MEDIA WATCH C. EUGENE EMERY, JR. When the Media Miss Real Messages in Subliminal Stories eople worried about subliminal Wall Street Journal reporter Lisa sages, such as "You create joyous messages controlling their minds Bannon traced the Aladdin rumor to two thought," "It's OK for me to have every- Pfound plenty to fret about young men—one in Lakewood, thing I want," and "In my own way I recently, and the media did little to let Colorado, the other at the University of am a genius," hidden in the game's spir- the public know how small the threat of Northern Iowa—who independently itual jazz soundtrack. subliminal messages actually is. claimed to have heard the "take off your Time Warner tried to sell the com- The Christian anti-abortion group clothes" line. The story eventually made puter game with the slogan "Play More. American Life League (ALL) of Stafford, its way to the Christian magazine Movie Feel Better." It listed all the messages and Virginia, kicked off subliminal silly sea- Guide, which ran the rumor without noted that players could turn them off son when it accused the Walt Disney looking at the film. Movie Guide later by turning off the sound track, which Company of sneaking sexual imagery retracted the allegation when the pub- would be the responsible thing to do if into its films The Little Mermaid, The lisher finally got around to examining the subliminal messages actually worked. film, but by then the accusation had been Lion King, and Aladdin. Then several But the real message of research in the picked up by ALL, which prompted a media outlets such as the Washington field of subliminal seduction is that sub- story in the Daily Press in Newport News, Post helped spread the allegations by liminal messages don't have the power Virginia, which prompted an Associated widely reporting die claims apparently that some people attribute to them. If Press story, which led to massive public- without watching the movies or talking you can't hear a subliminal message no ity about the brouhaha. to Disney to see if the claims were true, matter how hard you try, the research or investigating whether overactive While the Walt Disney Company indicates, it can't affect you. And even if imaginations were at work. was denying the use of subliminal sexual you perceive it without consciously real- Any discerning viewers who exam- imagery, film director William Friedkin izing it, it's probably no more persuasive ined the film The Little Mermaid, look- was trying to hype his new movie, Jade, than an overt message. (See the SKEPTI- ing for the minister's erection (an ALL by announcing that he had intentionally CAL INQUIRER special issue on "Myths claim), instead saw a knobby knee that added subliminal images to heighten the of Subliminal Persuasion," Spring 1992.) was clearly visible when the scene emotional impact of the film, a thriller Nonetheless, the Los Angeles Times appeared at another angle. If they fast- about a renowned psychologist who is a ran a front-page story on October 1, forwarded The Lion King to the spot murder suspect. But apparently a turkey 1995, by Amy Harmon warning that where a cloud of dust appears over is a turkey, no matter how much pseu¬ "the relative ease with which messages young Simba, diey would have had a doscience you pump into it. Jade can be inserted into computer code, hard time making out the word sex in bombed at the box office. combined with the increasing hours the cloud (another ALL claim). And Another company that tried to make people are spending in front of com- instead of hearing Aladdin whisper, a profit on subliminal messages also puter screens, leads some psychologists "Good teenagers, take off your clothes" ended up with disappointing sales. Time and media experts to believe that the amid the other voices in the balcony Warner Interactive marketed a com- potential for mind control—voluntary scene, they probably would have heard puter software game called "Endorfun," or involuntary—is greater in the new him whisper to Princess Jasmine's pet which the company openly boasted of as media than in any that came before." tiger, "Scat good tiger. Take off and go." having 93 subliminal uplifting mes- Harmon's story, which claimed that 1 6 March/April 1996 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER some software companies have already then-editor Paul Zuromski asked if minute while the companies they work put subliminal messages in their prod- Lennon, would "like to pass along a tid- for get nearly four dollars a minute. ucts and that other companies were bit of information that might help peo- • Not all of the people on the hot thinking of following suit, cited no ple believe this is you," Lennon's lines are psychic. "Entertainment research and quoted Wilson Bryan Key, response supposedly was, "First, I got to Tonight's" source of the claim: a Holly- author of the 1971 book Subliminal vacate this body right now because it wood astrologer. Seduction and other books. Key has said needs to take a leak." • Psychic Friends Network spokes- he can find the word "sex" on many woman Linda Georgian was suing the things, including a Ritz cracker. * > * network for $10 million for fraud, The real lesson of the Los Angeles Times breach of contract, and emotional dis- piece: T h e subliminal message issue is not The television program "Entertainment tress. The "Entertainment Tonight" going away as long as reporters and edi- Tonight" featured a two-part "special folks never raised the obvious question tors don't do their homework and are report" November 2 and 3, 1995, on the of why a true psychic could have been willing to let their own and the public's $300-million-a-year psychic hot-line fooled by the Psychic Friends Network. primal fear of magical messages override business, saying it would show viewers Nor did the "E.T." staff apparently good editorial judgment. whether the hot lines "really deliver" on bother to give any measure of informed, their promises, and what the service objective scrutiny to any of Georgian's » » * costs. past predictions. They might have discov- Did the "E.T" staff test psychics to ered, for example, that in the January 3, A New Age magazine has been caught see if they could really see into the 1995, issue of the supermarket tabloid practicing deceptive journalism. future? Did they interview skeptics National Examiner she predicted that in The November 1995 issue of Body 1995: David Letterman and Madonna Mind Spirit had a cover story on Hillary would begin dating; Beverly Hills madam Rodham Clinton by Diane Loomans Heidi Fleiss would "convert to that appeared to be based on an inter- Catholicism, become a nun, and join a view conducted by the writer (but was cloistered convent"; "a devastating hurri- not billed as such). It turns out that cane will sweep across Florida, wiping out Loomans has never spoken with the first Disney World as it passes over Orlando"; lady. and Tonya Harding (who usually skates in an indoor ice rink) would "become Although Mrs. Clinton seemed to America's sweetheart after she saves a be directly answering questions, and young girl who falls through the ice." Loomans described how Mrs. Clinton "speaks glowingly" and "is emphatic," all the quotes came from speeches, * * * Internet material, and an appearance on "Oprah Winfrey." None of it was Another psychic who seems to have got- credited. ten a free ride from the media these days Body Mind Spirit publisher James T is Ron Mangum of Springfield, Illinois, Valliere apologized when confronted by who bills himself as "the psychic of the Maria Miro Johnson at the Providence '90s" and who has a special 900- Journal-Bulletin, saying, "This is a fault, number for people seeking winning lot- definitely." But he also said that previ- about the tricks psychics use? Nope. The tery numbers. ous cover stories on Richard Gere and program didn't raise the slightest doubts During an appearance October 6, Tom Hanks were done the same way, about the ability of "teal" psychics. 1995, on a Rhode Island radio station. and no one complained. In fact, their only on-air sources were Mangum claimed that he predicted the The magazine, formerly known as self-professed psychics and astrologers. acquittal of O. J. Simpson on "over 400 Psychic Guide, once carried an "in-depth Among the shocking revelations in radio stations all over the country." and candid interview" with John the program: But in the January 3, 1995, issue of Lennon, who had been murdered three • People who call a 900-number the National Examiner, Mangum gave years earlier. (toll) hoping to speak to a psychic some- this prediction for 1995: "O. J. Lennon's words, the magazine said, times end up with a numerologists or Simpson: Innocent! But a jury will still came from a trance medium. When tarot-card reader. find him guilty." • Psychics who are getting weary from Mangum also predicted that in 1995 Gene Emery is the science writer for the long hours sometimes keep customers on Fidel Castro would be overthrown, and Providence Journal-Bulletin, 75 Foun- the line, in pan because the psychics are tain St., Providence, Rl 02902. bitter at making only thirty-five cents a Messages continued on page 56 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER March/April 1996 17 Messages from page 17 shows like "Jenny Jones" or "Sally Jessy show devoted to the supernatural bit the Raphael" and their ilk produce pro- dust last fall. the Big Three automakers would begin grams promoting the reality of ghosts, "The Other Side"—whose topics mass-producing electric cars.