BS: David Blaine out today

Subject: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Arnie
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 05:02 AM

So, David Blaine emerges from his glass box tonight. What on earth has he achieved apart from some self-publicity? What a waste of 44 days!! Apparently he's lost about 20% of his muscle mass, has breathing problems and heart palpitations. He has been warned that any over-amorous advances on his girlfriend within 3 days could result in his death! It will take him 3-6 months to recover his health. I certainly trust that there will be a 'magic' twist to all this - he is after all an illusionist. Perhaps he isn't really in the box and it's some kind of hologram? Perhaps there's a mirror of some kind in the box and he's been eating and drinking in another section? If this proves not to be an amazing trick and he really has been sitting there starving, then it will be just an anti-climax and a totally fruitless stunt. All will be revealed at 9:30 pm GMT!

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 09:37 AM

Who cares - it seemed a totally pointless exercise...
Quack!
Yawn...
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 09:47 AM

He is a crap magician, it took him 44 days to get out?
Houdini would have got out of that box within minutes.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mickey191
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 10:19 AM

I caught him on a show the other day. He was walking on a city street doing assorted card & coin tricks, and he was pretty good. The last trick was actual levitation in front of 5 or 6 people. It appeared to be 4 or 5 inches off the ground.

How he do that???

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 10:38 AM

Big Wow who cares, and they call this sort of thing Performing Art.

What has staying in a bloody box while hardly moving Performing art, am I missing something here, I thought that Performing meant movement of some sort.

I was going to tell you about the levitation trick, but then I thought why should I, because that will spoil it.

Because I know how it's done.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 10:55 AM

"it seemed a totally pointless exercise"
Oh ya... but another cover of "Masons Apron" isn't???

"Because I know how it's done."
Put up or shut up...

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: alanabit
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 11:26 AM

To me it all looks like a talentless twerp courting publicity. That makes him no better or worse than any other of a number of mediocties. What I found more interesting was the lengths that some people were willing to go to to express spite towards him. Some people went out especially with horns to disturb his sleep and to pelt him with eggs and golf balls. It is the modern equivalent of the stocks I guess. It reminds me a bit of these TV shows in which people desperate for attention humiliate themselves publicly just to get on television. The snob in me pities these people, but it positively detests the audience which it attracts to boo, mock and jeer.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 11:40 AM

It's an optical illusion done with the front foot still on the ground. The old "Trad" magicians who hate his guts were all dying to expose him on the web. Does he do a number of tricks very well? Seems so. He really IS detested by the "communinty".....but not by Penn and Teller.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 11:45 AM

"He really IS detested by the "communinty"

Seems to me that's jelousy...

I donno... I think he's very entertaining...

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 11:47 AM

' He has been warned that any over-amorous advances on his girlfriend within 3 days could result in his death!' Hmmm... I recon he's been keeping his motor running in the small hours when nobody's watching! That'd make his box gig a bit!

#>8-D

S

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 12:33 PM

I am in total agreement with Clinton here. No way is Blaine a "talentless twerp". I find his TV shows entertaining, and although I know it's all an illusion, his illusions are extremely skilfully executed.

But it's just like folk music, isn't it? As soon as someone attains a bit of commercial success, the snipers all come out in force ...

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 12:49 PM

"What on earth has he achieved apart from some self-publicity"

One way and another it will make him a lot of money, as well as giving him a kind of fame. Show-biz.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mickey191
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 01:41 PM

Nutter, your 3rd paragraph makes you sound like a spoiled kid. Bet you'd take the ball from kiddies if landed in your yard.

Thanks Rick for the info. Only works if there are no people in front.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: alanabit
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 01:50 PM

As I do not see UK or US television, I was quite unaware of him being famous for anything other than committing near suicide in public. In my view, this is no proof of either talent or significant human achievement. I am quite prepared to take your word for it that Blaine is a good entertainer. However, that is not why he is in the news. From where I am (Cologne, Germany) it comes over as a case of a mediocre man seeking attention. However, the main thrust of my previous post at Mudcat time 11:26 was that the abuse and aggression he endured showed an even more unpleasant side of human nature. I do not want to be any part of a culture which holds up suffering and humiliation as a form of entertainment. I do not really care much one way or the other about David Blaine. I am much more worried about a society (or a part of it) which needs to abuse, jeer and humiliate. In short, I despise those people who went out of their way to make his time in the box even more unpleasant. Hope I am coming through more clearly this time.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: mack/misophist
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 02:06 PM

There was once a fad in South Africa, since outlawed, of spending X number of days in a glass box with a ton of venomous snakes. Stupider but much more impressive.

A note to Blaine's detractors: If it worked for Houdini, there must be some point to it.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 04:10 PM

As to whether there is any point in Blaine's self-imposed ordeal, consider whether there is any point in climbing Mount Everest, sailing single-handed round the world, travelling overland to the North/South Pole, or being the first person to run a four-minute mile.

If you consider there is no point to any of these achievements, then you will no doubt consider Blaine's achievement to be pointless as well.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mickey191
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 05:39 PM

Misophist, You've probably heard this one. In some U.S. Churches the congregants must handle poisonous snakes during the service. If the snake bites, you've been proven to be a sinner. I guess eventually, the preacher must have an empty collection box. You'd think he'd wise up.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 06:56 PM

What I learn on Mudcat...never heard of him or his box 'til now!

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: C-flat
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 07:53 PM

I have watched a couple of his TV shows, where he performs tricks in the street, and I found it highly entertaining. He seems a genuinely talented guy to me. Unfortunately I find his media-seeking stunts pointless and banal.
Up to now he has been buried alive for a long time, spent another long time inside a huge block of ice, stood for a long time on a tall monument and now been suspended in a glass box for a very long time.
I hope it will be an even longer time before the next stunt.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Brakn
Date: 19 Oct 03 - 09:22 PM

If he had done it to raise money for a charity...... ok. I don't think so.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Arnie
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 03:52 AM

Well, he came out of the box a bit skinnier last night and there was no illusion involved. I suppose as a feat of willpower and human endurance he deserves some credit but it does seem one of the more pointless acts of self-publicity he is famous for. No money raised for charity as far as I'm aware. About 1200 people gathered to watch him emerge from his box and the TV cameras were there, so I suppose he's made a few more fans.....

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: GUEST,T-boy
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 08:12 AM

You're all missing the point - it was a brilliant piece of theatre. The way he drew all these different reactions out of different people ...
Brilliant !

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 12:09 PM

I like the idea of him raising money through promoting himself, preferably to give to those poor sods in the world who are locked up and not fed by someone else for promoting democracy. If everyone who visited the obnoxious little twerp (and I thought that before this box stunt) had put a penny into a box for Amnesty International, then perhaps something good might have come of it. As it is, he's in hospital now, clogging up a bed that someone who is ill through no fault of theirs could be using.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 01:50 PM

Just glad he's out so he can also stop clogging up all the news!

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 03:16 PM

Well....I've seen his Video a couple of times and it's pretty amazing. The Magic "community" seem to mostly object to his being devilishly handsome and taking all these well-known old tricks to the street, where he befuddles gang members(!!) His "in yer face"attitude really gets in their craw. They call him third rate, hack, etc. They even get on his case for living with his mother(!!!)

I guess being a publicity seeking entertainer just gets up a lotta people's noses......that's all this "box" thing was of course...but it worked. People tried to KILL him for goodness sake!

His "close magic" seems pretty damn good to my eye.

Maybe for his next stunt he can get eaten by a tiger!

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: GUEST,amergin
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 03:28 PM

maybe he can starve himself for 60 days next time.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: open mike
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 03:42 PM

i htink this is the same guy who encased himself in a chunk of ice
on the street in new your a couple of years back?
http://magic.about.com/cs/blaine/
http://www.davidblaine.com/

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: RangerSteve
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 05:59 PM

Yesterday I drove from Morgantown WV to Flemington NJ without stopping, getting out of my car, or eating or drinking. There were no news people at my house to welcome me, and there's nothing in the paper today about it. And I'm not getting paid. I guess I should have promoted it better.

Personally, I think the trick was that he wasn't in the box all the time. If he admits to that, and can prove that he was somewhere else and there was a double in the box, I'll be impressed.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 06:14 PM

You don't suppose that Blaine has simply succeeded in harnessing the same power of mind over matter in much the same way that the monks of the Shao-Lin temple have? Or maybe their phenomenal feats are an illusion too?   

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 07:49 PM

heloo, i think he is stupid, and if i was in charge i would shoot him, he is a stupif fickhead.
sand i dont see np point in steing in glass box for 6 weeks, that is not good tric, that is just stupigf.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: DougR
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 10:29 PM

When my new wife and I were in London last month, we took a tourist cruise on the Thames and saw Blaine hanging over the banks of the river. It's difficult to believe that the guy got as much publicity as he did. I think it was a pretty dumb thing to do myself.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 01:40 AM

Like your typing eh John?

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Arnie
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 06:01 AM

Just heard that for his next trick, he's going to jump off Brooklyn Bridge. I assume that's a bit higher than London Bridge?? He is also reputed to have made £100,000 out of this latest stunt (and that's after expenses) so maybe not a bad 44 day's work!

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mickey191
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 09:59 AM

Just read he lost 38 pounds. Probably will write a best selling diet book. Maybe start a franchise with
rentable glass boxes, for those who've failed at every other diet.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mickey191
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 10:40 AM

Just read he lost 38 pounds. Probably will write a best selling diet book. Maybe start a franchise with
rentable glass boxes, for those who've failed at every other diet.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Amos
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 10:48 AM

Well, he got your attention, and he stirred up a lot of admiration and irritation, and got well-paid for it. That's ENtertainment for ya! :>)

A

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 01:53 PM

Sorry to be pedantic but he was nowhere near London Bridge which is now in the Arizona desert. The bridge with the two towers is called Tower Bridge.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: SeanM
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 02:04 PM

Read this thread out of sheer boredom.

The man's done nothing to impress me. I really don't care about his actual activities - idiots have always done things like this, he's just got good PR.

I am mildly peeved about the fact that he requires special treatment at cost to the community to have police man his events to keep him from getting killed by the crowd. But that's something that each community has to decide for themselves.

Were I on the local council, I'd have denied his permits and arrested him for creating a public nuisance. But alas, I'm not in charge.

M

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: C-flat
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 03:20 PM

I think I read that he was having to foot the bill himself for the extra policing, so at least it isn't coming from the communal pocket.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: greg stephens
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 03:39 PM

Mrs Duck, well I'm sorry to be pedantic but there is indeed a London Bridge in London, one up from Tower Bridge where it's always been. There have been a few on the site, one the Vikings destroyed I think, the one with shops on that burnt down, the one that was dismantled and was sold to the man in Arizona, but the latest one is still there.Quite near London Bridge Station(as you might expect). But not right by London Bridge City Park, which is confusingly next to Tower Bridge.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mr Red
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 05:12 PM

A good job David Blaine got out a day before the frost or he would have been chilblains by now

I'll get my coat.......

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Penny S.
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 05:51 PM

A colleague and I thought it would have been better if he had had an invisible box and done the I'm trapped in an invisible box mime. Or it had been a a box you couldn't see through, with a device which would let him out when a radio-active particle decayed. (Not dead, though.)

What about those of us who thought he should have been collecting give something to a charity anyway?

Uri Gellar reckoned it was the supportive thoughts of those around him which kept him going. Minus the jokers, presumably.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Gareth
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 06:49 PM

Hmmm ! 38lb weight loss - Slimmer of the year ????

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mickey191
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 07:02 PM

I don't understand why some people are so ticked off. He didn't kill anyone, hurt anyone, didn't steal, didn't defame or commit arson or mayhem. Live and let live.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 07:03 PM

What scares me is that some desperate 'weight-watchers' might try the 'Blaine Diet'

After all, it 'works'...

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Mr Red
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 07:30 PM

What you might call a fast worker?

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Oct 03 - 02:47 AM

Actually, Not all of London Bridge ended up in Arizona - some of it is in Barking, and other bits got sent around the country.

Greg - it's not the Real London Bridge that's one up from Tower. It's like those red buses we have now are not Real London buses, because everyone knows that Real London buses have the open platform at the back. The buses we have now just happen to be red buses in London, just as the bridge we have now just happens to be a Bridge where the London Bridge should be.

Like Real Milky Way bars used to be brown and fluffy inside, and now, despite still being called Milky Way, are white and stodgy.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 22 Oct 03 - 08:58 AM

I was towing my caravan back from the Walton Folk Festival the evening of the first Sunday that David Blaine had started his stunt. Unfortunately, due to a jam on the A12, I arrived at Blackwall Tunnel just as it closed. I therefore drove along to Rotherhithe Tunnel - only to find that it was closed because of a burning vehicle. I was then forced to carry on to the next crossing, Tower Bridge. I found myself in a solid jam from Limehouse onwards - and I'd got the caravan on the back so I couldn't swap lanes easily. It took me an hour and a half to get to the bridge. When I got there, the reason was obvious, all the vehicles which had parked on the bridge (quite illegally) to watch this man sitting in a glass box, had virtually blocked the bridge, and caused a gridlock for miles.

"What on earth has he achieved apart from some self-publicity"
- screwed up the traffic around the area of Tower Bridge - thats what ! Did Ken Livingstone OK the idea - it was right outside his new building.   I wonder why they couldn't find a more suitable place - such as over a sewerage treatment works somewhere.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Oct 03 - 11:43 AM

just another varation on "pole sitting", which was popular when I was much younger, and seems to continue....Blaine was a decent street magician, but this was rather silly from MY point of view...though not from his, as he is considerably better known now.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: GUEST,Stuck in a jam
Date: 22 Oct 03 - 11:58 AM

Dave surely the moral of your story is to take up camping.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: lady penelope
Date: 23 Oct 03 - 06:20 AM

I've got to say, that whilst I dissapproved of the actions of some members of the public, ( The bloke trying to cut his water supply off, tops that list ) the general jeering, flashing, mooning that went on was only to be expected.

Londoners have never been backwards at expressing their views about those who put themselves on display ( in this case literally ) to the general public. Nor are they particularly sophisticated in the manner in which they choose to express those opinions.

It would have been nice to see a bit more of imagination used, like the bloke who set up a giant chess board and played a few games with Mr Blaine. But there were those who expressed positive opinions towards Mr Blaine - there were orthodox Jews and Muslims praying for him, a couple of groups of people serenaded him, even people just standing around holding cards and candles.

Personally I think what Mr Blaine did was akin to climbing Mount Everest. A test of endurance - a challenge to his body and his mind. And if that's what rings Mr Blaine's bell, well good for him.

However, you do have to question the'where' he did it.

For starters, why London? all his other stunts have been in America. Why do this one here? I don't know, could it be that city officials in New York and other places were unwilling to let someone carry out this stunt in a public place, for what ever reason?

Secondly, why outside next to the Thames? Was it as a means to prove that this was no illusion - no trap doors - no easily controlled environment? Well, we've all seen illusionists pull off massive stunts in wide open places before, so that doesn't really come across as a convincing theory.

I can see no reason other than to put himself firmly in the face of the public, as to why Mr Blaine set himself up down on the southbank. So we're back to the publicity game.

Did Mr Blaine try to make a point with his feat of endurance? Did he try to raise awareness in the milliions starving to death? Or the thousands held in captivity for no reason? No he did it because he felt like it. Sounds like a moody teenager to me. Very inspiring. Not. A man nearly kills himself IN PUBLIC because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Nice.

There was no extra policing for Mr Blaine. He hired his own security firm, some of whom are now being charged for assault, for the way they have tried to eject people from the site.

All in all, I found the spectacle ( I cannot bring myself to call it entertainment ) calculated, morose at worst and mildly amusing at it's best. Not much of result for the near death of a man is it?

Lady P.

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 23 Oct 03 - 10:54 AM

We've got the caravan because we've given up camping. It's great getting to a festival and having everything set up in about 15 minutes - even if it is pissing down. Anyway the traffic was so snarled up that it probably wouldn't have been much faster without the van on the back.

What would be nice is a sign at the M25/M11 junction telling you when Blackwall Tunnel is closed/closing so that you could use the Dartford Crossing instead. We do have a sign on the A20 near us which gives you exactly that information - but it's sod all use knowing that the southbound tunnel is closed when you're on the south of the river to start with !

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Date: 23 Oct 03 - 10:37 PM

So many people over the years have gone on hunger-strikes over this cause or that cause but isn't it refreshing to see a hunger strike that's just for the hunger!


Rich

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 04:11 AM

No, it's not. Had there been a collecting tin or some other charitable donation facility there, or a portion of his fee/earnings/whatever going to one of the Amnesty charities, then maybe.

Does anyone really think he sat in a box for 6 weeks just for the fun of it? This wasn't an illusion, it wasn't a trick. There is no earthly reason to do it. There is already plenty of documented evidence as to what happens to the human body when deprived of nourishment or human contact (although that's debatable - there was definately human interaction if not physical contact). There has to be money or personal gain at the back of it.... and if it was just a way to lose weight, then surely Atkins would have been less harmful and cheaper.

Either that or he has a deal with all the dippers and snatchers who worked the crowds gathering to gawp at the silly man.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: David Blaine out today
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 24 Oct 03 - 07:10 AM

Why doesn't someone suggest to George Bush that he tries to outdo David Blaine - by about a year or so - a pro-Saddam part of Iraq might be a good location . . . . . . .