A comment in this blog got me thinking. Skeptic Mark Edward said this:
Problem is, I catch hell from magicians and mentalists for revealing psychic secrets and face worse when I admit to doing a palm reading to a skeptic.
This has been an issue I’ve been lately thinking a lot about. I’m a skeptic but I am not a magician. Given this, I’ve made no oath to protect the secrets of magic. And while there’s no question that the world of magic and mentalism has been great to the skeptical movement (that goes without saying), I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this particular value being encouraged within the skeptical world of upholding the magician’s code. I love magic as much as the next person. And it’s true that if more of the techniques of magic were exposed, something that has been part of magic tradition for a long time could be lost (though likely not for everyone), but I completely disagree with the assertion frequently made that magic loses its luster when the trick is revealed and that knowing how its done somehow ruins the fun. I find that at least for myself, I actually gain greater appreciation and enjoyment when I learn how a particular trick is done.
In fact, just a few Monday’s again a friend and I went to one of the NYC Monday Night Magic shows that skeptic Jaime Ian Swiss is apart of. One of the other performers did a trick that I was able to figure out based on my recent readings about how magic uses misdirection. So I kept my eyes on exactly where the magician was directing everyone else away from and saw the trick happen before my very eyes. Sure I didn’t get the same experience as most of the other spectators but I’ve had that experience before. Now my appreciation came more from respecting the artistry of a good trick done well. I think it could be argued that this is a deeper appreciation than simply being mystified and never getting the solution. And of course even some of the biggest names in magic who are also skeptics have from time to time revealed how particular tricks are done.
And now that we live in the information age, it’s not nearly as hard to find the solutions to many magic tricks anyway. You can even buy books by the magicians themselves that teach the craft on Amazon. It just seems silly to me that so much of the skeptical movement chooses to handicap itself by just accepting this tradition that probably goes back to the days where magicians had no hesitation about passing themselves off as genuine spiritualists, possibly designed as a means of keeping the scam going.
And when I mean by handicapping ourselves I’m thinking of videos I’ve seen of Randi where he was suggesting that guys who claim to talk to the dead are using simple magic tricks but stopped short of giving a lesson on how the trick is actually done, something that I feel would at least do as much short-term damage to these frauds as Randi’s initial exposing of Peter Popoff. If more people knew how to do this stuff, they would not be so easily impressed or fooled. Plus they might gain a new enjoyment by then performing the tricks on their friends.
And finally, I have a sneaking suspicion that the magic world would manage to still thrive in a world where more people knew the tricks. Bottom line is that people love being deceived by magicians regardless of whether or not the trick is later revealed. Hell, it might even push the magicians to work that much harder to revolutionize the industry with newer and increasingly more innovative ways to fool people.
So I don’t think magicians would suffer terribly from such discussions, but even if they did, SO WHAT? Unless I’m a professional magician, that’s not my problem. And even if we imagine the worst scenario for the magician, that the entire art form disappears (and that’s extraordinarily unlikely), if its disappearance heralded a far greater critical thinking populace not easily fooled by charlatans, I think far more would be won than lost. Of course, that’s a matter of perspective. All I can say is my priority is protecting innocent people from being scammed over protecting just one particular form of entertainment (though like everyone I’d miss it if it were truly gone). and I think it’s clear that the more familiar people are with the methodology of deception, the harder it’ll be for the Sylvia Browns and John Edwards of the world to get away with their own brand of crap.
Skepacabra 
You are one selfish sick bastard ! You don’t give a damn if magicians work or starve, you must be a very narrow minded creature. You actually believe the Randi million is a real genuine offer but you ignore the fact that magician Bill Perron has already exposed the fakery of the Randi challenge. You are an idiot, a self centered idiot. The magicians of the world are good people who bring fun, laughter, mystery, and joy, and you don’t give a damn, but you worship Randi who brings sickness, lies, and bigotry.
Is this Bill Perron himself? Whatever.
First, as I argued, I don’t see any reason to believe any magicians would go hungry if more people know how their tricks were done.
Second, Bill Perron’s claims have themselves been totally refuted. This is a man who thought a proper test of his “abilities” using strangers in a shopping mall was “an affront on [his] integrity” and refuses accept any blinded conditions. The conditions for the challenge are perfectly clear. One is to be tested under proper scientific conditions. If Mr. Perron is unwilling to cooperate with that, he is ineligible for the challenge.
Here’s Randi’s response to him, which I find to be completely reasonable: http://www.randi.org/jr/2006-06/062306follow.html
If you disagree, then you’re going to have to explain precisely why you think these rules are not fair, because otherwise this just sounds like special pleading, ad hominem, and an appeal to conspiracy theory.
Bill Perron has offered James Randi ten thousand dollars if he can not prove Randi lied to weasel out of his chance to win the Randi million. Randi repled with profanities and refusees to take the “Honesty Challenge” because he knows he lied and he knows Bill Perron can prove it.
If you pseudo skeptics really want the truth then ask Randi to take the Bill Perron challenge and win Bills ten grand. GUARANTEED Randi will not because he knows he is a liar and he knows Bill can prove it.
Bill Perron, the challenge is very, very simple. Both parties must reach mutually agreed upon conditions prior to the challenge. This requires there be a measurable effect. Once those conditions are agreed upon, an independent panel observes the challenger simply doing what they say they can do under proper scientifically controlled conditions for avoid the possibility of the challenger cheating. They’ve even started to publish videotapes of challenges. The challenge is designed for only two options: Pass or Fail. If you can do what you claim you can do then it will be clear to everyone that you passed. If not, you fail. It’s that simple. James Randi is not the judge as to whether you can do what you say you can do, whatever it is you say you can do.
Your challenge, on the other hand, sounds about as sincere as Ray Comfort’s $10,000 and doesn’t sound like it has any protocols to protect Randi if you decide to cheat. So I don’t blame him from ignoring you. Now I don’t have a million dollars, nor do I have $10,000 to give away, but if you can do something that is truly paranormal and extraordinary, write me a proposal and maybe I’ll offer you a modest thousand dollars if you can prove under proper scientifically controlled conditions that your paranormal abilities are real. Sound fair?
HEY WEASEL, I just came across your cowardly smug and grossly misinformed post. I wanted a throughly blind test, it was Randi who wanted to put restrictions on who was being tested. You ignore the provable fact that Randi lied, why is it so hard to get you pseudo skeptics to even look at the proof to seer who the liar is ? What are you afraid of ? …And by the way Mark Edward is a big loser too, he wants to be famous so he sells his soul to scum like Shermer because he actually has the delusional belief Shermer has some power to make him famous, and Shermer uses Randi by hanging onto his coat tails for the notoriety he can garner as his lackey, and they all fear the truth that I can prove Randi lied. RANDI LIED, RANDI LIED RANDI LIED!!! Stop being just another goofy follower of the false guru’s. Make me prove he lied, put my words to the honesty test if you dare, or shut up and go away because you really have no idea what you are talking about and only make yourself look stupid.
Well let’s see. When you open with things like “HEY WEASEL”, and then proceed to blame others for your lack of success by making absurd allegations, I’m dumbfounded as to how you can claim to be shocked no one is taking you seriously.
If you’re so certain you can prove Randi’s challenge is fraudulent, then just retake the challenge under one of the many suitable protocols that have been proposed for your specific claim and insist on your own copy of the video footage so you can make a better case for your deception claim. And if you really do have psychic powers, I’m sure you can make 1 million dollars easily without Randi’s challenge, so why are you so obsessed? And it’s not like Randi is profiting if no one claims the prize. The money is stuck in an account and can only be spent in the event of someone winning the prize.
You seem to be really caught up on this whole, “Randi lied” thing. I don’t care. It’s totally irrelevant. Just do what you claim you can do under proper scientifically controlled conditions and you’ll have gotten your revenge against those who thought you were mad or who you think tried to cheat you. Hell, I’ve even offered you my own challenge for a thousand bucks. Though I have to say that I think Randi’s protocols (http://www.randi.org/jr/2006-06/060906just.html#i2) are quite good and more than fair. So how that makes me “just another goofy follower of the false guru” is beyond me. Just do it, man, and stop whining or making excuses about how you weren’t treated fairly. Life’s not always fair. Grow up and deal with it.
Hey mjr256, do you have a brain? You say you don’t care if Randi is a liar, how stupid is that ? If he is a liar then he can have all the protocols in the universe and they will be worthless. How can you say you don’t care if he is a liar but still believe he runs a fair test ? You are just another ignorant Randibot who absolutely has no character or integrity, you are in a word A FOOL ! A cowardly fool at that. Obviously you would not care if someone lied about you or tried to denigrate your name publicly, well I do care because that is what happened with Randi. Reach down to your crotch and see if you can find any balls, if you do try to find who they belong to, because they sure as hell aren’t yours.
Um, no Bill. If the proper protocols as described are in place then whether or not Randi is a liar is irrelevant, given that the process is designed to prevent fraud on both sides. Again, Randi is not the judge of the challenge. The conditions of the challenge must be approved by both parties beforehand to ensure fairness and those conditions must result in a unambiguous, measurable outcome, which is overseen by an independent panel (not Randi). And the process is filmed. The scientific process is designed in such a way to avoid bias and corruption. But what’s most important is that it’s also designed to prevent cheaters with no paranormal powers at all from winning the challenge and using it to further their own legitimacy.
You idiot you don’t know what you are talking about !!! He lied to you and all his brainwashed devotees when he weaseled out of my challenge, the reasons he gave for rejecting my challenge were lies. EXAMPLE: He said I wanted no photos taken and used that as a reason, truth is I insisted we video tape the whole testing procedure, I told him I did not trust him, I wanted the tape in case I had to take him to court to collect. There were other lies he told but I am not going to bother telling them to you because you already admitted you are not interested in the truth because you “don’t care if he lied.” I can prove he is a liar but not one phony goofy follower of Randi will even look at the evidence. Why ? Go stick your head back in the sand, Randi is a liar, I have proof, and you don’t care, there is no need for further discussion. If you are happy living in your tiny myopic world please don’t let me and the truth get in the way of you enjoying whatever time you have left on this planet. Goodbye…. Bill Perron
If you have proof that Randi’s challenge is a fraud, then I suggest you tell it to a judge. Why you insist on whining to me about it and attacking me for not simply taking you at your word without having seen any of your alleged evidence is beyond me. There’s not anything I can do to help your situation. I can offer my own challenge, but then again, I don’t have a million dollars.
Thanks for the info mate. Im going to bookmark your webpage in Facebook if thats okay…
Bill Peron is a maniacal driveling idiot. He’s been posting crap about having evidence that Randi is a cheat all over the net for years without ever presenting anything other than telling people to read a Dennis rawlins book, which is utter shite to anyone capable of logical thought. The reality is that you don’t have to distort data from astrologers, it’s always very vague, and the idea that some “prediction” can be true for one 12th of the whole population is about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. The rest of the book is nothing but unprovable hearsay, which doesn’t count for any kind of evidence at all.
I actually feel sorry for Bill, it’s really worrying that a “magician” can start to believe that he is actually capable of magic and he isn’t getting any help from any mental institution to rectify his situation, so he continually goes around blaming others, believing that every body else in the world is wrong, and he is right.
The acid test is really simple, who are people paying attention to (hint : it’s not Bill, he’s lucky to get 40 views on a you tube video).
I’m certain that bill really really needs the million, but that’s definitely not reason enough to give it to him, and no one should be getting abused by him for pointing this out, but that’s all he has left.
Well smart ass you take the ten thousand dollar honesty challenge, it’s really simple, if I prove Randi lied you give me ten grand, if I can’t I give you ten grand. Put up or shut up you loud mouthed know nothing asshole.
I believe that’s what the JREF has been telling you for years. If you have the means of proving they are engaged in fraud, then you should take them to court already. Put up or shut up.
Thank you, I have consulted attorneys on this matter, problem is since Randi weaseled out of the challenge before we had a chance to actually perform the test no one will take the case. Since we never did the test then there can legally be no loss. That still leaves Randi a liar because he did lie and I can prove that he lied, it is really simple, he said I wanted no photos taken as his reason to weasel out of the test, truth is I insisted we video tape the procedure which in reality would have produced thousands of photos. If you are really concerned about the truth please ask Randi to post something of mine that I said I want no photos, he can not because it is a lie. Why don’t you ask him? Don’t be afraid of the truth, it will set you free. I am asking you to please ask Randi to post his evidence, please, then I will go away. It is not an unreasonable request.
As a Certified Paralegal, I’m quite certain these attorneys you describe are either incompetent or non-existent..The JREF is contractually obligated to pay if the conditions of the contract are met. So do you have evidence of fraud or don’t you? Make up your mind. I’ve reached my limit with your back-peddling. Either present this evidence or where this evidence can be found, or I will block you, as I have no interest in allowing you to use this blog as a forum to criminally libel others when you can’t support your claims.
Really what is your 1000 dollar challenge, first I’ve heard of it. Since you “say” you are a para-legal you realize there is something called a statute of limitations, even for fraud. Yes I do have evidence of fraud, if you’d like to advise on the case and take it then we could both make some money. I live in California where are you?
Well, that’s clearly not true as I first mentioned it in my comment to you (see above) from November 20, 2008:
“Now I don’t have a million dollars, nor do I have $10,000 to give away, but if you can do something that is truly paranormal and extraordinary, write me a proposal and maybe I’ll offer you a modest thousand dollars if you can prove under proper scientifically controlled conditions that your paranormal abilities are real. Sound fair?”
You directly responded to that comment but without acknowledging the challenge. Now that was nearly four years ago, and you’ve since made such an ass out of yourself that I’m no longer even interested in wasting my time testing you. So THAT statute of limitations is over.
And I certainly would not recommend any lawyer in their right mind take your case. However, since the JREF Challenge is in fact ongoing and thus any fraud accusations would be presumably happening right as I type this, no such statute of limitations would be violated. Again, if you can prove fraud, then do it already! Your words: PUT UP OR SHUT UP!
Now of course you failed to provide said evidence after four years of requests from me (again, see the time stamps of the comments above). So consider yourself blocked.
Since I last posted Randi stopped lying about his sexual proclivities and has admitted he is a homosexual, something he lied and denied about for many years. He also was involved in fraudulently keeping his homosexual lover in the U.S. for over 20 years using someone else’s I.D. that is fraud and Randi is not above fraud as he has proven. Character and integrity are something you either have or don’t have, Randis’ actions have proven he doesn’t have character, integrity, or honesty, but sadly you and other brainwashed Randibots don’t care because you obviously don’t care about them or you would have asked Randi to meet Bill Perron and have Randi and Bill either put up or shut up a long time ago. Deep down inside your craven heart full of denial there is a deep fear that Bill can prove Randi is a liar, that is what all Randibots fear, they fear the truth.