Karaoke Forums

For starter's David Blaine.    Standing on a 10 story pillar, and jumping off after standing on a small area into 12 feet of cardboard.  Suspended without food and sleep in a viewable display box in England.  Buried in a glass casket, spending time in a sphere filled with water for days as an exhibit in Lincoln Center, and most recently, holding breath under water attempting to set Guinness record.

Is this someone desparate for attention ?  Or is he attempting to "find himself"  :shock:  Is this talent, foolishness, both or perhaps something I'm not understanding. What's with the "emotion" after the stunt's.  Is this histrionic's, acting, or desparate need for ALOT of recognition ?  Maybe these folks exhibit control fixations in a manner I just don't understand because quite honestly, I wouldn't have the B*lls or interest to risk my life doing what some might consider insane stunts.  Not sure I even understand the difference between a "Dare Devil",  Extreme sport participant, and someone who's deemed Insane. a few of these "dare devil" types I've read about are known to be very quirky individuals.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

He did those stunts in the mane of ART?? I dont understand art then.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

nor do I. At least under that type guise.

Come to think of it Jian.  I read someplace that he cut off part of his ear in public too (speaking of strange artists).  This guy isn't quite "right".

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Then he must be doing the wrong form of art. i saw on tv his performance where he stood on that tall pole for days. STUPIDITY at the XX'TRAME...... to me at least.
He sure get the publicty.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Here's another one known to have control fixations, and be a very strange person.  He's a hypochondriac, afraid of germs and getting sick.  He has (or had) a fear of riding as a passenger in any vehicle.   I read his story YEARS ago, and this guy appeared to be quite a phobic person. Yet

Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel, Jr. (born October 17, 1938 in Butte, Montana) is an American stuntman, best known for his public displays of long distance, high-altitude motorcycle jumping which often resulted in serious injuries, particularly during the 1960s. The consummate salesman, he was able to turn his popularity into a marketing juggernaut with products ranging from radios to toy action figures. His achievements and failures got him into the Guinness Book of World Records several times including his record thirty-five broken bones.

Earlier in life:

After his army stint, Knievel returned to Butte where he met, kidnapped and married his first wife, Linda Bork.

Knievel returned to Butte and started the Butte Bombers, a semi-pro hockey team. To help promote his team and earn some money, he convinced the 1960 Olympic Czechoslovakian hockey team to play his Butte Bombers in a warm up game to the Olympics. Knievel was ejected from the game minutes into the third period and left the stadium. When the Czech officials went to the box office to collect the expense money that the team was promised, workers discovered the game receipts had been stolen. The U.S Olympic Committee ended up paying the Czech expenses in order to avoid an international incident.

Knievel started the Sur-Kill Guide Service. He guaranteed that if a hunter signed up with his service and paid his fee that they would get the big game animal that they wanted or he would refund their money. Business was very brisk until game wardens realized that he was taking his clients into Yellowstone National Park to find their prey. As a result of this poaching, Knievel had to shut down his new business venture. Having few options, he turned to a life of crime, becoming a burglar.

Needing a fresh start away from Butte, Knievel moved his family to Moses Lake, Washington. There, he opened a Honda motorcycle dealership and promoted motocross racing. Times were tough in the early 1960s for Japanese imports. People still considered them inferior to American built motorcycles and there were still resentments about the attack on Pearl Harbor. At one point, Knievel offered a $100 discount to anybody that could beat him in arm wrestling. Despite his best efforts the store eventually closed.

Needing money to support his family, after enticing a small crowd with a few wheelies, he proceeded to jump a twenty foot long box of rattlesnakes and two mountain lions. Despite coming up short and having his back wheel hit the box containing the rattlesnakes, Knievel managed to land safely.

(Wikipedia)

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

You know,  Today some animal right's group would petition that nut for "cruelty to Rattlesnakes"  LOL


If he wants to kill himself, that's his perrogative, but leave those poor snakes alone !

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Oh yeah,   Did I mention David Copperfield ?   He's 6' 2" and weighs 37 lbs.  He's going to be the first illusionist to make himself disappear.


Editor's Note:

Why can't Copperfield make a living doing something useful, like his twin brother "Prince" ?


Prince Copperfield

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

He's a song writer too.    Steve Earle sang it.     Copperfield Road.

David Blaine has to be an odd apple. kappy I actually wondered about this guy and his need for attention. He secludes himself while preparing for his stunts. When he would get ready for his stunt to be buried alive or his stunt to stand on a post he'd seclude himself for days.
But then I think he must be starved for attention to do the things he does or is it all
for the money?
If you've ever watched his magic it is amazing the things he can do. I'd rather watch his tv specials where he walks the streets and does magic. I suppose just doing that doesn't get him the exposure the goofy stunts get him. It really is to bad because he is a very talented magician.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Well, if his goal was to have people talk about his stunts, it worked. I mean we are talking about him in a Karaoke forum, for heaven's sake.  Whatever publicity is a good one for him and his kind, good or bad.

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Seize the day and SING!!!

I watch car races to see the crashes

I tune in to Evil Kanevil (sp) to see him break bones

I watch hockey for the fights.


how boreing would it have been if this guy  BLAINE didnt have to be rescued?

I sat thru 2 or 3 hours while Heraldo dug around in Capones hide out just hoping he would find nothing I won

This was a great publicity stunt and it worked....too bad I missed it

what's really funny is a sportscaster on ESPN had the audacity to call blaine and athlete after this stunt?  what type of athletics was it?

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All work and no play make Homer something something

I'm looking around for a Parody I wrote years back about "Animal Planet", and Steve Irwin standing there all empathic over the gorgeous croc that's swimming away with his arm.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Steve Erwin is an idiot. But, gawd I love that guy.  :D

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Yeah,  He's a tough guy to dislike. Really nothing offensive about the guy.  The fact he's suicidal isn't really a reason to dislike him IMHO.  He has abit of a God complex I'd say.  Anyone to get within striking range of a few of those Hot snake species, with no antidote (antivenom for those highly poisonois Australian species) supposedly with no hospital near enough to save him given the strength of the neuro-toxin that can kill 100 horses with a single strike, just isn't all there.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

He must be doing something right--look at all the attention he's getting just on this thing!  Can't wait to see whoever this is do his Command Performance to the Queen.

Stevie, those footage are mostly staged. If you pay more attn to some of those scenes, you will see what I mean. You can't just walk  into the wood and KNOW where the animals are. Those animals are there because they are put there.

To handle venomous snake you need to know the animal behavior. Erwin knows a hell lot about snakes. Just look at the way he handle them.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Now THAT makes sense Jian.  I suppose few figure that the likelihood of him walking to a body of water, staring with his head extended over a ledge, and a crocodile jumping out and missing his head by 4 inches is so unlikely to happen (not to mention coincidental) showing that these skit's MUST be staged.  Perhaps on closer view we'd see that the reptile's mouth is also duct-taped closed, and find out various facts such as the snakes have been milked of their venom, have had the sac removed, and are currently not dangerous loaners from a local "reptile farm".Maybe even built in Universal studio's  LOL.. While he's likely extremely knowledgeable, who know's how much we DON'T see, and how many are behind him, as well as what trick photography is used in the filming. I guess he's basically just a "clown", and animals are his prop.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

David Blaine is supposedly a skilled illusionist, doesn't he do a skit that makes it appear he's walking up the side of a building ?   also that well known "levitation" stunt, where a person at a certain angle stands on one toe ? which makes them appear they are hovering a few inches above the ground ?

You can reference this.  It's called

The Balducci Levitation illusion

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Actually Steve,  I think in an "odd" way, alot of these individuals are in amazing physical conditioning (despite injuries here and there from past stupidity, and those are likely what eventually do them in, rebound injuries), look at some of these people and consider the training, mindset, and agility it takes to do much of what they do ?


An example,  "Pavoratti", even a strange one like "Rod Stewart"

These artists played semi-pro soccer, and were in excellent athletic condition. Rod Stewart dug graves by hand for years.... Yet to be a performer that jumps around, and does some of what Steven Tyler, and a few others do requires a person be in decent shape especially during the later years.  Many are saying that the rigor's of the operatic tenor are what will kill Pavoratti who's since allowed himself to get into pretty bad physical shape.

The illusionists, or "stuntmen" DO in many respects have to train, and have at least the :athlete's: competitive mind-set.  Similarly the ballet dancer is also an athlete at the more accomplished level. The illusionist must be agile, otherwise they would appear as complete clutzes when doing their illusions such as walking up building walls, etc. What they do albeit stupid, isn't something most can do. It's their incredible tenacity, as well as obsessional drive (even if it's to defy death) that is what enables them to stand out *often as idiots*. Not unlike the tenacity of the great runners, marathon participants, etc. Insatiable drive (despite reason) from a psychological perspective IMHO

Mime, dexterity, or any feat dealing with "records" as well as very stressful conditions on the body as well as mind obviously can't be done by the average "Joe outofshape" American citizen. Problem I have is when kid's are led to believe,  "Do something stupid, and you are deemed athlete", it's not a smart message IMHO.

When you think about it,  Don't astronauts do pretty stupid things just by putting themselves at risk (despite the superobjective) ?  They certainly take an unnecessary risk in life.  Of course (and arguably) anyone knowingly enlisting currently wanting to go into Iraq now similarly does the same IMHO. Difference here being "personal glory" in the case of the televised "dare-devil".  This is clearly not "altruism" despite many donating money to charitable events.  In my opinion this is solely what allows them to do their often foolish stunts behind a guise of "credibility".

The disclaimer; "Don't try this at home", on some of these shows just doesn't "sink in" for a few.

John Eichman  (Super Dave Osborne) is not ACTUALLY run over by 18 wheel Mac Trucks, and turned into "Gumby".  A few are too stupid to figure this out however  :(

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".