Is David Blaine a big cheater or what? The droopy-eyed "magician" is currently engaged in his latest stunt, hanging upside down for 60 hours in Central Park. Except that ever since he started yesterday afternoon, we've been getting emails from bystanders saying that he wasn't hanging upside down—instead, he was resting by standing on a platform, only to be hoisted up several minutes later. We don't know the official explanation, but whatever it is, this sure is a crappy stunt. Here's photographic evidence:
6:45 p.m. yesterday: Sent in at 2:15 today by reader Jesse Waites: Sent in about 4:00 today—even when he's not standing up on his cheating platform, he has a harness to hold up his head? I think we now know that his big ABC special tomorrow night is gonna be pretty anticlimactic. Got an explanation? Email us. [UPDATE: One reader writes in: "Myself and 3 colleagues were there today around 12: 45. We saw the same thing. The security there said the Emt's check him out for about 10 min per hour standing upright on the crane you have pictured." How can you hang upside down for 60 straight hours when you come down every hour? Ha, it's a trick question!] [UPDATE 2: Mollygood also noted Blaine's cheating ways yesterday. Backlash!] [UPDATE 3: We got this email from Patrick Smith, an executive vice president at Rubenstein Associates who is Blaine's flack:
Rubenstein Associates represents David Blaine and I personally have handled publicity for every one of his challenges. There has been no claim that David was going to hang upside down for 60 hours without a break. In all of his discussions with the media, he said he would have to occasionally get his head above his heart and lower his legs to correct circulation. About once every hour, David comes upright for about five minutes for a medical and equipment check. He has something to drink and he relieves himself, something even David can't do upside down. His doctors told him quite simply that if he didn't correct blood flow, he could die. David began the challenge at 8:34 am Monday and concludes at about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday. That's about 62 hours. Stop by the Wollman Rink, especially Wednesday night, and enjoy the spectacle. It's free. And give the guy a break.