Most Americans continue to believe in the supernatural such as ghosts and spirits, now a BBC show makes fun of this preoccupation and the gullibility of “true believers.”
The BBC series called “High Spirits” brings a new “spirit medium” to the medium of television just for laughs.
“‘Shirley Ghostman’ is a blast of fresh air and hilarity in an arena that is ripe for satire,” says the Hollywood Reporter.
For example, in one segment of “High Spirits” Ghostman played in drag by Marc Woottonn sends her “special paranormal investigator,” to check out claims made by an apparent competitor that by looking at someone’s ass the future can be predicted.
The British are far more likely to make such paranormal claims the butt of jokes than Americans.
A Harris Poll found that half of all adults in the United States believe in ghosts.
Witness John Edward and James Van Praagh, two “mediums” who have made big bucks supposedly talking to the dead and popular TV shows like “Medium” and “Ghost Whisperer,” spook shows that have successfully sold their sponsors commercial slots.
Critics of the spirit medium business say that all this supposed paranormal communication most often boils down to what is commonly called the “cold reading.” This is a technique through which the alleged psychic or medium may depend more upon the response given to probing questions by believers rather than any messages from “beyond.”
James Randi, a long-time debunker of supernatural claims has offered $1 million dollars for years as a reward “to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power.”
But Americans apparently want to believe despite the lack of evidence and the ghost business has become big business in the US.
No doubt that as preposterous as Wootton’s character might seem, Shirley Ghostman could earn quite a good living doling out her insights for a fee in America.
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