Houdini's Death "Embarrassing"(?)

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Dustin Stinett
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Houdini's Death "Embarrassing"(?)

Postby Dustin Stinett » August 4th, 2015, 2:37 pm

"They led their lives in a highly dignified fashion, distinguishing themselves so well that history continues to remember them. But all these important figures died in really embarrassing ways."
(Kind of like this guy's writing ...)

Houdini makes KC Morgan's list (and is the cover shot) of historical figures who died in "embarrassing ways":
http://allday.com/post/4571-11-importan ... sing-ways/

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Houdini's Death "Embarrassing"(?)

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 4th, 2015, 2:46 pm

He died in a stupid way because he refused to go to the doctor. If being a stubborn jackass which results in your death is embarrassing, then yes.
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Richard Stokes
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Re: Houdini's Death "Embarrassing"(?)

Postby Richard Stokes » August 4th, 2015, 4:29 pm

I’m reminded of the Naked Gun hospital dialogue where Nordberg (OJ Simpson) might end up a drooling vegetable.

Frank Drebin: A good cop, needlessly cut down and ambushed by some cowardly hoodlum.
Ed: That's no way for a man to die.
Frank : [being blunt] Ah, you're right, Ed. A parachute not opening... that's a way to die. Getting caught in the gears of a combine... having your nuts bit off by a Laplander, that's the way I wanna go!

Jonathan Pendragon
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Re: Houdini's Death "Embarrassing"(?)

Postby Jonathan Pendragon » August 4th, 2015, 5:50 pm

Ever since Jonathan Neal gave me my first copy of Frank Miller's "Dark Knight" I always remember Bruce/Batman stressing over wether what it is about to happen could result in a "good" death or a "stupid" death. Because of that there have been more than a few times that I thought, "Really, this isn't going to be "stupid", it's going to be whatever comes after stupid."

Patrick Culliton and I, on several occasions, presented, "The Houdini Mystery Show." Patrick Lectured and I performed several escapes, card flourishes and the Razor Blades, instead of the Needles. My life, injuries, physical performance style, mastery of Metamorphosis, and the bad ass escapes like the water boarding challenge shown on "Extreme Escapes" (I have done it three times and each time it gets to the point where I don't think I'm going to make it, it's really dangerous) as well as my work in Illusion and card manipulation, gives me a unique perspective on Houdini.

Hubris, it was hubris to allow someone to punch him in the stomach at his age. At the time US life expectancy for a male, was 55 years. It was hubris that kept him on stage in such pain. But, here's what you don't know, when you choose that road, you either become a survivor, screw-up, or find another job. Some people are born survivors, and I am not talking about social-economic Darwinism, it's more primitive, almost primal. It is sometimes called delayed startle effect. The rush is instant and time slows. It allows you to determine your options quickly and then react. Added to my years of physical training, it's saved my life many times. Houdini, undoubtedly, experienced a similar pathology. Stuntman and those who work high steal are often diagnosed with the behavior, mine seems connected to my OCD (it possible Houdini had OCD as well).

The combined attributes of physical agility, an inner strength, will to survive and the ability not to panic when it means the most, creates a false sense of your mortality. It happens after several dramatic events that you survive. You begin to believe that your brain and body can get you out of anything. You tough it out, it's painful but there is a rush that comes with that as well. Six months after the arrow punctured my heart, they gave me a stress test which uses a tread mill to elevate your hear rate. They asked me my age and weight and then set the angle and speed which they told me would bring my heart to the correct rate in about two minute. Twelve minutes and three corrections (angle and speed were raised) later my heart reached the desired rate. I was 54. Then you begin to push yourself, where are those limits. One day you push too far.

In my opinion, it was this frame of mind that drove Houdini to expect too much from the physique he had crafted all of his life. His final words reflected a man who had come to grips with the fact that he had finally learned the answer to his question: "Where are my metaphysical limits?"

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erdnasephile
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Re: Houdini's Death "Embarrassing"(?)

Postby erdnasephile » August 4th, 2015, 8:02 pm

The "traumatic appendicitis" that Houdini supposedly died of is exceedingly rare, but does exist (contrary to claims in the otherwise excellent, "The Secret Life of Houdini").

There are only 45 cases or so of trauma-related appendicitis in the medical literature, most of which involve more significant trauma than several human blows.

I'm not sure why the author of that article thinks this is "embarrassing"--if you really have to go, it's sort of cool to go in a such a unique way.

PS: J. Gordon Whitehead, the McGill student who delivered the blows, comes off as kinda crazy in the above book. I was also surprised to learn about the anonymous guy that punched Houdini in the stomach the day after as well. I guess something about Houdini or his rep just made people want to punch him.


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