Quote: JuliaC @ September 11 2009, 11:53 PM BSTRight.
Was that sarcasm?
Derren Brown: Predicting the Lottery Page 12
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ September 11 2009, 11:46 PM BSTBecause it wasn't even remotely convincing.
And because it required the audience to believe in psychic powers.
I think your argument sort-of answers itself, Kev.
Quote: Tim Walker @ September 11 2009, 11:55 PM BSTI think your argument sort-of answers itself, Kev.
How so?
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ September 11 2009, 11:55 PM BSTWas that sarcasm?
Are you saying you think he was claiming some sort of psychic ability?
As has been said a dozen times: he is an entertainer - I was entertained. Of course it was a trick, but to say his explanation was lame is simplistic. It was detailed and interesting....and entertaining! I literally don't care whether it was real or not.
The fact that he spent the last few minutes of the show explaining how he could have fixed the result via tampering. The fact that he didn't show his lottery focus group "their" prediction before he revealed it either. The fact that he lied about "deep maths" and misrepresented the so-called "wisdom of crowds". The fact that he stated that automatic writing was used by frauds. The point of the exercise was to stir more debate, not to answer how the trick was performed. In some ways the whole programme tonight was an exercise in the technique of misdirection. As I said, don't be surprised if this lottery event is just one part of a bigger stunt.
Quote: Tim Walker @ September 12 2009, 12:03 AM BSTThe fact that he spent the last few minutes of the show explaining how he could have fixed the result via tampering. The fact that he didn't show his lottery focus group "their" prediction before he revealed it either. The fact that he lied about "deep maths" and misrepresented the so-called "wisdom of crowds". The fact that he stated that automatic writing was used by frauds. The point of the exercise was to stir more debate, not to answer how the trick was performed. In some ways the whole programme tonight was an exercise in the technique of misdirection. As I said, don't be surprised if this lottery event is just one part of a bigger stunt.
I hope so. I hoped the same about tonight's show. But I doubt it. I think he's just running out of ideas, clutching at straws.
Quote: JuliaC @ September 12 2009, 12:00 AM BSTAre you saying you think he was claiming some sort of psychic ability?
Yes.
Automatic writing is a pretend psychic lie. Derren Brown knows this. He said he got his prediction from automatic writing, ergo he was claiming a psychic ability, albeit on behalf of his volunteers rather than himself.
As has been said a dozen times: he is an entertainer - I was entertained. Of course it was a trick, but to say his explanation was lame is simplistic. It was detailed and interesting....and entertaining! I literally don't care whether it was real or not.
I think I see your point, but I think maybe I didn't make my point clear.
My point was that Derren has always fought against people who claim psychic abilities. He's a sceptic. A fairly outspoken one.
He's been bigging up his "prediction" and his reveal "that you can try at home" for at least a week.
But tonight, the explanation he gave for his lottery prediction was not the true method. The explanation he gave was not only false but also requires a belief in psychic powers.
DB doesn't do that. It's not part of his act. Never has been.
Tonight he asked his audience to risk their money on a false psychic phenomenon.
He went to the Dark Side.
Well of course you may be right. Then again, don't you think he's the sort of bloke that will have anticipated people calling tonight's show a let-down? It would have been far easier for him to just come clean with the true method if he'd wanted a polite round of applause. I think the shows this week are part of a larger social "experiment".
Quote: Tim Walker @ September 12 2009, 12:03 AM BSTThe fact that he spent the last few minutes of the show explaining how he could have fixed the result via tampering. The fact that he didn't show his lottery focus group "their" prediction before he revealed it either. The fact that he lied about "deep maths" and misrepresented the so-called "wisdom of crowds". The fact that he stated that automatic writing was used by frauds. The point of the exercise was to stir more debate, not to answer how the trick was performed. In some ways the whole programme tonight was an exercise in the technique of misdirection. As I said, don't be surprised if this lottery event is just one part of a bigger stunt.
I agree with this. Well summed up Tim.
Quote: Tim Walker @ September 12 2009, 12:22 AM BSTWell of course you may be right. Then again, don't you think he's the sort of bloke that will have anticipated people calling tonight's show a let-down? It would have been far easier for him to just come clean with the true method if he'd wanted a polite round of applause. I think the shows this week are part of a larger social "experiment".
Again, I genuinely hope so. His track record would suggest that level of ingenuity.
But I'm not sure how that could work, televisually. He'd have to assume that everybody would follow all four/five shows over four weeks closely enough to appreciate the final reveal. That's a long time to wait.
I felt slightly let down by the show tonight, I am a fan of Derren Brown usually, but he didn't explain how he predicted the numbers. I realise that the whole thing is probably one big illusion, that is his act and it is entertaining but the ending was anti-climatic for me.
I am more impressed by his feats of memory, which are amazing.(At least to me as I forget nearly everything.)
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ September 12 2009, 12:26 AM BSTBut I'm not sure how that could work, televisually. He'd have to assume that everybody would follow all four/five shows over four weeks closely enough to appreciate the final reveal. That's a long time to wait.
Then again, don't you think there's going to be all kinds of fuss in the papers about his "non confession" of fixing the machine? I would not want to be working in the Camelot press office/security over the next few days. This will run for at least another week until his mass hypnosis "experiment".
Just watched the repeat and it was a bit of a let down. To be fair to Brown (Derren, not Aaron) he did basically say at the end it was just a trick, but it's a shame he was plugging the show as "how he did it" when "how he did it" was revealed to be what we already knew - it was a trick.
Quote: Tim Walker @ September 12 2009, 12:35 AM BSTThen again, don't you think there's going to be all kinds of fuss in the papers about his "non confession" of fixing the machine? I would not want to be working in the Camelot press office/security over the next few days. This will run for at least another week until his mass hypnosis "experiment".
Interesting. I'm willing to entertain that idea.
I still reckon the more realistic option is that it was just massively misjudged.
Okay, I've jusr got in. How did he do it?
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ September 12 2009, 12:49 AM BSTOkay, I've jusr got in. How did he do it?
He didn't say, unfortunately.