David Blaine: master of illusion or huckster of delusion?

It has become fashionable for people to dismiss David Blaine as a publicity-seeking huckster with delusions of magical grandeur; instead of the death-defying illusionist he fancies himself to be. And, it certainly did not help his credibility when he failed last night to break the "static apnea" (holding one's breath underwater) record of 8 minutes, 58 seconds - after weeks of hype (worthy of the second coming of Jesus Christ) and a 2-hour prime-time build-up on ABC-TV.

Nevertheless, I find Blaine's public stunts not only more awe-inspiring than anything his arch-critic and (authentic) magician David Copperfield does, but also more daring than anything the father of magicians Harry Houdini ever did.

In fact, I do not see how any reasonable person can deny that witnessing Blaine’s feats of human endurance - which include being buried inside a glass coffin for 7 days, being encased in a block of ice “frozen in time” for 61 hours and 40 minutes and standing on a 90-foot high pole only 22 inches in diameter for 35 hours without food – is infinitely more magical and riveting than watching Copperfield pretend to make another circus elephant disappear. And, despite running out of breath, the feat he accomplished last night sets yet another believe-it-or-not standard in this regard:

The man was “drowned alive” by being submerged in an 8-foot diameter, water-filled sphere for 7 days and 7 nights, and he concluded this daring do with the even more unbelievable stunt of holding his breath underwater for 7 minutes, 8 seconds, whilst performing an audacious escape from handcuffs and chains (the trick that made Houdini a sensation on the vaudeville circuit in the early 1900s).

Amazing!

Besides, as a former competitive swimmer who thought swimming 75 meters underwater for 90 seconds was a stunning feat of human endurance, I know first-hand that Blaine must possess supernatural powers to perform the stunt he completed last night. Oh, and did I mention that he does mind-blowing card tricks, and levitates too? (Admittedly, these street performances make him seem like a publicity-seeking huckster....)

But to all his naysayers, I say go take a dive in Blaine's water-filled sphere and see how you fare!

Here’s to David Blaine, the master illusionist of all time!!!

NOTE: Nevermind those who say that Blaine’s assault on the static apnea record should not be recognised because judges from the International Association for the Development of Apnea (IADA) could not verify that he inhaled no “pure oxygen” within two hours before the time count. After all, I’m sure the IADA record-holder did not spend 7 days and 7 nights submerged in a water-bubble with virtually no food before setting his record….

David Blaine, drowned alive