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[rainwolf]

I don't like how the television channels display tarot as some new fad, and simplify it down to fortune telling.

I know this sounds like a rant, but really--they should just leave it alone if they aren't even going to portray it like it really is.

Where am I coming from? I happened to be watching MTV with some friends, and it was a show about kids that were dating someone their parents did not like, and they set their children up with successful interviewees.

In this particular case, the girl chosen by the dad took her "date" to get their cards read, and she had this fake, supernatural accent, and told them exactly what they wanted to hear--"you two will learn a lot from each other, and your old girlfriend needs to go. Thank you for coming!"

I'd rather tarot just go back into the occult than its reputation to be mutilated by people who are looking for popularity. I know if I read professionally I would feel a great unease with reading for two ignorant kids and the media.

I know there are going to be people that disagree, but I would like to know how others would find this ok and positive.

So does this sound ok?
Should tarot get popular by being mistreated?
Was the 'psychic' holding a legitimate reading?
How does this affect the perspective of tarot for the general population? Does it help or hinder it?

 

[Fulgour]

In the American Civil War a battle was fought at Gettysburg,
and you will hear over and over again that: 50,000 men died.

This is so fantastically inaccurate ~it makes my head spin...
but it has become the popular "buzz" and it will not go away.

Tarot in the "real" world is just a "buzz" and it always will be.
For better or worse we're the possessors of the actual truth.

And we do see, even those who know better may transgress.

 

[firecatpickles]

Stereotypes are never a positive thing! It is difficult to let something go when you feel personally assaulted by it. I feel the same way about the gay character on "Sex in the City" -and I refuse to watch the show.

Don't watch MTV...

p.s. The tarot reader was probably an actress, about as exotic as a ficas tree, and from Pacoima!

KK

 

[Grizabella]

Unless you're watching the news or a documentary, you're watching stuff that someone made up that's designed to be cute and clever and captivating and/or funny. That doesn't mean anyone researched it or has any accurate knowledge of the little details, like what tarot is about. Usually characters and situations are exaggerated for effect. It sounds to me like this tarot reader was supposed to portray exactly the phoniness she did portray, though, so the desired effect was probably achieved.

I don't think tarot is ever going to escape the stereotype. But seriously, would we really want it to? Some of the stereotypical aspects of tarot reading are exactly what keep clients coming back to readers. The mystery, the belief that they're having their future looked into or their boyfriend's feelings explored, etc. is why a lot of people have their cards read.

 

[rainwolf]

Those are good ideas, thanks for the replies.

 

[Tarotphelia]

The same thing is happening with the occult in general , witchcraft, etc. Hollywood is cashing in and leaving people with incorrect, distorted, and damaging impressions . And worse, it makes a lot of Christians think we are "out to get" their kids ! That there is an organized movement going on to lure teenagers into our way of thinking . When there is no such thing , and there are no "leaders" to organize it anyway . In response, some Christians then feel justified in their negative view of people who are associated with the occult , and may even feel the need to take some kind of action to "protect themselves " and their children from people who aren't even interested in them to begin with ! The only people out to get their kids are the Hollywood establishment , who want every last exploitive dime they can get.

 

[Grigori]

Well if tarot wasn't seen on TV as something a bit dark (oooh scary ) and also able to tell us about our future love lifes, maybe there would be about 10 people on AT and the rest of us would never have picked up a deck

Its really not ideal that the only exposure many people get to tarot is a pop culture one, but I don't think its competely dire (cause no matter how it is portrayed the fundamentalists ain't gonna like us any better). Maybe that is also what keeps the industry alive from an economic view point, we need lots of newbies to keep buying decks, so the publishers will make enough money to keep coming up with new ones for all of us.

Its pretty easy to draw a comparison to sun sign columns in astrology. Not much astrology there, but without them there wouldn't be much astrology anywhere anymore. Having said that, I would be very cool to see some real tarot on TV....