The 2nd show of “The Next Uri Geller” 2008

This is about a show from the first German season of “The Next Uri Geller” from early 2008. You can also:
» Show all my reports from the first season.
» Show everything about the second season 2009.
» Show really all articles about Uri Geller.

General reading tips (German): GWUP info page, GWUP special site.

The contestants’ contracts

Skeptiker (GWUP) and Stern report about the contracts – among other things, the contestants would originally have had to sign that they “have distinct mental and intuitive abilities, such as mind reading, telekinesis, sugestion or autosuggestion”.
» More (in German) at Stern!

The contestants’ web sites

In my first show’s summary, I was wondering:

The question is how much the contestants are behind the “real powers” balderdash which also was clearly shown in the short films introducing them – or if they rather submitted to the show’s demands.

And checked their websites. I should do this for the other five contestants, too, of course (my translations):

• Dr. Lord Jack Nasher, “Management Psychology”, also gives courses. „Jack Nashers Mind Mysteries are demonstrations of human perception deception. […] a performance with psychology, knowledge of human nature and pure deception – not forgetting irony.“ The lord didn’t even give a basis of paranormal for ProSieben’s short texts.
• Alexander Hartmann: „In my show I do things that seem inexplicable to most people to create extraordinary moments. My goal is exclusively to offer good entertainment – not to claim or prove the possession of any supernatural abilities.“
  
• Farid (by the way, are there any clearly laid out pages on MySpace?) writes: “Farid has already entertained his audience with professional magic when he was 10. […] A new and modern kind of magic.” Not really extensive, but for itself, it doesn’t sound bad. But if he really stands behind what the ProSieben website says that he has said: “I remember it clearly: as a little child, I was raised out of my bed one night like by ghost hand”, then:
  
• Thorsten Strotmann Magic Entertainment: A “magician, magic artist, entertainer, infotainer, host”, who, on the one hand, presents himself quite businesslike, on the other hand unfortunately also writes: „Mental magic: thoughts are energy. […] As a child, he already recognized that he has a special gift and can grab energy and thoughs on another level. […] As well, he can influence energetically “charge” objects by the power of his mind.“
  
• Leo Martin, “staged communication”: “[…] suggestive communication, perception deception and attention guiding. He creates illusions in the heads of the people and makes them do things that they wouldn’t have considered possible beforen.” Sounds rather psychological and magic-artistical than supernatural. ProSieben, by the way, writes “…have been able to before.” You can read this as a small but relevent difference towards more balderdash…

And I still think: In any case, a magician who doesn’t think too lowly of himself should not have applied for such a show in the first place.

Geller about his powers

On the one hand in an interview of the Berliner Kurier (all my translations):

“? So you do have telepathic abilities?
! Without a doubt.
[…]
I beleive I had been given an extraordinary paranormal energy.”

On the other habd in the Magische Welt (magic world), the independent German magazine for magic artists:

“I don’t claim anymore that I have supernatural powers. I am an entertainer, I want to do a good show. My entire character has changed.”

Now what?

The show from 15 Jan

At the beginning, press reactions are mentioned and shown in the background – only briefly and only positive ones, there must be a relation. And did Geller really say, “we don’t claim to have supernatural powers, we just want to enjoy it”? So really the new, more conservative line, if you will? (Cf. above.) Well, hopefully not the most interesting thing this evening…

To reactions at home, of course, one must say again that with so many viewers, it would habe been a miracle if nothing had happened (cf. GWUP). Geller announced for today’s live experiment that tables would move. Will that also work when watching it in time-shift? Geller’s energy on hard disk?

(Of course it will work just the same way, since there are no mystic energies at work, anyway.)

Celebrities: Actress Christine Neubauer (verneint, bezahlt und eingeweiht worden zu sein), presenter Charlotte Engelhart, Oliver Welke. And a few judges that stooped to, well, be second-row sofa audience.

The first contestant: Lord Jack Nasher-Awakemian

Russian roulette with gallows. “Not paranormal, but psychologic.” But too long preparation. Five nooses, four of which being dangerous, Oliver and Charlotte may test the ropes. (Pulling them, not around the neck, of course.) The Lord says he studied Oliver on TV, so he chooses him; he wants to hear in his voice on which hook Oliver has put the rope.

(Magic professionals are not that happy about referring to psychology instead of trick, either.)

Geller says: “Mental influence on the celebs, realization innovative and unique.”

Let’s move tables

The live experiment: Our energy, activated by Gellers, shall move the tables. Hands on the corners of the tables, flat, spread, small fingers touching the other participants’. Always keep hands on the table! Concentrate on the center! And shout: Achad, Shtaim, Shalosh. Also available ON T-SHIRTS! That is “1, 2, 3” in Hebrew.

And of course, some tables really move (also in the studio). Sure: You press at the edge of the table, concentrate on the center. Of course the table may move once in one, once in another direction – if the table-legs and the floor are slippery enough; or it’s jerking; or even rises if the prssure on all four sides and the adhesion between hands and table are large enough. (Hooks under the arms of prepared participants is also possible, of course.) Nothing supernatural.

The second contestant: Alexander Hartmann

From his hairdo, somehow Don King’s grandson. The clip is, of course, not as openly anti-paranormal as his website. All three celebs are needed. Remember words from randomly selected boot, write down hidden. He of course “reads” them in their minds or helps the celebs to do that with another celeb’s mind. Could Geller have someone shake me? Without help, that is, it won’t knock me off my feet. Mrs Neubauer could repeat to have known nothing in advance – the “celeb to celeb transfer” was between the other two, though…

Geller calls him, among other things, great fun.

Contestant 3: Farid

“Does he really have the second sight?” Blind Date for Oliver Welke. First blindly picking one of two models. Farid then shows the same photo on his scarf. Well, had it been the other one, he still could have shown another garment (or folded the scarf differently) – that’s my explanation, at least. In the next experiment, there are at least two dozen models and their photos. An optically very pretty version of a simple card trick(*), expecially when they present themselves in their bikinis (the models, not Oliver and Farid, luckily)…

(*) The photo card on whose backside Oliver had pointed does not have to be the photo shown afterwards…

Geller also liked the girls – and Farid’s stage presence. He’s got potential, but Geller wants to see more.

Contestant 4: Thorsten Strotmann

Mind reader and stuff. Medial disposition. He claims that up-front (cf. above). Wants to feel objects that Mrs Neubauer holds in her hand by touching her wrist, blindfolded. I decided to use the silent 4x fast forward.

Geller dares to mention Einstein and compliments Strotmann for his sense of energy.

Contestant 5: Leo Martin

He wants turn Christine into a nail Hayashi. With some psych fuss. I don’t mind.

Geller now also mentions Siggi Freud and also compliments Martin.

The decision

Geller gives Leo Martin the wildcard for the next show, a woman on the phone reports about jumping chairs (Geller, of course, has no idea why; how ’bout physics lessons?) – and the audience have given the lord the noose, he’s out. Today only 10 minutes overtime.

At the end

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Addendum: The ratings, just a little lower than last week:
Viewers aged 3+: 3,72 million, 11,8% market share;
14-49 years: 2,61 m, 19,6% market share.

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» Detailed explanations (German) at “The Tricks”.

» Take a look here at all my posts about Uri Geller «

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PS: Bloggers are better – a spoon was bent into a fork shape!