X-Message-Number: 9988 Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 18:43:32 -0400 From: Saul Kent <> Subject: Celebrities And Credibility Chris Fedell (9975) suggests that getting "high profile individuals" to endorse cryonics might be the best way the movement could "reach escape velocity any time soon", and asks if anyone is trying to recruit such people at this time. I don't believe anyone is making such an effort at this time, and do *not* think this is the time to do so. I'm now going to repeat something I've said over and over on this forum, but I think it bears repeating at least one more time. I believe the biggest reason that people in general, and "high profile individuals" in particular, do not sign up for cryonics or endorse it, is because cryonics lacks credibility, and that the *only* way of raising the credibility of cryonics is to develop improved cryonics methods, which are documented scientifically in peer-reviewed journals. Once we have such documentation plus a well-funded research program, which can be perceived to be leading to perfected Suspended Animation, it will be easier to attract people to cryonics...*especially* high profile individuals. I agree that the endorsement of cryonics by mainstream celebrities (no matter what field they are in) would help to convince others of the value of cryonics. If someone like Walter Cronkite or Johnny Carson, for example, endorsed cryonics publically, I think it would impress many people, some of whom would sign up. The problem, in my opinion, is that celebrities are even more sensitive to the issue of credibility than non-celebrities. Rich and famous people not only tend to depend on the opinions of mainstream scientists and physicians in deciding whether to pursue an unorthodox practice, they often have direct access to these authority figures. As a result, they aren't likely to consider endorsing cryonics until it gets favorable notices at places like Harvard, Yale and the Mayo Clinic. One reason, I believe, that celebrities are so sensitive to the issue of credibility is because they perceive that their success in dependent in large part on acceptance by the public, or dealings with conser- vative government or industry leaders. They know that because of their fame, the public endorsement of cryonics would attract significant media attention, which they fear would hurt their career. I believe that, once cryonics achieves greater credibility, it won't be necessary to go out of the way to interest celebrities to cryonics, but that they will be contacting *us* in significant numbers. I say this because a significant number of celebrities *have* expressed interest in cryonics in the past. For example, right after actor Peter Sellers suffered his first major heart attack (which he survived), he was given a copy of Bob Ettinger's book, The Prospect Of Immortality, by famed movie director Stanley Kubrick. Sellers apparently read the book, and stated that he wanted to be frozen. However, he never signed up for cryonics and, as a result, was not frozen (years later) when he *did* die from another heart attack. Two other entertainers who have been quoted as being favorable to cryonics are Steve Allen and Ben Gazzara. In the late 1960s, I received a phone call (at home) from Salvador Dali, who said he was interested in cryonics, and wanted me to meet with a theatrical director friend of his at Carnegie Hall the following day. I (and Curtis Henderson) spent several hours with Dali's friend and gave him some cryonics literature. Dali's interest in cryonics is also a matter of public record. He stated that he wanted to be frozen in published interviews, and in at least one of his books. He apparently told many people that he was going to be frozen, but when it came down to it, he wasn't. About a year later, I received a phone call (at work) from the wife of four-star U.S. General Omar Bradley, one of the heros of World War II. Bradley's wife was very enthusiastic about cryonics. She said that both she and the General were interested in being frozen. She was so excited about cryonics that she came down to my office that afternoon to pick up a packet of cryonics literature, so that she could read it "immediately" on a plane she was about to take to Europe. I never heard from her again. Larry King is another celebrity who has expressed strong interest in cryonics, to me personally, (and on the air) when I was a guest on his show in Miami, many years ago, and again, when I was on his CNN show in the early stages of the Dora Kent story. King also expressed a favorable attitude towards cryonics when he hosted another show on cryonics, with Mike Darwin and Brenda Peters as guests. Yet, King, as far as I know, has never made a move to sign up for cryonics. As far as Arthur C. Clarke goes, there have been several indications that he is favorable to cryonics, including a short discussion I had with him in person when we were both guests on a New York City radio talk show. In addition, I believe others have communicated with him about cryonics via regular or e-mail. As I recall, one reason Clarke gave for *not* signing up is that he lives in a remote area (Sri Lanka), where the delivery of cryonics services is not practical. Again, I think the key to getting celebrities to sign up for cryonics and announce this publicly is greater credibility for the idea through the published results of research, and that, once such credibility is achieved, we won't have much trouble attracting "high profile individuals".. ---Saul Kent, CEO 21st Century Medicine Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9988