Sadly, I think advertisers and TV produces pay him money to be a smug, mediocre magician.

What he does isn't "magic," IMO. They're "stunts."

I'm suprised that advertisers would be paying much, considering how little TV coverage he seems to get. (Or do I just not watch enough TV?)

Yes, the water stuff, and this animal thing are stunts. But he also does slight of hand card tricks, and the whole levitating thing. He is an illusionist...but while he's definitely very skilled at the slight of hand, he's not particularly imaginiative in his tricks, imo.

And I don't have a problem with the stunts themselves. I mean, Houdinni did the same sh!t. It's just his ridiculously smug attitude, and the fact that he seems to like to cultivate the belief that he really is magical, not just an illusionist that bug the snot outta me.

Yeah, I've seen the special with the slight-of-hand stuff. And the special that showed how un-magical the levitation thing is (the only-works-on-TV kind of thing).

What bugs me the most about him is his monotone way of talking. It's a complete affectation, which is stupid. Who would want to affect something that annoying? Bah. He's an idiot.

Nothing really bugs me about him, because he's never done anything that I've been remotely interested in. Staying in a block of ice for however long? Holding your breath for 7 minutes? While impressive, I suppose, why would anyone have an interest in watching someone hold their breath?

What bugged me the most was the title of the show.....wasn't it "Drowned Alive"? Is there any other way you can be drowned?

I have to say, I never heard of him until he almost drowned/died/had liver failure.

Seriously. Worst title ever.

The stunt thing can be fun. Again, it's what really made Houdini. But if it's gonna be interesting, there's gotta be some spectacle to it. And, as MF so rightly points out...he purposely puts on this "dullest human being on the planet" bit. WTF? Why would I want to watch you. You're smug AND dull.

Does anyone remember Doug Henning, the sort of flower-child magician who always smiled? He was such an opposite of David Blaine and, IMO, far more talented. He always stressed that what he performed were simply illusions, not "tricks" and I liked the honesty. He was an incredible sleight of hand magician and was a master of "close-up" magic. Best of all, he didn't have the attitude of Blaine that I find very annoying. Blaine's not a bad magician but he is pretty full of himself.

I always loved magic and wanted to be a magician after watching Henning but my stubby monkey hands never had the dexterity that was required. ::sigh::

And as far as I'm concerned, the best magician out there is a guy named Ricky Jay. Simply baffling. If you ever get a chance to see him, do it. His shows always sell out almost immediately but he is wonderful.

Anyone see the David Blaine South Park? Basically, he started a cult based on his ability to "levitate". I was only marginally aware of him at that point, enough to know that I didn't really like him. Since then, I've for some reason seen him more, and now I totally get that episode. I mean, it's a bit of an exageration, but somehow I get the feeling he really would be happy to get a cult of people who really believe he can levitate.

No, he's not a bad magician at all, but he's not the greatest of all time, which is what he seems to think. Nor does he actually perform paranormal acts, which is what he seems to want people to think.

Ah, good old Doug Henning. He was planning to build a Transcendental Meditation theme park here in Central florida, but it never happened. (Not on this plane, anyway.) He was very likeable, with the biggest teeth you ever did see.

I admit that the earliest David Blaine specials were fun, and I liked how the street magic format placed the emphasis on people's reactions to the tricks as much as on the illusions themselves.

Nowadays, most people I talk to think Blaine has jumped the shark. Wait a second! David Blaine - Live in the belly of a shark! Now, that I'd watch.