January20
Bullshit Change Raising
Change raising technique on Penn and Teller’s Bullshit.
‘TV’ Category
January20
The Real Hustle - Promo 2
January10
The Magic Newswire
I’m being interviewed by the Magic Newswire this week, a highly popular podcast for magicians.
I’ll be talking about stories from the road, the Real Hustle and the use of magic methods in scams and scams in magic.
Check out this recent interview with Bryan Brushwood talking about his video series Scam School.
January5
The Real Hustle - Australia
November11
QI
Had a pearler of a night last night. Came home early from dinner with friends to watch QI on ABC, my favourite show.
For those yet to experience this brilliant UK show, the quiz show, hosted by Stephen Fry, is based around the idea that the questions are almost impossible and so contestants are given points for funny answers rather than incorrect answers.
Contestants only lose points if their answers are wrong AND predictable.
It made my night when I sat down to see that the theme for the show was Fakes and Frauds. Instead of scratching my head, I knew all the answers.
What did Count Victor Lustig do to the Eiffel Tower? He sold it.
Where did the trio of phone box thieves hide their stash? In their bras.
Why did Robert McCulloch of Arizona buy the Old London Bridge? No, he didn’t think he was buying Tower bridge. He bought it to relocate it to Arizona is 1967.
For once in my life, I felt smart watching a quiz show.
enjoy some classic Qi
October22
Balloon Boy
AS FEATURED ON ABC STATEWIDE DRIVE WITH KATHY BEDFORD
Like the rest of the world, I watched the balloon boy saga unfold with great interest. (by saying ‘great interest’ it makes me feel less like a guy slowing down to watch a car accident).
NEWSFLASH - A boy appears to have climbed into a weather balloon and taken off.
NEWSFLASH - The balloon lands and the boy is MISSING probably DEAD.
NEWSFLASH - The boy is found hiding in his parent’s garage, scared that he’ll get in trouble.
NEWSFLASH - The boy admits on live TV that his parents allegedly put him up to it because they allegedly wanted to build a media profile and allegedly get on reality TV show. Allegedly.
This is where I come in.
Whenever you want informed opinion on ‘making stuff up’ or ‘talking out of your backside’ then I’m the guy to talk to.
Apparently, the nation’s media agree. I came back to my computer after a few days off sick to find a pile of requests from various media outlets for interviews to discuss the issue.
So here it is.
In the golden age of the con artist, swindlers would impersonate powerful and influential people for profit. Frank Abagnale pretended to be an airline pilot and rode the skies for free. Wilheim Voight pretended to be a Swiss army captain and confiscated a town’s treasury. Christophie Raconcourt pretended to be a long lost relative of the Rockefeller family.
These days, con artists pretend to be interesting people.
A suburban American family pretends to be child suspending adventurers.
James Fey pretends to be an ex junkie in his fake memoir A Million Tiny Pieces.
Reality TV contestant Darva Conger took part in the “Who Wants To Marry A Multimillionaire” and won, marrying the millionaire and then declaring she just “was playing a role.”
We live in age where reality programming is king. And when reality is enough, we create a better one and sell our shiny new personalities to the world at a very reasonable price.
I worry about people so desperate to get on TV and so void of any actual personality that they have to pretend to tie their six year old to a weather balloon just to get people to look at them.
September23
Would I Lie To You?
As a professional bullshit artist, I’ve recently gotten into the UK series “Would I Lie To You?”
It’s a comedy panel show where guests have to do their best to lie and spot lies.
Enjoy this classic episode…
August29
Dan Harlen and The Pigeon Drop
A few years back, magician Dan Harlen and skeptic Micheal Shermer went undercover on the street to try and swindle people with The Pigeon Drop, a classic scam. They do an amazing job, capturing the spirit of the scam and all the little details.
It’s a pity that, a little after this was shot, Dan Harlan got a silly and tried to pinch a bar’s cash register. On the way out of the door his pants fell down, he trip over and knocked out his teeth!
Should have stuck to the scams!