This column was going to be about E!'s new show Hollywood Medium.
I was going to begin by joking that star Tyler Henry, the baby-faced 20-year-old clairvoyant to the stars, looked more like a "small" than a Medium during the premiere in which he met with Jaime Pressly, Bella Thorne, NeNe Leakes and John Salley.
But now I don't feel like joking after getting scammed while attempting to stream the episode this morning.
It's all E!'s fault. Well, it kind of is. The cable network is to blame for scheduling this show past my bedtime (new episodes are at 9 p.m. Sunday). No problem. I'd have plenty of time to review the show Monday morning online before my afternoon deadline; everyone offers current on-demand videos.
Everyone offers current on-demand videos but E! I tried on my computer, and I found a few clips but no full episode to watch. I downloaded the E! Now app, but still no success, only a "No content currently available. Please check back again later." But deadline wouldn't wait until later.
Next stop was the iTunes Store. I searched Hollywood Medium with no luck. But if I'm ever looking for Bonnie Raitt's "Marriage Made in Hollywood" song or the Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam documentary, I'll know where to look.
But where would I look now? YouTube? Nope. Just more assorted snippets.
Finally, I resorted to a basic Internet search with words like "Watch Hollywood Medium episode." SideReel, a service that I've at least heard of, had it. But I didn't have a membership and didn't feel like registering, even for the free trial. I resumed Googling.
Finally I found another streaming service that had the episode and didn't ask for personal information! Success! All I had to do was click "Watch," and suddenly it was loading! Yes, I would be watching Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo's Doogie Howser-esque contemporary in no time!
But then the video stopped loading. This site was going to require a trial membership too -- a free one, as long as I didn't upgrade to a premium membership. Fine. If it meant watching the show and making deadline, I'd sign up and enter my credit card number, careful not to access the premium membership. I quickly scrolled through the legalese. Too quickly. In my hurry to press the button to continue, I inadvertently authorized a checked box that gave the site permission to charge me $2.95 for the premium membership.
Whatever. I'd cancel later (at least I would try to -- more on that in a minute). I had a show to watch.
But it wasn't going to be Hollywood Medium. When the site reloaded, the show wasn't there -- nor were any TV shows, for that matter. Just lame games and movies.
I attempted trying to cancel my account online, but after saying I entered the incorrect email address, it shut me out. I'd have to call the toll-free number. And I'd have to make multiple attempts. Each time, a recording would ask me to hold before I was forwarded, forgotten and subjected to unbearable waits with bad music.
My annoyance was not Medium. It was large. And it was about to become extra large.
In the meantime, I checked my credit card. The outfit had not only charged me the sneaky $2.95, but an even sneakier $1 that I apparently and unwittingly authorized.
On about my eighth try, I did finally get someone on the line. She claims to have canceled my account, and sent me an alleged confirmation email. I never did get to watch Hollywood Medium. I was too busy dealing with this fiasco that Tyler Henry -- and basic common sense not to give my financial information to an unknown entity -- surely could have helped me avoid.
Will I ever get my $3.95 back?
One needn't be a medium to answer that one.
I predict you'll email:
jchristman@arkansasonline.com
Spin Cycle is a weekly smirk at pop culture.
Style on 01/31/2016