Question for Mentalist regarding Derren Brown

[CaptainWacky]

What's the point of his shows when he uses actors?

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a433964/derren-brown-apocalypse-star-revealed-as-fake.html

Now I know this article just links a SUN story, but I watched his Hero at 30,000 Feet show a couple of years ago and it was the exact same premise (Derren improves a random person's life by creating a scenario and making them think it's real) and the guy on it was BLATANTLY an actor. Like so obviously that I haven't watche any Derren Brown things since. I remember reading about it after and there was a lot of evidence showing he was an actor and there's a big long thread about Apocalpyse on DigitalSpy with lots of evidnce against the current guy and others featured in the show. So what's the point?

DEFEND YOUR IDOL.

 

[CaptainWacky]

The Derren Brown scandal is, in a lot of ways, even more shameful than the Jimmy Savile cover-up.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

A few people I've spoken to about it thought he was an actor too, before this story.

But if he was then surely Derren Brown would have to convince him to end his career right there and then, because any future roles would make it clear he'd been a trained actor all along? I mean they could say "oh, he became an actor afterwards to pursue the adrenaline rush he'd felt while genuinely believing he was living through the apocalypse" but no one would buy that.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

However, if this is true, then it's even worse a breach of public trust than the time Jimmy Saville faked his prediction of the lottery numbers.

 

[whisky]

He would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for those pesky kids.

 

[CaptainWacky]

The primary function of this thread is, of course, an attempt to troll Menty into posting.

As I said I didn't watch the Apocalypse thing, but did anyone else see the Hero at 30,000 Feet thing a couple of years ago? Because I was genuinely so convinced that he was an actor I was sure Derren was going to end the show saying "actually, the real illusion was on YOU, the audience!"

Also that one about betting where his betting system was just putting a bet on every possible outcome of a race sucked.

 

[CaptainWacky]

A few people I've spoken to about it thought he was an actor too, before this story.

But if he was then surely Derren Brown would have to convince him to end his career right there and then, because any future roles would make it clear he'd been a trained actor all along?

To be fair (and I have no interest in being fair when attempting to troll Menty), I shouldn't have said "actor"...more like he's just playing along with it. That's certainly what I thought when I watch the 30,000 Feet one so I wasn't surprised at all at the controversy this time.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

Countdown til rumours surface that Derren's been molesting men who appeared on his shows...

 

[CaptainWacky]

Menty is just as bad as Esther Rantzen.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

If you wake up in the middle of the night to find Derren Brown lurking in your room, and cannot remember going to bed that evening, nor taking off all your clothes and smearing yourself in another man's semen, do not be fooled by his panic stricken claims that he's using you in a new show, "but the camera crew and director have just popped out for a second".

 

[CaptainWacky]

Freddie Starr was angry at his arrest because it meant missing the second part of Apocalypse.

 

[Mentalist]

I don't think he was an actor. Also, I thought it was a great show. I didn't care for the 30,000ft one too much.

 

[Cassie]

[YOUTUBE]AqAqhaa0DhE[/YOUTUBE]

 

[CaptainWacky]

I didn't care for the 30,000ft one too much.

Did you think the guy was "playing along" LIKE I DID?

 

[Fuddlemiff]

Is ANYONE in tonight's one not an actor?

 

[CaptainWacky]

Not watching! What's it like?

 

[Fuddlemiff]

It was an interesting concept (Derren gets people to take a course of placebo capsules that he convinces them will solve their phobias or allergies, or in one briefly mentioned case it'd make them more intelligent).

The most ingenious element was finding 50 people who didn't find it suspicious that Derren Brown was involved, and also hadn't heard of the placebo effect.

Anyway, so he got these people to take the pills, then staged incidents where they'd be forced to face their fears (like in that TNG episode where Wes is tested at Starfleet Academy, only this involved an excruciatingly bad succession of actors).

It ended with a woman who had a fear of singing in public being put to sleep while wandering about town, then waking up in a dressing room and being led onstage to sing in front of a huge crowd. She wasn't a very good singer. I could see why she had a fear of singing in public. It was meant to be an uplifting ending, but it was just painful.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Did one of them have WEBBED FINGERS?

 

[headvoid]

I thought the "fear" guy eventually got involved breaking up the fight merely because he couldn't bear the acting any more.

JUST STOP IT, I CAN"T BEAR IT ESPECIALLY THE FAKE BOTTLE BEING SMASHED!

 

[Fuddlemiff]

He was very brave. Not to break up a fight, but to go on TV looking like that.