# Hey, one of you smartasses spoil David Blaine: Real or Magic for me... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2013, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314 "2013-11-20T03:17:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/81 "2013-11-21T14:56:09Z")
As to the bicep piercing, it looks like he probably just skewered himself, unless you think National Geographic is in on it: [Nat\_Geo\_Skewer on Vimeo](http://vimeo.com/33462933) The beauty of the trick is that it has people coming up with all kind of outlandish ways that he pulled it off. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/82 "2013-11-21T15:05:44Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that you don’t know what “schadenfreude” means. Right. When **ducati’s** special airs and gets horrible reviews and shitty ratings, and then we start a thread to laugh about it, THAT’S Schadenfreude. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/83 "2013-11-21T15:57:37Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > So, that being said: I can raise The Dead! I’m a \*huge \*hit at funerals! 😃 > > Trust me. I know how that one’s done. You got to \*thousands \*of funerals, and when one dead person wakes up, that’s the one you run on your special. Or you use a confederate. Or twins. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/84 "2013-11-21T16:16:51Z")
It strikes me that the ‘piercing’ angle seems plausible. He’s essentially turned his arm into a large-scale ear piercing. There may be a tiny hole in his arm and hand that he uses each time. That would explain the lack of blood. I really appreciated him using Ricky Gervaise, as he reacted very similarly to how I would have. Incredulous, but ultimately amazed and befuddled. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/85 "2013-11-21T17:45:11Z")
I thought the best part of the 90 minutes was when he did the trick for Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde (and I’m pretty sure that was a bra top, not a bikini top) where he tore off the corner of the bill and then reattached it in his mouth, and Jason’s reaction: “It’s like a reverse bris.” ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/86 "2013-11-21T22:54:06Z")
We see the conversation with Harrison Ford during the trick. What we don’t see is the 30 minute conversation prior to executing the trick, where Blane primes Ford for the card selection. Such as saying, “I love doing card tricks. Do you know most people pick face cards?” So later, Ford will avoid face cards. Three or four conversation pieces will prime the card selection. It’s a type of “force” that doesn’t use manipulation of the items directly, it’s just not shown to us and not observed/remembered by Ford. It’s more subtle, and may not work every time, but he only has to show the ones that worked, and not show the time he was at Barbara Walter’s\* house and didn’t get her to pick the right card. * * * \*Or whomever. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/87 "2013-11-21T23:23:48Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > We see the conversation with Harrison Ford during the trick. What we don’t see is the 30 minute conversation prior to executing the trick, where Blane primes Ford for the card selection. Such as saying, “I love doing card tricks. Do you know most people pick face cards?” So later, Ford will avoid face cards. Three or four conversation pieces will prime the card selection. It’s a type of “force” that doesn’t use manipulation of the items directly, it’s just not shown to us and not observed/remembered by Ford. It’s more subtle, and may not work every time, but he only has to show the ones that worked, and not show the time he was at Barbara Walter’s\* house and didn’t get her to pick the right card. > > * * * > > \*Or whomever. Or when he spent 20 minutes behind him muttering “9 of hearts, 9 of hearts, 9 of hearts…” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/88 "2013-11-22T01:55:21Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > As to the bicep piercing, it looks like he probably just skewered himself, unless you think National Geographic is in on it: [http://vimeo.com/33462933](http://vimeo.com/33462933) > > The beauty of the trick is that it has people coming up with all kind of outlandish ways that he pulled it off. Thanks for the link. I wouldn’t be surprised if David Blaine met with this lady or other folks like her to practice the needle skewer technique. It is impressive and I doubt he does it too often. Perhaps he worked on the hand version of it because it is less…risky? ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/89 "2013-11-22T02:17:22Z")
> [@DrForrester](#): > > Are the endurance feats by Mr. Blaine what they outwardly appear to be? Are they “tricks”? > > In other words, is he actually enduring the physical challenge or does it simply appear that he does so? In Penn Jillette’s book “God, No” he says: > [@](#): > > Before David did his “buried alive” gag in NYC, his people called Teller and me and asked if we could help with the trick. We were taking a break around that time and some of our crew guys went to NYC to help build a box for David Blaine to lie in and shit all over himself. Our crew assumed they’d be sneaking him out of the box, but David wanted to really stay in the box doing nothing and living in his own stink. Who knows, though - could Penn be in on some sort of meta-misdirection? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/90 "2013-11-22T06:49:07Z")
Penn could be in on it of course, but I don’t think he is. I’ve seen little video blogs of him where he rants and raves about people like Blaine who just sit in their own shit and how that’s not really magic. He seems visually upset, and Teller of course is sitting there shaking his head. I think they have very little respect for Blaine and others who do such endurance stunts. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/91 "2013-11-22T13:54:10Z")
I loved the show. That being said, it’s not because I was “amazed” or “blown away.” I KNOW IT’S A TRICK. WE ALL KNOW IT’S A TRICK. What I enjoy is the skill and talent it takes to pull these illusions off. Like when he blew the torn card back together. I know he didn’t really do that, it’s sleight of hand. Blaine’s slight of hand talent is enormous, and I enjoy watching his craft. If anyone reads anymore into it than that, then you shouldn’t bother watching. ---
**Author:** ![KellyCriterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@KellyCriterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyCriterion)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/92 "2013-11-22T14:01:04Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I can’t help but notice the few posters that claim to be able to do a few of these tricks ain’t ponying up any info on how they are done. In regards to the bit where Ford can’t find his card in the deck, Blaine most likely… … handed Ford a [reverse color deck](http://www.hmsltd.ca/content/384/36-5504.jpg) (hearts and diamonds are black, clubs and spades are red). If you’re just doing a quick scan for a specific card, you’ll likely fail to notice that you’re sifting through a reverse color deck, while at the same time, fail to find whichever card you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/93 "2013-11-22T15:20:49Z")
That’s pretty cool, but that seems doubtful. Why go through the trouble? Blaine already has his 9 of hearts (or whatever card it was) set up. Perhaps he has multiple oranges with multiple set up cards, just in case (but I don’t think so.) So why not just hand him a deck without the 9 of hearts (whether palmed or not) instead of using a trick deck? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/94 "2013-11-22T16:04:33Z")
I think it more likely he handed him a deck missing several cards - not enough so you’d notice, but a bunch. I still don’t know how he could confidently proclaim the card wasn’t in the deck - but maybe he was prepared to deal with Ford finding it - either just not showing that segment (instead showing one where it did work), or taking the trick in another direction. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/95 "2013-11-22T16:18:41Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I think it more likely he handed him a deck missing several cards - not enough so you’d notice, but a bunch. I still don’t know how he could confidently proclaim the card wasn’t in the deck - but maybe he was prepared to deal with Ford finding it - either just not showing that segment (instead showing one where it did work), or taking the trick in another direction. If we’re not going to go the “edited audio” angle, or “we only see part of the story” angle, then, yeah, that also makes sense. But remember, if all is as it seems, Harrison Ford doesn’t tell Blaine what his card is until he picks out the orange. So, unless Blaine somehow sneaks the card into the orange as he’s cutting it (which I suppose is possible, but it looks to me the surprise on Ford’s face is seeing Blaine cut it and the card already being there), the orange contains the 9 of hearts. Then again, I suppose you could do this trick over and over until somebody, by sheer luck, nails it, but I doubt it. And it you were playing percentages, wouldn’t you pick one of the more commonly picked cards, and not the 9 of hearts? My money is still on we’re not seeing the whole trick and (in my opinion), some audio trickery. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/96 "2013-11-22T16:31:18Z")
And, to be honest, the audio probably doesn’t need to be directly manipulated. You can probably find a way to get patter that end with “think of any card in the deck” and then just creatively edit the video so the sentence starts there, without all the words that preceded it after a force. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/97 "2013-11-22T18:03:59Z")
> [@boulevard11](#): > > The trick you describe is quite easy, but how do you suppose Blaine does HIS trick? There is no chance of a card force. He hands Ford the deck, tells him to think of any card, and then name the card he thought of. Without touching the deck, Blaine asks Ford to find the card in the deck he (Ford) has been holding the entire time. Ford searches, but the card is missing. He then points to a piece of fruit in Ford’s fruit ball. **Ford cuts the fruit open to find the card he named inside.** (Bolding mine) Actually, it was **Blaine** who cuts the fruit open, and the way he’s holding his left hand towards the camera (at ~1:11) leads me to believe that’s when he slips the card in there. His other hand and the orange itself is blocking Ford’s view as well. Sure, he’s very good at it, but it seems obvious to me that’s how he did it. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/98 "2013-11-22T18:07:43Z")
Big T, was Houdini a great magician or not? ETA: [QUOTE=SykoSkotty] WE ALL KNOW IT’S A TRICK [/QUOTE] Apparently not ALL of us. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/99 "2013-11-22T18:35:27Z")
By most accounts Houdini was a decent but not great magician. He was great as an escape artist. The two are related, but not the same. He was, however, one of the great showmen and publicity masters and that’s three-quarters of the battle. And we have [a spectacular case of not admitting it was a trick](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=708263) happening right now in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314/100 "2013-11-22T18:40:47Z")
So you’re back now, **Exapno**. Did you watch that video? Do you still think Blaine somehow used magnets or surgically-implanted rods and a collapsing skewer? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-one-of-you-smartasses-spoil-david-blaine-real-or-magic-for-me/674314.md?page=6)