History of the performer-skeptics

BodHod · 14th June 2012, 05:58 PM

Hi,

I'm interested in those performers, who, like James Randi, Penn and Teller and Derren Brown campaign to expose the charlatans who prey on the public by pretending that their paranormal powers are genuine.

Who were the pioneers in this field? I know of Joseph Dunninger, who made an offer of a $100,000 reward to psychics who could convincingly demonstrate unique paranormal powers.

Were there others before Dunninger?

Cheers,
BodHod

Wolrab · 14th June 2012, 06:02 PM

Harry Houdini

Garrette · 15th June 2012, 07:52 AM

Maskelyne.

And I don't think I would include Derren Brown. He is not, as some claim, a purveyor of woo, and he does speak out against it at times, but to my knowledge he doesn't really campaign against woo, and his anti-woo statements are primarily tangential to his entertainment campaign. (Fot the record, I'm good with that).

arthwollipot · 15th June 2012, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by Wolrab

Harry Houdini

I would have thought Houdini would be the canonical example.

Jeff Corey · 15th June 2012, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

I would have thought Houdini would be the canonical example.

Here. www.prairieghosts.com/houdini.html

"And while Houdini may have been willing to believe in the unexplainable, he was still unwilling to suffer those he considered to be fools and frauds. In 1923, he took time off from his vaudeville engagements to travel across the country on a lecture crusade against fraudulent mediums. His book, A Magician Among the Spirits, would be published the following year.

Later in 1923, Houdini joined a panel that was put together by Scientific American Magazine, which offered a reward for any medium that could prove their psychical gifts were genuine."

Sound familiar?

KingMerv00 · 15th June 2012, 08:02 AM

Don't forget Johnny Carson. He was good friends with Sagan and I believe he donated generously to the JREF.

Jeff Corey · 15th June 2012, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by KingMerv00

Don't forget Johnny Carson. He was good friends with Sagan and I believe he donated generously to the JREF.

He was friends with Randi, too, and asked Randi to secretly design the tests given to Urine Geller on the Tonight Show.

George152 · 15th June 2012, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Jeff Corey

He was friends with Randi, too, and asked Randi to secretly design the tests given to Urine Geller on the Tonight Show.

I see Urine (love it) turned up at the Queens bash.
Looking very gaunt and sucking up to some 50 pence celebrity

Garrette · 15th June 2012, 02:15 PM

I reiterate: Maskelyne (John Nevil).

There are others from long ago, and this is a good article to start to find some names, but Maskelyne, I think, was most impactful. He founded the "Occult Committee," and demonstrated that "Doctor Slade's" mediumistic tricks were just tricks in English court.

His accomplishments outside the magic community were also impressive; he had quite a few inventions and patents which, had he been a bit luckier (and/or more financially astute) would have made him more wealthy and famous than he was.

Tacita · 19th June 2012, 07:01 AM

Criss Angel is against frauds. On that ludicrous show they had several years back where magicians tried to prove their talents were psychic, he offered $1,000,000 of his own money to a guy who claimed he had a spirit friend who could look inside envelopes and tell what is written inside them. Pissed that guy right off. It was great.

BodHod · 27th June 2012, 06:39 PM

Thanks for all your replies.

I've just read a book on the Piddingtons - an Australian couple who did very well in the UK and Australia in the late 1940s with a telepathy act. They didn't appear t make any overly outrageous claims, but simply said the audience should decide how they achieved their apparent feats of telepathy.

Does anybody know what happened to them or if any explanation of their talents was eventually given?

Cheers,
BodHod

Night Walker · 28th June 2012, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by BodHod

Thanks for all your replies.

I've just read a book on the Piddingtons - an Australian couple who did very well in the UK and Australia in the late 1940s with a telepathy act. They didn't appear t make any overly outrageous claims, but simply said the audience should decide how they achieved their apparent feats of telepathy.

Does anybody know what happened to them or if any explanation of their talents was eventually given?

Cheers,
BodHod

The Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW)
May 2, 1954

MR. and MRS. SYDNEY PIDDINGTON and their 9-month-old son, Mark, returned to Sydney yesterday in the Orion.

Said he: "Our telepathy act was packed away two years ago."

Said she: "Yes, I'm a housewife now. But I hate that word - housewives should get up in arms against it."

They have come back to their flat in Bellevue Hill, and they have come home to settle, they say.

source

Beerina · 30th June 2012, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by KingMerv00

Don't forget Johnny Carson. He was good friends with Sagan and I believe he donated generously to the JREF.

He was an engineer, too. He knew his science.

I don't think Randi or anything similar has been on Leno, have they? Especially as an invite to run shotgun watching woo guests, where Carson ruled.

Bell · 5th July 2012, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by Beerina

He was an engineer, too. He knew his science.

I don't think Randi or anything similar has been on Leno, have they? Especially as an invite to run shotgun watching woo guests, where Carson ruled.

Penn & Teller have been on Fallon a couple of times, but to perform their magic, not shoot down BS.

14th June 2012, 05:58 PM	#1
BodHod New Blood Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 4	History of the performer-skeptics Hi, I'm interested in those performers, who, like James Randi, Penn and Teller and Derren Brown campaign to expose the charlatans who prey on the public by pretending that their paranormal powers are genuine. Who were the pioneers in this field? I know of Joseph Dunninger, who made an offer of a $100,000 reward to psychics who could convincingly demonstrate unique paranormal powers. Were there others before Dunninger? Cheers, BodHod
BodHod New Blood Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 4

14th June 2012, 06:02 PM	#2
Wolrab Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: The Beautiful Finger Lakes Posts: 1,711	Harry Houdini
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15th June 2012, 07:52 AM	#3
Garrette Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 10,555	Maskelyne. And I don't think I would include Derren Brown. He is not, as some claim, a purveyor of woo, and he does speak out against it at times, but to my knowledge he doesn't really campaign against woo, and his anti-woo statements are primarily tangential to his entertainment campaign. (Fot the record, I'm good with that).
	__________________ My kids still love me.

15th June 2012, 07:54 AM	#4
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: The other side of your screen Posts: 43,038	Originally Posted by Wolrab Harry Houdini I would have thought Houdini would be the canonical example.
	__________________ Jadey (in RvB game thread): I just want to take a moment to commend Arth on his role as Parasitic Alien Tumor. I think he really connected with the character and there were times when I forgot that he was just acting. That's the kind of talent that you can't teach.

15th June 2012, 08:02 AM	#5
Jeff Corey New York Skeptic Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 13,795	Originally Posted by arthwollipot I would have thought Houdini would be the canonical example. Here. www.prairieghosts.com/houdini.html "And while Houdini may have been willing to believe in the unexplainable, he was still unwilling to suffer those he considered to be fools and frauds. In 1923, he took time off from his vaudeville engagements to travel across the country on a lecture crusade against fraudulent mediums. His book, A Magician Among the Spirits, would be published the following year. Later in 1923, Houdini joined a panel that was put together by Scientific American Magazine, which offered a reward for any medium that could prove their psychical gifts were genuine." Sound familiar?
	Last edited by Jeff Corey; 15th June 2012 at 08:08 AM.

15th June 2012, 08:02 AM	#6
KingMerv00 Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Philadelphia, PA...USA Posts: 14,482	Don't forget Johnny Carson. He was good friends with Sagan and I believe he donated generously to the JREF.
	__________________ If man came from dust, why is there still dust?

15th June 2012, 08:11 AM	#7
Jeff Corey New York Skeptic Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 13,795	Originally Posted by KingMerv00 Don't forget Johnny Carson. He was good friends with Sagan and I believe he donated generously to the JREF. He was friends with Randi, too, and asked Randi to secretly design the tests given to Urine Geller on the Tonight Show.

15th June 2012, 01:36 PM	#8
George152 Master Poster Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hamilton New Zealand Posts: 2,043	Originally Posted by Jeff Corey He was friends with Randi, too, and asked Randi to secretly design the tests given to Urine Geller on the Tonight Show. I see Urine (love it) turned up at the Queens bash. Looking very gaunt and sucking up to some 50 pence celebrity
	__________________ Unemployment isn't working

15th June 2012, 02:15 PM	#9
Garrette Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 10,555	I reiterate: Maskelyne (John Nevil). There are others from long ago, and this is a good article to start to find some names, but Maskelyne, I think, was most impactful. He founded the "Occult Committee," and demonstrated that "Doctor Slade's" mediumistic tricks were just tricks in English court. His accomplishments outside the magic community were also impressive; he had quite a few inventions and patents which, had he been a bit luckier (and/or more financially astute) would have made him more wealthy and famous than he was.
	__________________ My kids still love me.

19th June 2012, 07:01 AM	#10
Tacita Muse Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 508	Criss Angel is against frauds. On that ludicrous show they had several years back where magicians tried to prove their talents were psychic, he offered $1,000,000 of his own money to a guy who claimed he had a spirit friend who could look inside envelopes and tell what is written inside them. Pissed that guy right off. It was great.
Tacita Muse Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 508	__________________ I don't care what people say about me, as long as it isn't true.

27th June 2012, 06:39 PM	#11
BodHod New Blood Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 4	Thanks for all your replies. I've just read a book on the Piddingtons - an Australian couple who did very well in the UK and Australia in the late 1940s with a telepathy act. They didn't appear t make any overly outrageous claims, but simply said the audience should decide how they achieved their apparent feats of telepathy. Does anybody know what happened to them or if any explanation of their talents was eventually given? Cheers, BodHod
BodHod New Blood Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 4

28th June 2012, 12:55 AM	#12
Night Walker Scholar Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: "Terror" Australis Posts: 116	Originally Posted by BodHod Thanks for all your replies. I've just read a book on the Piddingtons - an Australian couple who did very well in the UK and Australia in the late 1940s with a telepathy act. They didn't appear t make any overly outrageous claims, but simply said the audience should decide how they achieved their apparent feats of telepathy. Does anybody know what happened to them or if any explanation of their talents was eventually given? Cheers, BodHod The Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW) May 2, 1954 MR. and MRS. SYDNEY PIDDINGTON and their 9-month-old son, Mark, returned to Sydney yesterday in the Orion. Said he: "Our telepathy act was packed away two years ago." Said she: "Yes, I'm a housewife now. But I hate that word - housewives should get up in arms against it." They have come back to their flat in Bellevue Hill, and they have come home to settle, they say. source

30th June 2012, 11:35 PM	#13
Beerina Sarcastic Conqueror of Notions Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: A floating island above the clouds Posts: 23,835	Originally Posted by KingMerv00 Don't forget Johnny Carson. He was good friends with Sagan and I believe he donated generously to the JREF. He was an engineer, too. He knew his science. I don't think Randi or anything similar has been on Leno, have they? Especially as an invite to run shotgun watching woo guests, where Carson ruled.
	__________________ "Great innovations should not be forced [by way of] slender majorities." - Thomas Jefferson The government should nationalize it! Socialized, single-payer video game development and sales *now!* More, cheaper, better games, right? Right?

5th July 2012, 01:34 PM	#14
Bell beautiful freak Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 20,486	Originally Posted by Beerina He was an engineer, too. He knew his science. I don't think Randi or anything similar has been on Leno, have they? Especially as an invite to run shotgun watching woo guests, where Carson ruled. Penn & Teller have been on Fallon a couple of times, but to perform their magic, not shoot down BS.
	__________________ Every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life. I♥NY You gotta love cops.