About the Museum of Hoaxes
The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about whatever dubious-sounding claims come across our path on a day-by-day basis. In our archives we have hundreds of articles about the most fascinating and notorious deceptions throughout history, from the middle ages to the present.
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Oprah, the Queen of Quackery
In the forum Captain Al linked to a recent Newsweek article that's well worth reading. It details how Oprah Winfrey has routinely promoted dubious medical/pseudoscientific nonsense on her show. It appears that the only standard of evidence important to her is whether a claim is emotionally appealing. If a claim passes that test, then it must be true!Some of the nonsense promoted on her show includes:
- Suzanne Somers' vitamin/hormone cure for aging.
- Jenny McCarthy's crusade to pin the blame for autism on vaccines.
- Dr. Christiane Northrup's theory that thyroid dysfunction is caused by repressing your emotions.
- Radio-wave skin tightening treatments.
- And "The Secret", that by "thinking positively" you can attract success and good health to yourself.