Magician David Blaine to live underwater

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Just so you know.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:34 (nineteen years ago)

What can I throw?

― dave's good arm (facsimile) (dave225.3), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:41 (nineteen years ago)

depth charges

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:42 (nineteen years ago)

I was rather happy about this until I read "for a whole week".

Just a week? :-(

― Bring Me The Head of ESTEBAN BUTTEZ (ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!!), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:43 (nineteen years ago)

He'll LIVE underwater for a week, then his oxygen supply is being cut off.

― Rumpie (lil drummer girl parumpumpumpu), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:46 (nineteen years ago)

Classic misdirection - he's on top of the water but, because he made us look at a picture of a puppy, it seems like he's under it.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

It'd be funny if he just used a scuba tank.

Or carved gills into his neck.

― Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:53 (nineteen years ago)

His fingers will go helluva wrinkly

― Rumpie (lil drummer girl parumpumpumpu), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:54 (nineteen years ago)

*h, Wrinklefingers

― dave's good arm (facsimile) (dave225.3), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 11:56 (nineteen years ago)

pish. how is this "magic"? SEALAB, PEOPLE!

― sunny successor (katharine), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 12:08 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, and fish do this all the time

― teh_kit has 18 friends (g-kit), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 12:10 (nineteen years ago)

and people in netherlands

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 12:17 (nineteen years ago)

Will he be in a glass box? Without food.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 12:17 (nineteen years ago)

we can only hope

― teh_kit has 18 friends (g-kit), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 12:17 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.thunderbirdsonline.co.uk/stingray/profiles/stingray/intermission_thumb.jpg

― Johnny B Was Quizzical (Johnney B), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 12:28 (nineteen years ago)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4964100.stm

So I guess he's there now. Anyone gone to see it?

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:28 (nineteen years ago)

It's in the plaza at Lincoln Center, btw.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:28 (nineteen years ago)

Umm, how does he poo?

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:32 (nineteen years ago)

One question quickly reminded everyone of Blaine's human limitations. What happens when he needs to go to the toilet?
"My system is completely empty and I did that so there's no waste that has to ever come out, so that in the sphere I don't have to use the bathroom," he said.

"I have a catheter in case I have to do a number one but I don't intend on doing anything else."

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

Blaine poos cloud!

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:34 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.strangedangers.com/images/content/11272.jpg

― JW (ex machina), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41624000/jpg/_41624180_blainefeature_203x250.jpg

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

The BBC World News lady introduced the segment for this stunt with something like, "Starving for the oxygen of public attention, David Blaine intends to submerge himself in water for a week..."

― Safety First (pullapartgirl), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

He has a feeding tube, he's at least going to need to pee. And I hope he means something other than an honest-to-god catheter.

Maybe he went to that Thai colon-blow spa beforehand.

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

The problem with stuff like this is that if he completes the task in decent shape, then the whole thing is annoying ("good for you, you did something totally boring and useless for a week"), and if it goes badly and he gets hurt, then the whole thing's equally lame ("that's what you get for doing stupid shit, dumbass"). There's no winning. It's just so terrifically barrel-scraping to draw attention based on doing stuff so useless (and non-entertaining!) that people want to hear about it mostly for the purpose of disapproving and thinking you're a huge tool.

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:42 (nineteen years ago)

mixing metaphors! xxpost

― JW (ex machina), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:43 (nineteen years ago)

It is pointless, true, but so are many of the records in the Guinness Book. I think he's motivated by the same forces that motivate someone to eat an entire tree, or build the world's highest house of cards, or do some other such activity. The extreme nature of the activity is its own reward.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:49 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=48511&Reg=1

― JW (ex machina), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:54 (nineteen years ago)

His next stunt will be to build the biggest house of cards at the top of a tree and then eat his way to the ground.

― Safety First (pullapartgirl), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:55 (nineteen years ago)

I remember walking over to the West Side Highway in the rain to see him buried alive. There was a small line of people and a small hydraulic crane in case of an emergency. I waved at him and I think he waved back. Several feet of water separated the top of his submerged transparent coffin from the free air and the raindrops on the water made his image waver and flicker in and out of focus. He looked emaciated and weak. The posters for that stunt were painted like some cross between Edward Gorey and an old Barnum and Bailey come-on, showing people in hats and umbrellas peering down into the earth, which was cross-sectioned so that you could see Blaine, and the West Side Highway looming above, and above that, darkening rainclouds.

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:59 (nineteen years ago)

Why doesn't this dude get that this sort of thing was entertaining when we had like, nothing, to entertain us?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:02 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah Nate I'm thinking less about his motivations and more about the public, and how he gets attention (and money!) out of doing stuff like this.

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:17 (nineteen years ago)

There was a thing about this this morning in Metro (London Underground's free paper) which quoted a spokesperson saying something like "We won't get people throwing things like they did in London - New Yorkers are more cool and open about this kind of thing." I found that quite annoying.

New Yorkers - prove Blaine's lackey wrong and go down there and throw stuff!

― chap who would dare to be a nerd, not a geek (chap), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:21 (nineteen years ago)

I'd like to paint it black

― JW (ex machina), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

I'd be really surprised if NYers don't fuck with him... (paint it black = lol)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:31 (nineteen years ago)

As it's a big sphere, why not push it off the stand and roll it into the East River?

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 06:51 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, paint it black.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 07:15 (nineteen years ago)

paint it like a giant 8 ball

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 07:33 (nineteen years ago)

1. The term is 'prunefingers'
2. Lots of Immodium

― Mädchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 07:46 (nineteen years ago)

I much preferred him when he did the little tricks. Getting a card out of someone's shoe or beer bottle always impresses me whereas this stuff is just dull. Londoners had the right idea, he takes himself far too seriously these days.

How did he do the 'your card into a beer bottle' thing anyway?

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 07:54 (nineteen years ago)

The Metro yesterday was indeed hilarious.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 08:21 (nineteen years ago)

What if there's a bombscare at the Lincoln Centre? do they have to roll the big Blainebowl outside into the car park?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 08:26 (nineteen years ago)

He was pelted with eggs, sausages and bacon, taunted by streakers and mocked by Sir Paul McCartney.

Haha, I love you Britons!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 08:28 (nineteen years ago)

Paul McCartney and Bacon fight on the same side!

― Mädchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 08:50 (nineteen years ago)

52 bottles.

That's the key to the trick, not what to throw at the bowl, by the way.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 09:24 (nineteen years ago)

No, I think throwing 52 bottles could work, too.

This stunt is called "Drowned Alive", which makes no sense. It's like "killed alive", or "murdered alive". Nobshite.

And how come when he was buried alive he was in an "open pit"? Surely that means he wasn't, you know, buried?

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 10:52 (nineteen years ago)

Nobshite Alive

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 10:57 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.oohnasty.com/media/4/20040622-brian.jpg

NOBSHITE'S ALIVE!

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 11:05 (nineteen years ago)

I stopped by there on Wednesday. My brother and his wife were visiting town with their 2-yr old, and I thought that maybe it might be something he would enjoy. It turned out to be pretty boring. He was floating up near the top of the tank - you couldn't even see his head. Apparently one of his assistants was massaging his arms. It looked like his head might have even been sticking out of the water, but you couldn't really see it. There was nothing much to see at all, really. Just some guy sitting in a tank full of water.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:37 (nineteen years ago)

Hello Sunshine, read my post on this thread for an explanation

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:39 (nineteen years ago)

The shitpile of equipment lying on the periphery of the plaza is way more impressive. (tho there are some great photos of his now-gray hands)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:42 (nineteen years ago)

i took the toddler to see him on thursday. the toddler was not terribly interested.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/gypsyfrocksbedlam/14_14A.jpg

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

Why the white sheet? Trying to prevent sunburn or something? What a pussy.

― dave's good arm (facsimile) (dave225.3), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

David Blaine, that is. Not your kid...

― dave's good arm (facsimile) (dave225.3), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

I much preferred him when he did the little tricks. Getting a card out of someone's shoe or beer bottle always impresses me whereas this stuff is just dull.

OTM. sleight of hand is awesome, the David Copperfield type shit is lame. this water thing/watch me sit in a box is even lamer.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 8 May 2006 17:10 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not going to be impressed with this sort of stunt as long as Blaine keeps insisting on bringing oxygen masks with him.

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Monday, 8 May 2006 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

tasteful toddler rocks!

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 8 May 2006 17:57 (nineteen years ago)

He has been fed and, uh, relieving himself by tubes.

― Dan (HOW DO I SHOT CLAUSE TENSE AGREEMENT?) Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 8 May 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

It's that kind of attention to detail that has made the AP famous.

― Tracey (not in a good way) Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 8 May 2006 18:52 (nineteen years ago)

I was surprised that the AP style guide allows the use of the word "uh".

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 8 May 2006 18:55 (nineteen years ago)

There was a commercial for the breath-holding part that left me totally enraged: "David Blaine will hold his breath for nine minutes ... or DIE TRYING." WTF, you lying bastards: as if -- if he couldn't do it -- they were just going to let him drown! Horrible horrible people and horrible words. Correction: "David Blaine will hold his breath for nine minutes ... or else he won't, and he'll be carted off by standby EMTs to receive costly and attentive medical care."

This is one of few situations where a person can describe himself as being "in bad shape" after an ordeal and I'm all like GOOD, BITCH.

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 8 May 2006 18:57 (nineteen years ago)

Future AP headlines:

Bush's approval ratings sort of, uh, suck
Retired generals: Rumsfeld kind of, uh, an ass

xpost

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 8 May 2006 18:58 (nineteen years ago)

For his next trick, he's going to impale himself on a spike and hang in the town square for thirty days.

― Dan (While Knitting A Sweater Out Of His Entrails) Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 8 May 2006 19:00 (nineteen years ago)

i like how he does these stupid stunts!

(and how everyone hates him for it)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 May 2006 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

Remember when David Blaine was cool? I mean, yeah yeah, he sucks and he was never cool and he's worthy of infinite hate and all that. But seriously -- remember when his schtick was basically to go up to people on the street and freak their shit so bad they would scream and run? I miss that guy.

― Man Man (kenan), Monday, 8 May 2006 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, paint it black.

Oh, cool. Then it would be like an isolation tank, and he'd regress into an ape and terrorize the Central Park Zoo.

― Man Man (kenan), Monday, 8 May 2006 19:15 (nineteen years ago)

ah c'mon, it's a sideshow. i think it's kind of entertaining. it's not like it costs anyone any money.

of course, i'm also the guy who paid 50 cents to see the Giant Rat!!! at the Tennessee Valley Fair. (i felt way more empathy for that poor caged capybara than for david blaine, fwiw.)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 8 May 2006 19:22 (nineteen years ago)

YES I remember that David Blaine too. That David Blaine was kind of awesome, ripping heads off of roosters and terrifying the elderly with the torsos and the whatnot. That was an amazing thing to watch. This bubble boy feats of strength nonsense is just irritating. Because he's really not, like, doing anything special, if you think about it. Just kind of something dumb and boring that no one else in their right mind would actually think to do, after the age of like 6.

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Monday, 8 May 2006 20:10 (nineteen years ago)

for his next trick, david blaine will run away from home

― gear (gear), Monday, 8 May 2006 20:16 (nineteen years ago)

if he really took ideas from 6-year-olds that would be cool too. eat a mountain of ice cream! poop in the white house! ride a bike made of boogers!

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 8 May 2006 21:35 (nineteen years ago)

The stunt that sticks in my mind was when he asked a woman for some random name on the street, and then a cab drove by with that exact name spray-painted on the side of it. She lost it. Or the one where he asked a dude to pick a card, and then his card flew up against the inside of the glass of a nearby storefront. Dude really was amazing.

― Man Man (kenan), Monday, 8 May 2006 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

The President is many things but he is not a six year old, dude.

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Monday, 8 May 2006 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

I have to say I'm liking the cool shots of his standing and sitting underwater in the ocean.

― pleased to mitya (mitya), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 00:29 (nineteen years ago)

Loser.

Try again.

― pleased to mitya (mitya), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 00:50 (nineteen years ago)

"He pushes his limits and it motivates me to push mine." Mr. Henao said later. "Instead of working out for one hour, maybe I'll work out two. Instead of not going for a walk at all, maybe I'll walk 20 minutes."

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 00:57 (nineteen years ago)

some suggstions for new stunt

1. eat an entire elephant
2. yell at every squirrel in central park
3. shove 3,000 quarters up ass
4. shoot a gun for nine years
5. go to north korea nude
6. chop off feet for real
7. color entire body with sharpie

― Mr Jones (Mr Jones), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 02:22 (nineteen years ago)

2. yell at every squirrel in central park

ROFFLE

― Man Man (kenan), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 03:12 (nineteen years ago)

you people woulda heckled houdini!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 03:55 (nineteen years ago)

nah, just punched him in the stomach

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 04:00 (nineteen years ago)

ah c'mon, it's a sideshow. i think it's kind of entertaining. it's not like it costs anyone any money.
-- gypsy mothra (meetm...) (webmail), Yesterday 8:22 PM. (later) (link)

GMTV said he got $9 million. That's got to come from somewhere.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 07:37 (nineteen years ago)

he may have failed but the sucker gets 2 threads on ilx for the same trick. bah!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 07:40 (nineteen years ago)

Houdini at least was like tied up and shit, this is just a man sitting in a tank of water. Not even holding his breath! Just sitting there, with a dive mask on. It'd be better if the water was from the East River, maybe.

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

Now that would be cruel.

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

But more impressive, you'd have to admit.

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

GMTV said he got $9 million. That's got to come from somewhere.

probably orphanages

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

But more impressive, you'd have to admit.

the man would probably not have any skin left -- the water in that shit is practically BATTERY ACID!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.

Magician David Blaine to live underwater - for a whole week