Here is the link for those of you who thought she didn't do such a thing:

http://home.sprynet.com/~inniss/aahpsych.htm

:crazy: :crazy:

Disgusting isn't it?. Black actors exploiting the same people they claim they want to help!!

This article crystalizes my thoughts exactly.

And I will add it is designed to get the poorest and most desperate of people which the biggest shame of all.

It is surprising that she would do something like this. I guess her psychic friends couldn't warn her that she was about to become a member of the "Six Feet Under" club.

:faint: ohno:

I'm not judging, just shocked that Esther would lend her name to such a thing. Who knows why? Maybe it was something she believed in, the psychic thing.

It could be that she truly beleived in that stuff,which actually,a lot of people do...you'd be suprised!So,if she believed it,she did no wrong. :wave:


p.s...I tried to be a phone psychic once...I quit after 2 calls.I just can't lie to people,it seemed so very wrong!

It could be that she truly beleived in that stuff,which actually,a lot of people do...you'd be suprised!So,if she believed it,she did no wrong. :wave:


If she got involve so what!!! I care more for what she did as an actress and how she strived for Good Times to show a more positive image. Whatever she did in her personal life was her business.

I HOPE that she was paid well for doing these commericals!!!!

If she got involve so what!!! I care more for what she did as an actress and how she strived for Good Times to show a more positive image. Whatever she did in her personal life was her business.
That's the point. It wasn't something she did PRIVATELY. She allowed her face and name to be used to get people (preferably black people) to call in and get them hooked.
You know, back in 98 I worked for GTE (it's now verizon). I was a billing rep.
You have no idea how many people I had to explain abt certain charges that appeared on their phone bill that resulted in these humonguous fees and taxes. I would say abt 90% of those calls were from black customers and ALL the calls were to the "black" owned, operated psychic companies. Some of the people didn't know abt the charges cuz of the little print on the bottom of the tv screen. when I had to explain the who crap to them (we had a thick notebook with all the info needed to explain charges, psychic companies, etc) they were blown away. They said they were led to believe one thing or another. They went on and on how they thought this and they thought that. I felt so bad for them. It literally broke my heart. So, being the good-hearted person I was, I decided to delete the charges from their phone bill and diverted those charges BACK TO THE PSYCHIC companies, which are no more than an independent telephone company which runs these scams. I basically made the charges go to them and let them figure out how to go after these people. By law, the telephone company has to put those charges on the phone bill, but the customer, if they have a dispute abt those charges which were not charged by GTE, they have a right to call the phone company and dispute those charges and not have their phone service disconnected due to non-payment. As long as the customer pays THEIR PHONE COMPANY CHARGES (i.e. Verizon, etc.) then they don't have to worry abt disconnection.
There were also times when I couldn't do that, it depended on each independent telephone company. If they had a contract with the main phone company, then we couldn't do anything abt the charges. If they were a company that was not in contract with the phone company (the billing reps would know which are and which aren't) then those charges can be taken care of by the phone company billing rep.
Bottom line, those psychic phone lines are a joke.
Esther Rolle, being the smart and loud-voiced person that she was, was either conned herself, or she didn't bother to know what these people were going to get themselves into.
I had seen one customer whose bill was $800. That was the psychic charge only. Her daughter had made the call and she didn't know until the phone bill came in and confronted her daughter. The daughter was 12.
It's a big shame.

That's the point. It wasn't something she did PRIVATELY. She allowed her face and name to be used to get people (preferably black people) to call in and get them hooked.
You know, back in 98 I worked for GTE (it's now verizon). I was a billing rep.
You have no idea how many people I had to explain abt certain charges that appeared on their phone bill that resulted in these humonguous fees and taxes. I would say abt 90% of those calls were from black customers and ALL the calls were to the "black" owned, operated psychic companies. Some of the people didn't know abt the charges cuz of the little print on the bottom of the tv screen. when I had to explain the who crap to them (we had a thick notebook with all the info needed to explain charges, psychic companies, etc) they were blown away. They said they were led to believe one thing or another. They went on and on how they thought this and they thought that. I felt so bad for them. It literally broke my heart. So, being the good-hearted person I was, I decided to delete the charges from their phone bill and diverted those charges BACK TO THE PSYCHIC companies, which are no more than an independent telephone company which runs these scams. I basically made the charges go to them and let them figure out how to go after these people. By law, the telephone company has to put those charges on the phone bill, but the customer, if they have a dispute abt those charges which were not charged by GTE, they have a right to call the phone company and dispute those charges and not have their phone service disconnected due to non-payment. As long as the customer pays THEIR PHONE COMPANY CHARGES (i.e. Verizon, etc.) then they don't have to worry abt disconnection.
There were also times when I couldn't do that, it depended on each independent telephone company. If they had a contract with the main phone company, then we couldn't do anything abt the charges. If they were a company that was not in contract with the phone company (the billing reps would know which are and which aren't) then those charges can be taken care of by the phone company billing rep.
Bottom line, those psychic phone lines are a joke.
Esther Rolle, being the smart and loud-voiced person that she was, was either conned herself, or she didn't bother to know what these people were going to get themselves into.
I had seen one customer whose bill was $800. That was the psychic charge only. Her daughter had made the call and she didn't know until the phone bill came in and confronted her daughter. The daughter was 12.
It's a big shame.




Good info, Irene. Even tho I wouldn't blame Esther Rolle for taking the gig. I didn't like that she did but, it wasn't her fault people were dumb enough to call a psychic hotline. I also see your point in Esther maybe knew it was a scam, and wanted a piece of the action, even if it was ripping off poor folks. You wouldn't think Esther would do something like that. And what do you think those people got out of the psychic hotline?, They should have known better anyways.

I hope I made some sense, I'm starting to confuse myself. :confused:

Good info, Irene. Even tho I wouldn't blame Esther Rolle for taking the gig. I didn't like that she did but, it wasn't her fault people were dumb enough to call a psychic hotline. I also see your point in Esther maybe knew it was a scam, and wanted a piece of the action, even if it was ripping off poor folks. You wouldn't think Esther would do something like that. And what do you think those people got out of the psychic hotline?, They should have known better anyways.

I hope I made some sense, I'm starting to confuse myself. :confused:
Nope. I probably made u confused with all that info. Just passing on info. Well, she took her reasons to the grave. and by the way a little hint on psychics: if they ask YOU FOR YOUR NAME, forget it, it's a scam.

Nope. I probably made u confused with all that info. Just passing on info. Well, she took her reasons to the grave. and by the way a little hint on psychics: if they ask YOU FOR YOUR NAME, forget it, it's a scam.



Yeah, they should already know your name, right, they are psychics.

Good info, Irene. Even tho I wouldn't blame Esther Rolle for taking the gig. I didn't like that she did but, it wasn't her fault people were dumb enough to call a psychic hotline. I also see your point in Esther maybe knew it was a scam, and wanted a piece of the action, even if it was ripping off poor folks. You wouldn't think Esther would do something like that. And what do you think those people got out of the psychic hotline?, They should have known better anyways.

I hope I made some sense, I'm starting to confuse myself. :confused:


She lent her name to the product making it her fault.

And the problem is these people DIDN"T know better because they were tricked into calling these numbers as Irene clearly states.

Plus the african garb she wore was for the target audience of black people.

If you want to make the argument that she didn't know what she was getting into then you would have to believe that there was NOBODY around her saying Hey Esther. Think about this. THis is a scam.

That is a bit farfetched.

Maybe she was desperate for money at the end of her life who knows? But that doesn't excuse it. Especially with the 90's boom of celebrity public appearances which made former celebrities that received no money from reruns instant millionaires.

Guys like Adam West and Bob Denver who were living very modestly suddenly were millionaires with this boom of memorabelia business. ]]

While I don't really respect celebrities that do that much. It is not a scam at all. and it does give people a chance to meet their idols. If Esther needed money she could have taken that road.

She lent her name to the product making it her fault.

And the problem is these people DIDN"T know better because they were tricked into calling these numbers as Irene clearly states.

Plus the african garb she wore was for the target audience of black people.

If you want to make the argument that she didn't know what she was getting into then you would have to believe that there was NOBODY around her saying Hey Esther. Think about this. THis is a scam.

That is a bit farfetched.

Maybe she was desperate for money at the end of her life who knows? But that doesn't excuse it. Especially with the 90's boom of celebrity public appearances which made former celebrities that received no money from reruns instant millionaires.

Guys like Adam West and Bob Denver who were living very modestly suddenly were millionaires with this boom of memorabelia business. ]]

While I don't really respect celebrities that do that much. It is not a scam at all. and it does give people a chance to meet their idols. If Esther needed money she could have taken that road.



You know what I think, if you believe in psychics, you deserve to be scammed.

Ms. Cleo wasn't a famous person before she was a pschic and people called her. So you can't blame Esther for people calling her line.

Check this point out. Remember in the episode "God's Business Is Good Business", with the fake reverend. As much as Flo believes in church, she knew Reverend Sam was a crook and didn't fall for that scam, cause she knew better. Some people believe in psychics and do fall for that scam, but there only spending money on what they believe in. Nobody convinced them to go for it. So Esther was just providing a service for people that already believed in that stuff.

You might say, then she is as bad as Reverend Sam, or worse since it was real life, but I say, she didn't take nobody's money that they wasn't willing to give.

Don't use the fictional "Florida Evans" in this. She is a fictional character.

So those people deserved to be scammed?

Gullible people DESERVE to be scammed out of their much needed money?

I think you are way off base here. So If I sell Good Times DVDs on Ebay. and give the people pirated copies of the show instead of what they are expected is that their fault also? They deserved to be scammed?

You are defending her too much on this. And you are making her sound actually Evil. as I was just calling it a flaw and disgrace to a legendary woman.

Now you are actually trying to convince me that what she was doing was right??

Shame.

You know what I think, if you believe in psychics, you deserve to be scammed.

Ms. Cleo wasn't a famous person before she was a pschic and people called her. So you can't blame Esther for people calling her line.

Check this point out. Remember in the episode "God's Business Is Good Business", with the fake reverend. As much as Flo believes in church, she knew Reverend Sam was a crook and didn't fall for that scam, cause she knew better. Some people believe in psychics and do fall for that scam, but there only spending money on what they believe in. Nobody convinced them to go for it. So Esther was just providing a service for people that already believed in that stuff.

You might say, then she is as bad as Reverend Sam, or worse since it was real life, but I say, she didn't take nobody's money that they wasn't willing to give.
Craftman, my belief, my opinion is that if people believe in psychics (and I do believe that there are a rare breed of those, those who don't do it for $$$ but to help law enforcement) but if people believe in that kind of stuff, then more power to them. My point and my only point is that if they see a person they respect such as Esther Rolle "inviting" them to call her line, then Ms. Rolle should have CLEARLY SAID ON THE AIR THE CHARGES THAT WOULD BE INCURRED. And if she didn't want to do that or didn't have the say so to do that, she either should have dropped the gig, or have the producers of the commercial CLEARLY PUT IN BOLD LETTERS THE AMT OF $$$ THEY WOULD BE CHARGED. Then, and only then would the responsibility fall on the shoulders of those who called. If they had stated on the air that their first call would be 99 cents (which they did in fact) then they should have also clearly stated that they would automatically be signed up for a monthly charge of $3.95 per month and that charge would show up automatically on their phone bill. They should also clearly state their first minute is only 99 cents and each minute after that is whatever amt they charge. Some charged $3-5 each minute. And those pyschics don't give you a "vision" in two minutes. That first 99 cent minute is spent ON HOLD. You are told a bunch of mumbo jumbo stuff. From the customers that I had talked to, they told me by the time someone actually talked to them, ten minutes had passed and they took their sweet ass time "reading" their future. The customers believed their first call would only be 99 cents.

Don't use the fictional "Florida Evans" in this. She is a fictional character.

So those people deserved to be scammed?

Gullible people DESERVE to be scammed out of their much needed money?

I think you are way off base here. So If I sell Good Times DVDs on Ebay. and give the people pirated copies of the show instead of what they are expected is that their fault also? They deserved to be scammed?

You are defending her too much on this. And you are making her sound actually Evil. as I was just calling it a flaw and disgrace to a legendary woman.

Now you are actually trying to convince me that what she was doing was right??

Shame.


I'm not trying to say she was right, I'm just saying there are people that fall for scams, it's not her fault. I bet you people would buy those pirated copies on ebay, taking a chance it's a scam, when all they have to do is buy the real deal in a store. That's the choice they make. I wouldn't fault you for selling bootlegs cause people don't have to buy 'em.

I'm not trying to say she was right, I'm just saying there are people that fall for scams, it's not her fault. I bet you people would buy those pirated copies on ebay, taking a chance it's a scam, when all they have to do is buy the real deal in a store. That's the choice they make. I wouldn't fault you for selling bootlegs cause people don't have to buy 'em.
true, very true.

Craftman, my belief, my opinion is that if people believe in psychics (and I do believe that there are a rare breed of those, those who don't do it for $$$ but to help law enforcement) but if people believe in that kind of stuff, then more power to them. My point and my only point is that if they see a person they respect such as Esther Rolle "inviting" them to call her line, then Ms. Rolle should have CLEARLY SAID ON THE AIR THE CHARGES THAT WOULD BE INCURRED. And if she didn't want to do that or didn't have the say so to do that, she either should have dropped the gig, or have the producers of the commercial CLEARLY PUT IN BOLD LETTERS THE AMT OF $$$ THEY WOULD BE CHARGED. Then, and only then would the responsibility fall on the shoulders of those who called. If they had stated on the air that their first call would be 99 cents (which they did in fact) then they should have also clearly stated that they would automatically be signed up for a monthly charge of $3.95 per month and that charge would show up automatically on their phone bill. They should also clearly state their first minute is only 99 cents and each minute after that is whatever amt they charge. Some charged $3-5 each minute. And those pyschics don't give you a "vision" in two minutes. That first 99 cent minute is spent ON HOLD. You are told a bunch of mumbo jumbo stuff. From the customers that I had talked to, they told me by the time someone actually talked to them, ten minutes had passed and they took their sweet ass time "reading" their future. The customers believed their first call would only be 99 cents.


Lovely, but I'm sure all that was stated, it probably was just in fine print or something. As long as it's stated somewhere even if you need a magnifying glass to see it, it's nobody's fault but the caller.


Now, don't take me too serious, just giving my opinions.

By the way, great post Irene, way to get us going.
You're gonna be competition for Retro soon. :lol:

Awww shucks (Irene blushing...LOL) Don't want to compete with anyone, I like all my friends here. You are all cool. You all have your diff. set of opinions and sense of style in your posts, that's what makes all of you special. I know we have our differences and we go over the edge, but you are all special. Okay now, no more lovey dovey stuff, let's get back to some fun!!!!!!!

We will all have to agree to disagree.

You guys are all making excuses for her being a scam artist because you love her.

So why bother fighting it.?

We will all have to agree to disagree.

You guys are all making excuses for her being a scam artist because you love her.

So why bother fighting it.?
I don't see no one making excuses. I see all of us having a different opinion on the way Esther Rolle "possibly" handled this situation. I don't condone what she did, but I don't despise her either. I wasn't there, so I don't know what went on regarding negotiations. Whatever may have gone on, still doesn't change the fact that she associated herself with a company that apparently came out to be one misleading company. She plays a part in that being that Ms. Rolle was an adult and bears responsibility for endorsing such a company.

I don't despise her either. I do despise what she did though.

I don't see how any employees of those companies can't see how they are ripping people off.


There was a probe four years ago and almost all of them were shut down.

And I didn't mean "you" in you all darlin.

Maybe I just was directing craft. sorry.

I used to justify my heroes when I was younger like Dwight Gooden.

I don't despise her either. I do despise what she did though.

I don't see how any employees of those companies can't see how they are ripping people off.


There was a probe four years ago and almost all of them were shut down.

And I didn't mean "you" in you all darlin.

Maybe I just was directing craft. sorry.

I used to justify my heroes when I was younger like Dwight Gooden.


I agree with you totally. Its WRONG to mislead people for your own financial gain. Esther, Philip, Dionne etc. should be ashamed of themselves.

I agree with you totally. Its WRONG to mislead people for your own financial gain. Esther, Philip, Dionne etc. should be ashamed of themselves.


It just offends me when people say the victims in these scams were asking for it. Or should have known better. Or were stupid and deserved to be taken advantage of.

That is not cool.

There was a wave of black actors doing those for a while: Esther Rolle, Billy Dee Williams and the most ubiquitous of them all, Dionne Warwick and her Psychic Friends Network. I thought they all kind of sunk pretty low to endorse something like that. Money talk$.

On one talk show, Dionne Warwick was interviewed after the Psychic Friends Network went bankrupt and she was asked "So, were they able to predict that one?"

Dionne just laughed it off.

Her commercial were for The Caring Psychic Family. She really should be ashamed of herself, because all these lines do is target the most desperate people who probably can't afford it, because their looking for some hope in the future. The price was right and she probably didn't care if it was a scam as long as she was making money. I notice most of the people who did these were has beens. I'm not sure how much Esther made, but I guess it was a good amount.

wolfman jack, Eric Estrada are a couple of others that come to mind that promoted them.

I remember Wolfman died and that next morning there was his infomercial still airing.

Her commercial were for The Caring Psychic Family. She really should be ashamed of herself, because all these lines do is target the most desperate people who probably can't afford it, because their looking for some hope in the future. The price was right and she probably didn't care if it was a scam as long as she was making money. I notice most of the people who did these were has beens. I'm not sure how much Esther made, but I guess it was a good amount.

It's pretty bad when celebrities do most kinds of infomercials, but these kind scrape the bottom of the barrel.

http://www.synergizedsolutions.com/simpsons/pictures/others/tmcclure.gif

"Hi, I'm Troy McClure! You may remember me from such films as Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die and Gladys, The Groovy Mule!"

When I saw Troy McClure on The Simpsons the first time, it reminded me of this infomercial I'd seen around that time with Lyle Waggoner of The Carol Burnett Show. I miss Troy (and Phil Hartman) - God bless 'em!

It's pretty bad when celebrities do most kinds of infomercials, but these kind scrape the bottom of the barrel.

http://www.synergizedsolutions.com/simpsons/pictures/others/tmcclure.gif

"Hi, I'm Troy McClure! You may remember me from such films as Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die and Gladys, The Groovy Mule!"

When I saw Troy McClure on The Simpsons the first time, it reminded me of this infomercial I'd seen around that time with Lyle Waggoner of The Carol Burnett Show. I miss Troy (and Phil Hartman) - God bless 'em!
Troy makes me laugh so much!!!!!! I miss Phil too.
Yeah, these infomercials are really lower than the sewers. Lately I seen Erik Estrada doing a "regular" commercial for something regarding purchasing some land and you too can live in "paradise"!!! LOL
Dionne Warwicke must have done crack with her whacked out niece Whitney when she decided to do those damn commercials. LOL

Alright y'all, y'all right, Esther is a scam artist. She even scammed me into believing she wasn't one.

She's goooood! LOL

:rotflmao: Alright y'all, y'all right, Esther is a scam artist. She even scammed me into believing she wasn't one.

She's goooood! LOL
:rofl:

Troy makes me laugh so much!!!!!! I miss Phil too.
Yeah, these infomercials are really lower than the sewers. Lately I seen Erik Estrada doing a "regular" commercial for something regarding purchasing some land and you too can live in "paradise"!!! LOL
Dionne Warwicke must have done crack with her whacked out niece Whitney when she decided to do those damn commercials. LOLI've seen those Erik Estrada commercials and I get the feeling thats a fraud. Dionne cashed in good on the Psychic Friends Network, she lives in Brazil.

I've seen those Erik Estrada commercials and I get the feeling thats a fraud. Dionne cashed in good on the Psychic Friends Network, she lives in Brazil.
Brazil????? Wow, now I guess we know where and how Whitney gets her "candy"!!!

Brazil????? Wow, now I guess we know where and how Whitney gets her "candy"!!!
Honey, all the "good candy" comes from South America ;)

I've seen those Erik Estrada commercials and I get the feeling thats a fraud. Dionne cashed in good on the Psychic Friends Network, she lives in Brazil.

I have seen only a second of the Erik Estrada commerical; he is selling time shares in Arizona, correct?

I have seen only a second of the Erik Estrada commerical; he is selling time shares in Arizona, correct?
oh yes, timeshares, that's what it is. Arizona, hmmm, not sure, since I don't really pay attention to the commercial. I see his face, hear something abt timeshares and blah blah blah blah...

You know what I think, if you believe in psychics, you deserve to be scammed.

Ms. Cleo wasn't a famous person before she was a pschic and people called her. So you can't blame Esther for people calling her line.




I cracked up laughing when I saw this posting. I remember the Esther Rolle psychic promos on television.

Esther: The Helpline can lead you to a better life.

It was funny to me yet suprising. As far as Ms. Cleo goes, my neighbor told me that she was a fake. He called her 800 number for free reading. Before he was put through to her, he was told by an operator when to say yes and when to agree with her. How sad is that? :lol: I used to work with a woman who said that she used to work for psychic company in which she would talk to people and tell them anything at random when they called looking for advice. LOL. Aw, Geez!

Brazil????? Wow, now I guess we know where and how Whitney gets her "candy"!!!


:rofl: That reminds me of a Whitney Houston Song:

"I -got- the- stuff- that- you- want! I- got-the- stuff -that- you-need!" :rofl:

I have seen only a second of the Erik Estrada commerical; he is selling time shares in Arizona, correct?He's selling them in Arizona, California, Washington, the list of states goes on.

:rofl: That reminds me of a Whitney Houston Song:

"I -got- the- stuff- that- you- want! I- got-the- stuff -that- you-need!" :rofl:
:lol: :lol: Yeah, I bet she does...NO THANX!!!!! :lol: :wave:

He's selling them in Arizona, California, Washington, the list of states goes on.
Ok, and thanks for the info... :wave:

I remember those informericals with Esther Rolle. Erik Estrada had one years ago about Sedona in Arizona. I think Jenilee Harrison was on it with him.

I remember those informericals with Esther Rolle. Erik Estrada had one years ago about Sedona in Arizona. I think Jenilee Harrison was on it with him.
I recall Jennilee doing some cookware infomercial. No, it was a chopper for making homemade peanut butter, chopping onions, etc. :lol:

POOR LITTLE CINDY SNOW/JAIME EWING. Former Cowboys Cheerleader doing cookware?

POOR LITTLE CINDY SNOW/JAIME EWING. Former Cowboys Cheerleader doing cookware?
Really? a cowboy cheerleader? Hmmmm. didn't know that. Yeah, she also has had bad plastic surgery. She makes Angelina Jolie's lips look like two small pretzel sticks. :crazy:

Really? a cowboy cheerleader? Hmmmm. didn't know that. Yeah, she also has had bad plastic surgery. She makes Angelina Jolie's lips look like two small pretzel sticks. :crazy:
OUCH!! :eek: :lol: :brent