By Brian Carnell

Thursday, March 28, 2002

Edward L. Hudgins wrote an interesting op-ed for the Tallahassee Democrat recently about fraud charges brought by Florida against television psychic/tarot reader Miss Cleo. It turns out, by the way, that of course Miss Cleo is really one Youree Dell Harris. Far from being Caribbean, she was born in Los Angeles.

Clearly Harris is a fraud, but Hudgins wonders whether her callers don't get what they deserve,

There are two questions to be decided concerning Miss Cleo. On is whether she is guilty of violating laws against fraud and deception. The other is whether the 6 million people who allegedly use her services are guilty of such gullibility and self-deception that they are getting what they deserve.

...

So are the people who call Miss Cleo really so stupid as to think that pictures and numbers on randomized pieces of paper can actually tell their fortunes? The key word here is "think" which is what they don't do.

Harsh, perhaps, but definitely accurate.

Source:

Miss Cleo scandal points to a larger problem. Edward L. Hudgins, Tallahassee Democrat, March 24, 2002.

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