Try to understand that Geller has repeatedly made false claims about his acomplishments and abilities, and that he say that he is NOT a magician and does NOT do magic tricks. He says this on-stage AND off-stage, to audiences AND friends. Since he denies being a magician, that leaves either psychic or liar.
Not in regards to him claiming to help police solve crimes (which you think is a lowlife type person).
You said “that there is a difference between someone performing tricks on stage, and the mediums that Houdini exposed.”
See Czarcasm’s post above. You’ve been shown that he claims his performances aren’t magic tricks and that he’s not a magician. He’s even sold kits that include crystals and “teaches” how one can develop ESP and psychokinesis and that the kit can help one find “Wealth, Health and Well-Being by Dowsing and Divining.” He’s exactly like the mediums Houdini exposed.
Try to understand, it’s apiece of theratre. All tgheatre is a lie, of a sort. When an actor appears on the stage and claims to be Richard III or Hamlet, he is lying.
Uri Geller is no different from this. And Houdini would agree. Most sceptics do. The ones that don’t are a fringe group.
I’ve shown that they ARE magic tricks.
Where’s the theatre in this?
We know they are. You know we know they are. The issue is his claims, which you also know and are attempting to ignore.
Richard Burton never claimed to be Hamlet after the play was over.
edited to add: So far you’ve besmirched Houdini, professional magicians and the theatrical arts. I guess if you can’t repair the Geller’s reputation, this is the only recourse you’ve got.
Suddenly this sketchcomes to mind.
Maybe Geller’s a middle-lowlife.
Anyway, I can’t suss out what definitive claims, if any, Peter is making about Geller at this point, so trying to extract specifics is likely to prove fruitless.
The same theater as this load:
:rolleyes:
No, I’ve defended them against your ridiculous statements.
I understand your point. You are saying he’s like a wrestler who never breaks kayfabe. Even if that were the extent of it, I wouldn’t approve because of the damage he does in “educating” the gullible in a way that makes them vulnerable to fraudsters. That is an irresponsible thing to do even if he isnt a fraud himself.
But on that subject what about when he’s selling magic crystals? You seem to be ignoring that issue.
That surprises you?
That’s slightly naughty of him, but nothing to get up in arms about.
It’s about the same level as the horoscope in my daily newspaper. Something I don’t take seriously or even bother to look at, but it’s not worth protesting about.
Do you consider it snake oil?
Sorry, ethics is my field and what you call ‘slightly naughty’ is an attempt to diminish the gravity of the fraud. Which, to give you credit, is at least finally an admission from you that he did something wrong.
But the wrong he did wasn’t just an act for entertainment purposes (see stage magicians and pro wrestling) wherein the actors, when pressed, admit it’s just an act. Geller actively tried to convince people that he had psychic powers and he profited from that lie. You wouldn’t call a fake faith-healer televangelist just ‘slightly naughty’. Neither was Geller.
He was a fraud.
When pressed in lawsuits, he walked the fine line of only suing people for claiming his showmanship was bad and not for saying he was a fake. Well, that’s not an admission of saying his ‘psychic ability’ was just a show for entertainment. And if he’s finally acknowledging it was all a stage act… well, as much as he can be commended for coming clean, he needs to be damned for holding out so long. Just because he isn’t actively defrauding people right now doesn’t mean he once was a long-time fraud, which he was.
Great clip. Had forgot about that one. Richard III’s: can never have too many.
We probably aren’t going to agree on how “naughty” it is. That is a subjective matter.
What the “magic crystals” thing does do however is throw light on your whole idea that the psychic thing is just Geller’s kayfabe; just amusing window dressing. If it were merely that, and understood by all to be that, Geller wouldn’t be able to sell “magic crystals” claimed to actually have paranormal properties, would he?
Seems to me he (a) intends to be and knows he is understood as actually having paranormal powers by some (b) knows he doesn’t (c) takes financial advantage of his deception. Sounds like fraud to me.
Apology accepted
Saying it’s so does not make it so.
Most magicians disagree with you, and they are in a position to know.
Magicians don’t hold the right to define fraud for society.