If you watch daytime television, chances are you’ve seen so-called “psychic mediums” demonstrate their “powers” to gullible viewers. It’s bad enough they get airtime at all, but it’s even worse when the hosts or TV stations grant them credibility by allowing their claims to go unchallenged (or presenting them as if they are telling the truth). They appear on their own shows, they get interviewed on morning news shows, etc. It’s unchecked validation.

On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver didn’t try to show how these people are liars — he just flat-out said they are and moved on — but he did point out how the media gives them a platform they don’t deserve.

As he says near the end,

… This surprisingly large, often predatory industry relies on popular culture to lend it credence and validity. To put it another way, every time a psychic makes a grieving widow cry on Dr. Oz, 10 con artists get their wings. And that is a problem because there will always be people who feel an urge to reach out to psychics in their time of need.

He didn’t offer any direct solutions, but he did point viewers to a website where they can get their own psychic readings for free. And the best part? They’re no less accurate than anything you’ll see Tyler Henry or Thomas John provide.

