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I don't see that going for lot's of publicity is a bad thing, though maybe he is a little odd. He has had a lot more success than most of us here ever will, so from that point of view he must be pretty good at what he does.

A Little insight into our Friend Uri Gellar.

My parents took me to live back in Cyprus about 15 years ago, and i attended a private school. Name will be left out.

It so happened that my history teacher was a student at the same school when he was a kid. We were one day discussing Magic and illusions, and he started talking about a friend he had at the school that was able to bend spoons. It turned out to be Uri Geller. It also turns out that Uri Geller liked magic. this was then verified by some Nuns that were still at the school, and Uri Gellars Father attended Military Service in Nicosia, were the school was located.

So if you take this into consideration, Uri Gellar has over 30 years experience in bending spoons, falks ETC. That’s why he is so good at it.

Also when he is on TV and says to the camera, I have just made your washing machine stop, or your TV, someone out their is bound to have a TV or Washing machine brake on them at that instant, especially when you have all those millions of people watching his shows. The funny thing is, it appears in the paper that Uri Geller stopped Mr Bloggs TV or Washing machine. Word goes around and Uri Geller becomes a Psychic.

I give him allot of credit for earning Millions by falling people to such an extent.

Of course, you would be a pretty poor performer if you didn't claim credit for the coincidences that occur during your act. If you were discussing a particular card for some reason and then your spectator picked it randomly for the next trick would you dismiss it as coincidence? I don't think so. It is just a fact though, that if you are a high profile performer doing that someone is going to try to catch you out at some point, hence some of the things mentioned earlier.

I found the book of Uri's manager (Puharich?) to be quite an interesting read. For me, until I read the book, Uri was only a "legend", a mystery man who could bend the spoon. I knew he claimed that he was a psycic of some sort and that many had been trying to prove him wrong.

Besides magic, I'm a bit interested in UFOs and all kinds of weird things. So the book got my attention. But even for me, it was a lot of bunk. However, if someone hasn't already read it, I do recommend doing so. If not taken too seriously, I think it's a good read.

For Uri, any publicity is good publicity. While acting and promoting ridiculously (oh man, look at his website!), he has accomplished something that most of us never will (being friends with Michael Jackson, that is ). Though being a joke amongst professional magicians, for the rest of the world he is a living legend.

I'm really looking forward to reading Randi's book about Uri. Hopefully I'll get my hands on it soon...

I recommend The Truth about Uri Geller by James Randi. I think it has been banned in the UK.

Hi

He is a spoon bending magician and a good friend of Michael Jackson.


Need I say more.


LOL

Paula

Alan Jackson wrote:I recommend The Truth about Uri Geller by James Randi. I think it has been banned in the UK.

Sounds intersting!

Why has it been banned?

It's available from many UK sources - a Google search thows up quite a few possible on line bookshops such as http://www.fetchbook.co.uk/search_James ... uthor.html - so I doubt it's actually banned. As it was first written in 1982 it might just be a 'currently out of print' item.

And, in answer to the original question, Uri is an entertainer who uses magic and other skills to work his craft. So he's 'normal' rather than 'paranormal' - just like the rest of us!

Hmmm. Yes, I did a bit of poking about and found copies here and there - but as you say it's generally out of print.

From all the informed reviews I could find the debunking showed how the "effect" could be duplicated, but not entirely performed the way Geller does.

Which is of course the mark of a consumate pro - you know it's a trick but can't figure how he/she did it!

Oh and by the way - I'm with the feet firmly planted on the ground brigade. As they used to say in the old West, he's a "One trick pony"... But boy is he good at it!!!!

This must be the million dollar question. But does it really matter? Personally I believe he is a great magician and a very eccentric one at that.

The thing that we all can learn fromk him is Marketing, he is the best. How many magicians have used England national football team to get publicity. Many people laughed at him saying the ball moved, but how many bought his books which was later released.

But it didn't end there this year he got more publicity by saying he wouldn't help England as it would be unethical.

The worrying question is does he now believe himself?

Nic

hypnonic wrote:... But does it really matter? ...

Good point, though for "us" - people interested in magic trickery - then yes! Most amateurs or professionals will admit to trickery when pressed. The ones I prefer tell you up front and then go on to amaze you.

Maybe you're right about marketing. By claiming "supernatural" powers his act appeals to a broader audience, and that brings in potentially greater revenue.

I'd much rather hear, "Yes, of course it's a trick. Can you figure out how I'm doing it?" A bit like Franz Harary - who is a favourite of mine at the moment.

If Geller really *is* "supernatural" then why does he need any publicity of the sort he's obtained recently. Eating live grubs? Not very peace-loving...

I'd much rather hear, "Yes, of course it's a trick. Can you figure out how I'm doing it?" A bit like Franz Harary

I agree. Franz's way appeals to me more. But maybe there are some out there who aren't into magic (yet), who, having seen Uri's 'psychic powers' are prompted to look into how he's really doing his tricks and discover the wonders of proper magic.

It's true, he's sometimes so far off the wall, he's nearer the other side of it but I think that's just his style. He's found his niche and is sticking to it.

I find that with spoon bending, people seem to really belive that it's happening. Recently I had performed some metal bending and I mentioned something about it being an illusion. The person said "yeah - right - and this is just my imagination" - pointing to the mangled cutlery.
I suspect this has a lot to do with gellar's stand on the whole thing, but also the visual nature of everyday objects - namely cutlery - literally bending before their eyes. Done right it's a really powerful effect.

I've thought a lot about how to explain why I do it, how I do it etc. I don't want anyone to think I'm psychic, have supernatural powers or anything, but I don't want to take away from the effect. I wouldn't say "it's just a trick" because I really believe it is more than that. - It's a combination of an optical illusion, misdirection (psychology) and the metal does really change shape. Sometimes even I get surprised at how it really looks like a spoon or fork is really melting - so if asked I say "I do it with the power of your mind" - ie. the spectator's mind. That way I'm telling the truth, but maintaining the sense of mystery around what I've just done.

Sometimes they ask me to straighten something I've bent - especially when I put a twist in a fork or something. Then I just say "what do you think I am? - a magician or something??"

Yes, well said! And nicely put. Quite agree. Illusion is in the eye of the beholder, and all that... Good point.

Also you touched on real-world physics there too. It is (comparatively) easy to perform metal-bending - straightening a bent item though is a whole different ball game. Going from "order" to "disorder" is easy. Going from "disorder" to "order" is nigh-on impossible in reality (and of course you've all read about Chaos Theory... )

Of course illusionists can make this happen! (But not with the real, original bent metal).

At one time I seem to remember Geller going on about rings of alien spaceships encircling the Earth (or other some such daftness) I did wonder if that was meant to be a backhanded clue to the fact that he is performing an illusion. Asking what will people believe?

Equally important, we're still talking about him and his one main effect many years after he first started - great marketing or what?!