I myself am Derren Brown proof. And he knows it! Okay, so here's my Derren Brown story:
One day at work I get a phone call from a complete stranger asking me if I want to be on Derren Brown's show. Since I needed to get out more, I said, yeah, sure. I was given a date and a public meeting place so off I toddled. Me and a bunch of others sat around in an empty restaurant in Borough while one at a time we had a private meeting with Derren upstairs. I remember the pilot episode of Lost had just been screened on C4 and people were praising it. Personally, I was underwhelmed after all the hoopla.
Anyway, during my private meeting Derren shows me some cards ... and that's it. I mention I've dabbled in self hypnosis for stress relief, blah blah blah chit chat blah blah blah.
We're then taken to some art installation/meditation thing nearby. It's like sitting in a giant ballon or something, all very peaceful. We all sit quietly and Derren sends us an image telepathically and we're supposed to draw it. Two of us didn't, but everyone else drew a flower.
We have a group chat and 'somehow' the conversation comes round to how we're all insomniacs. And how we all tried a free disc in Time Out. And how it didn't work for two of us - we're the same two who didn't draw a flower. I say I couldn't even listen to it, it made me feel weird. I didn't say it at the time, but the advert felt off. I didn't trust it. But I was desperate so sent off for the disc anyway. And when I returned it I noted on their comments form that it made me uncomfortable so I couldn't listen to it for more than a minute.
Get this. At the time no one seemed to figure it out. Even afterwards, on the way home, I just figured that the production company had simply bought the mailing list from the insomnia company (so maybe Derren did, somehow, make me think that, preventing me from jumping to the obvious.) When the show broadcast, that's when it became apparent that myself and the other woman were some sort of control group, or a challenge, since he knew we hadn't listened to the disc, and therefore had no prior programming to draw a flower while seated with a group of strangers in a giant balloon with Derren Brown!
Later that week, someone at work said, "Hey, Jane, was that you on Derren Brown last week?"
Da da da!!!!!
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"Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong."
Haha fabulous story. It's interesting. I have often said that Derren Brown subliminally makes himself attractive because I know loads of people who think he's decent when they know quite well he's not. It's mind control, I tell thee. He's got a lovely voice.
I think he does pretty interesting stuff but I'm surprised just how trusting and open people are, and how much they contribute themselves. One of these days I'll get around to reading his books.
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"Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong."
He studied psychology so a lot of what he does appeals to me because I'm very interested in human psychology. He did a two part show recently which was fabulous. He convinced a lazy twenty-one year old that the apocalypse was happening. He then introduced people and situations designed to bring out the best in him. Leadership. Responsibility. That sort of thing. It was really interesting viewing. There was another one where he gave an atheist a 'religious epiphany' based on words, actions and interactions. The power of suggestion. He's fabulous.
I missed the apocalypse one. I'll have to see if I can catch it online. I remember one where he was dealing with religion, but I don't remember him turning an atheist. Maybe I blanked it from my mind!
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"Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong."
Oh it was brill. Total 28 Days Later rip off and I found myself wondering “Is this real?” but it was great. I felt so so bad for the poor lad though. He was a right slacker before but he was lovely at the end. Hugging his mum and everything, aw. There was also one about the whole ‘gang mentality’ thing and anonymous cruelty. The audience put on a mask and were told to choose either a naughty or nice thing to happen to a perfect stranger who had been set up. It got to the point where they wanted him mugged, arrested and for him to lose his job and they gleefully rubbed their hands together when they clicked the red button to make him suffer more. Really interesting stuff. The things people will do if they’re in a gang and they think they’re anonymous.
Love Derren. I fancy him even more after thinking about his shows
I saw the gang mentality one. I was relieved to see some audience members not going along with the stupid cruel options. I would have liked to see interviews with the arses who voted for illegal violent things to happen to this guy, and have them asked why they don't know right from wrong, do they think it's alright if it's for the telly, or does the fact that Derren Brown is running the show make a difference!
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"Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong."
My mum was obsessed with Marc Bolan. She painted a mural of him on her bedroom wall when she was younger. She still maintains he is one of the sexiest men that ever lived.
I don't know much of Russell Howard aside from his appearance on Never Mind The Buzz****s and The Jonathan Ross Show awhile ago, though I agree he seems rather nice and amusing. Ha, but reading that now though, RougeSang, he'll probably have a bit of an 'N Sync stigma attached to him from now on whenever I see more of him.
And I've been meaning to watch All Creatures Great and Small, it's been added to my list of shows that I need to watch that has been growing at an alarmingly fast rate as of late. But oh gosh, he's adorable- it'll be exciting to see him around on the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special or whatever thing is going on with that.
I'll have to get onto it soon, once I've finished watching American Horror Story, which is also the BEST. I've had plenty to entertain my time whilst I've been waiting for Series 5 of Being Human haha
welcome to the forum!
