David Blaine, Expectations Met and Lost
Tension. Excitement. Skepticism. Thrills and Chills . . . some of the many emotional passing through people's minds while watching magician David Blaine's latest high profile stunt.
Robbed, unimpressed, ridiculous passed through other minds. Blaine, 35, had a myriad of excuses for why his expected death-defying stunt went wrong.
Blaine was hoisted by his heals over the Wollman ice rink in New York, Monday, and was to remain there until Wednesday night. However, he was seen taking regular breaks on his feet to drink liquids, urinate, and undergo medical checks. Many people claimed being misled into believing Blaine would remain upside down for the entire 60 hours.
Blaine shrugged off criticism, according to BBCNews.com, telling one interviewer that he was "not going to pee all over myself."
After the 60 hours of hanging, Blaine was to take a "Dive of Death" from a 44-foot-high platform. Just after 11 p.m., Blaine smiled and nodded to hundreds of fans watching as they screamed for him to jump. So he did, dropping straight down from the platform and touching the stage below ever so lightly with his toes before cables pulled him back up. Then, he hung in the air with a grin on his face, randomly kicking his legs as if he were running. The anticipated "Dive of Death" looked more like a bungee jump. The event ended with Blaine floating away attached to giant balloons.
Kenneth Leonor, businessman and part-time magician, called the three hours he spent in the park a waste of time, according to the NYDailyNews.com. "I think it was ridiculous," Leonor said. "Everybody was robbed of their time. Everyone thought he was going to jump, but he didn't live up to his expectations."
According to the NYDailyNews.com, a TMZ.com cameraman asked Blaine why the stunt was amiss."It wasn't meant to be what it was on TV," Blaine told the cameraman. Blaine reportedly shook his head and said the plan was for him to drop just a few feet before being whisked away by a harness attached to a batch of helium-filled balloons.
"But because of the president's speech, my show was delayed 15 minutes and all of the wind picked up," Blaine gave as an excuse.
Fans seemed both delighted and disappointed.
According to the NYDailyNews.com, Ivy Acevedo, from the Bronx, said, "It was amazing. He really pulled it off." While another onlooker said, "I am totally unimpressed. If his name hadn't been David Blaine I would never have come."