A look at the claims, predictions and behavior of a media "psychic".
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A look at the claims, predictions and behavior of a media "psychic".
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Montel Williams: Outburst in SavannahWhat does his recently-reported threat to reporters show us about Montel? 
Williams attending a rally in Savannah (detail from photo by Steve Bisson) BackgroundOne of the major reasons for Sylvia Browne's popularity is her long-time association with Montel Williams. Not only does she benefit from the weekly exposure on his nationally-televised show, but she also benefits from being associated with Williams himself. Williams has a public image of being an honorable and caring individual, and many people believe that there is no way such a person would have Sylvia Browne as a guest week after week if she was a fraud. I frequently receive email from people who have come to the conclusion that Browne is not what she claims, and who say that they never would have believed in her in the first place had Montel Williams not supported her. But is Montel's public image accurate? Or is it merely a facade? This article looks at a recent news report of Williams making a violent threat to a group of reporters. News ReportHere is an excerpt from the report, taken from the Saturday, December 1, 2007 online edition of the Savannah Morning News (emphasis mine):
I have occasionally received emails from people who have attended tapings of the Montel Williams Show, and some have commented on Williams' arrogant and rude treatment of his staff. Is that, along with the behavior described in the above news account, the "true" Montel? AnalysisIt should first be noted that the above quote of Montel's angry rant at the reporters is not a direct quote of Williams. It is a quote of one of the reporters recounting what Montel had said. And although the reporter's account was corroborated by the other two reporters present, we do not have a recording of it to confirm how accurate it was. However, Williams did release an apology for whatever he had said, and has not to my knowledge disputed the accuracy of the quote. If the quote is anywhere near accurate, it does not speak well of Williams at all. Phrases such as "Do you know who I am? I'm a big star" speak of a deeply arrogant attitude of entitlement. And letting someone know that you can "blow them up" is simply beyond excuse. It is good that he has released an apology, but it does not even acknowledge how deeply wrong his earlier statement had been. It sounds as though he thinks that his rant would have been perfectly acceptable had the reporters been there to confront him about his earlier comments. In truth, his comments - if he was correctly quoted - would not have been acceptable under any circumstances. As is stated elsewhere in the article, Williams suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, a very painful and debilitating disease. And I have heard him state on his show that he is "in pain 24/7" because of it. And in part of the videotaped speech that Williams gave to the crowd and the press that day, he stated that he was almost unable to come out and speak due to the tremors which had been wracking his body earlier that day. I do not think this excuses his comments, but it may explain them to some degree. ConclusionI used to have a lot of respect for Williams. I have lost a lot of that respect for him in the past year, largely due to the fact that he gives "psychic" Sylvia Browne what amounts to a free hour-long infomercial on his show every Wednesday, lending her a false air of legitimacy. His lack of response to the open letter from Lt. Colonel Hal Bidlack has brought him even further down in my estimation. Make no mistake, Williams has done some good things. The program he was promoting in Savannah (the Partnership for Prescription Assistance) helps people obtain prescription medicine who may not have been able to otherwise afford them, and the Montel Williams MS Foundation has apparently disbursed more than a million dollars in research grants to help fight the disease. But, while Williams treats people with respect while the cameras are rolling, his behavior towards those reporters in Savannah that day, coupled with what I have heard of his behavior towards his own staff, reminds me of a very true saying which is sometimes known as one of "Swanson's Unwritten Rules":
Last-minute update: according to this story on FoxNews.com, Williams has asked the intern to appear on his show to receive a public apology. If that happens, it will be added to this article. Related LinksClicking on any of these links will load a separate browser window for viewing the linked page. StopSylviaBrowne.com is not responsible for the content of any of these linked pages.
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