The NY Times deserves to be roundly and thoroughly roasted for this crap. One would think they were utterly unaware of the multiple and utterly valid criticisms of Geller, particularly by James Randi and Penn Gillette, both illusionists of the first water and well-acquainted with Uri Geller and his con [and yes, that's what this is, a CON job]. And this is OLD NEWS. That discussion between Johnny Carson and James Randi is decades old and well known to anyone who is aware of Uri Geller's alleged abilities.
Geller neither needs nor deserves rehabilitation. What he needs and deserves is DISMISSAL.
I used to be a big fan and reader of the NY Times, but they have gone down hill as have most of the hard news outlets in this country. It is to be expected when MBA types are put in charge of newsrooms, and not journalists. When it's all about the quarterly report, puff pieces about frauds like Geller are to be expected.
Look, at the end of the day, if the best someone can do with their 'psychic talent' is bending a f@#($*(% spoon, then it's pretty clear that such an ability is worthless anyway. Geller clearly doesn't have any of the powers he's claimed through the years, but even if he did, it's not like he's doing anything to help out anyone but himself with them.
Why the Times is bothering with an article for this guy at all I will never understand. This piece looks like something someone who just discovered Geller and his 'abilities' would write, undoubtedly encouraged by Geller himself; it reads like a complete vanity article. Do better next time, NYT.
Give me David Copperfield anytime. The man soared onstage right in front of me, but I never for one second believed he could actually fly unaided. And he didn't pretend that it was anything other than a masterful, technology-aided illusion.
I agree with Hemant. If someone has reliable psychic powers and uses them to do parlor tricks for money, ze is a shitty human being. Ze should use them to help people or at least as the subject of experiments to find out how they work.
James Randi totally PWND that fraud Geller on The TONIGHT SHOW no less. Coast to coast TV got see that prick get his ass handed to him by Johnny Carson and yet he still continued. Geller had no clue that Randi had arranged with Carson and Co. to totally magician proof the set up. If Geller had furreelzie siekik powa it still shoulda been a breeze. But nope.. epic fail. And Uri just said "sumtin sumtim.. bad vibes.. sumtin sumtin"
I think this a good link .. aint watched the whole clip
His worst sin is that he rotted the brains of many citizens to the point where they uncritically accept all the lies of Donald J. Trump as well. That has real-life consequences for all of us.
Uri should be categorized alongside the tobacco industry lawyers and advertisers, climate change denial lobbyists, fossil fuel propagandists, antivaxxers, etc...
I can't speak to Randi's hatred, imo the above might be the reason it existed. Also NYT has spun out of control into a profit driven entertainment magazine. Well that's a little harsh. Maybe just the editorial suite and its work.
Sweet dog, I loathe Geller. I genuinely don't understand how people can buy his nonsense... well, adults anyway. We need less of him and much more of Randi.
I think the reason the NYT wrote so complimentary about Geller and talked about Randi like he was Geller's stalker is because people want to believe. If James Randi was right then not only could psychics and religion be bs but gay people might exist too. Half the country apparently does not agree with Randi. When NYT did a similar piece on Randi* they quoted him on why he thought people needed religion and in his caustic way of speaking he said "They need it because they’re weak,” ... “And they fall for authority. They choose to believe it because it’s easy.” Was he wrong? Of course not, but the majority of the country bristled when he said something like that. Uri Geller on the other hand was charming and charismatic. He earned people's trust the way a politician does. As noted in the Randi article, after Geller failed on the Johnny Carson Show he was immediately contacted to appear on the Merv Griffin Show. They saw a showman who could invoke wonder and boost ratings.
The NY Times deserves to be roundly and thoroughly roasted for this crap. One would think they were utterly unaware of the multiple and utterly valid criticisms of Geller, particularly by James Randi and Penn Gillette, both illusionists of the first water and well-acquainted with Uri Geller and his con [and yes, that's what this is, a CON job]. And this is OLD NEWS. That discussion between Johnny Carson and James Randi is decades old and well known to anyone who is aware of Uri Geller's alleged abilities.
Geller neither needs nor deserves rehabilitation. What he needs and deserves is DISMISSAL.
I used to be a big fan and reader of the NY Times, but they have gone down hill as have most of the hard news outlets in this country. It is to be expected when MBA types are put in charge of newsrooms, and not journalists. When it's all about the quarterly report, puff pieces about frauds like Geller are to be expected.
“Skeptics couldn’t beat him. Now they’ve joined him.”*
*Sample size, n = 1.
Look, at the end of the day, if the best someone can do with their 'psychic talent' is bending a f@#($*(% spoon, then it's pretty clear that such an ability is worthless anyway. Geller clearly doesn't have any of the powers he's claimed through the years, but even if he did, it's not like he's doing anything to help out anyone but himself with them.
Why the Times is bothering with an article for this guy at all I will never understand. This piece looks like something someone who just discovered Geller and his 'abilities' would write, undoubtedly encouraged by Geller himself; it reads like a complete vanity article. Do better next time, NYT.
Give me David Copperfield anytime. The man soared onstage right in front of me, but I never for one second believed he could actually fly unaided. And he didn't pretend that it was anything other than a masterful, technology-aided illusion.
I agree with Hemant. If someone has reliable psychic powers and uses them to do parlor tricks for money, ze is a shitty human being. Ze should use them to help people or at least as the subject of experiments to find out how they work.
It is true, Uri Geller is a "mystifier" as in it mystifies me that someone so bad at magic can make a career of it for so long.
Just saw a magic trick. Our Geller fan just made her comment disappear.
James Randi totally PWND that fraud Geller on The TONIGHT SHOW no less. Coast to coast TV got see that prick get his ass handed to him by Johnny Carson and yet he still continued. Geller had no clue that Randi had arranged with Carson and Co. to totally magician proof the set up. If Geller had furreelzie siekik powa it still shoulda been a breeze. But nope.. epic fail. And Uri just said "sumtin sumtim.. bad vibes.. sumtin sumtin"
I think this a good link .. aint watched the whole clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD7OgAdCObs
Come one, come all! It's his greatest trick yet: separating a newspaper from its journalistic integrity!
James Randi STILL has far more worth than this lying grifter.
His worst sin is that he rotted the brains of many citizens to the point where they uncritically accept all the lies of Donald J. Trump as well. That has real-life consequences for all of us.
"It's harmless fun!"
"He didn't mean anything bad by it!"
"He's not as bad as other people like him!"
"His critics are mean people you wouldn't like!"
I wonder how many repulsive things have been given cover by statements like these.
Uri should be categorized alongside the tobacco industry lawyers and advertisers, climate change denial lobbyists, fossil fuel propagandists, antivaxxers, etc...
I can't speak to Randi's hatred, imo the above might be the reason it existed. Also NYT has spun out of control into a profit driven entertainment magazine. Well that's a little harsh. Maybe just the editorial suite and its work.
Sweet dog, I loathe Geller. I genuinely don't understand how people can buy his nonsense... well, adults anyway. We need less of him and much more of Randi.
I think the reason the NYT wrote so complimentary about Geller and talked about Randi like he was Geller's stalker is because people want to believe. If James Randi was right then not only could psychics and religion be bs but gay people might exist too. Half the country apparently does not agree with Randi. When NYT did a similar piece on Randi* they quoted him on why he thought people needed religion and in his caustic way of speaking he said "They need it because they’re weak,” ... “And they fall for authority. They choose to believe it because it’s easy.” Was he wrong? Of course not, but the majority of the country bristled when he said something like that. Uri Geller on the other hand was charming and charismatic. He earned people's trust the way a politician does. As noted in the Randi article, after Geller failed on the Johnny Carson Show he was immediately contacted to appear on the Merv Griffin Show. They saw a showman who could invoke wonder and boost ratings.
*(https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/magazine/the-unbelievable-skepticism-of-the-amazing-randi.html)