David Blaine Nominated For Houdini Award



(image via gawker)

Do you believe in magic? Magician David Blaine has been nominated for a first ever Houdini Award from the Scranton Museum. At present he is dangling at Wollman Rink in NYC's Central Park, upside down, getting a tremendous amount of press. The Corsair emailed Supernormalist Dick Brooks and Dorothy Dietrich about the award at the museum and about all-things-magical.

The Corsair: David Blaine was buried alive for seven days, frozen in a block of ice or hung upside down for 60 hours. Could Houdini -- of he were alive today -- have topped that?

Dick Brooks and Dorothy Dietrich: Houdini would not have had to top it. They have two different styles. Blaine creates spectacular media events. Houdini did so in a different way and was a dynamic stage performer who would get standing ovations when he performed before 2 to 6 thousand seat houses. Houdini was very competitive in nature. If he were alive today it would be very exciting. He would not only be stealing the headlines with his feats but would inspire a whole new generation of young competitors, magicians and escape artists as he has inspired David Blaine. For sure it would bring magic to a new level in the variety arts. I have become the first women to do the bullet catch in the mouth because of Houdini and the first woman to escape from a straight jacket while hanging hundreds of feet in the air attached to a burning rope because Houdini never did. But Houdini is non the less the one we all strive to beat, but never will.

The Corsair: In the press release it says "Penn and Teller were in the running for nomination but did not make the cut this year." What happened?

Dick Brooks and Dorothy Dietrich:: Randi kind of took that box of a thinking man's magician and of exposing people who claim to contact the dead through trickery. Penn & Teller are probably two of the most creative people on the planet, however. Maybe next year.

The Corsair: Criss Angel made Hugh Heffner's girlfriend disappear. Does that give him the early edge?

Dick Brooks and Dorothy Dietrich: (We) can think of a lot of feminists who would like Criss Angel to make Hugh Heffner disappear.

The Corsair: Apparently in New York there are pictures of David Blaine resting for periods of time as he is supposed to be hanging upside down. I call shenanigans. Will this revelation hurt Blaine in getting the First Ever Houdini Award?

Dick Brooks and Dorothy Dietrich: The award is being given for a body of work done by the performers mentions, not just one event. Blaine has a two hour network special, that trumps all. I would like to see any of the other Blaine wannabe performers top what he is doing. We are with him all the way."