The Washington Post featured an article detailing how astrology
has been growing in popularity among young people.
Apparently, both the increased accessibility through technology and
increased isolation during the pandemic acted as catalysts for
this popularity spike.
Let's talk about just how much it has increased.
Washington Post reports that, according to Allied Market Research,
the global astrology industry was valued at 12.8 billion in 2021,
up considerably from 2.2 billion in 2018.
By 2031, it's expected to rise to 22.8 billion.
Although market research firm YouGov found that a quarter of Americans claim to
believe in it, there is no scientific evidence that supports astrology.
Some experts say that while finding joy and
fulfillment in reading astrology materials is one thing,
basing major life decisions entirely on disproven science is risky.
Now, let's discuss this next embarrassing statistic.
That was the reason we decided to cover the story of the morning meeting,
because several of us were implicated in this.
More Americans know their zodiac sign than their blood type, and likewise,
as many as 70 million Americans check their horoscopes daily.
I know that I'm a Scorpio, gun to my head, I couldn't tell you what blood type I am.
No idea, I don't have a clue.
>> I have no idea.
>> I do, I am a red blooded American.
>> Well, that's the best kind of blood right there, you know what I'm saying?
So that's better.
>> Right, >> You have-
>> You colors don't run,
these colors don't run.
>> Jackson, do you believe in astrology?
>> No, [LAUGH].
>> [LAUGH] Don't elaborate the answer, we don't need to elaborate.
>> No, I'm an Aquarius, though.
To me it's fun, I mean, its fun, I think a lot of people follow it cuz it's fun.
I mean, how can you really, really deeply believe in something like this?
This is a very teenage, early 20s, this is the kind of thing that kind of starts to
fade out when you got real bills to pay and they just piling up.
You're like, damn, none of this real, I got to actually get my ass out here and
suffer, you know what I'm saying?
You just start realizing how unfair life is.
But this is kind of how guys a lot in the manosphere,
and they got all these different types of males, like the alphas and
the betas and the sigmas and whatever the hell else there is.
And the high value man and all of that, you know what I'm saying?
And especially, I've heard other people say this, but it's like astrology for men,
you know what I'm saying?
All the redfield manosphere jargon, so
we all believe in astrology to some form or fashion.
It may not be the stars, but it could be some other bullshit, like,
I wanna walk under this ladder or something.
>> Right, I don't wanna change my uniform when my team's doing well kind of stuff.
[LAUGH] >> Yeah, don't want to wash my side.
>> I mean, I'd like to correct the record, neither of those are astrology, just for
the record, but superstitions, maybe they're not astrology.
And let's also be honest, this is a pretty much predominantly female pursuit.
Astrology, I've never met a dude in my life who has asked me what my sign was.
I've never met a dude who told me what his sign was, never happened.
It's never been like, hey, dude, nice to meet you, what's your sign?
But the number of girls that I've been interested, and then they pull out,
what's your sign, though?
And listen, and there's nothing that turns me off faster, unless they're real hot,
in which case, suddenly, that's the only time I'm also really into astrology.
Suddenly I'm like, yeah, I do feel like I connect to my moon rising and
other stuff rising, the point is, I'm in.
>> [LAUGH] The point, you got the game play, that's the point.
>> I wanna correct the record here, astrology is for
the girls and the gays, all right?
>> Okay- >> For girls and
the gays, you haven't heard too many men talking about it.
Most of my friends in my life who are into astrology are gay men.
[LAUGH] >> Astrology is the sports for girls and
gays that fills the time that dudes put into sports, they're both meaningless.
>> Well, sports is sports for lesbians, but, [LAUGH]
>> Strong point, strong point.
>> Or every time- >> Girls and gay guys, astrology,
lesbians and straight dudes sports.
That's how society is divided, and I think it's how it should be.
>> That's too much cultural jargon, it's too much nonsense, man.
There's too much stuff going on right there.
>> [LAUGH] >> But
I know every time a whole lot of top of tail be like, what's your sound?
Be like, I'm an Aquarius, and girls be like, [LAUGH] I gonna say it,
I guess you already know all about me.
You're probably right, too low key, you feel me,
I need a lot to you might be wrong.
>> Look at- >> You have to figure it out.
[LAUGH] >> Yeah, look, it's all a magic trick,
it's like sometimes I'll look at my horoscope.
If I stumble upon it like I'm at a hair place, and
there's a newspaper open to the astrology page, I'll read my horoscope,
and it fascinatingly, is very accurate.
But then you ever do this move, and they bank on you not doing this move,
then just read any other signs, horoscope.
And, damn, that one applies to me as well,
they just write general stuff that you wish applied to everybody.
And this comes from a Gemini whose birthday is in just a few days.
And so it means a lot to me, and I really believe in it, same gift.
>> Anytime someone tells me what they're they'll ask me my sign, and
they'll tell me theirs.
Whenever they tell me theirs, I don't know about astrology, but
I would hit it with a, yeah, you are that Capricorn.
>> [LAUGH] Yeah, you are a cancer.
[LAUGH] >> Because the readings will be you have
mixed feelings about your career, that's- >> So to everybody.
>> [INAUDIBLE] Is, specifically because I'm an Aquarius,
because I'm juggling which direction to go in the modern economy.
>> [LAUGH] >> [LAUGH] That's right, I'm a Gemini, so
I'm two sides.
My two sides are dumb and dumber.
>> Exactly.
>> [LAUGH] All right, so this just reminded me, I had a professor of
astronomy in college who one time we had someone come in and accidentally they were
just giving a presentation on some software we had to use.
She was not a scientist, this poor girl, and
she accidentally said astrology several times instead of astronomy.
And every time she said astrology, my professor quick snapped and
said, this is an actual science class.
>> [LAUGH] >> And I'm like,
this girl is not an astrologist, she's just mixing up the words, leave her alone.
But now that I've said that, let's talk about what you heard our thoughts.
Let's talk about what actual scientists and academics have to say about astrology.
So let's first start with Sten Odenwald, who's an astronomer and
the Director of Stem Resources Development at NASA.
And Sten said, our brains are constantly looking for patterns and
ways of anticipating the future.
Humans grab on to these things.
Continues on in this next statement, still,
it pains me as a scientist to see the rise in irrational thinking, Odenwald added,
explaining that practicing astrology comes with all kinds of risks, including
that humans can become too dependent on it for important decision-making.
And just to that point, [LAUGH] my partner's boss decided to get
a divorce from her husband because her psychic said that it was in
her star chart that she needed to be fiercely independent.
[LAUGH] So there is something- >> I'm sure there was something else
going on that helped the psychic's words to make.
>> Right.
>> I'm sure there were some other types of shortcomings in the relationship, but
nonetheless, the psychic help her to make the decision, so.
>> Right.
>> She still played her part.
[LAUGH] >> Are you saying psychic or sidekick?
>> Psychic, she doesn't have a sidekick, [LAUGH] that'd be cool.
Maybe not, [LAUGH] maybe not in a stable part of her life enough
to convince someone to be your sidekick.
But that's neither here nor there.
So that's what a scientist actually had to say.
Now let's talk, we are all non-believers, we've been talking mad,
to put it politely, about astrology.
[LAUGH] Let's listen to what some of the pro-astrology people had to say
when they were speaking to Sydney Page of The Washington Post.
So there's this first statement, astrology gets such a bad rap for
being non-sciencey and being fake, [LAUGH] I'm sorry,
they're off to a great start on the statement.
[LAUGH] It gets a bad rap for being complete and utter BS.
But at the end of the day, it's about looking at the stars in the sky.
And in my opinion, that's less weird than looking at a mysterious book of
stories dropped off in the desert, she said,
adding that astrology is generally less prescriptive than religion.
Although it definitely takes a leap of faith to believe in astrology,
as it takes a leap of faith to be religious.
We got another person who stated, if something is pressing in my life or
I'm noticing a pattern, then I'll go back and reference my whole chart and
see the connection between what's going on in the sky and
where those placements are for me personally, Daniels said.
I'm sorry, that is where it gets me, if something's going on in your life,
you don't need to look at the sky and mercury is in gatorade or whatever.
That's not impacting what's going on in your life,
you've made a series of decisions leading you up to this point.
Sometimes you just have to face the issues.
And it really, for me, it just seems like a way to avoid facing the problems in your
life or to sort of write them off.
But sometimes horrible things happen, and it doesn't happen for a reason,
horrible things just happen to people.
Your life gets, for no reason, that's just how it goes.
[LAUGH] >> Yes,
as I said in my new stand up special, the Mad King,
available now on YouTube, there's a lot going on in the world.
And I was talking to a friend of mine who's very into astrology, and
she said, I'm telling you, one of the planets is out of alignment.
Yeah, this one, Earth, is, in retrograde, my friend, and that's for fact.
[LAUGH] >> [LAUGH] Whatever the hell astrological
jargon, that is definitely what this planet is in,
literally as we run out of fresh water to drink and what have you.
>> I do like to picture Trump in his, [LAUGH] his bathroom with his documents,
reading his star chart as he's getting ready to go into his brain.
[LAUGH] How could this have been avoided?
[LAUGH] >> Listen,
if you're gonna be into astrology, you have to first understand basic astronomy.
If you think the Earth maybe isn't round, let's not go into star signs, okay?
>> [LAUGH] >> You know what kills me the most about
most flat Earthers, it's they accept that other things in
space are spherical because of gravity, but not Earth.
So it's just like every, and
the amount of people who would have to be in on the conspiracy, that really,
honestly may be one of the dumbest conspiracies to believe in, right?
It's seriously, I think that may be it, that may take-
>> I think the Earth is made of pizza,
personally.
>> It's interesting- >> Is it round pizza?
Is it spherical pizza?
>> It might might be round, it might be flat, but
it's definitely not circular, it's definitely not spherical.
>> [LAUGH] >> It might be shaped like a circle, but
it's obviously on a flat plate, that's how pizza is served.