James Randi
- Thread starter Ben Long
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i love James Randi... there are a couple of videos of him giving a lecture at some collages which i found both amussing and informative.
this video is rather long .. but worth every minute.
http://www.princeton.edu/WebMedia/lectures/20011016randiTV7300K.asx
you can find more of his lectures on youtube or video.google.com
this video is rather long .. but worth every minute.
http://www.princeton.edu/WebMedia/lectures/20011016randiTV7300K.asx
you can find more of his lectures on youtube or video.google.com
Iight, down to bizness ya'll. lol.
okay i mean business.
First of all, this James Randy guy is a total fool. Man i know you're a damn skeptic genius, but why the hell expose everything u can to the Public! It makes no sense at all!
He stripped the Baludcci levitation like a girl from the red district.
Then he broadcasts the "Psychic Surgery" . (That david blaine did on the late night show, when he takes his heart out, (not that he actually does that lol)).
Okay, now Uri Geller . We all know he ain't no psychokinesis god or something, obviously he uses clever trickery.
But why publish a book claiming to the public he's fake.
If you disrespect the art of deception by revealing to the normal people that magic is nothing but making a fool out of them, then i don't think he's any good man.
okay i mean business.
First of all, this James Randy guy is a total fool. Man i know you're a damn skeptic genius, but why the hell expose everything u can to the Public! It makes no sense at all!
He stripped the Baludcci levitation like a girl from the red district.
Then he broadcasts the "Psychic Surgery" . (That david blaine did on the late night show, when he takes his heart out, (not that he actually does that lol)).
Okay, now Uri Geller . We all know he ain't no psychokinesis god or something, obviously he uses clever trickery.
But why publish a book claiming to the public he's fake.
If you disrespect the art of deception by revealing to the normal people that magic is nothing but making a fool out of them, then i don't think he's any good man.
The thing is though, Uri Geller was claiming to have psychic abilities and whatnot and the public were buying every word of it.
Now if a performer does something unreal and tells the audience that he is using some props/gimmicks/technique or just ruses, then he is bound to be irrational. 
anyway
Sean Fields came up with clever methods, but Uri Geller is a clever guy i don't think anyone has been able to duplicate his methods.
but then again, he won't accept Randi's challenge(that some million dollar thing i don't remember it all) .
And people say the one effect he does of moving compass needles is achieved by means of some magnets, and he quickly backs off when someone says that they want to search him
anywaySean Fields came up with clever methods, but Uri Geller is a clever guy
i don't think anyone has been able to duplicate his methods.but then again, he won't accept Randi's challenge(that some million dollar thing i don't remember it all) .
And people say the one effect he does of moving compass needles is achieved by means of some magnets, and he quickly backs off when someone says that they want to search him
James Randi (not Randy) does not go around exposing magicians, he exposes frauds. He has had a million dollar prize set in place for donkeys years now, available for anyone that can prove they are in posession of supernatural powers. The reason not many magicians go in for it, is because they are mature enough to know that what they do is not the result of supernatural powers. If a member of the public sees a magician and says, "well he's not really making that lady float in the air" big deal, they still appreciate the art that goes into the presentation of suspending their belief, and that is what they paid the ticket money for. But a psychic, who claims to be able to talk to the dead, and charges people money to speak to departed loved ones, or able to grant someone success if they leave 30,000 dollars in envelopes with them over night, often ruining lives in the process, those people need to be exposed and in the worst way.
Now if a performer does something unreal and tells the audience that he is using some props/gimmicks/technique or just ruses, then he is bound to be irrational.
Sean Fields came up with clever methods, but Uri Geller is a clever guy
but then again, he won't accept Randi's challenge(that some million dollar thing i don't remember it all) .
And people say the one effect he does of moving compass needles is achieved by means of some magnets, and he quickly backs off when someone says that they want to search him
You have no idea how rediculously wrong you are. Do you even know anything about what you are talking about? I suggest you read up on James Randi (who really is a great guy) and what the JREF is all about. They don't expose magicians, they try to stop people being cheated out of their money and being lied to. Research. Do it.
There's a fine line between doing magic for entertainment purposes and claiming to have magic powers.
It, in my opinion, is wrong to falsely claim to have magic powers. Magicians are smart people (generally). We know when something is B.S. We know what cold readings are and how they work.
When someone takes advantage of others by claiming to have healing powers, or mind reading powers, or by claiming to be able to communicate with the dead, they have crossed the line and are in immoral territory.
Another point to make. Randi never actually exposes the methods to the tricks. He simply demonstrates that he can do them too. I have only ever seen him expose two tricks, and it was while he was speaking at a skeptics convention. He just proves that he can non-magically reproduce the "feats" that people who have "powers" claim to do.
He's a voice of reason. We need more of those.
It, in my opinion, is wrong to falsely claim to have magic powers. Magicians are smart people (generally). We know when something is B.S. We know what cold readings are and how they work.
When someone takes advantage of others by claiming to have healing powers, or mind reading powers, or by claiming to be able to communicate with the dead, they have crossed the line and are in immoral territory.
Another point to make. Randi never actually exposes the methods to the tricks. He simply demonstrates that he can do them too. I have only ever seen him expose two tricks, and it was while he was speaking at a skeptics convention. He just proves that he can non-magically reproduce the "feats" that people who have "powers" claim to do.
He's a voice of reason. We need more of those.
I've listened to magicians kiss Randi's @$$ for years now.
No, it's not ethical to claim that you have real magical powers. But Randi goes beyond exposing frauds. He baits and taunts. He's smarmy and arrogant and condescending.
And on top of it all.... have you ever seen one of his magic performance from the "height" of his days as a performer?..... not good.
Just my opinion. It will get me crucified by most magi, but it's what I think.
No, it's not ethical to claim that you have real magical powers. But Randi goes beyond exposing frauds. He baits and taunts. He's smarmy and arrogant and condescending.
And on top of it all.... have you ever seen one of his magic performance from the "height" of his days as a performer?..... not good.
Just my opinion. It will get me crucified by most magi, but it's what I think.
That's perfectly ok to feel that way. I just admire him for being a smart funny rational guy. Thats no crime so far as I'm concerned.
Just look at Penn and Teller. They're the exact same in terms of their views, but they manage to be even more smarmy and cynical. And that's part of what makes them awesome.
Just saying...
I've read James Randi's book about Uri Geller. I can't recall any where in it that Uri cheated people or charged any money for his performances. Do you think it could be possible that Uri Geller just used a clever character or "gimmick" as part of a magic act? I mean no one is supposed to disclose their secrets. Perhaps Uri was simply a great magician, who actually made some people believe.
He didn't let them make their own decisions. He basically forced his "powers" upon people.
iight.
lol.
look i didn't write that like i knew nothing, check my other posts, i'm not a fool.
I understand he exposes fraud, he did a good job by telling people about the psychic surgery and how they get looted in Brazil and Phil. for it but however, posting links about how the balducci works on his website, and so much other stuff he's done, is just not right man.
i already know about that challenge dude.
Randi? Thank you, but i like it my way.
lol.
look i didn't write that like i knew nothing, check my other posts, i'm not a fool.
I understand he exposes fraud, he did a good job by telling people about the psychic surgery and how they get looted in Brazil and Phil. for it but however, posting links about how the balducci works on his website, and so much other stuff he's done, is just not right man.
i already know about that challenge dude.
Randi? Thank you, but i like it my way.
Go out on the streets and do Saw by Sean Fields while having coke and partying and dancing around.
Even then people will ask themselves what the hell just went down.
Non Magically? lol man, whats magic. its just deception, isn't it.
People who invented something can claim they can have the power, its just normal man. Why do you do magic anyway? Stop doing it then. You know its Non Magical.
People manipulating their claims about power is another thing. Harming someone in anyway, i.e. by their claims. We all know that's another scenario. Randy does things in an arrogant manner, and he too is arrogant.
Alright. Again, I'll cite Penn Gillette and Teller because they're probably the best examples.
They tell their audience right to its face that there is no magic and that what they are seeing is illusion. They even reveal the methods they use. And then they blow everyone's mind, sometimes using the exact same methods they, moments ago, exposed.
Suhel, according to your argument, Penn and Teller should no longer perform
The inherent appeal of their work and of most magicians' work is that it is illusion. While the illusion itself is a deception, that does not necessarily mean that the magician is lying. Look at any art. Artists use lies to tell the truth.
I know this is going completely way too deeply philosophical for this topic, but take Dada. The whole idea of that movement is to say, "we the artists are lying to you." Take a look at my profile picture. It's a painting by René Magritte, that depicts a pipe and a caption reading "this is not a pipe." Because it's not. It's a picture of a pipe. No other art tries to convince us that a picture of an apple is actually a real-live apple.
Back on topic, in Penn and Teller's show, they explain that hey, you are being lied to. And yet, our lies carry beauty.
Now, back even further on topic, when we get the psychics and "paranormalists" claiming to actually be able to read minds or communicate with the dead, or to even be able to actually bend spoons with their mind, it is an insult (in my humble opinion) to our art.
And the fact is, I can't continually compare magic to other arts. Any idiot can tell the difference between a painting of a pipe and an actual pipe. But within magic, there lies that ambiguity, and when somebody takes advantage of that ambiguity, it is crossing over the forementioned line between entertainment and immoral activity.
To me, that's what Randi rightly attacks.
Remember, just because I drop famous magicians' names doesn't make me right. Please continue this debate. I am very interested to see where it goes.
They tell their audience right to its face that there is no magic and that what they are seeing is illusion. They even reveal the methods they use. And then they blow everyone's mind, sometimes using the exact same methods they, moments ago, exposed.
Suhel, according to your argument, Penn and Teller should no longer perform
The inherent appeal of their work and of most magicians' work is that it is illusion. While the illusion itself is a deception, that does not necessarily mean that the magician is lying. Look at any art. Artists use lies to tell the truth.
I know this is going completely way too deeply philosophical for this topic, but take Dada. The whole idea of that movement is to say, "we the artists are lying to you." Take a look at my profile picture. It's a painting by René Magritte, that depicts a pipe and a caption reading "this is not a pipe." Because it's not. It's a picture of a pipe. No other art tries to convince us that a picture of an apple is actually a real-live apple.
Back on topic, in Penn and Teller's show, they explain that hey, you are being lied to. And yet, our lies carry beauty.
Now, back even further on topic, when we get the psychics and "paranormalists" claiming to actually be able to read minds or communicate with the dead, or to even be able to actually bend spoons with their mind, it is an insult (in my humble opinion) to our art.
And the fact is, I can't continually compare magic to other arts. Any idiot can tell the difference between a painting of a pipe and an actual pipe. But within magic, there lies that ambiguity, and when somebody takes advantage of that ambiguity, it is crossing over the forementioned line between entertainment and immoral activity.
To me, that's what Randi rightly attacks.
Remember, just because I drop famous magicians' names doesn't make me right. Please continue this debate. I am very interested to see where it goes.
I almost totally agree with you Longman.
It depends upon the nature of the illusion aswell.
People claiming they can talk to the dead sounds absurd anyway, but that is more like a mental illusion. Flash hypnotism, or blind faith, whatever it may be.
On the other hand, showing someone you are levitating and telling him its an illusion sounds equally absurd. (i'm just giving an example)
It depends on the nature of your act. Some illusions that are very visual are like eye candy. People get seduced by illusions even if you tell them its just an illusion and not real.
On the other hand, when you're doing a street act, you don't want to end up telling people hey i actually put more sponge balls in your hand when they multiplied.
I hope you get my point.
I understand with James its different, but i think exposing the balducci was inappropriate. And any good illusionist who claims he has some kind of supernatural powers, he does it just to get more people to watch his shows, or to enjoy his work by being more famous among the normal people.
For laymen, its magic. For us, its an art.
Randi exposes the false claimers who go way to far, i know. But sometimes he goes far enough to expose magicians aswell.
I live in India, and there's this TV channel viz. India Tv.
Its basically a news channel, what they do is they expose illusionists everyday.
A few days ago they showed people who Angel did that building to building levitation. Makes me feel like smackin' em up, knowimsayin. lol
But anyway, its entertainment man, why the hell ruin it!
Thats what i feel.
Peace, 1.
It depends upon the nature of the illusion aswell.
People claiming they can talk to the dead sounds absurd anyway, but that is more like a mental illusion. Flash hypnotism, or blind faith, whatever it may be.
On the other hand, showing someone you are levitating and telling him its an illusion sounds equally absurd. (i'm just giving an example)
It depends on the nature of your act. Some illusions that are very visual are like eye candy. People get seduced by illusions even if you tell them its just an illusion and not real.
On the other hand, when you're doing a street act, you don't want to end up telling people hey i actually put more sponge balls in your hand when they multiplied.
I hope you get my point.
I understand with James its different, but i think exposing the balducci was inappropriate. And any good illusionist who claims he has some kind of supernatural powers, he does it just to get more people to watch his shows, or to enjoy his work by being more famous among the normal people.
For laymen, its magic. For us, its an art.
Randi exposes the false claimers who go way to far, i know. But sometimes he goes far enough to expose magicians aswell.
I live in India, and there's this TV channel viz. India Tv.
Its basically a news channel, what they do is they expose illusionists everyday.
A few days ago they showed people who Angel did that building to building levitation. Makes me feel like smackin' em up, knowimsayin. lol
But anyway, its entertainment man, why the hell ruin it!
Thats what i feel.
Peace, 1.