notes from underground

Another thing to consider about Criss Angel is the nature of his press coverage.  Usually when a celebrity or a star of the day is in the spotlight they are mauled by the paparazzi, the media, and there is no challenge too great for a photographer to capture a disclosing or defaming picture.  I mean Criss Angel is dating Holly Madison, has his own TV show, appears on all sorts of entertainment venues, yet I have never seen a picture in a magazine or tabloid or anywhere taken by a crazy photographer capturing Criss Angel hanging from a crane during one of his levitations of any other revealing picture.  How is it that Criss Angel is such a covert celebrity in this sense?

It is rather obvious that actors, stagehands, assistants, and confederates are hired and involved in many of Criss Angel’s illusions.  However something rather eerie about this whole scene, especially since Criss Angel is so big, is that I have never seen or heard of an eye witness account from any of these people anywhere revealing that they were involved in a Criss Angel illusion and then subsequently to have them divulge the secret of the trick. What gives?

I am absolutely mystified how regular hired people keep this secret so well.  I mean how much are they paying them and even then… It is uncanny  and really defies the regular operating procedure of the paparazzi and other elements of publicity surrounding celebrities, in which there is a usual effort to defame, point out scandels, or in this case, to prove someone a fake.  However, this is completely non-existant in regards to Criss Angel.

How is this possible?  How are the secrets of Criss Angels tricks not revealed by the paparazzi or similarly minded people?  I can’t believe for a second they have any respect for the esoteric nature of magic and thus remain silent. If nothing else, this kind of secrecy is more astounding and mysterious than his tricks; no celebrity is safe from the wrath and ire of the paparazzi.

I have done plenty of research on the web about Criss Angel in particular and magic in general.  There are several different types of people I have found.  Loyals: caring little about how the tricks are done and simply are in it for entrainment or to be doting groupies.

And more curious and scientific minded people.  Of these curious or scientific minded people, there are two types: one type, 100% convinced that all is an illusion and nothing supernatural whatsoever, and two, someone who still has doubt.

Some of these people claim to be magicians and guarantee that all is a trick without thinking twice about it, although most of these probably are not involved in the upper echelons of the esoteric magic cult and probably can’t say for sure, because surly that can’t know every secret, but from what they know intuit it to be true.

The others have probably seen some tricks revealed here and there and are absolutely adamant that there is nothing supernatural involved.  Some of the most common statements from these people are that Criss Angel for example has said, “he does not believe in the supernatural and does nothing supernatural,” and they alway refer people to this statement as if it had some weight behind it.  I just want to remind these people that they are listening to the biggest trickster in the world and find it funny that they don’t think he is capable of a lie and take this statement as absolute proof that he is only a trickster.  How could someone who makes spends their life deceiving actually be honest?

In addition, these people also point to the Randi prize, in which a skeptic has promised to pay out a large sum of money if someone were to prove they can violate scientific laws or do something supernatural.  And the argument goes,”well since nobody has claimed the prize therefore everything still must be a trick.”  To this I just want to say that “if” these supernatural powers existed the people or entity that holds these powers may not want to subject them to the knife of science.  In addition, the prize seems to have been created due to magic performances and a lack of absolute proof that every single act is a trick is lacking otherwise there would be no prize.

I admit Criss Angel does a lot of bogus camera work and regular stunts that are explainable, but I am still a skeptic and scientific and until every single trick has been adequately explained and demonstrated, which I don’t believe has been done, and as a result I do not rest easy.

 On several a late night while rotting my mind in front of the TV I have come across the Chris Angel show and watched him levitate.  I have to admit I am not altogether comfortable with people just floating in mid air and making a big show of it.  In fact, I am rather affronted and dislike the explanations uttered on the show that it is discipline, focus, spirituality, and some other hocus pocus crud that one might find on the front of any woman’s magazine today.

I watched the presidential debates for about five minutes this year and by that time I had had about enough politics for the rest of my life and ten other lives.  And during that time I couldn’t help but to think, what do the candidates think of Chris Angel.  Do they feel comfortable with this man just floating around out there in the middle of the country.  Have they at least given him a double take and has the FBI ever thought to open a Chris Angel file.

Nevertheless, I think asking one of the candidates their opinion about Chris Angel would have been a welcome, interesting change to the standard political ramblings and would have provided an opportunity to promote some serious rational, scientific scrutiny to this phenomenon.