“Psychic” Uri Geller sued after trying to remove critical YouTube clip
This Psychic and The Magician….
James Randi.
The “Amazing” Randi has had a magical career which is one to envy. A slick, polished and exciting performer in is younger days, Randi now heads teh JRF, the James Randi Foundation which is dedicated to challenging the claims of psychics in particular and promoting skepticism and critical thinking in general.
The video clip in the link is both contentious and provocative. Many magical entertainers were concerned that James Randi ‘crossed the line’ and broke the ‘magicians code’ when he exposed some of Uri Gellers ‘effects’. Perhaps the truth of the matter is that Randi simply pointed out that which is painfully obvious about some of Gellars claims. Gellar and his supporters will say that magicians like Randi simply ‘duplicate’ what psychics do rather than ‘replicate how’ they do it.
For me, as a performer, the line between entertainment and claims of paranormal ability are not as clear cut as perhaps Mr Randi and his group would like. Some of what I do is trickery based on an understanding of sleight of hand… some of it is ‘trickery’ based upon an understanding of theatrical techniques and forms… some of it is based on an understanding of human psychology. This is the ‘grey area’ - the human mind, the way in which it percieves and processes sensory information and then makes sense of the world is not as clearly defined or understood as we like to think. Perception can become truth and perception is influenced by emotions and beliefs.
I do draw the line, however, at turning what I do into claims which are in any way similar to those of psychics… I am a psychic entertainer - the world of the psychic and the paranormal frame what I offer as entertaining distractions in an attempt to create moments of astonishment. I’m not really interested in convicing people that they need to buy into a mind set; or a philosophy…. In that sense I support Mr Randi and his exposure of those who seek gurudom or demand homage for their psychic gifts when in fact the ‘gifts’ are simply poorly packed and often clumsily executed magic tricks. As an entertainer the psychological effects I present have to be far more seamless than the demonstrations ‘psychics’ present to the believers…
Any way… Gellar has apparently been trying to get a particular video removed from YouTube.
The video cast him in a poor light…. See what you think….
Alan
“We’ve all heard about wacky attempts to misuse the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s “takedown” sections recently. Thee latest attempt involves Uri Geller, the purported spoon-bending “psychic” who is trying to suppress a video on YouTube that claims Geller is a fraud and demonstrates sleight-of-hand tricks he could have used……
