yeah, that's cheap, but at least he did what he was trying to do. He fooled the laymen, including those on tv. If you think about it, all of magic is cheap. It's all a scam. Just not all of it uses cameras. As long as he got the trick to work, and he made people wonder, then i really don't care how he does it.
And, keep in mind, he has also inspired a lot of people and probably caused some people to get into magic. And he popularized this (at that time) new thing called street magic. In the end, i think that the result justifies the means. For all of his phoniness, he has done great things for magic.

In stage magic, we have a name for people who let the backstage do all the work, they are called Box Pushers. A box pusher is someone who stands there and brings in the box, while the talented assistant does all the work inside. David Copperfield is NOT a box pusher. And don't think that stage magic is all done behind a curtain, stage effects take a heck of a long time to get down. Most stage effects take so much time to be able to be done perfectly, and it's not like in close-up, where you can just make up an excuse if you screw up. Stage magic has to be absolutly Flawless. Trust me when I say this, I've been working on a dove act for about 6 months now, and although my moves are un detectable, I still don't see it fit to perform on stage in front of people who payed to see you. Close-up is fun, but listen to someone who knows when I say this. Anyone can do magic for a month a have a solid close-up routine. But a good, whole stage routine: about a year! Respect stage magicians, it's alot harder than you think!

I don't want anyone to get ofended by this, but I think you have it backwards.
stage magic (Most of it... not all *cough*copperfield*cough*) is just about dancing. you move around and act like you have some sort of supernatural powers, (like making the statue of liberty disappear).
but the reality of it is, Copperfield does nothing. he makes it seem as if he is doing these miraculous things, but it is the people pulling ropes and turning mirrors and releasing the smoke that do the real work.
Sorry to break it to you.

You're entitled to your opinion, obviously. But to say that Copperfield does nothing shows an ignorance of what goes into the creation of stage magic and the duties of the performer once on stage. The coordination of actions, sound, misdirection, and the like is much more complex than you are giving him credit.

I'm a close-up peformer, but respect the incredible amount of time and energy stage performers put into their acts. I don't have to build anything, I don't have to misdirect a crowd of a thousand or more. I'm in complete control of everything that happens and do not have to worry if something goes wrong with an assistant. I don't have to coordinate each and every action and statement with each movement and with music...

and so on

well, what other magician does pyshcological tricks live?

All of them... What do you mean, James HP?

i
put that badly.....


one of the post said that blaine is a cheater because he deletes tricks like the 1-50 =37 trick. i just wanted to point out that very few magicians pefroem that live as it can go wrong sooo often

Aha, that makes sense! Thanks :) Yeah, I don't know how you can fault Blaine for only including the best moments.

One of the funniest stories is to hear David Willimson describe when Copperfield did cigarette through Quarter on Johnny Carson. How he nonchalantly asks Ed and Johnny if they have a quarter he can borrow... then Ed pulls out this quarter from his pocket and is very careful to gingerly hand it to David while only showing one side of it...

I guess we'd all take these types of liberties if we were on National television. I agree, JohnHP.