Breaking News
Ragged 1 month ago under: Wollman Rink, Secret Service, Central Park, Dr Massimo Napolitano, David Blaine
"During my lunch break today, I decided to walk up to Wollman Rink in Manhattan's Central Park to check out David Blaine's latest stunt. I have better things to do with my time, to be sure, but I've always been curious about David Blaine: Not in that "Oh, he's so amazing" way, but in that "What is this guy's deal?" way. Apparently, I'm not the only cynic around. I overheard a few middle-aged ladies walking ahead of me, saying, "He's just doing a stupid stunt; he's not a magician."
I couldn't have said it better myself. And it isn't a matter of stripping Blaine of his magician-ship, it's that this particular event - Blaine suspended upside down, in the air, for 60 hours, the two-hour finale of which will be aired on ABC tomorrow night - is not magical. It's a stunt. For publicity. (In the last 24 hours, I've received at least four press releases about the event.)
Before you call me a hater, this was the scene at the rink: Scaffolding everywhere, people snapping pictures, at least seven camera crews standing by for a press conference, security guys in suits with Secret Service-like earbuds, and red rope separating the public from Blaine. Meanwhile, the stuntman was not hanging. Nope.
More on David Blaine's stunt after the jump...
When I got there, Blaine was taking a break. He was thirsty. And it was time for the doctorson hand to check his vital signs. So there he was: standing upright,drinking bottled water. There was no diving and no death (though theformer, which is supposed to be some sort of 44-foot plunge, is to takeplace tomorrow). One guy on his lunch break said to his friend,"Dude gets water breaks?" while another man nearby quipped, "Itdoesn't count [if he isn't doing it continuously]. I could do that."
Finally, after 15 minutes or so, Blaine went back to being upside-down. There wasn't much to see. He just hung. If you recallChristo's Central Park installation The Gates in 2005, the saffron flags just hung too,sometimes fluttering in the breeze, but at least the latter was sort of mesmerizing. One young woman standing next to me was justas perplexed: "He's just going to hang there?" Eh, yep.
After checking Blaine's vitals, Dr. Massimo Napolitano (who wasasked by the network producer to be a "scientific adviser") held apress conference. I'm paraphrasing here, but this is basically what he said: "David is doing very well. His vital signs are stable.This is an incredible feat for the body. Don't underestimate what he'sdoing. He was sort of sluggish last night. He has to urinate againstgravity, which is not good for the kidneys." You don't say. The docsaid he should be checked on every hour, because this stunt needs a lotof monitoring -- which in my mind sort of defies the meaning of aspectacular act, doesn't it?..." ew.com's%20Dive%20of%20Death:%20I%20don't%20get%20it
I couldn't have said it better myself. And it isn't a matter of stripping Blaine of his magician-ship, it's that this particular event - Blaine suspended upside down, in the air, for 60 hours, the two-hour finale of which will be aired on ABC tomorrow night - is not magical. It's a stunt. For publicity. (In the last 24 hours, I've received at least four press releases about the event.)
Before you call me a hater, this was the scene at the rink: Scaffolding everywhere, people snapping pictures, at least seven camera crews standing by for a press conference, security guys in suits with Secret Service-like earbuds, and red rope separating the public from Blaine. Meanwhile, the stuntman was not hanging. Nope.
More on David Blaine's stunt after the jump...
When I got there, Blaine was taking a break. He was thirsty. And it was time for the doctorson hand to check his vital signs. So there he was: standing upright,drinking bottled water. There was no diving and no death (though theformer, which is supposed to be some sort of 44-foot plunge, is to takeplace tomorrow). One guy on his lunch break said to his friend,"Dude gets water breaks?" while another man nearby quipped, "Itdoesn't count [if he isn't doing it continuously]. I could do that."
Finally, after 15 minutes or so, Blaine went back to being upside-down. There wasn't much to see. He just hung. If you recallChristo's Central Park installation The Gates in 2005, the saffron flags just hung too,sometimes fluttering in the breeze, but at least the latter was sort of mesmerizing. One young woman standing next to me was justas perplexed: "He's just going to hang there?" Eh, yep.
After checking Blaine's vitals, Dr. Massimo Napolitano (who wasasked by the network producer to be a "scientific adviser") held apress conference. I'm paraphrasing here, but this is basically what he said: "David is doing very well. His vital signs are stable.This is an incredible feat for the body. Don't underestimate what he'sdoing. He was sort of sluggish last night. He has to urinate againstgravity, which is not good for the kidneys." You don't say. The docsaid he should be checked on every hour, because this stunt needs a lotof monitoring -- which in my mind sort of defies the meaning of aspectacular act, doesn't it?..." ew.com's%20Dive%20of%20Death:%20I%20don't%20get%20it
He has more guts to do stuff than anyone out there. He can be a magician or stunt person, or whatever the hell else you wanna call him. But at least he is man enough to do stuff no one else will do. I didn't hear people whining about Evil Knievel back in the day, so why gripe about a newer person doing things to prove the lengths of boundaries?
da purpose is that u can only last 2 days supposedly hanging upside down cause all da blood will run to your head... this guy is like that one guy that Joe Pataliano played in Tales From the Crypt where he kept dying and comin back to life...
I really don't care if he can hang upside down or can sit in a box for a week or float in water.People don't do this crap because like most of us they know it is stupid and pointless. Ok so he can hang upside down longer and anyone else.Yippy.
I think he's entertaining, and some of the things he has done have been great. Just try to pick stunts that people actually give a shit about.
Thank YOU SO MUCH Modern for having my back on this one!
I don't care what people say, he is freaky and with that being said he is still pretty amazing. He definately beats Criss Angel's a$$...
OOPs that was suppose to be an oscar...lol
No prob. J. 
I still remember watching him hold his breath in that tank. Pretty cool.
I still remember watching him hold his breath in that tank. Pretty cool.
Recent Viewers:
.. I don't get it either. what's the purpose?....