Why does everybody bash Criss Angel? I think it is complete Bull S*it. All everybody says is that he uses camera tricks. Just because you cannot figure out a trick you guys automatically think it is camera tricks. Just because you cannot perform a signed card through window and Criss Angel can, does not mean it is a camera trick. Even if he does use camera tricks, so what? His job is to entertain and he does exactly that. Also, so what if he uses stooges? I am SURE Copperfield never did that, no way. Remember that "Hawaii" illusion done by Copperfield? He would have a "spectator" selected from the audience and have them travel to Hawaii from the stage. Now think about this, is it really possible? No. He did use a stooge. Yet for some reason people only accuse Angel of using them. I don't think I have ever heard somebody complain that David Copperfield uses stooges. Why? Because he isn't on tv every week performing street magic that we cannot? Frankly, I think that this is stupid about how we only bash about Angel usuing camera tricks or stooges, when TONS of magicians do it. Also, if you hate Criss Angel so much, then why are you watching his show? If you don't like it, then don't watch his show and stop complaining. And if he is so bad then how come you guys aren't the ones with a TV show?
By this thread I do not mean to have people flaming. I just think it is stupid for everybody to criticize Criss Angel. Please give me you input on this. Thank you.
-Nick

Well it's obvious that he uses camera tricks. And why is it unacceptable? Because it's cheating, it's making the art of magic impure. it's like athletes using steroids to enhance their performance, they still entertain their fans, but they did it by cheating. Same with Angel, yeah, he's entertaining people, but he is doing it by cheating. As for stooges, it's acceptable when you don't overuse it. I think Angel uveruses them. People don't talk about Copperfield, first because Angel is bigger now and second because there is no Copperfield forum, only Blaine/Angel.

-Oztheozzie

they dont bash jsut angel. the have bashed oz, blaine, jay, santini, posters on here, people from E, and many other places. so dont take it so personally. it seems people bash people because of many reasons, some of the main ones are: insecurites, jelous (sp), fear, ignorance, knowlegde or lack there of.

thats how i see it. its my opinion. and i wont be surprised if i get a tacky comment because of it.

Yes, but you see hundreds of baseball players. How many magician's do you see weekly with a tv show? Not many. If there were tons and he was doing a lot better, by that I mean if there was tons of magicians on TV and he was the big star, then I would say it is unfair because he has an advantage and is doing it in an unfair way. Also, even if there was a Copperfield forum, I think the last thing people would do is accuse him of camera tricks and stooges, even if he used lots of camera tricks.

He is cheating, it's wrong no matter what. He is cheating the audience's time, they are watching what they believe to be real illusions, when in fact they are not. It' makes the art impure by cheating. I'm an athlete, if I knew someone was using steroids to beat my team, I'd be furious. Also it takes away from other magicians, how can we compete with his TV illusions with our real illusions? I mean, I don't care if a guy goes on TV and do some really great magic and make me look bad, as long as he does it in a fair way. But when Angel goes on Tv and do camera tricks and make me and others look bad, it's unfair.

-Oztheozzie

If you believe I bash him out of jealousy or insecurity, or ignorance, then you have not actually read my posts. If I was jealous of his success, why don't I bash Blaine, he's even more successful. Insecure? why should I be? Fear of what? Ignorance? Ignorant of what? his use of camera tricks?

-Oztheozzie

I am not disagreeing with you. I have two sides to this. You make a very very good point. It is not fair. But do we have any proof he uses camera tricks? The building float is not a camera trick. Yes I know it is not possible to levitate, but it isn't a camera trick. Thanks guys.

And how do you know it wasn't a camera trick?

Ok, I don't. But is something like his levitation that he sells a camera trick? No. But you cannot say it is a camera trick if you have no proof. I think they are but I cannot prove it.

true there are no proof, but there are evidence. Poeple have seen flashes of wires, and for his phone effect, people saw that his hand was empty when he pushed it against the glass, etc. And let's face it, we all know he does use them.

Seeing wires is not a camera tirck nor is seeing an empty hand. That is how the trick is done, but that is not a camera trick. He may have flashed, but how does thta make it a camera trick?

see i was right. i got flack, i never said you i am saying those are usaully the main reasons, you dont read either. but you dont have to bash him. if you have ever seen him on stage you would see how good he is. and not all his tricks are fake.

once again i will play devils advocate, how can you define cheating. what is the goal of a magician... to entertain the people. what does angel do.... entertain the people. your saying hes cheating becasue his stunts cantbe performed for real.

yet i have never been asked to levitate across a building, fly, vanish into a puddle or anything else that might be camera effect. so i see no problem with it.

only thing i disagree is his reveling effects to the lay people.

I completly agree with you. The ONLY reason he is revealing tricks is for the publicity which gets him more money. I hate that he does it. He is revealing effects that many magicians perform.

I respoded to make sure you did not imply I was like that. His live show is great, why does he have to do camera tricks then?

Yes, he entertains people, so do athletes that take steroids, do you approve them doing that?

You have never been asked to do those things, others have.

-Oztheozzie

It's a camera trick because he used wires to do the levitation, then erased it. An empty hand is a camera trick because he smashed nothing into the glass, and then cut to spectators reactions, and then cut back to a glass with a phone in it. That's what camera tricks are, not CGI if that's what you thoguht I meant.

-Oztheozzie