International Magic Convention 2008 - Uri Geller gets an award

[TheDon]

Since there hasn't been one started, I thought I'd put down my thoughts on this year's International Magic Convention in London - specifically the recipient of the Berglas Foundation Award: Uri Geller.

Now, I am a relative newcomer to magic. I've been doing it as a hobby for a couple of years - I started after reading Derren Brown's excellent book Trick of the Mind, and buying the Royal Road to Card Magic as recommended in the book's suggested reading section. So as you can imagine I've approached magic with a dim view of people who claim genuine supernatural ability. I've always assumed other magicians felt the same, which made me suprised to find out a major magical organisation would offer him an award (for, as David Berglas put it, "inspiring a generation of magicians"), much less give him a standing ovation after his talk. I had always assumed Geller was unpopular in the magic world for claiming paranormal powers for several decades - but as I say, I am a relative newcomer to magic, so I could be mistaken.

The Q&A session that followed his award was filled with waffling on the question of whether he considered himself supernaturally gifted or not. He made it clear he believes in the paranormal, but oddly expressed regret that he portrayed himself as a psychic in his early career. He now portrays himself as a 'mystifier', apparently. Someone asked him his opinion on people like Sylvia Browne and those who claim to be able to help find missing children. He eventually said that he doesn't think such a thing as possible, but in the same answer said that he helped find two children in the 70s.
While plugging his jewellery range, he mentioned that his watches featured the equation E=mc^2 (discovered in 1924 according to him, not 1905 as so-called 'historians' would have it). He then went off on a tangent that this equation somehow proved the existence of a human soul. You could feel the embarresed silence in the room following his attempted logic.

I'm aware that I'm ranting, but I'm dissapointed that the guy gets respect from the one group of people that should know better. So, for everyone else that is involved in magic, whether beginners like myself or seasoned professionals: does Geller deserve any respect for inspiring magicians? Was the award justified?

[tkingdoll]

Ooh good thread! I didn't realise he'd received this award.

The cynic in me wonders if it was an incentive to get him to appear at the conference. After all, he is a big name. But as far as rewarding him considering all the crud he's peddled and all the magicians he's sued, it's a strange decision. My understanding of most of his career is that he hasn't positioned himself as a magician. So, maybe this is mutually beneficial, now that he's trying to appear under that banner? The conference gets a big name, Geller gets to be recognised as a magician rather than a psychic, everyone wins? Except the baffled audience.

Magic is a weird, incestuous, gossipy world of strangeness. Political decisions abound. I'm sure there are more motivations behind this than we'll ever know about.

I think I'm going to take the 'nice' position and say if Geller is deciding to align himself with magicians instead of psychics, then that can only be a good thing, as it gives skeptics ammunition when faced with Troo Bleevers. "Oh no, he admits it's all just magic tricks, look, he even got an award from magicians". See what I mean?

Better Geller the admitted magician than Geller the insisting-on-being-psychic.

As to whether he deserves respect, no. His litigation activities ensure he will never receive any respect from me, and he's done more harm than good over his career, in my opinion.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Maybe there was some Machiavellian thinking behind this? Mr Spoon Bender's ego is so big that there is no way that he would turn this down. Then you get to ask him embarrassing / clarifying questions in public?

[TheDon]

Some coverage:

http://www.magicconventionguide.com/...f-magic-award/

[Questioninggeller]

Here is some video of it:

YouTube Video This video is not hosted by the JREF. The JREF can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website.

I AGREE

According magicconventionguide.com when asked if he was a magician, Uri Geller responded (spelling errors from original source):

Quote:

I thrieve on contreversy, looking back on my career, I called myself a phsyic, I constantly need to re-invent myself, you will not get a straight answer. I have to protect the performers in my show, I owe it to them, I dont want to know how they do it, I just want to see the most mind blowing show there is. Lets say I wasn’t real, lets say for the last years I’ve fooled the journalists, the scientists, my family, my friends.. You.. If I managed to fool them, I must be the greatest..?

Thus, he was given a magicians award when he won't even say that he is one.

Another interesting part:

Quote:

If I was to start my career now, my career would be destroyed, the speed of the internet, the technology allowing events to be reported, I’d not be able to start my career in the way I did those years ago.

[vIQleS]

I'm surprised there isn't more discussion on this...

Has Randi commented on it yet? (I couldn't find anything.) I keep expecting to hear that he's awarded himself the million dollars... :-D

[automatthias]

For the record: there's also a podcast episode about the award, and Geller in general.

[Steve Knight]

Many thanks for the podcast link. I too had searched the site for Randi's comments on this but without success, obviously.