# On bending spoons...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 18, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828 "2002-03-18T03:56:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/1 "2002-03-18T03:56:21Z")
While making a long drive today, my mind began a-wandering to the subject of Uri Gellar. And I came up with some thoughts that probably are not unique or amazing, but I thought I’d share them anyway.
Mr. Gellar’s claim to fame is that he can bend spoons with his mind. Oh sure, he claims a lot of other kookery, but it’s the spoon-bending that most people know him for. He purports to be able to bend a spoon just my concentrating on it.
Let’s assume for the moment that he really can do this feat. Some observations about it:
1. His method is inefficient. It’s not like before Uri came along, we were wondering how on earth we’d get a spoon bent. If the need for a bent spoon arose, we’d grab it in our hands and bend it, simple as that. We didn’t have to concentrate very hard on the task.
2. His method is slow. The ‘grab hands and bend’ method of bending spoons is demonstrably faster than the ‘concentrate and rub’ method.
3. His method is unreliable. Believers in psychic ability call this the ‘sheep and goats effect’. For some reason, when a skeptic is in the room or scientific controls are in place that would eliminate cheating, the spoon will fail to bend through mind power alone. Sometimes the vibes aren’t right. However, the grab and bend method works independently of vibes, regardless of how many people in the room doubt it will work.
4. Most importantly, people don’t need spoons bent. In fact, the optimal configuration for a spoon is un-bent. The only purpose for bending a spoon I can think of is demonstrating one’s psychic abilities. Perhaps I’m wrong. I can’t think of a single time I’ve needed a bent spoon. Fortunately, although I’m not psychic, should the occasion arise, I’m pretty sure I could bend one with just my hands.
So in conclusion - this man enjoys fame and, I presume, wealth, because he has a slow, inefficient, and unreliable method for accomplishing a task no one needs done. He gets invited on TV shows to demonstrate this completely substandard method of performing this useless task.
I am almost certain I can find some job that no one needs done and find a really poor way to do it. I won’t claim psychic abilities, though, just my own inept skill set. Do you think I can get some fame and money? I really only want a little.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/2 "2002-03-18T04:00:56Z")
Luke didn’t really need all his shit to float in the air while he was doing a handstand either.
What’s yer point.
😉
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### Author:  [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/3 "2002-03-18T04:04:48Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Jack Batty \*
> **Luke didn’t really need all his shit to float in the air while he was doing a handstand either.**
That’s another thing I don’t get. I always imagine a ocnversation between Luke and Han:
Luke: So I Was really doubtful about Yoda and the Force, but then he raised his hand and my X-Wing lifted out of the swamp!!
Han: He impressed you by making a spaceship fly?
Luke: No no no, it wasn’t flying like a ship, it was floating!
Han: Like a landspeeder?
Luke: No! It was levitating!
Han: Like a probot or an interrogation droid?
Luke: No!
Leia: Like that block of carbonite Han was trapped in? Did it float like that?
Luke: No! Shut up! (puts fingers in ears) LA LA LA LA LA LA !!
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### Author:  [@Ferggie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferggie)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/4 "2002-03-18T05:34:19Z")
There is a Japanese restaurant in the town where I live where the chefs wear these scarves that are fastened with bent spoons. I guess ol’ Uri found a market for his product at last.
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### Author:  [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/5 "2002-03-18T11:40:37Z")
Maybe old Uri is just a heroine-addict and needs to boil up some horse to feed his monkey ! After all : junkies also use bent spoons.
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### Author:  [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/6 "2002-03-18T15:25:15Z")
I just try to avoid Uri Geller wherever possible. Dunno what it is about that guy; he always gets me bent out of shape.
😃
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### Author:  [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/7 "2002-03-18T15:41:53Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Legomancer \*
> \*\*I am almost certain I can find some job that no one needs done and find a really poor way to do it. I won’t claim psychic abilities, though, just my own inept skill set. Do you think I can get some fame and money? I really only want a little. \*\*
You could become an editor… 😃
::D&R::
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### Author:  [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/8 "2002-03-18T15:43:44Z")
grrrrr
duck and run.
you know what I mean.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/9 "2002-03-18T16:40:39Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Most importantly, people don’t need spoons bent.
True, but even the gullible (with a few exceptions) need something besides someone’s say-so to give over their trust and their money. He’s not really bending spoons, he’s bending minds. The spoon is just a prop, like the old hypnotist’s pocket watch.
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### Author:  [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/10 "2002-03-18T17:18:44Z")
I had a friend whose father used to bend spoons. He would sit on the table in his tie-dyed underwear and rub the spoons for hours. Eventually he would come out with these pretty neat looking spoons. He wouldn’t just bend them, he would tie them in knots, and wrap them in spirals.
Yeah, his methods were a little on the crazy side, but he would come out with some truly neat looking products.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/11 "2002-03-18T21:55:48Z")
[Mr. Geller would seem to be reduced to doing county fairs.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/wales/newsid_1876000/1876464.stm)
Good riddance to rubbish.
_fixed the linkety-link - ub_
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### Author:  [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/12 "2002-03-18T23:37:49Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Legomancer \*
> **So in conclusion - this man enjoys fame and, I presume, wealth, because he has a slow, inefficient, and unreliable method for accomplishing a task no one needs done. He gets invited on TV shows to demonstrate this completely substandard method of performing this useless task.**
Ha ha ha! 😃
Incidentally, has Gellar ever tried to bend other stuff? Like a ladle? Or a fork? How about bending a flat piece of metal into a spoon shape?
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### Author:  [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/13 "2002-03-18T23:52:07Z")
Incidentally, has Gellar ever tried to bend other stuff? Like a ladle? Or a fork? How about bending a flat piece of metal into a spoon shape? \*\*
[/QUOTE]
My friends Dad did a few forks. He would bend the tines in neat patterns and stuff. Personally I have nevre heard of Geller.
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### Author:  [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2002, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/14 "2002-03-18T23:56:12Z")
There is no spoon.
:: d & r ::
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### Author:  [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/15 "2002-03-19T21:51:16Z")
My wife once attended a José Silva class. Each student was given a spoon. They were then told to concentrate on bending the spoons with their minds. After a while, they took a break. When they came back, all the spoons were bent!
I am afraid she still believes she bent that spoon. ☹
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### Author:  [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/16 "2002-03-19T22:09:18Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by vinryk \*
> \*\*Maybe old Uri is just a heroine-addict and needs to boil up some horse to feed his monkey ! After all : junkies also use bent spoons. \*\*
When I saw the title of the thread I _assumed_ it had something to do with heroin! Hm… what does that say about me? :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2002, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/17 "2002-03-20T06:56:59Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Legomancer \*
> **While making a long drive today, my mind began a-wandering to the subject of Uri Gellar…**
That must’ve been a REALLY long drive 😃
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### Author:  [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2002, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-bending-spoons/98828/18 "2002-03-20T09:13:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dogzilla \*
> There is no spoon.
Wait here; SPOOFE will be along shortly with a marriage proposal. 🙂