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It is worth knowing that Uri released a very expensive limited autographed DVD set that showed how he would do it "if" he was using various tricks. Needless to
by ksaj 3y ago
It is worth knowing that Uri released a very expensive limited autographed DVD set that showed how he would do it "if" he was using various tricks. Needless to say, the effects he teaches are exactly what he performs on stage and television. It's no stretch to understand that they are his genuine methods, and he didn't go out of his way to learn how to fake his own real ESP.
His claims are his act. Magicians and mentalists all know his act is being in character all the time. Quite a few of them don't like that, and regularly speak out against it. But there is nobody in that circle thinking "well, maybe he actually does have ESP!" like there was during Randi's day.
There is a reason Uri hangs around with magicians and mentalists, and not psychics. He doesn't have psychic powers and doesn't actually lump himself into that category, except as the character we all know of him.
In other news, Teller can actually speak! Consider the similarities, as even though we all know he can speak, he still doesn't go out of character when he is with Penn. We suspend our disbelief knowing that he actually can speak (and many of us have heard him) yet doesn't in that character.
Similarly, [don't read this paragraph if you don't like spoilers] Derren Brown always pretends to explain his mentalism effects. Although his explanations are plausible, and sometimes true for effects where he leaves huge parts unexplained, his explanations are nearly never exactly what he actually did. For example, the Red BMX Bicycle episode - it was straight forward billet work. All the encoding of words was for the TV audience. In "the biz" it is called Dual Reality - the participant and the audience are reacting to slightly different observations.
- naruhodo 3y agoAfter I don't know how many years, I only just got the irony of a mute named Teller.
- travisjungroth 3y agoTeller is not meaningfully similar to Uri Geller. 1. Teller openly and unequivocally breaks character. He will describe (out loud) how and why he does mime for his stage persona. Uri Geller is never this candid. 2. Teller’s stage lie does not meaningfully change people’s understanding of the world. There are definitely people who don’t talk. If someone mistakes Teller to be in this category, not really a huge deal. No one has proven to be able to do the things Uri Geller claims.
- laurieg 3y agoDerren Brown goes even further sometimes. The cups and balls on his TV show feature emphasis on certain words: 'for' said a little louder and longer than other words to make someone pick number 4 etc. He never directly explains this as 'influence' but it is intended so a keen viewer will watch many times and come to the conclusion "Aha! Neuro linguistic programming! I've worked it out" and stop looking for the sleight of hand that actually does the trick.
- vintermann 3y agoBeing in character all the time isn't really an excuse when you start suing your critics. It's not "your character" doing that, it's you.
- lprtag 3y agoIt's strange that Geller got so much pushback. The only truly negative thing he did was suing Randi. I think Derren Brown has more believers than Geller for his mentalist acts, incorporates "dark demonic forces" and in general messes far more with the minds of his audience. Yet hardly any pushback from Penn and Teller. Regarding the billet work: Yes, he also goes in shopping malls and "guesses" the correct amount of coins people have in their wallets. The easiest explanation is that he pickpockets them, counts the cash, puts the wallet back and then approaches his target.
- Nursie 3y agoDerren Brown doesn’t claim to have superpowers, he’s an illusionist and mentalist. It’s possible he is dishonest about his methods, but he is honest about being an illusionist. In contrast, Geller has tried to bamboozle the world that he is genuinely psychic, and has other ‘abilities’ and is simply a huckster. I’m not sure why it would be strange in this instance that one gets pushback from rationalists and one does not.
- tecleandor 3y agoI don't totally agree with your opinion. In the late years he's been walking away from the "psychic" part of him, embracing his "meme" or "performer" image (like in the DVD you mentioned), but previously he has made outrageous claims. I find this particularly nasty and in bad taste: "In 1992, Geller was asked to investigate the kidnapping of Hungarian model Helga Farkas. He predicted she would be found in good health, but she was never found and is widely believed to have been murdered." He also has made a good bunch of frivolous lawsuits, even asking for millions of dollars, to people who said that he was doing tricks and there was no magic involved.
- Jedd 3y ago> There is a reason Uri hangs around with magicians and mentalists, and not psychics. He doesn't have psychic powers .. Of course, psychics don't have psychic powers either -- so I doubt that's the reason he eschews their company (or more likely, they eschew his).