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Strange Country Ep. 308: Psychic Readers Network
"Ask again later" would have been a common response if you had asked your magic eight ball when Strange Country would have a new episode over the last weeks. But now "the outlook is good" because here are cohosts Beth and Kelly together again to talk about the time people spent tons of money to talk to barely trained psychics over the phone lured in by the infomercial featuring the self-proclaimed shaman Miss Cleo.
Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands
Cite your sources:
Aniskovich, Celia, and Jennifer Brea, directors. Call Me Miss Cleo. 2022. Amazon Prime. Burnham, David. "F.C.C. Eases Rules for Broadcast TV." The New York Times, 28 June 1984, https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/28/arts/fcc-eases-rules-for-broadcast-tv.html. Accessed 4 January 2026. Madison, Bennett. "I Was a Hotline Psychic for Miss Cleo (Published 2016)." The New York Times, 5 September 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/fashion/mens-style/hotline-psychic-miss-cleo-commercials.html. Accessed 3 January 2026. Scott, Liam. "The repeal of the fairness doctrine accelerated the polarization of US media." The Poynter Institute, 22 April 2025, https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2025/poynter-50-repeal-fairness-doctrine-rush-limbaugh-conservative-talk-radio/. Accessed 10 January 2026. Shreya, Kumari. "Steven Feder and Peter Stolz: Where Are PRN Co-Owners Now?" The Cinemaholic, 16 December 2022, https://thecinemaholic.com/steven-feder-and-peter-stolz-where-are-prn-co-owners-now/. Accessed 13 January 2026. "Why Do We Believe Our Horoscopes?" The Decision Lab, https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/barnum-effect?adw=true&utm_campaign=21+Biases+-+Barnum+Effect&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=adwords&utm_term=barnum%20effect%20psychology&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ad=500704987386&hsa_src=g&hsa_cam=12413027018&hsa_kw=barnum "Two companies, owners fined in 'Miss Cleo' case." Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 4 October 2002, https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2002/10/04/two-companies-owners-fined-in-miss-cleo-case/28723891007/. Accessed 13 January 2026.
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By Strange Country
3.4
178178 ratings
"Ask again later" would have been a common response if you had asked your magic eight ball when Strange Country would have a new episode over the last weeks. But now "the outlook is good" because here are cohosts Beth and Kelly together again to talk about the time people spent tons of money to talk to barely trained psychics over the phone lured in by the infomercial featuring the self-proclaimed shaman Miss Cleo.
Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands
Cite your sources:
Aniskovich, Celia, and Jennifer Brea, directors. Call Me Miss Cleo. 2022. Amazon Prime. Burnham, David. "F.C.C. Eases Rules for Broadcast TV." The New York Times, 28 June 1984, https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/28/arts/fcc-eases-rules-for-broadcast-tv.html. Accessed 4 January 2026. Madison, Bennett. "I Was a Hotline Psychic for Miss Cleo (Published 2016)." The New York Times, 5 September 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/fashion/mens-style/hotline-psychic-miss-cleo-commercials.html. Accessed 3 January 2026. Scott, Liam. "The repeal of the fairness doctrine accelerated the polarization of US media." The Poynter Institute, 22 April 2025, https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2025/poynter-50-repeal-fairness-doctrine-rush-limbaugh-conservative-talk-radio/. Accessed 10 January 2026. Shreya, Kumari. "Steven Feder and Peter Stolz: Where Are PRN Co-Owners Now?" The Cinemaholic, 16 December 2022, https://thecinemaholic.com/steven-feder-and-peter-stolz-where-are-prn-co-owners-now/. Accessed 13 January 2026. "Why Do We Believe Our Horoscopes?" The Decision Lab, https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/barnum-effect?adw=true&utm_campaign=21+Biases+-+Barnum+Effect&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=adwords&utm_term=barnum%20effect%20psychology&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ad=500704987386&hsa_src=g&hsa_cam=12413027018&hsa_kw=barnum "Two companies, owners fined in 'Miss Cleo' case." Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 4 October 2002, https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2002/10/04/two-companies-owners-fined-in-miss-cleo-case/28723891007/. Accessed 13 January 2026.