David Blaine (Do Not Attempt, Buried Alive, Above the Below) is a magician, mentalist, and endurance performer. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss the deck of cards his mom gave him as a kid in Brooklyn, keeping his magic secret when he was young because other children are a brutal audience, and why his unique ability for breath holding was the beginning of his love of endurance. David and Dax talk about the reason he decided to do the buried alive endurance performance, how Buster Keaton informed him doing stunts in one take for Street Magic, and learning that he could change the course of his mother’s day with a simple trick. David explains the physical sensations of spending 44 days in a plexiglass box, why he doesn’t recommend eating glass, and how the most meaningful part of making his new show was the people he met.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapter 1: Who is David Blaine and what is his background in magic?
Of course. The mental control.
Yeah.
That's the fun part.
That's wild.
One of the most difficult episodes in the new show I did is India. It's the most difficult to watch because they show the suffering because then the people will give more because they say, oh, he's really doing it.
Often in the case of the Sikhs you do, this is a demonstration to God. It's an offering. So if you're suffering, it's even more... It's also showing that we don't live by the flesh.
We live by the spirit. That's why they do that. They desecrate. So, yes, that's part of the reason. But therefore, they like to show the blood. And for me, I was watching them do this. And it changed my whole idea of what I do. I'm like, oh, my God, I don't want to traumatize. It was so hard for me to accept that. I stopped them from doing what they do. And he's like, this is what I love doing.
Wow. This is my guru taught me. This is my passion. I was obsessed with this guy, Deepak, who's a circus performer, but his guru taught him how to break bottles over his head, how to dive on mounds of glass.
Monica, you can't imagine watching. It's one of the hardest things I've ever watched. It's a mound of glass. Of broken bottles. Like you dumped out a 55-gallon trash can. That much glass. He's walking on it, dancing on it. Then he's up in the air, body slamming on top of it.
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Chapter 2: How did David Blaine start his journey in endurance and breath holding?
Instead of, like, he's Dumbledore, like, the happy one.
Yeah, I know.
I go right there.
David signed a card for me that's up there that's really exciting.
Oh yeah, David Blaine.
Oh, I see it. The Ace of Dimes.
Now, the really crazy thing he did, and maybe we should talk about it because it's not on video.
Yeah, it's not. We might be getting video because when David's publicist was here and she took video, so hopefully we'll get it. But yeah, there was a trick that happened after the cameras were off.
That was, think of a category.
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