James Randi has died

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Gellar the bell-end keeping it classy as usual.
No surprise there. Gellar went onto a talk show back in the 80's at the height of spoon bending stunts in the US and host surprised him by whipping out a load of cutlery and asked him to demonstrate 'his powers'. What Gellar didn't know at the time the producers had consulted with Randi before the show and Gellar after a lot of deflection attempted and failed to bend a spoon which ruined his reputation in the US as he was exposed as a fraud on national television.
 

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Soldato
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I saw James Randi at a grocery store in Los Angeles a few days ago...
I think my first assessment was correct, either a dick or dementia.
He was a liar and pretended he had paranormal powers, at least Randi told you he was fooling you.
There is a world of difference and Geller needed calling out for it.
Why? What makes him different to the myriad of other fake entertainers out there? Seems like you just follow...
 
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Why? What makes him different to the myriad of other fake entertainers out there? Seems like you just follow...

Well, to be fair Randi didn't just expose 'fake entertainers' he exposed scammers who were taking stacks of cash - whilst performing things like faith healing, seriously convincing people to throw their medication in the bin for diseases such as Cancer, because they wouldn't need them if they simply 'trust in the lord'
 

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Soldato
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Well, to be fair Randi didn't just expose 'fake entertainers' he exposed scammers who were taking stacks of cash - whilst performing things like faith healing, seriously convincing people to throw their medication in the bin for diseases such as Cancer, because they wouldn't need them if they simply 'trust in the lord'

Yes, then we loop back round to:
I get going after the mystics causing harm to the emotionally vulnerable and evangelicals fleecing the gullible etc. but wasn't Uri an entertainer?

It seems his issue with Uri was more personal than professional and the more I read up the more it appears like jealousy.

Again, not wishing to speak ill of the dead, it just seems strange that it was a positive mention in an obituary thread.
 
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I saw James Randi at a grocery store in Los Angeles a few days ago. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying. The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter. When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

wtf! Is this real??
 
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Thanks guys, I get going after the mystics causing harm to the emotionally vulnerable and evangelicals fleecing the gullible etc. but wasn't Uri an entertainer? Just like a magician is? It doesn't really matter their own opinion of what is correct entertainment. So this one entertainer apparently sabotaged another entertainers performance because of... arrogance? Or was it perhaps jealousy?

Either way, strange highlight to mention for what appears to be quite a talented fellow.

He claimed it was magic, so no not just an entertainer.

never heard of him before....guy acts a role in a marvel movie then dies and we virtue cry?

Christ, just because you don’t know him doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t mourn the guy! @SexyGreyFox and I had a genuine fondness for the guy, as did others judging by this thread.

Get a grip.
 
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You're going to have to expand on that one I'm afraid...

Uri Geller claims that his tricks are magic. Like supernatural forces. Not just tricks or sleight of hand. Therefore you have people who believe that real magic exists because someone chooses to lie about it. Randi spent a lot of time disproving exactly that.

OK Uri Geller is somewhat harmless, but there are plenty of mugs who believe all sorts of supernatural rubbish and give their money to con artists.
 
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It seems his issue with Uri was more personal than professional and the more I read up the more it appears like jealousy.

Following him all my life I won't disagree with that.
He just hated anybody making money out of telling lies so it was all personal because it made a mockery of his trade.

To sum up a magician bending a spoon was a magician bending a spoon but Uri Geller with supernatural powers was a star.
Many a time Randi thought to go down the same path so he could earn a fortune and he could do it way better.
 
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For years, didn't Uri used to market himself as someone with actual supernatural powers? (I forget the specific babble he used.)

All Randi wanted was for him (and others doing similar) to be honest about what they were doing.
 
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You are all correct that Uri was claiming to have supernatural powers. If you've seen when he was on Johnny Carson you can't claim otherwise he was ever selling himself as an entertainer.

What happened was Randi got involved, Johnny contacted him but the result was props like spoons and forks and the usual equipment Uri used to perform his miracles. So on the night Uri comes out and see's all the stuff on the table and immeditaly starts sweating and says all that stuff scares him. A bunch of excuses on why he can't just 'use' his powers he eventually does try to perform his tricks, and as should be no surprise he fails at everything.

Video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqCJDpNnHNI

Randi's main dislike was how famous Uri became while being a fraud. This intensified when in later years Uri started calling himself an entertainer. In Randi's opinion it was to late because of the years of deceit and careers destroyed and made a mockery of by Uri's lies.
 
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You're going to have to expand on that one I'm afraid...

I've already established this.

He was asked to investigate the kidnapping of a missing woman using his 'powers' and gave false information that she was 'alive and well' -- this happened because he was selling himself as the real deal rather than just an entertainer and some unfortunately gullible people fell for it. He's also released books about using your mind to heal your body and other random crap. The guy was two steps away from setting up his own version of Scientology if you look into some of the crap he's come out with over the years. Geller is far from innocent in any sense of the word and deserves everything he got.

As for someone mentioning Rupert Sheldrake earlier in the thread, of course the man didn't like Randi! Sheldrake came up with morphic resonance which is by many considered to be pseudoscience and is often latched onto by homeopathy advocates.

never heard of him before....guy acts a role in a marvel movie then dies and we virtue cry?

What a lovely person you are.

I've followed the man for many years out of genuine respect and interest for his life and work. Just because you're ignorant of him doesn't mean the rest of us are.
 
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I've already established this
Perhaps you have established this from your own position, but I do not see why an entertainer cannot claim to be supernatural or part owl or whatever to make a career from?

Again, if an entertainer abuses or violates people in whatever way then yes, but that goes for all people and all careers.

Gellar doesn't appear to have done any such thing... he was asked to investigate the kidnapping, and he was also asked to find a missing plane etc... none of which he directly sought and none of which had terrible consequences because of his act. I accept by the mere act of claiming supernatural psychic ability it in itself urges invitation from others, personally I don't see that as an issue.
 
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