Derren Brown Trick or treat

The effect where he buys stuff with blank paper is actually Jermay's idea, that he has published in one of his books. There is some sort of psychology involved in that, though a tricky kind. Derren did it a bit different on the show.
 
DJM said:
The effect where he buys stuff with blank paper is actually Jermay's idea, that he has published in one of his books. There is some sort of psychology involved in that, though a tricky kind. Derren did it a bit different on the show.
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The edit cut to the bloke exiting the jewelery shop is supposed to be him looking for Derren.. but is it?

It could be anything? Maybe he got a phone call telling him something was happening outside. Lot's of reasons.

Without knowing the complete context of what we see then 'psychology' can't be given as the explanation.

Derren is not above cheap tricks and misrepresentation.
 
Volatile, are you saying Derren Brown doesn't use cheap tricks and misrepresentation? Really? Did you watch the dog track video and the ticket swop for the first booth visit? Is Derren above 'dual reality?' Is he above retakes and edit cuts with supposedly unwitting members of the public? (The stuffed animal advert video)

Bob, I'm not having a go at Derren for doing this, he's very good, I am however disappointed at the public majority for believing the woo.

When people used to go see a magician they knew it was a trick, impressive but always thought 'how did he do that' because nobody I know believes in magic.

But with Derren it's different.. he presents it as psychology and people just accept it without questioning.

The people on YouTube are shocking in their gulliability and their total lack of questioning what they have been told.
 
HappyHarryHampton said:
But with Derren it's different.. he presents it as psychology and people just accept it without questioning.
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No, as has been said previously on this thread, he presents it as "a mix of magic, suggestion, psychology and showmanship"; some people prefer to ignore what he says, and conclude instead that he's a Jedi. That's not Brown's doing.
 
Nucular said:
No, as has been said previously on this thread, he presents it as "a mix of magic, suggestion, psychology and showmanship"; some people prefer to ignore what he says, and conclude instead that he's a Jedi. That's not Brown's doing.
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'Some people' is most people as far as I can see.

I know about his disclaimer. Maybe his disclaimer is also misdirection.

However his cod psychological 'explanations' of his tricks do leave the public with the impression that he is using high powered psychological methods.

And the public lap it up - check out his videos on YouTube and the hundreds of comments.

It's equivalent to someone insisting that a magician really did saw the lady in half.

I know.. he's a magician... but I think a lot of the public don't get that impression, they think (and are led to believe) there is something heavier going on.

Anyway.. I find the acceptance of what you are told without questioning it rather sickening.

I'm railing at the brain-dead on YouTube more than anything else.
 
HappyHarryHampton said:
I know about his disclaimer. Maybe his disclaimer is also misdirection.
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From what?

It's equivalent to someone insisting that a magician really did saw the lady in half.
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Exactly! The magician tells us during the effect that he is sawing the woman in half; if some of us choose to believe him, that's about as dumb as it gets, and certainly not the magician's fault.

I know.. he's a magician... but I think a lot of the public don't get that impression, they think (and are led to believe) there is something heavier going on.
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Led to believe... or led by themselves to believe?

Anyway.. I find the acceptance of what you are told without questioning it rather sickening.
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Here, I'm with you all the way - as is Brown. Half of the Tricks of the Mind book mentioned above is devoted to ranting on the subject.

I'm railing at the brain-dead on YouTube more than anything else.
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Well yes, they do find their posters in select places, don't they :boggled:

Welcome to the forum, btw :)
 
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It's easy to find an individual who will, for a small fee (or even for free) let you film them doing something unusual so that they appear on television. The audio can be edited afterwards to make the events seem even more absurd, and if anything goes wrong one can just start again, using a different volunteer if necessary.
 
skipjack said:
It's easy to find an individual who will, for a small fee (or even for free) let you film them doing something unusual so that they appear on television. The audio can be edited afterwards to make the events seem even more absurd, and if anything goes wrong one can just start again, using a different volunteer if necessary.
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Not you again.Is that best you got? Stooges? Go back to fake smoke on Russian Roulette lol.
 
I didn't use the word "stooge" again. It's already been conceded that some subjects, such as the "student" who was pseudo-hypnotized, driven to Heathrow airport apparently "asleep" and filmed abroad, must have cooperated, if only because Derren has stated that actual hypnotism was not used in any of his televised shows.

An even clearer example occurred on Derren's most recent show. Forget the purpose and detailed nature of the illusion. Just consider the behaviour of one of the subjects. With no pseudo-hypnotism involved, he was asked to risk stamping on a knife blade that Derren said had been concealed under a plastic cup, and be paid compensation if an injury occurred. He stamped on a total of 19 plastic cups out of 20 provided (14 at first, then another 5) and put up a good show of looking genuinely nervous whilst doing it, but this could not have been genuine, as only a complete idiot would think that the knife was really under any of the cups (or, for that matter, that Derren would risk having to pay substantial compensation).
 
skipjack said:
An even clearer example occurred on Derren's most recent show. Forget the purpose and detailed nature of the illusion. Just consider the behaviour of one of the subjects. With no pseudo-hypnotism involved, he was asked to risk stamping on a knife blade that Derren said had been concealed under a plastic cup, and be paid compensation if an injury occurred. He stamped on a total of 19 plastic cups out of 20 provided (14 at first, then another 5) and put up a good show of looking genuinely nervous whilst doing it, but this could not have been genuine, as only a complete idiot would think that the knife was really under any of the cups (or, for that matter, that Derren would risk having to pay substantial compensation).
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actually am familiar with that trick and how to do it. It is not sure fire and several well known mentalists and magicians have been hurt doing it, one putting the hand of a spactator through the knife.
 
firecoins said:
It is not sure fire and several well known mentalists and magicians have been hurt doing it, one putting the hand of a spactator through the knife.
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Hand through knife? That would be some trick! When a cheque for £500,000 has already been pocketed by the subject, though, he's virtually certain to think that a risk-free method has been chosen, so that he doesn't get to keep the cheque.
 
skipjack said:
Hand through knife? That would be some trick!
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Imagine the same trick but with a metal spike hidden under one of four styrofoam cups. The Magician uses the hand of AN AUDIENCE MEMBER who has volunteered banging it down onto the cups... then it goes wrong and he slams the ladies hand right onto the metal spike... yup, it's a quite well known piece of tragic magic footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KMwrFKrM3U

Oooouuchhh!!!!
 
Ouch indeed, but that was spike through hand; hand through knife (or spike) would be another matter altogether.
 
Ah right you were being literal... like the old trick of cutting a saw in half with a woman? :D
 
Stray Cat said:
Imagine the same trick but with a metal spike hidden under one of four styrofoam cups. The Magician uses the hand of AN AUDIENCE MEMBER who has volunteered banging it down onto the cups... then it goes wrong and he slams the ladies hand right onto the metal spike... yup, it's a quite well known piece of tragic magic footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KMwrFKrM3U

Oooouuchhh!!!!
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Can't believe the audience applauded. He shoulda been arrested!
 
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