Bent Spoon Award
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The Bent Spoon Award is an award given by Australian Skeptics, "presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle". The name of the award is a reference to the spoon bending of Uri Geller.[1] Although awarded yearly since 1982, only one copy of the trophy exists, as "anyone wishing to acquire the trophy must remove it from our keeping by paranormal means," and no winner has yet overcome this obstacle.[1]
The winner should either be an Australian or have carried out their activities in Australia.[1]
[edit] List of winners
- (2007) Marena Manzoufas, Head of Programming at the ABC for her sterling work in authorising the television show Psychic Investigators, made worse by putting it to air in the Catalyst timeslot.[2] [3] [4]
- (2006) Pharmacists of Australia, who manage to forget their scientific training long enough to sell quackery and snake oil in places where consumers should expect to get real medical supplies and advice.[2] [5]
- (2005) Second Opinion for being a show that presents an uncritical look at an aspect of alternative medicine, even encouraging its use.[2] [6]
- (2004) The New Inventors for giving consideration to the AntiBio water conditioning system, an obvious piece of pseudoscience.[2]
- (2003) The Complementary Healthcare Council - an industry group consisting of manufacturers and practitioners of alternative therapies and products that lobbied hard to keep scrutiny to a minimum and sought taxpayer funding for advertising.[2]
- (2002) Gentle Heal Pty Ltd for selling homeopathic products that clearly label themselves as vaccines, such as "Hepatitis C Vaccine"[2]
- (2001) The Lutec "Free Energy Generator" - a device claiming to produce 30 times more output than input, but actually outputs 33% of input power.[2]
- (2000) Jasmuheen for continuing to claim people can live solely on air and light, despite repeated exposure as fallacy[2]
- (1999) Mike Willessee for obtaining the assistance of scientists and theologians on a TV show then ignoring their input in favour of sensationalism [2] [7]
- (1998) Southern Cross University for publicising one of its academics' support for "empowered water", and for both offering a degree course in naturopathy while simultaneously conducting research into the validity of naturopathy[2]
- (1997) Dr. Viera Scheibner for her high profile anti-immunisation campaign[2] [8]
- (1996) Marlo Morgan[1]
- (1995) Tim Macartney-Snape for promotion of Jeremy Griffith's Foundation for Humanity’s Adulthood[9]
- (1994) Commonwealth Attorney General's Office[1]
- (1993) Tonight Live on Channel 7[1]
- (1992) Allen S. Roberts - fundamentalist pastor who stated he visited the site of Noah's Ark[2]
- (1991) Women's Day magazine[1]
- (1990) Mafu (Penny Torres Rubin) - a channeled ancient entity[1]
- (1989) (None awarded)[1]
- (1988) Diane McCann - prominent new age proponent, proclaimed the City of Churches was the location of part of Atlantis.[1]
- (1987) Anne Dankbaar - Adelaide psychic[1]
- (1986) Peter Brock - promoted an energy polariser[1]
- (1985) Rev. Willard Fuller - psychic dentist[1]
- (1984) Karen Hunt - psychic archaeologist[1]
- (1983) Dennis Hassell - Melbourne mystic[1]
- (1982) Tom Wards - psychic[1]
