing the advertising jingle for the Priceline Negotiator.
What!!! I couldn't believe my ears. She just sold her soul for cash!!
Her sell-out to the commercial world was stunning for many reasons. First, and most importantly, Theresa decided to opt for cash over morality. She clearly didn't care that she was using her status as a well-respected spiritual medium in order to grab some quick and easy cash. Second, she betrayed those who have believed in her abilities as being "true." By agreeing to be in a hokey, staged commercial basically mocking spiritual mediums, she betrayed those who trusted her. Don't forget. Her clients are people who are sad and grieving for loved ones who have died! Third, by making fun of the information that comes through from dead spirits to mediums (by suggesting that mediums fake their information for commercial gain), she unfortunately has made all mediums look bad. If she thought this was "funny" or "cute" - she was terribly wrong. It wasn't. It made her look like a total fraud - in real life, in reality television, and in advertising.
According to a Reuter's article quoting the Priceline.com press release, Caputo was quoted as saying, "It was a blast doing this spot. The hardest thing about comedy is delivering those lines with a straight face. But it is the Negotiator, after all, and his sole concern, wherever he is, is saving people money on their priceline.com hotel rooms." Really?
Priceline's Chief Marking Officer Brett Keller was clearly pleased by the ad. He said: "Given the 'status' of the Negotiator, Theresa Caputo was a natural choice to help us continue the narrative of this campaign. It was a pleasure working with Theresa and we hope her fans enjoy seeing this side of her."
No, sorry, I don't think this ad will make Theresa's fans love her. In fact, this ad has backfired in Theresa's face! By contrast, it was a brilliant move by Priceline.com. The company stands to gain from all the publicity and controversy from having used Theresa's reputation for its own benefit.
Spiritual mediums, like myself, already walk enough of a tightrope trying to make people understand the reality of the spirit world without having someone like Theresa Caputo muddy up the waters again just to make a quick buck.
http://www.change.org/petitions/priceline-remove-the-long-island-medium-smudging-commercial-from-the-air-2
ReplyDeleteYes, there's a whole OTHER angle about why this Priceline ad is offensive, not just to spiritual mediums and grieving loved ones, but also to Native Americans who have practiced religious ceremonies with eagle's feathers, shells, and sage... Totally agree. Such an ad would never have been produced if it involved any other religious ceremony!
ReplyDeleteI was saying just last week how annoying I find that commercial. Apart from how she never asks for permission to hand out messages like they're M&M's, I really do like her and think she's the real deal. I understand having to make a living, but it did feel to me like she was selling out. I, too, didn't appreciate the cheesiness of it. I don't think Teresa thought this one through at all.
ReplyDeleteKristin
All mediums are fake no one can talk to the dead... It's called cold reading and it's a lie. In order to make money or do something else... If you could talk to the dead you wouldn't be asking the questions you would be answering them... Example: I think her name starts with a J? Well if your talking to her what did she just tell you he named started with a j instead of her full name? So fake anyone who does it is doche...
ReplyDelete@Anonymous, unfortunately you seem to have some erroneous opinions about mediums. You can certainly fake it with a cold reading but that is not mediumship. Once you experience the real deal, and you understand the process doesn't operate the way you imagined it did, then you begin to recognize its true value...Yes, you can speak with dead, strange as that may seem...
ReplyDeleteSo Nancy, do you believe Theresa Caputo is the 'real deal'? I've watched her shows and have been taken in by her personality and, what appears to be, psychic abilities. My problem is the show displays her 'abilities' after editing. How many times does she do a reading and asks question after question and gets wrong answers? We never see that part. And many of her questions are very generic. Instead of asking a group of 20 people 'who lost a father here' How bout walking in with the fathers name and identifiers? Why ask the questions first? Either the spirit is there or its not.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous, TV editing unfortunately only deepens one's doubts if one is already prone to skepticism and distrust in this field. No way to get around it except listen carefully to the details that are delivered and get an intuitive sense of whether the reactions are staged or not. My sense is that despite editing many of her details are quite specific once she gets past the generic "Who has lost a father here" and identifies her sitter.
ReplyDeleteAwww, c'mon, it was FUNNY.
ReplyDeleteNancy i read your psychic prediction about Palestine not getting state status- you were wrong.Seemss like you have no psychic abilities.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, yes, I was wrong. What is your interest in leaping to the inaccurate conclusion that one error constitutes a total lack of ability? Do you think that just because a gymnast falls off the balance bar one time that that means they are not an athlete? Clearly, you never got the memo that no psychic in the world is 100% correct. Perhaps you should re-examine your motives for making such a unkind and illogical statement.
ReplyDeleteFor God's sake, lighten up! I loved the commercial! Theresa isn't a "oh I'm so serious I speak for all mediums everywhere..." She is herself, not a spokesperson for all other mediums. It doesn't mean she's a sell-out. It means she had fun, and they paid her money to make a funny commercial. I wasn't insulted at all!
ReplyDelete