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BBC in astrology 'fuss'

dlorde

Philosopher
dlorde
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
6,864
From Martin Robbins 'The Lay Scientist' blog in the Guardian newspaper:

Astrologers angered by stars.

"Professor Brian Cox and Dara O'Briain have unleashed the wrath of Britain's astrologers with their comments about the ancient art on BBC2's "Stargazing Live" show, with the result that the Astrological Association of Great Britain have started a petition they plan to send to the BBC".

Cox & O'Briain simply called (the 'ancient art' of??) astrology 'rubbish' on behalf of the BBC, which had us all chuckling as we watched.

However, the astrologers are (predictably) now petitioning the BBC for a full public apology...

Some amusing comments below the 'The Lay Scientist' blog article.
 
What did they expect to happen when they put an Aquarius in the same room as a Pisces?

Sorry.
 
Cox nailed it so many times, Astrology is total rubbish.
as always Prof. Cox is spot on.
 
In the UK I listen to BBC radio 2 on the way home sometimes. What really pisses me off is when they wheel in some "Celebrity Astrologer" and waste time with some ideotic drivel.

The usual comment about such things is "its just a bit of fun on the radio", but infact the way its always presented is such that theres a kind of underlying "take it or leave it" and not a "lets turn this bit into a joke, tongue in cheek article".

Its not really presented as a bit of Fun. Its as if because the guy doing it is a Celebrity Astrologer, who doesnt imply fun or light heartedness or even obviouse played up falsness when he does it, there appears to be some implicit credibility implied.

Rant over.
 
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The 'light entertainment' ruse has worn thin; what the papers publish is an insult to cold-reading.

On the bright side, my horoscope today says "You're gullible and easily fooled, and should be wary of magical thinking and superstitious claptrap. A good time to take advantage of the placebo effect, fingers crossed & touch wood...".
 
Proff Cox also said that the Mayan's didn't know anything (re: 2012).
I hope he doesn't have to apologise for that comment either.

The fact that astrology is pure nonsense should be broadcast from the highest rooftops, not only by the BBC.

I remember watching the early National Lottery shows form the 90's where the BBC had some supposed psychic on every week... it was quite pathetic.

I'm not surprised that Astronomers take opportunities to distinguish their science from the BS that is Astrology, and it speaks volumes about the people who follow woo, that the difference between the two (similar sounding) subjects has to be pointed out and is... well oddly enough as vast as the universe.

Well done Brian Cox and Dara O'Brian and here's hoping the BBC don't apologise for telling the truth.

ETA: I just realised that the heading "Astrologers angered by stars" could have a sub heading reading "But quite happy with the planets" :D
 
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My personal favourite from the comments I've read so far;

Astrology is not rubbish. It is a highly effective manner of determining if someone is a gullible buffoon.
Click to expand...

:D
 
Two thoughts:

1) Maybe someone should start a petition demanding that BBC not only don't apologise, but repeat the show on primetime.

2) If there were anything to astrology, they'd have started their petition before the show was made.
 
Coxy got a similar reaction for saying something similar in his 'Wonders of the Solar System' series
 
Back in the 70s I was a proofreader at what was then Melbourne, Australia's sole Sunday newspaper, which came replete with the "What the Stars Say" for the week ahead.

Like many of my contemporaries, I used to read the data for my own sign, and the signs of friends and relatives, and then be mildly amused if any of it made any sense during the following days.

But all that changed as a result of my proofreading experience, because the "copy" -- the supposed astrologer's data for inclusion in that week's paper -- consisted of clippings of astrology columns from months'-old British magazines; magazines that, if they were available in Australia at the time, sold only in small quantities to expatriate Brits.

I subsequently learned that "Merlin," the paper's resident astrologer, was in fact a copy-boy, a junior go-fer employed to perform mundane tasks around the newsroom whilst supposedly learning the craft of journalism.

While this revelation didn't exactly shake me to the core, it did result in my nascent skepticism evolving at an accelerated pace.

Then, as now, the true believers I told this tale to steadfastly refused to entertain the notion that astrology was rubbish, but chose to see it as the paper's lack of morality. Besides, only a few of them bothered to read these faux newspaper astrologers, preferring instead to have their charts drawn up by "real, professional astrologers."

I kid you not.

M.
 
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Great story Moochie. It's always been a mystery to me why serious news papers have astrology columns. It's great to see that in your example that at least no quack astrologer was profiting.
 
lionking said:
Great story Moochie. It's always been a mystery to me why serious news papers have astrology columns. It's great to see that in your example that at least no quack astrologer was profiting.
Click to expand...

Cheap space filler. While some may employ somewhat expensive people in local news at least I think it's actualy traditional that the job be given to the most junior member of staff. Well that or turn the whole thing into an extended advert of an astrological phoneline.
 
lionking said:
Great story Moochie. It's always been a mystery to me why serious news papers have astrology columns. It's great to see that in your example that at least no quack astrologer was profiting.
Click to expand...
Same reason they run "BC","Hagar the Horrible", "Peanuts", "Zits", and other comics--and usually on the same page...
 
In a strange coincidence I am currently watching an old episode of QI where Stephen Fry just said that anyone watching who believes in astrology is currently banned and must change the channel.
 
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