World's Worst Magician

[Jules Galen]

OMG! Doesn't get much worse than this!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/magic-trick-goes-wrong-live-tv_us_5779c757e4b0416464105cab

 

[Magrat]

Good thing he wasn't sawing her in half...

 

[Trebuchet]

Can't watch the video, but I'm reminded:

Many years ago, there was a game show called To Tell The Truth, hosted by Garry Moore. At the beginning, three contestants would all state the same name, then the announcer would read an affadavit about the actual person. The panelists would then ask questions of the contestants and try to determine which one was real.

On one episode, the real contestant was the National Junior Magic Champion, or some such. Each of the three did a simple trick as they stated their name. Contestant number one dropped hers. She got very few questions and the panelists voted for numbers two and three. Once the results were in, Garry Moore sat back with a big grin and asked one of the panelists "What is the first rule of magic?" The panelist immediately said "misdirection" then the light bulb came on. The look on his face (Soupy Sales??) was priceless. "We've been had", he said. They had indeed, it was number one.

 

[Jules Galen]

Can't watch the video, but I'm reminded:

Many years ago, there was a game show called To Tell The Truth, hosted by Garry Moore. At the beginning, three contestants would all state the same name, then the announcer would read an affadavit about the actual person. The panelists would then ask questions of the contestants and try to determine which one was real.

On one episode, the real contestant was the National Junior Magic Champion, or some such. Each of the three did a simple trick as they stated their name. Contestant number one dropped hers. She got very few questions and the panelists voted for numbers two and three. Once the results were in, Garry Moore sat back with a big grin and asked one of the panelists "What is the first rule of magic?" The panelist immediately said "misdirection" then the light bulb came on. The look on his face (Soupy Sales??) was priceless. "We've been had", he said. They had indeed, it was number one.

I don't get it.

 

[malbec]

Priceless PR .
More blood would have been even better .

 

[Foolmewunz]

Any conjurers reading the thread? I'm of the impression that there is zero danger of someone getting impaled with this trick. I'm quite sure Penn said that he and Teller do not promote dangerous tricks and that if there had been any such possibility they wouldn't have let the guy perform this standard on Fool Us.

The implication from that is that there's a steal in there and there's no spike in any of the bags or under any of the cups... it's sometimes done with either.

I also don't think, "Oww - wa" in any language after the initial loud scream is a legitimate reaction. I've run a much smaller nail into the arch of my foot and I was cursing and howling for a good minute or two.

 

[LondonJohn]

Any conjurers reading the thread? I'm of the impression that there is zero danger of someone getting impaled with this trick. I'm quite sure Penn said that he and Teller do not promote dangerous tricks and that if there had been any such possibility they wouldn't have let the guy perform this standard on Fool Us.

The implication from that is that there's a steal in there and there's no spike in any of the bags or under any of the cups... it's sometimes done with either.

I also don't think, "Oww - wa" in any language after the initial loud scream is a legitimate reaction. I've run a much smaller nail into the arch of my foot and I was cursing and howling for a good minute or two.

Big clue: when he showed the nail at the start of the trick, the nail passed through a hole in a wooden block (so as to allow the hail to stand vertically). When the woman recoiled with the nail "impaled" in her hand, it was just the nail, with no block. This would have been impossible - assuming that the nail had a head that would have prevented it from travelling up through the wooden block.

ETA: watching the video again, it's interesting that the magician keeps the head end of the nail concealed carefully at all times with his fingers. Something fishy afoot, methinks!

 

[Bob Klase]

Any conjurers reading the thread? I'm of the impression that there is zero danger of someone getting impaled with this trick. I'm quite sure Penn said that he and Teller do not promote dangerous tricks and that if there had been any such possibility they wouldn't have let the guy perform this standard on Fool Us.

I know at least 4 methods, and there are a number of variations on those. Some of them do carry a small risk (which gets bigger as the intelligence of the performer decreases). The fact that Penn & Teller don't promote the dangerous methods doesn't mean they don't exist.

 

[Garrette]

Any conjurers reading the thread? I'm of the impression that there is zero danger of someone getting impaled with this trick. I'm quite sure Penn said that he and Teller do not promote dangerous tricks and that if there had been any such possibility they wouldn't have let the guy perform this standard on Fool Us.

The implication from that is that there's a steal in there and there's no spike in any of the bags or under any of the cups... it's sometimes done with either.

I also don't think, "Oww - wa" in any language after the initial loud scream is a legitimate reaction. I've run a much smaller nail into the arch of my foot and I was cursing and howling for a good minute or two.

Bob Klase is correct. There are myriad methods, and most of them do present some danger and some of those present more danger than others. I know of only two professional versions that are 100% safe meaning that even if you mess up no one gets harmed. Obviously, this was not one of them, and I have long found it reprehensible for a performer of any kind to place an unknowing volunteer in any danger at all. Shame on the magician.

 

[Jules Galen]

Big clue: when he showed the nail at the start of the trick, the nail passed through a hole in a wooden block (so as to allow the hail to stand vertically). When the woman recoiled with the nail "impaled" in her hand, it was just the nail, with no block. This would have been impossible - assuming that the nail had a head that would have prevented it from travelling up through the wooden block.

ETA: watching the video again, it's interesting that the magician keeps the head end of the nail concealed carefully at all times with his fingers. Something fishy afoot, methinks!

I see what you mean and the more I watch it, the less convinced I am that the woman was hurt.

Fooled me! Great Trick!

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

No, you could still hold the nail up in the block without a head that won't pass through the hole.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

On the full screen you can see he has the block and nail at a small angle, that could hold the nail in with a small head that could still move though the block.

It doesn't look fake to me. The only thing that makes it maybe look fake is if her hand was truly flat on the bag the nail should have gone all the way through the hand.

 

[Loss Leader]

I thought this thread was going to be about the X Factor contestant who attempted to fire a duck cannon.

 

[bytewizard]

Not many Polish women get nailed on live television.

 

[Nakani]

I saw this trick on a late night talk show. The magician had the host pick the bags and the magician flattened them. It was obvious that when he reached into the last bag to reveal the nail, he was also putting the nail back in the bag. I have no idea what the heck this guy was doing, maybe he was nervous and just messed up his trick.

 

[Loss Leader]

I saw this trick on a late night talk show. The magician had the host pick the bags and the magician flattened them. It was obvious that when he reached into the last bag to reveal the nail, he was also putting the nail back in the bag. I have no idea what the heck this guy was doing, maybe he was nervous and just messed up his trick.

I saw this trick done with knives on "Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed." I don't remember how he did it, but it was worked in such a way that there was no danger to the magician.

 

[Nay_Sayer]

I saw this trick done with knives on "Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed." I don't remember how he did it, but it was worked in such a way that there was no danger to the magician.

I know the episode you're referring to and that version is dangerous.

 

[Loss Leader]

I know the episode you're referring to and that version is dangerous.

I stand corrected.

 

[shemp]

Would've been a better trick if he'd impaled her Vlad-style.

 

[Jimmy9]

Thats hilarious!

 

[stanfr]

hmmm...everything seems a bit off to me. Pretty easy to act like you've just been impaled--i'm a lousy actor and even i could scream convincingly. I lean towards 'faked'. Supposedly she went to the hospital, so let her produce the exam records