Geller Vs. Randi

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I'm saying that Geller sometimes performs effects that involve meeting the participant in advance, like in this case, and telling them exactly what to draw. Which is something that would be hard for Randi to explain without making it seem like some speculation.

No. He just has to say that without any controls this is the way it can be done. Should be pretty obvious to someone with half a brain. Is saying, "He does it by talking to the person first." revealing a trick?

But the whole show of Geller is about mentalists doing out of this world effects, and sometimes duplicating Geller's tricks. And they are regular magicians.

From what I read in the Isreali press before the show he was claiming that these people would be doing real psi, If he says or implies this on the show, he should be called out on it. He himslf certainly did the "hold a watch to the TV and it will start" trick.

Geller's next show in America will most likely involve some well known magciains that never claimed of having powers, and Geller will be judging them.

I can't wait to see how this turns out. But what does this have to do with his Hungarian show?

He doesn't care about people knowing these things can be done using magic tricks, that's why Randi's show seems a bit unnecessary.

But people believe that he has the pyschic he claims to have and he does not disabuse this belief. You seem to be saying that he is not the World's greatest fraud but the World's greatest actor.

 

[DJM]

What I'm saying is that Geller doesn't seem to care anymore about being assosicated with magicians and mentalists as he used to be. In some way he wants people to see that it all can be done using magic tricks.. If he didn't then he wouldn't have made these shows in the first place.

In the Israeli show he kept saying that all he cares about is the performances. All the participants belong to the Magic Organization here in Israel, so they never claimed that they have real powers in real life. It's true that some of them kept it pretty myserious during the show itself, but nothing more than that.

The American version of the show is not about paranormal powers, it will be like a magic version of America's got Talent. So since it will be involved around magic tricks and Geller will be the host, then it could lead the audience to believe that what he does is not much different.

What people seem to miss is that Geller "comes out" by making those shows, as they all involve illusions. There's nothing to expose anymore, he does it himself on his free will. Maybe there are those who don't get the hints.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

From UG's Short Biography on his website:

Uri Geller is the world's most investigated and celebrated paranormalist. Famous around the globe for his mind-bending psychic powers, he has led a unique life shrouded in debate, controversy and mystery. He is also related to Sigmund Freud.

Nothing there about "It's all a trick folks".

He does not have "mind-bending psychic powers". Has a small stable of tricks (ok, I agree that it's more than two) that he does over and over again and hoards of the gullible believe he has "psychic" "powers".

Let me know when he actually outs himself.

 

[RSLancastr]

What he should do is perform Geller's effects, while making it obvious that Randi is just a magician and it's all just illusions. That way Geller gets exposed without explaining how exactly it works.

When he does that, there are invariably people who say (or think) that Randi is doing these things "psychically," but only claiming that he is doing them via sleight-of-hand.

By showing exacly how he is doing them, he eliminates even that feeble excuse.

And, since there are multiple methods for all (three) of these tricks, Randi can give away the secret to one method, and legit mentalists and magicians can use one of the other methods if they so choose.

Besides, methods for performing these tricks are available at any magic store for very little coin, or any library for free. It's not like Randi is exposing some multi-million-dollar magic tricks...

 

[DJM]

Nothing there about "It's all a trick folks".

He does not have "mind-bending psychic powers". Has a small stable of tricks (ok, I agree that it's more than two) that he does over and over again and hoards of the gullible believe he has "psychic" "powers".

Let me know when he actually outs himself.

I doubt that he will ever out himself completely.. be he does hint it by making shows that involve magicians and mentalists who all create illusions. A person who wants people to think he's a real psychic with super powers, would not want to have anything to do with magicians who perform illusions. It would be like Randi hosting a show about the paranormal without being skeptic there at all.

It appears to me that Geller started to admit he's a magician without actually admiting it. It's still part of his "gimmick" after all.

When he does that, there are invariably people who say (or think) that Randi is doing these things "psychically," but only claiming that he is doing them via sleight-of-hand.

By showing exacly how he is doing them, he eliminates even that feeble excuse.

And, since there are multiple methods for all (three) of these tricks, Randi can give away the secret to one method, and legit mentalists and magicians can use one of the other methods if they so choose.

Maybe so, but we need to understand all those exposures don't hurt Geller, he doesn't even care about it anymore. There are a few countires who are interested in his shows, which are more about magic and mentalism rather than the paranormal. The focus is on the contestants and the illusions they create, not on Geller himself.

 

[Cuddles]

Maybe so, but we need to understand all those exposures don't hurt Geller, he doesn't even care about it anymore. There are a few countires who are interested in his shows, which are more about magic and mentalism rather than the paranormal. The focus is on the contestants and the illusions they create, not on Geller himself.

If he cares so little, why does he demand to have any critical videos taken off Youtube and Google and sue pretty much anyone hs can get his hands on?

 

[Garrette]

Besides, methods for performing these tricks are available at any magic store for very little coin, or any library for free. It's not like Randi is exposing some multi-million-dollar magic tricks...

Not really germane to the thread, but I'll challenge this a little bit. I have a very extensive magical/mentalism library and inventory. Some of it is quite expensive. Some of the mentalist stuff isn't expensive but is very difficult to find amidst the plethora of lesser effects out there.

I actually like the way many of today's magical secrets are hidden in plain sight. It takes quite an expenditure of time and attention and networking to find the true gems out there.

 

[DJM]

If he cares so little, why does he demand to have any critical videos taken off Youtube and Google and sue pretty much anyone hs can get his hands on?

Geller has been exposed for about 30 years, like on the Johnny Carson show and now all over Youtube. And yet he still he had a prime time show in Israel, next month he will have a prime time show on NBC, after that prime time show in Germany and Hungary.. and I've heard that more countries are interested in him.

So I meant that all those exposures doen't hurt him in that sense, maybe he's just annoyed by that sometimes. He even keeps saying that he doesn't mind people if people don't believe in him, and that all he cares about is the performance.

It appears to me that he doesn't take him seriously as he used to.