James Randi: The Former Magician Who Exposed Fakes, Frauds, and Charlatans

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Source/Further reading:
www.nytimes.com/2001/02/17/ar...
www.economist.com/obituary/20...
www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/ob...
web.archive.org/web/200709301...
www.npr.org/2020/10/22/926717...
thehumanist.com/commentary/th...
www.theguardian.com/stage/202...
www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/...
www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/ma...
books.google.ro/books?id=ko7Y...
www.macfound.org/fellows/clas...
www.newscientist.com/article/...
www.nature.com/news/2004/0410...
www.wired.com/2007/03/james-r...
www.gq.com/story/peter-popoff...
skepticalinquirer.org/history...
www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...
archive.randi.org/site/index.p...
web.randi.org/home/archives/0...
apnews.com/article/james-rand...

Пікірлер: 1 500

  • @fvckyoutubescensorshipandt2718
    @fvckyoutubescensorshipandt27183 жыл бұрын

    "My final wish is to be cremated and my ashes tossed into Uri Gellar's eyes." What a legend.

  • @DarylReeceJames

    @DarylReeceJames

    3 жыл бұрын

    :D I wonder if he ever made it! Loved The Amazing James Randi, He had amazing wit and was a very intelligent man who is very much missed.

  • @judithslone6472

    @judithslone6472

    3 жыл бұрын

    😂😂😂

  • @michaelimbesi2314

    @michaelimbesi2314

    3 жыл бұрын

    Came here to say this.

  • @nicks6657

    @nicks6657

    3 жыл бұрын

    Cool name

  • @Rob-tq7xq

    @Rob-tq7xq

    3 жыл бұрын

    He’s a legend

  • @WeirdExplorer
    @WeirdExplorer3 жыл бұрын

    I met him once. I went to one of his lectures when I was a kid. When I asked him to sign my ticket stub, he sent me a signed copy of one of his books. He was such a good man.

  • @bjkarana

    @bjkarana

    3 жыл бұрын

    so cool!

  • @dudepool7530

    @dudepool7530

    3 жыл бұрын

    You lucky sombitch! Im jealous, and Im okay with that.

  • @jacktastick

    @jacktastick

    3 жыл бұрын

    Simon must be a lot older than he looks...

  • @stmounts

    @stmounts

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@jacktastick It's hard to tell in the case of a chrome dome...

  • @ARISUinW0NDERLAND

    @ARISUinW0NDERLAND

    3 жыл бұрын

    Wow. That's an amazing memory. What a great dude.

  • @catherinehaven7015
    @catherinehaven70153 жыл бұрын

    The first person to submit a cereal box as legal evidence. He stated that Uri Geller’s bending spoons was a trick that could be learned from a cereal box. Geller took him to court for defamation, so Randi brought the actual cereal box. The judge dropped the suit. EPIC. ABSOLUTELY EPIC.

  • @OldSkullInn

    @OldSkullInn

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yeah, Randi seemed like a more friendly version of Octavian/Augustus.

  • @johnbockelie3899

    @johnbockelie3899

    3 жыл бұрын

    Houdini also went after fake seers in his time.

  • @mrd1433

    @mrd1433

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@johnbockelie3899 and then his wife wasted her money on so called mediums trying to talk to his ghost.

  • @alexandercanella4479

    @alexandercanella4479

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@mrd1433 Really?

  • @alexandercanella4479

    @alexandercanella4479

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@mrd1433 Can you share a source?

  • @qwellen7521
    @qwellen75213 жыл бұрын

    If people actually had psychic powers, they would not be using it to bend spoons.

  • @michaelsayavong2656

    @michaelsayavong2656

    3 жыл бұрын

    If most people had psychic powers powers , they would use it to get rich. Like cheating the stock market or beating casino games. Hell if I could see the future or read minds I could break any law I want, knowing the police will never catch me. Even if they did, what would they say in court? That the defendant is a superpower mutant?

  • @sluttymctits4496

    @sluttymctits4496

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@ViscousVoice - Thank you, beat me to it. If he was talking about his girlfriend or wife, I'd begrudgingly let it slide. But if someone dreams of forcing miscellaneous women to be at his beck and call and obey his every whim, that's problematic, to put it lightly. I'm sure someone will call me a feminist snowflake or something, but that dude clearly doesn't respect a person's autonomy and has some deep-seated issues with boundaries.

  • @jamescarter3196

    @jamescarter3196

    3 жыл бұрын

    And they wouldn’t be telling the general public about it, or trying to associate with liars like James Randi. Robert Lindblad won Randi’s ‘Put Up or Shut Up’ contest in the ‘90s but Randi didn’t award the prize because it would have made him look bad. He is often quoted as having said, regarding having no intention of giving out the prize, “I always have an out- I’m right!” and when asked about that quote, he acted like it’s a valid explanation, because he was a massive egotist who would rather be a liar just like the people he debunked, than admit he was wrong.

  • @k3nny111

    @k3nny111

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@michaelsayavong2656 Rich like Uri Geller?

  • @honeysucklecat

    @honeysucklecat

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@ViscousVoice he’s being honest. I suspect most men would be seduced into becoming a rapist if they had mental powers. Women too. Power corrupts everyone

  • @craigh5236
    @craigh52363 жыл бұрын

    “It's Easier to Fool People Than It Is to Convince Them That They Have Been Fooled.” - Mark Twain.

  • @dudepool7530

    @dudepool7530

    3 жыл бұрын

    I feel like James had a poster of Mark Twain, and another of Houdini on his bedroom wall as a kid lmao.

  • @bmcsshop272

    @bmcsshop272

    3 жыл бұрын

    Kind of sums up our politics right now

  • @forcedtohaveahandle

    @forcedtohaveahandle

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@bmcsshop272 since always

  • @Fiedman

    @Fiedman

    3 жыл бұрын

    The easiest people to fool are conspiracy theorists, tell them the most out there theory you can think of but as long as it has a shred of believability they will believe it.

  • @evanroberts2771

    @evanroberts2771

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Fiedman That's because 'Truth is often stranger than fiction'.

  • @jimland4359
    @jimland43593 жыл бұрын

    I bend spoons all the time, just not intentionally. That ice cream can be thick.

  • @KonnyP

    @KonnyP

    3 жыл бұрын

    my mind thought metal spoons by default and I was about to comment man what sort of ice cream is that 😂

  • @k3nny111

    @k3nny111

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@KonnyP deep frozen ice cream can absolutely bend metal spoons

  • @judithslone6472

    @judithslone6472

    3 жыл бұрын

    Oh man,I do this all the time.

  • @neoqwerty

    @neoqwerty

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@KonnyP I've had to un-bend SEVERAL dozen metal spoons with just normal, non-luxuriously-fluffy ice cream here in Canada. I had ONE good spoon that didn't bend to ice cream and I've used that thing to dig in hard-packed dirt in an emergency before, every normal metal spoon you can buy for cheap can bend from ice cream if it bends just from fingers.

  • @CorbCorbin

    @CorbCorbin

    3 жыл бұрын

    Hot water on the spoon will help. Magic...

  • @ethanramos4441
    @ethanramos44413 жыл бұрын

    “Magicians are the honest people in the world; they tell you they’re gonna fool you, and then they do it” James Randi

  • @bostonblackie9503

    @bostonblackie9503

    3 жыл бұрын

    Randi was a spoiler, Keller was an act, a performance. In those times the typical magic show was so repetitive people were sick of it. Keller found a way to get people interested again. As usual people just tried to figure out how he did it.

  • @davidjorgensen877

    @davidjorgensen877

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@bostonblackie9503 Randi didn't spoil the secrets of honest magicians, only of those who claimed to possess genuine paranormal powers. He would have honoured Kellar just as Houdini did. There's a fine line between a magic show, where people pay to be entertained, and chicanery, which profits from people's ignorance and superstition. Whether or not the paranormal actually exists is not the issue, it's whether or not the people claiming it does are being truthful or are just grifting those who deeply wish to believe in it. What Randi did was a public service, just as Houdini did in his later years.

  • @cherrydragon3120

    @cherrydragon3120

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@davidjorgensen877 agreed tho. Why spoil the secrets of a honest magician? He was one himself. He knows the trade. But those who claim to have REAL powers put magicians into a bad lighting. Hence why he exposed them

  • @redredmane5544

    @redredmane5544

    Жыл бұрын

    The reality is this: A kid is alone with a magician who just got done blowing the audience away. Now, both are on the top floor of a burning building. The kid screams “the fire is almost here!!! The floor below is blazing and the carpets are turning black, .. SAVE US WITH YOUR MAGIC!!!” The magician replies “I’m sorry kid! I don’t have supernatural abilities. I’m just a “trickster!!!” Im just as stuck here as YOU are!!!”… Both parties break a window and start screaming for help as the crowds gather and the firefighters arrive. It takes more than illusions and tricks to get yourself out of a burning building. A damn good magician would not be able to escape a maximum security prison, either, because he ( or she ) would not have access to his or her props, mirrors, dry ice and smoke machines!!! Yuri Geller CERTAINLY cannot bend PRISON BARS!!!

  • @ALuimes

    @ALuimes

    5 ай бұрын

    @@redredmane5544 I'm amazed that people were so entertained by TV specials of illusionists like David Copperfield in the 1980's. There was one where he "escaped" from Alcatraz with guards trying to stop him, etc. It was so obviously easy to fake that I fail to see the entertainment value in that.

  • @ALHat22
    @ALHat223 жыл бұрын

    What really makes me upset are the “psychics, spiritualist, and mediums” that play on hurting people’s emotions to make money. People that have lost love ones, people that have loved ones that are missing, or were deeply loved then passed away-It’s truly evil.

  • @ross-carlson

    @ross-carlson

    3 жыл бұрын

    So you mean EVERYONE claiming to have ANY supernatural power - HORRIBLE people indeed.

  • @bobshark123

    @bobshark123

    3 жыл бұрын

    I understand what you are saying but this is a 2 sided coin. Ever think the bereaved are so at a loss that they willing to take any kind of contact? Even if their subconscious knows it may not be real, their conscious needs that perceived contact or connection? A comfort blanket you could say. Not unlike the bible?

  • @honeysucklecat

    @honeysucklecat

    3 жыл бұрын

    They’re trumpturds - people who lie for their own glory. Psychotic bullies, narcissists, greedy and incapable of compassion, like trumpler, they abuse for their own pleasure

  • @bobshark123

    @bobshark123

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@honeysucklecat nothing wrong with a touch of narcissism

  • @Oblivisci........

    @Oblivisci........

    3 жыл бұрын

    Youre talking about televangelists right?

  • @conors4430
    @conors44303 жыл бұрын

    James was a great man. No one ever won that $1 million. And we all know why

  • @promethium-145

    @promethium-145

    3 жыл бұрын

    No we don't. We shouldn't pretend to know. Also, I thought James Randi cancelled the challenge.

  • @Xydorf

    @Xydorf

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@promethium-145 yes we do :-)

  • @promethium-145

    @promethium-145

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Xydorf No, you don't. There's a lot left to explain.

  • @Tureynul

    @Tureynul

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@promethium-145 we can all agree that the number of things we can't explain yet keeps shrinking though, right?

  • @promethium-145

    @promethium-145

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Tureynul It does. But I think our rate of mystery solving has slowed down. At this point, we're doing more speculation with physics than making new discoveries.

  • @theofficialsikris
    @theofficialsikris3 жыл бұрын

    James Randi, what a legend, thank you for covering him, Simon. Truly an inspiration, a man who devoted his life to entertaining others, but also to ensuring that the *TRUTH* was at the forefront of everything he did.

  • @bostonblackie9503

    @bostonblackie9503

    3 жыл бұрын

    I never found him very entertaining, actually boring!

  • @theofficialsikris

    @theofficialsikris

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@bostonblackie9503 Thank you for contributing your negative comment to my 2 month old one. Really appreciate it. 👍

  • @0001nika

    @0001nika

    2 жыл бұрын

    Legend in his own mind

  • @rredeyee2460
    @rredeyee24603 жыл бұрын

    "Throw my ashes in Uri Gellar's eyes"🤣

  • @leighpowell1062

    @leighpowell1062

    3 жыл бұрын

    Be careful he may spoon you

  • @justincarroll1836
    @justincarroll18363 жыл бұрын

    This man was better than the world deserved and his contributions are incredible. May he live on in history.

  • @hiebrantsify

    @hiebrantsify

    3 жыл бұрын

    He was exposing everyone except himself. He was who he hated the most. Charlatan, fraud and a fake.

  • @justincarroll1836

    @justincarroll1836

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@hiebrantsify um pardon? He was a stage magician but that's not exactly claiming super powers lol

  • @molayda

    @molayda

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@hiebrantsify Wow. Why do you even bother to watch these videos if you’re going to bring such a level of vitriol to them? He did an amazing amount for the community. He helped create the community. Either you’re being rude for the sake of it or you’re just a troll that disagrees with him.

  • @superscatboy

    @superscatboy

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@hiebrantsify You've completely and utterly missed the point. He fooled people and told them outright they were being fooled. The people he opposed were the ones that insisted they weren't fooling anyone and had real supernatural powers.

  • @gordonhill8164

    @gordonhill8164

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@hiebrantsify Calm down and take your meds.

  • @jimbo6238
    @jimbo62383 жыл бұрын

    you sponsored yourself for this vid simon... now that is legendary.

  • @codfan2057

    @codfan2057

    3 жыл бұрын

    Allegendly

  • @Bouldah

    @Bouldah

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@codfan2057 what

  • @codfan2057

    @codfan2057

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Bouldah Business Blaze reference.

  • @Direblade11

    @Direblade11

    3 жыл бұрын

    If only I could grow a beard

  • @RoamingSouthernNorway

    @RoamingSouthernNorway

    3 жыл бұрын

    Gone full circle!

  • @joseybryant7577
    @joseybryant75773 жыл бұрын

    Yes, Simon! You have delivered! James Randi, absolute LEGEND

  • @thefourshowflip

    @thefourshowflip

    3 жыл бұрын

    I would’ve said absolute legend, but as Simon said...the amazing Randi does not deal with absolutes 😉

  • @garyoa1

    @garyoa1

    3 жыл бұрын

    Without allegedly!

  • @codfan2057

    @codfan2057

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@garyoa1 allegendly

  • @SneedyKetler

    @SneedyKetler

    3 жыл бұрын

    One of the best channel productions yet.

  • @clarencefuller9843
    @clarencefuller98433 жыл бұрын

    “He wanted to be cremated and thrown into Uri Geller eyes.” Lmao

  • @lokishvibes202

    @lokishvibes202

    9 ай бұрын

    😂😂😂😂😂😂The man himself

  • @Paul-ur5kc
    @Paul-ur5kc3 жыл бұрын

    In March of 2009 I had the good fortune to meet with Mr. Randi at JREF HQ in Ft. Lauderdale FL and speak with him one on one for 2.5 hours uninterrupted in the library. It was an unforgettable experience. Mr. Randi was one of the most interesting and decent human beings I've ever met.

  • @SheldonHelms

    @SheldonHelms

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hi, Paul! :)

  • @Paul-ur5kc

    @Paul-ur5kc

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@SheldonHelms Slow evening on the left coast? :)

  • @elstabstab
    @elstabstab3 жыл бұрын

    That last part about his dying wish will have me chuckling randomly for the rest of the day. What a legend.

  • @DarkSideOfTheBrightSide
    @DarkSideOfTheBrightSide3 жыл бұрын

    _”no good deed goes unpunished.”_ Pretty much sums up his entire body of work, a hero is deemed a villain by the untrustworthy.

  • @dakrontu

    @dakrontu

    3 жыл бұрын

    A prophet is never welcome in his own home town.

  • @michaelconran5252
    @michaelconran52523 жыл бұрын

    I met him once when I was in 8th or 9th grade. I worked for a guy, a friend's dad, helping do various home improvement type stuff. We did the steps to a sunken living room in his home he had in south Florida. Never knew who he was, until I saw him on a Happy Days rerun. He had an interesting collection of odd objects and thought he was some kind of college professor. Even at 13 or 14, I found him to be a very fascinating individual. I have always really into history and science

  • @ispartacus1337

    @ispartacus1337

    3 жыл бұрын

    Supposedly his house had all sorts of weird and cool objects that he had collected over the years. I'm jealous.

  • @barrydysert2974

    @barrydysert2974

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing!:-) 🖖

  • @etymos6644
    @etymos66443 жыл бұрын

    James Randi was the absolute best. His curmudgeonly and dogged dedication to honesty and reason helped me become a much better and honest skeptic. Thank you, Randi, for all you did. You taught me that I can talk to the dead all I like, but I should never claim that they talk back...

  • @scroopynooperz9051

    @scroopynooperz9051

    3 жыл бұрын

    James Randi, Carl Sagan and Richard Feynman... these are the type of guys that teach you HOW to think and not what to think Invaluable lessons in this day and age.

  • @DerptyDerptyDUM

    @DerptyDerptyDUM

    3 жыл бұрын

    Hear hear.

  • @gram.

    @gram.

    3 жыл бұрын

    Rest in peace, Mr Rhandi. Thank you for your work. Very respectable man.

  • @TheLokiBiz

    @TheLokiBiz

    3 жыл бұрын

    "I think that people with mental aberrations who have family histories of inherited diseases and such, that something should be done seriously to educate them to prevent them from procreating. I think they should be gathered together in a suitable place and have it demonstrated for them what their procreation would mean for the human race. " - James Randi.

  • @kse8348

    @kse8348

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Big Bill Gates that is not what the nazis did, its daft comparisons like that coming from idiots that makes the religiotarded confused

  • @whyme777x
    @whyme777x3 жыл бұрын

    Well this is one helluva way to find out he died last October :( I was always hoping to meet him one day

  • @jonnysupreme

    @jonnysupreme

    3 жыл бұрын

    You still might (If you believe that crap) 🤣

  • @whyme777x

    @whyme777x

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@jonnysupreme I think anyone who genuinely wants to meet him is already resigned to the fact they won't :P

  • @dudepool7530

    @dudepool7530

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@jonnysupreme Ha! I got that reference!

  • @redstateforever

    @redstateforever

    3 жыл бұрын

    I knew he was really old, but I didn’t know he’d passed, either. Interesting life.

  • @pretendtobenormal8064

    @pretendtobenormal8064

    19 күн бұрын

    @@jonnysupreme LOL 🤣

  • @dodge96neon
    @dodge96neon3 жыл бұрын

    when houdini's mom died he so wanted to talk with her spirit that he went to people who claimed that they could talk to the dead. he quickly found out that there were many fakes and frauds . he spent a great deal of the rest of his life exposing them

  • @superscatboy

    @superscatboy

    3 жыл бұрын

    Arthur Conan Doyle of all people took Houdini to a psychic to talk to his mother. The psychic performed an act of "automatic writing" where she went into a trance, claimed to be channeling Houdini's mother, and wrote a letter to him. It would've been a great trick if it wasn't for the facts that she wrote it in English (a language his mother didn't know) called him Harry (which his mother never did) and signed it with a crucifix (even though his mother was Jewish). Needless to say this angered Houdini somewhat.

  • @Mtz2604

    @Mtz2604

    3 жыл бұрын

    Playing to milk the money with people's loss and mourning is the lowest. A person going through a grieving process is so vulnerable and deserve respect.

  • @Mtz2604

    @Mtz2604

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Manuel Labor 78 oh, thanks! Since I'm the youngest daughter of all my mom's children. So my older siblings chose the name.... with my mom. 🤷🏻‍♀️

  • @Mtz2604

    @Mtz2604

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Manuel Labor 78 haha thanks

  • @jeremytheloner
    @jeremytheloner3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this. James Randi is a man who changed my life and introduced me to the realities of science and reason, as opposed to fantasy and chicanery. He was a great man that deserves much more recognition than he gets. Thank you, Mr. Randi!!

  • @sschmidtevalue
    @sschmidtevalue3 жыл бұрын

    I very briefly dated a woman who was into psychic stuff, particularly psychic surgery. I had seen Randi on the Tonight show, demonstrating to Johnny how that trick was done. The night this woman came over with photos of her trip to the Philippines to have this 'surgery' done is the night I broke up with her. I could tell that we were not going to have a good relationship because each of us was always going to be trying to change the other.

  • @agent_of_cthulhu
    @agent_of_cthulhu3 жыл бұрын

    Who doesn't love the Amazing Randi? Only the people he has exposed as frauds. He is an absolute legend. Great video, Simon.

  • @casinodelonge
    @casinodelonge3 жыл бұрын

    I'm a scientist and a skeptic with a pinch of "I want to believe" , I learned a lot from this, thank you Simon.

  • @ross-carlson
    @ross-carlson3 жыл бұрын

    As a skeptic yourself it's SO WONDERFUL to see you cover this amazing man!!

  • @bigbird2451
    @bigbird24513 жыл бұрын

    I'm honored to have been present at one meeting of The Skeptics Society at Cal Tech back in the mid eighties where the main presentation was a complete debunking of dowsing rods. Good fun.

  • @eggz09
    @eggz093 жыл бұрын

    You briefly mentioned him but you should really do an episode on BF Skinner. Incredibly fascinating and intelligent man, he really pulled no punches and was never afraid to Express his opinion. A week before he died he received a lifetime achievement award and used his acceptance speech to refute an entire subfield of psychology.

  • @caseylimbert266
    @caseylimbert2663 жыл бұрын

    This guy was wonderful, you can watch old recordings of TV shows of him making dishonest scam artists look like jackasses in front of the world

  • @Mr.Oberman
    @Mr.Oberman3 жыл бұрын

    If I had real "woowoo" psychic powers, I wouldn't use it for bending spoons 😂

  • @ReiverBlue1971

    @ReiverBlue1971

    3 жыл бұрын

    Fair point

  • @robertnett9793

    @robertnett9793

    2 жыл бұрын

    What if your only woowoo power was to bend spoons?

  • @ReiverBlue1971

    @ReiverBlue1971

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@robertnett9793 Also a fair point ;D

  • @Mr.Oberman

    @Mr.Oberman

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Robert Nett I Agree, also a fair point.

  • @Saikotic
    @Saikotic3 жыл бұрын

    Ashes thrown in Geller's eyes. Absolute mad lad!

  • @Marauder99991

    @Marauder99991

    3 жыл бұрын

    I would pay all the money I have to see it happen.

  • @clintstewart5545
    @clintstewart55453 жыл бұрын

    he was actually a hero ...

  • @djquinn11

    @djquinn11

    3 жыл бұрын

    For sure. Anyone who stands for truth and exposes lies is a hero in my book.

  • @taylorlibby7642
    @taylorlibby76423 жыл бұрын

    One of my favorite people! Wish he was still with us, but he sure gave us a lot while he was here!

  • @MrVvulf

    @MrVvulf

    3 жыл бұрын

    The best way to honor him is to be a skeptic, and teach kids to be skeptics. There are con artists all over the world, and most of us run into at least one per week (phone and email scams, etc.).

  • @Shadowofdeath1995
    @Shadowofdeath19953 жыл бұрын

    He was one my heroes. So sad that we lost him, but we got him for almost a 100 years and that is awesome!!!!

  • @joshklein7842
    @joshklein78423 жыл бұрын

    "My friend overdosed on his homeopathic medicine. He forgot to take them." -James Randi (paraphrase but he made a similar joke)

  • @henrybadd7116

    @henrybadd7116

    3 жыл бұрын

    Me too!

  • @Luubelaar

    @Luubelaar

    3 жыл бұрын

    Randi actually took an entire bottle of some homoeopathic remedy, saying that if it truly did what it claimed, he should be in great danger. Absolutely nothing happened. He did this several times.

  • @colindickson8034

    @colindickson8034

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Luubelaar it was homeopathic sleeping pills.

  • @byteresistor

    @byteresistor

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Luubelaar But he did die several years later. Coincidence? i think not.

  • @skrrtskrrt2410

    @skrrtskrrt2410

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@byteresistor 99.8% of people who died has seen the moon. Coincidence? I think not.

  • @richardfurness7556
    @richardfurness75563 жыл бұрын

    A great man. A global treasure. A paragon of intellectual integrity. And he radiated such warmth and concern for his fellow humans in every word he spoke.

  • @anonymousperson799
    @anonymousperson7993 жыл бұрын

    James Randi is such an inspiration! I would say may his soul rest in peace, but hey, he'd have wanted me to prove a soul exists first! ☺️

  • @anonymousperson799

    @anonymousperson799

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@PhilJakes my mistake! Corrected, ty.

  • @john-paulsilke893

    @john-paulsilke893

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@PhilJakes 😳😁😆. That’s hilarious and subtle at the same time.

  • @TheKing60210

    @TheKing60210

    3 жыл бұрын

    So is there an Afterlife or something?

  • @anonymousperson799

    @anonymousperson799

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@TheKing60210 Not that I know of, no.

  • @mzrohan3226
    @mzrohan32263 жыл бұрын

    Now this restores my faith in humanity

  • @RAS_Squints
    @RAS_Squints3 жыл бұрын

    'Be cremated and have his ash thrown in Yuri's eyes' What a mad lad legend

  • @matthewoverd9435
    @matthewoverd94353 жыл бұрын

    As a student of magic/mentalism I would like to point out that in his later life Uri Geller has taught his techniques to magicians and mentalists and has released DVD's teaching them a well. Also James Shaw/Banachek is one of the greatest mentalists to ever list he has created some of the best mentalist effects in the industry. Great video keep up the good work.

  • @matthewbyrd398
    @matthewbyrd3983 жыл бұрын

    Grew up watching him on The Tonight Show. He was awesome!

  • @pulepebane5679
    @pulepebane56793 жыл бұрын

    Few things in this life cause me more pain than knowing that I am incapable of growing a luxurious beard and therefore will never know the ecstacy of applying Simon branded beard oil.

  • @ferociousgumby

    @ferociousgumby

    3 жыл бұрын

    Do you have nose hairs? There's still hope.

  • @PhantomFilmAustralia

    @PhantomFilmAustralia

    3 жыл бұрын

    If James Randi had that beard oil, he may still be alive.

  • @elias_xp95

    @elias_xp95

    3 жыл бұрын

    You could always buy it for a real man.

  • @MrNorker77
    @MrNorker773 жыл бұрын

    You should really do an episode on Simon Whistler, that guy is everywhere.

  • @brendanthedreamer

    @brendanthedreamer

    3 жыл бұрын

    Honestly, if this channel ever goes defunct, THAT should be the final Biographics video.

  • @lordofthehouseofstormcrows8615
    @lordofthehouseofstormcrows86153 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for doing this one! His stage name says it all. His life's works proves that there has never been a person in the history of the world capable of communicating to any deceased human being. Thank you Mr. Randi! Your work will never be forgotten!

  • @yt.personal.identification
    @yt.personal.identification3 жыл бұрын

    His April's Fools presentation where he convinced an entire auditorium that he was about to hand over the money. Legendary.

  • @cscott9361
    @cscott93613 жыл бұрын

    I miss the great James Randy , especially his sense of humour . We desperately need people like him now , more than ever .

  • @MountainDewbies
    @MountainDewbies3 жыл бұрын

    The last statement was just truly amazing

  • @pennyjupiter7604
    @pennyjupiter76043 жыл бұрын

    “An Honest Liar” is such a great documentary.

  • @FranFerioli

    @FranFerioli

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes, but we need a full movie.

  • @darkaero

    @darkaero

    3 жыл бұрын

    It must have been hard for him to come out as gay when he was so old.

  • @DRAKED411
    @DRAKED4113 жыл бұрын

    Very much worth watching! Great job

  • @ryanrizzo4869
    @ryanrizzo48693 жыл бұрын

    Wonderful video! I've always been fascinated with mentalists. As usual, I'm here to request a Biographic on Chinese martial artist, Ip Man, mentor to the late, great Bruce Lee. Four over the top action films just can't do such a talented man justice quite like Biographics can. Thank you in advance! Keep up the great content! -A Loyal Subscriber

  • @valthor1972
    @valthor19723 жыл бұрын

    I got a chance to meet Mr Randi at the JREF in 1997, he was a great man and a lot of great stories. The world will miss him very much.

  • @M.M0709
    @M.M07093 жыл бұрын

    Could you do some episodes on African figures such as Thomas Sankara please?

  • @villagechillershorror228

    @villagechillershorror228

    3 жыл бұрын

    That would be a good one

  • @dakrontu

    @dakrontu

    3 жыл бұрын

    Or India's Sai Baba - now there's a scandal.

  • @georgeso4364

    @georgeso4364

    3 жыл бұрын

    dakrontu What did Sai Baba do?

  • @ivojanssen7376
    @ivojanssen73763 жыл бұрын

    I know it's a bit of a weird sugestion, but maybe you could do a video on Ruud Lubbers. He was the longest sitting prime-minister of The Netherlands. He is considered one of the best prime-minister of The Netherlands. I would like to see a video about the smart choices he made during his career. Like his smart way to prevent the placement of nuclear rockets in The Netherlands is one of the many examples. I know it might be a underrated sugestion, but i think a video on him would be a great opportunity to show how it was for a neutral, small frog country to cope with the cold war.

  • @treehouse318
    @treehouse3183 жыл бұрын

    what a great video! thank you, Simon. ❤

  • @appleman3216
    @appleman32163 жыл бұрын

    There's an anime that used this phenomenon in their episodes about ghost hunting. It's called Ghost Hunt and it's probably one of my most favorite paranormal anime, and I would recommend anyone who likes anime to watch the first 5 episodes to give it a chance.

  • @augustb.w.4778
    @augustb.w.47783 жыл бұрын

    Feels good to see both you and super eyepatch Wolf honoring him

  • @whocanChandlerCAN
    @whocanChandlerCAN3 жыл бұрын

    Another great video Simon!

  • @gram.
    @gram.3 жыл бұрын

    Well done Simon & crew, thank you. Nice homage to Rhandi, a good man and a respectful video.

  • @Chrisxerri
    @Chrisxerri3 жыл бұрын

    Honestly I'd never heard of this guy before. Thank you Simon for enlightening me!

  • @annakeye
    @annakeye3 жыл бұрын

    Fantastic biography of one of my favorite people. I watched some of the t.v. show where people came on to try and win the ten grand. Of course, as you said, it was never won. The thing is, that no matter how obviously these claimants were failing, he never tried to humiliate them further, being very gracious and thanking them for coming on the show.

  • @ReiverBlue1971

    @ReiverBlue1971

    3 жыл бұрын

    Indeed. A true gentleman

  • @traceymarshall4481
    @traceymarshall44813 жыл бұрын

    Love this guy, thanks for covering him..love all your channels Simon..can't get enough 🙂🥰

  • @keenandowling4998
    @keenandowling49983 жыл бұрын

    a few episodes into your channel and really enjoying it. reasonable, well researched and great presentation. subscribed! thank you and well done sir.

  • @jacko250
    @jacko2503 жыл бұрын

    YES! I love the fact you are doing a bio on Randi, such a deserving figure and criminally under appreciated by the mainstream. Other candidates who’s fascinating lives would make for great videos are: Josephine Baker Don Bradman Johan Cruyff Isadora Duncan Auguste Escoffier Bobby Fischer Antoni Gaudí Ray Harryhausen Jim Henson Le Corbusier Lumière Brothers Diego Maradona Marcel Marceau Georges Méliès Rudolf Nureyev John Peel Ayrton Senna Konstantin Stanislavski Lee Strasberg Dalton Trumbo Marie Tussaud

  • @justinweber4977
    @justinweber49773 жыл бұрын

    Criss Angel even went after a Gellar disciple once, pulling a sealed envelope out of his coat and asserting "I will give you $100,000 to tell me what the paper inside says."

  • @mauricedavis8261
    @mauricedavis82613 жыл бұрын

    Great episode as always!!! Fascinating 😎

  • @string_fellow_hawk
    @string_fellow_hawk9 ай бұрын

    Thank you to Radu Alexander for the story, and Simon's presentation. I knew of Randy before ,being a Penn & Teller fan for years . This help me gain more understanding of thier skepticism. I had read of the Geller incident but was cool to see it. Thanks for that as well.

  • @DibIrken
    @DibIrken3 жыл бұрын

    I enjoyed his exposés. Man left a lasting imprint to the world

  • @Filiolus
    @Filiolus3 жыл бұрын

    I found out about James Randi via Penn & Teller, both amazing themselves disproving people. (and just being great dudes lol), glad you are covering him. The guy had a very interesting life in the trade and was an absolute legend.

  • @SheldonHelms

    @SheldonHelms

    2 жыл бұрын

    Did you know that there would be no Penn & Teller without James Randi? He's the one who suggested (demanded?) that they form an act together. They were reluctant, but he insisted. He said they reminded him of Laurel & Hardy. And the rest is history!

  • @randymarsh261
    @randymarsh2613 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this❤️ love this channel

  • @danmorrison8194
    @danmorrison81943 жыл бұрын

    I don’t remember when I’ve been this excited for a KZread video!

  • @deecee784
    @deecee7843 жыл бұрын

    Regarding Uri Geller's Tonight show failure and his believer's reactions. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see !

  • @Luubelaar
    @Luubelaar3 жыл бұрын

    James Randi was a gift to the world. I am so grateful we had him for as long as we did. May he rest in peace. Thank you for being an awesome human, Mr Randi.

  • @flighttherapybullisticfpv133
    @flighttherapybullisticfpv1333 жыл бұрын

    What an absolute legendary figure... people like Randy dont get the credit they deserver and in time like these we need people like him more than ever.. Crisis cults and scam artists are rampant in America today as things get worse and worse and people look for more and more ways to escape reality

  • @claudettedelphis6476
    @claudettedelphis64763 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your information with us 🍁 Fascinating 🍄🐚🍃☘️

  • @g.b569
    @g.b5693 жыл бұрын

    Geez they arrested him for calling out the trick, how sensitive can you be

  • @dakrontu

    @dakrontu

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes, another example of Magic Christians claiming persecution by the vast seething hordes of atheists and fraud debunkers in America.

  • @jonhall2274

    @jonhall2274

    3 жыл бұрын

    That's religion for you, luckily he he did it in America, any Muslim dominated geographic or demographic area, and he would have been killed on the spot.

  • @georgeso4364

    @georgeso4364

    3 жыл бұрын

    Jon Hall Don’t let those Privileged People see your comment or they will report you for hate speech!

  • @redsampler2017

    @redsampler2017

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@georgeso4364 why would anyone report jon hall for hate speech? , i believe in Jesus but i despise religion.. its man-made nonsense, made up rules and tricks to keep people dumb. there are ten commandments, and even if you are not a believer those ''rules to live by'' aren,t so bad for anyone. if people ask me and wanna talk with me about my faith i have no problem with that what i do have a problem with is people pushing their believes on others , and that works both ways. also just because you can and may insult another person(as anyone has the right to his/hers own opinion) doesn,t mean you have to. too each their own.

  • @redram5150
    @redram51503 жыл бұрын

    I won a jackpot once. I had to ask people who knew to please not tell anyone else because, among other reasons, I kept dealing with people trying to rub up against me for “good luck”

  • @theblackbaron4119

    @theblackbaron4119

    3 жыл бұрын

    They did it wrong, they should have cut off your hands and feet to put them on a keychain. For good luck... It's barbaric.

  • @ScuzzMB
    @ScuzzMB3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for covering Randi, Simon. His work has been one of the few true inspirations in my life.

  • @TheK01234
    @TheK012343 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for doing this. He was a legendary inspiration.

  • @jonathanleach4086
    @jonathanleach40863 жыл бұрын

    Honestly, james Randi is an inspiration of mine. His work in debunking is one of the reasons I seek out to debunk false claims and religious indoctrination. We as a people are lesser without him

  • @josephrossi6775
    @josephrossi67753 жыл бұрын

    VIDEO SUGGESTION: ADMIRAL YI- The admiral that defeated the Japanese

  • @californiaweather4369

    @californiaweather4369

    3 жыл бұрын

    Extra Credits has a great series on him

  • @darter9000

    @darter9000

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@yaboibSLT I generally heard he died in the final battle of the Japanese invasion. He was nearly executed for refusing to fall into an obvious Japanese trap. Which his ‘replacement’ promptly fell for and restored his position.

  • @tanniestienie7833
    @tanniestienie78333 жыл бұрын

    Yay! One of my fave you tubers covering my beloved James! What a man he was... People like James should be immortal... Miss you you wonderful man!

  • @CrookedSkew
    @CrookedSkew2 жыл бұрын

    Excellent documentary! Thank you.

  • @stephjovi
    @stephjovi3 жыл бұрын

    Ah I was wondering when you'll make this, since Simon mentioned on Business that he admired James Randy. If ghosts were real James would've returned as ghost to get the 1 million dollars 😇

  • @DerptyDerptyDUM

    @DerptyDerptyDUM

    3 жыл бұрын

    😅

  • @anrit5972
    @anrit59723 жыл бұрын

    I remember seeing on tv when I was a kid, I also had parents that instilled the mindset of always question everything so that I could make a well reasoned judgement about things. After presenting my case as a ten year old that the notion of god and religion was a man made construct and a complete nonsense therefore I would no longer be attending church or Sunday school, my parents said that it was my choice and that they backed my decision. 40 years later they still attend their church and I have only entered them for the occasional wedding and funeral .

  • @kittymervine6115
    @kittymervine61153 жыл бұрын

    My daughter was his intern twice! He was a family friend, a dear person, and did what he did because he CARED about people. He worried about people that were scammed by others. His heart was large even if he was "small sized". He got my daughter into MIT by just writing a letter and checking in with those that admired him that worked there. He did so many things for others, never taking credit, just small things that made all the difference to that person and he taught my family to always take the time to do a favor for someone if you can, and help out always. THANK YOU SIMON!!!

  • @invincibleluis
    @invincibleluis3 жыл бұрын

    Would absolutely love if you could do the biographics of William Blake and John Milton. Absolutely love this channel. Keep them coming!

  • @bloodybritbastard
    @bloodybritbastard3 жыл бұрын

    Damn, he died last year? So sad. A great magician and seemed to be an honest seeker of truth in this world.

  • @EastyyBlogspot
    @EastyyBlogspot3 жыл бұрын

    That whole peter popoff thing was great, cannot stand "evangelists" especially using peoples belief to become rich

  • @tradergirljam

    @tradergirljam

    3 жыл бұрын

    We called them " scamvangilist'

  • @jonhall2274

    @jonhall2274

    3 жыл бұрын

    Then you should be mad at 99.9% of religious teachers, preachers, or anyone else who spreads it. Religion itself is a scam.

  • @albertangeloro5832
    @albertangeloro58323 жыл бұрын

    great video, thanks. in the 1960s and 70s he was often a very entertaining guest on the Long John Nebel radio show in NYC.

  • @Tarotgal8205
    @Tarotgal82053 жыл бұрын

    THANK YOU!!!!!!! I'm so excited, I suggested him.

  • @HallsteinI
    @HallsteinI3 жыл бұрын

    Uri Geller ultimately ended up leaving the US and establishing himself in the UK. He was invited to QI once where they made fun of him mercilessly.

  • @owenshebbeare2999

    @owenshebbeare2999

    3 жыл бұрын

    They made fun of him, as they should have.

  • @HappySinnar

    @HappySinnar

    3 жыл бұрын

    I don't mean to be a dick or anything, but having seen all the episodes of QI multiple times this made me curious as to why I couldn't remember this at all. He was on an episode of 8 out of 10 cats, not QI, and it was brutal to watch if anybody's curious.

  • @slake9727

    @slake9727

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Hidden it was hilarious. Sean Locke takes the piss out somebody like no one else.

  • @wanfu5634
    @wanfu56343 жыл бұрын

    Once people are emotionally invested, they have a hard time walking away. Call it pride, shame, or true belief, people will push back to gain equilibrium far more than confronting themselves and risking disillusionment. It's why when people tell me "Well, if you look at it logically..." I say "Stop". Because what you are about to say isn't about logic as much as a rationalization about whatever agenda you are pushing. Thanks James Randi for teaching me about the human condition.

  • @stmounts

    @stmounts

    3 жыл бұрын

    Same applies to religion. It only matters where you were born and how you were brainwashed, not any absolute and unprovable truth..

  • @forcedtohaveahandle

    @forcedtohaveahandle

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@stmounts no doubt

  • @ALuimes

    @ALuimes

    5 ай бұрын

    *"Well, if you look at it logically..." I say "Stop"* In other words, you're unwilling to think that maybe you're the one who's wrong.

  • @_nobodyxi
    @_nobodyxi Жыл бұрын

    You literally had me at the first quote Ive never heard a quote that mirrored me so perfectly

  • @joya4077
    @joya40773 жыл бұрын

    I really miss having him around. He continues to be an inspiration in my life and helps keep me grounded and skeptical of woo.

  • @valmid5069
    @valmid50693 жыл бұрын

    Harry Houdini: *Give me high five James!*

  • @gernnnblanstennn7862
    @gernnnblanstennn78623 жыл бұрын

    If spoon bending is your only psychic power you will never get into the Justice League or be allowed to join the Avengers.

  • @slake9727

    @slake9727

    3 жыл бұрын

    Well, could probably replace Hawkeye...

  • @qpSubZeroqp
    @qpSubZeroqp3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for doing a video on this absolute legend of a man. His office was literally 5 minutes from where I used to live

  • @Emily-the_funny_guys
    @Emily-the_funny_guys9 ай бұрын

    😂😂😂 love that last part. Then the ashes into Uri Gellers eyes

  • @dimiturtabakov1108
    @dimiturtabakov11083 жыл бұрын

    Man do I love Randy... One of the few videos which always gets me emotional is when he recalls his conversations with some of the victims (and that is what they are) of these charlatans (I think it was Popoff) - a small boy with some terrible ailment who, after not being "healed" for the Nth time was pondering weather he (the boy) might be evil and that's why God hates him and doesn't want him to get better... James barely got through the story. He wasn't only smart and talented, but also kind and caring; He didn't do what he did just to show himself smarter, but to try and prevent the unnecessary heartache of innocent people, caused by unscrupulous conmen and liars. He will be sorely missed! Thank you for the bio, Simon!