NEWS: Do You Believe In Magic? Well, You Probably Shouldn't

CELEB: Do You Believe In Magic? Well, You Probably Shouldn't

I like magic. The close-up kind, Vegas-style overblown illusions, even the "street" variety... In fact, I have a magician buddy who I constantly harass, begging him to bring a few "tricks" out at night with him. All so that I can sit, eyes-glazed in some dimly-lit bar, drunkenly "whoa-ing" as he makes a matchstick flit around on his palm.

I don't like people actually claiming to be magic/psychic/able to control dragons.

Are you allowed to use the word "controversial" to describe your own show... before any actual controversy has developed? Isn't that like telling people you're "crazy" and then deliberately "acting crazy" until someone notices you? What they're saying is, "we'd very much like to be considered controversial." How bad have things gotten that you can just use that word in a press release without someone calling you on it?

Does anyone believe either of these simpletons has the abilty to conjure anything other than digust in a viewer? And yet I'm sure the whole show will revolve around them holding court, spouting off about the magical, spirit realm in hokey, hushed whispers. Their supernatural supremacy, never for a moment questioned.

Criss Angel? A guy who looked at David Blaine's schtick and decided what the act needed was half the talent and double the androgyny. I don't have a set of guidelines for magicians but if I did Rule One would be "Put on a shirt," followed by "button the shirt" and finally "Please, stop bugging your eyes out."

Uri Geller? A relic from the '70s, debunked many times, most notably on NBC's own "The Tonight Show."

Uhh, where's the "first great mentalist?" Aren't we still waiting for him? Is he off working for NASA?

And now you're claiming the competition itself is "mysterious"? That sounds problematic, maybe you should get the kinks worked out before you debut the show. I'm not sure "mysterious" is the best way to attract advertisers. Advertisers other than "wolfsbane" manufacturers.

I too have an announcement. I've decided to appoint a champion from off the street to challenge their so-called winner. Either my mailman, neighbor's kid or ficus plant will move to the finals... And have a 50/50 shot at beating the "Phenomenon" champion.

Visually arresting = Acts "weird" in public. Which, honestly, may be his most impressive stunt. It's gotta be hard to stare wide-eyed into the abyss, gesturing furiously... when you just want to take a leak or eat a sandwich or do whatever it was that was interrupted by some dim-witted "fan."

Hahahaha. Indeed. Soared to fame by "claiming" abilities. Not proving, claiming. That really says it all. I'm surprised that didn't warrant a "mystifyingly claiming" to spruce it up.

They should've given the show to The Amazing Randi. You remember him, right? He's the guy that exposed Uri Geller... How do you not love a self-proclaimed magician-hunter? A man traveling the globe exposing psychics and scammers, that's the show they should make. At the very least, you should have him vet your own mentalists before giving them a show. "Right this way, gents, before we get started we'd like you to meet our head of human resources... James Randi."

In the '70s he put down a million dollar bounty for anyone proving actual supernatural ability. It has yet to be claimed. Sounds like easy money. Criss? Uri?

I'm sure they've just been busy.

TheCoolerKing was all set to call this article "The Wizard of Ahhhs" until Gerry_D beat him to the wizard title of the day.

duh. they aren't mentalist. they just know how to manipulate the Matrix:

Sounds like someone shit in your cereal

Ehh, I hate to get in on the Criss Angel vs Davdi Blaine argument, but Criss has been around MUCH longer... he used to perform magic on stage while an industrial band called ANGELDUST stomped around him in elaborate costumes and huge stilts (think GWAR).... David Blaine's "I'm so good at this I'm bored" attitude just gets on my nerves... anyways, i'm a sucker for good illusion, so I'll watch the show regardless...

/still waiting for Houdini to speak from the dead

can you prove that i can't control dragons? hmmm?

Any mention of David Blaine deserves a link to this:

Im pretty sure they mean Criss Angel is controversial because of the deal with him keeping his wife secret for years then cheating on her with Cameron Diaz; its been in the news a lot lately, hence controversy.

And I mean all puffery aside, the first great mentalist would be Houdini, or Kellar, look them up. Houdini did that whole expose psychics as frauds things year and years before

Ha, i was just coming in to post that. I just found out they made a sequel:

so true.


Also - how is it that NBC thinks this is a good idea? The CW beats them. They're supposed to build shows around Heroes aren't they? They should just give up altogether and show Battlestar re-runs from the Sci-Fi channel.

In fact, sadly this shows sounds like it would have been on the Sci-Fi channel two years ago.

James Randi is a hero of mine.

He should have a show !

This blog (hail TheCoolerKing), and the above video (thanks, emperorreagan), are fucking hilarious. Thank youse guys...

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

Personally, I've been a big fan of Criss Angel for 5 years, and am looking forward to seeing this, even though the Criss Angel I got to meet during a Mindfreak performance and after-party type thing with fellow Loyals (back when the forums were run by a loyal who was friends with Criss and was a small group of about 75 who I knew quite well) has changed quite a bit (fame gotten to his head and whatnot) I still think he puts on an amazing show. I'll be watching it.

And those David Blaine parodies...priceless. I love them.

Ahh, charlatans and drama queens. Where's Kreskin?

Criss Angel knows better than this:

I love this video!
David Blaine is a joke.
This just proves it.
Criss Angel is nuts.

Anybody else nonplussed by Angel? The whole Mindfreak thing makes me think of nothing more than if Mango tried to do magic.

thank you for entertaining me... those paraodies were well worth it.

I never get tired of those.

Er, since some people seem unclear, mentalism is a branch of stage magic. You can see it any day of the week in Vegas. Geller is a fraud who decided ride the whole pre new age, pyramid power, occultism, Bermuda Triangle craze into the limelight. Criss Angel is just a tedious magician.

I'll give a billion dollars to anyone who can prove to me the existence of a place called "Wyoming." Of course, I'm the sole judge of what constitutes "proof" so it could be decades before the billion dollars is claimed.

That being said, this sounds like the dumbest idea I've ever run across, and I thought Uri Geller was dead.

*sigh* and the sad thing is my sister will be so excited

Randi's ground rules are clearly delineated in advance -- he doesn't make up new definitions of "proof" as he goes along. Somebody who really did have supernatural powers would have little trouble claiming the cash.

If that's supposed to be a dig at Randi, you're only showing your ignorance. The protocols for testing applicants are determined in collaboration with the applicant, because each instance of the Test has to be tailored to the applicant's specific claims. The purpose of the Test is to demonstrate that people who claim to have paranormal abilities are incapable, under controlled conditions, of doing what the applicants themselves claim to be able to do. If the applicant claims to be able to guess Zenner cards with 80% accuracy, that is what the protocol will be set up to do; it will not require the applicant to dowse for water (unrelated ability) or display 100% accuracy (excessively stringent requirement). Testing for something other than what the applicant claims to be able to do wouldn't prove anything.