Tom Moore wrote: It does a huge disservice to all sides to lump uri (who's placed himself firmly in the entertainment world for the last 30 years) in with the people who are exploiting death and misery for pure financial gain.
You're right. Geller merely exploits death and misery for pure publicity (see his Tweets about Indonesian plane crash)
Some magicians, like Richard, see that ugly plane stunt as merely a distasteful aberration, comparing it to Penn and Teller's pistol trick. It's a matter of opinion. I see it as much worse, along the lines of what Sally Morgan is doing.
Tom, you say Geller has, "placed himself firmly in the entertainment world for the last 30 years," but have a look at his website as compared to say, David Copperfield. Despite his wink and nods to being a "mystifier," he still clearly presents himself as having genuine psychic powers, indeed, enough so to think that he could corral his devotees into remote viewing the location of a missing plane.
From his website: "I am a believer...there are certain energy things that are outside of the norm ”- Clint Eastwood. And so on.
On the website there is also a lame "recommendation" from Copperfield. Disappointingly, it recalls the "debate" Howard Thurston had with Margery. Like Thurston, maybe Copperfield doesn't want to alienate potential customers.
Why does Geller need to have it both ways? And why do magicians afford him that luxury? Like Randi and Penn & Teller, I'm calling a spade a spade. Let him come clean once and for all, not slyly at a magic convention, but publicly on Oprah. Apologize for claiming he ever had psychic powers, and vow to entertain from now on as a magician. Sure, many would still believe in his psychic abilities, but he would be doing the right thing.
It's interesting that everyone has their own line of ethics and morality when it comes to this sort of thing. Tom, you seem to draw a line at people who "exploit death and misery for financial gain." And you have your own definition of that, which I assume includes the magician Sally Morgan.