Is David Blaine amazing or a hack?

Holding a frog in your stomach and throwing it up on command isn't a trick?

 

This guy is still around? Haven't heard about him since 2004. A good amount of the top videos during the early days of YouTube were David Blaine and Chris Angel.

I remember when this was the top ranked vid on YouTube.

 

You know there's a huge area between "amazing" and "hack", right? Whether you like his magic or not, he certainly isn't a hack. He's highly skilled and very accomplished. It's OK to acknowledge somebody's skill even if they're not your cup of tea.

 

Given we are all a lot smarter now, I think it's less about the trick, and more geared toward is he entertaining us or not. Kids are different of course. But for adults it's like watching Wrestling, you know it's fake and you know how a lot of it is done, so do you entertain me? That is the question. In this instance the poster is not entertained. So Blaine probably needs to take it a step further. He's obviously made it this far, so he's had some level of skill in entertainment. I liked him. My biggest critique was when he cut footage to make his elevation trick look more phenomenal then it really was. Yes. It fooled me the first time. But looking back, I feel more duped when it is an editing trick than I am with slight of hand which feels more like a talent.

 

I agree with this. A lot of what he does is not just testing the limits of the human body but how much pain can someone withstand. I mean, he eats actual glass. He sticks an ice pick through his hand. He catches a freaking bullet with his mouth. Then he adds card tricks and illusions to his repertoire. The guy may not be the most entertaining but he really does put himself on the line. Even in his show, the doctors tell him straight up, don't do any of this. That one dentist told him he needs to stop eating glass because he is exposing his nerves.

 

Tricks are for whores or treats. He's an illusionist dammit!

 

Of course he's a hack. There is no such thing as magic. Now is he a good actor/performer? Absolutely.

 

I think David Blaine is phenomenal. His last two specials have been especially great.

 

Well, Let's guage your interest . . . . What Magician/Perform like this. . .do you think is AMAZING?

If someone told me Joe Somebody was an amazing Opera Singer. . . I would beleive them because I have not interest or ear for Opera
In this case . . .. If not big into Magic. . he probably comes off as a Hack

Again . . in this I have little interest in Magic Acts. . . so I could not tell you one way or the other

Rocket River

 

Obviously talented and does things I could never do and I respect him for that but his "style" is not my cup of tea.

 

Spoiler: My reaction to W.A.Y. magic....

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Does ANYONE know how does the trick where cards end up in people's pockets without David touching them? The only conclusion I've reached is that they're in the trick. But he must have some amazing actors posing as street folk because their shock seems genuine

 

He adds the cards before they put it in pocket. He just does it quickly.

 

There were a couple card tricks on his special that I have no idea how he did, especially the Jlaw one when she was facetiming him.

 

He has to be using forces to get people to pick the right card, and he's really good at it. Blaine said in a Reddit AMA that this guy stumps him...somehow he's able to get the guy to pick the right card:

 

I thought it was some crazy stuff, I was impressed with the phone trick, I could have sworn I saw the phone get tossed off the bridge and then it ends up in the ladies purse. I wasn't as impressed with the bullet catch, but that's just me, I like the illusion tricks the best.........mama says he`s the debil

 

The bullet catch was fake and edited. He was never shot at.

But he is def not a hack, the ice pick through the hand, the breath holding...

He has pushed his body past normal limits and that is legit

 

I think he is an incredibly talented douchebag.