Magicians and more magicians...

Usually I only stick to a single post a day, but after reading the following article, I thought I'd post up another entry:

Article: Batman Blaine back on his feet after 60-hour ordeal
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080925/ten-us-entertainment-people-stunt-blaine-1dc2b55.html

I enjoy watching stage magicians and the crowds that are viewing them because of the wonder that is created. I think it's pretty important to show the amazement that registers in the faces of the audience as well as the actual illusion itself. In a way, it reminds us of how important it is to maintain a sense of wonder and a belief in things that transcend the reality conventional science has defined for us.

I remember a 17 year old girl who said to me in steadfast confidence that she believed in mermaids. That rare moment of innocence and faith continues to stand out for me like a rare jewel. There is so little of that today.

About Blaine...

I remember that when he first came out, I rather enjoyed watching David Blaine's tricks. However in recent years, I sometimes wonder what purpose he hopes to accomplish by performing stunts like hanging upside down. I mean the message he is trying to convey through his stunts doesn't really come across clearly even in the televised specials covering the event.

Is he trying to show that his magic can overcome physical limitations? Or that we understand so little about the human body and that human beings in general are capable of "impossible" feats. If it is the latter, then I think the scandinavian guy featured on Discovery Channel who runs marathorn-length distances in the freezing winter on his bare feet without ever suffering any ill effects or frostbite has done a much better job of showing the world what humans are truly capable of.

And what's more, he did not hang upright for all of the 60 hours. If he did, I would think that would be something to crow about.

Well, I stopped watching Blaine after he got into doing his big stunts and less of his street magic. Seriously, I enjoyed watching the street magic part more than waiting to see if he was going to catch a cold from standing in a block of ice. Maybe it would have piqued my interest if he also announced that he was going to do some of that Tibetian Tummo stuff to help raise his kundalini and survive the biting cold.

These days I try to catch Criss Angel instead when I have time. I like his goth-mystical bad boy look and I cannot figure out how he did that whole walking on the wall thing on a Las Vegas hotel. Now THAT is a good solid chunk of wonder :D