Uri Geller calls off 20-year ban on Pokémon trading card that 'stole' his 'signature image'
- Reference: 1606739410
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/11/30/uri_geller_pokemon/
- Source link:
Because we suppose that Geller is a yellow fox-dinosaur thing and not the Israeli illusionist we all thought him to be.
For the grownups in the room, we're talking about [1]Kadabra – a character from Nintendo's popular Pokémon media franchise that spans video games, TV shows, films, comics, books and more.
Back in 2000, Geller sued the Japanese gaming mainstay for "unauthorised use of his name on Pokémon cards and related materials", as the [2]BBC reported at the time.
"Nintendo turned me into an evil, occult Pokémon character," he claimed. "Nintendo stole my identity by using my name and my signature image."
What does this have to do with Kadabra? Aside from the fact that the psychic-type monster wields a spoon, the Pokémon's Japanese name has been rendered as "Yungerer, Yungeller, and Yun Geller", [3]according to games site Kotaku .
Following the legal action, Kadabra ceased to be printed on trading cards from 2003, though other stages of the Pokémon's evolution, Abra and Alakazam, continued to appear, despite them also referencing actual magicians – [4]"Casey" from Edgar Cayce, and [5]"Foodin" from Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin or Harry Houdini. It helps if they're dead.
The Register notes that Alakazam has not one spoon, but two, and its evolution – Mega Alakazam – four.
It seems the magician has got over it, however, as Geller emailed [6]The Gamer with the good (?) news: "Due to the tremendous volume of emails I am still getting begging me to allow Nintendo to bring back Kadabra/Yungeller, I sent... a letter to the chairman of Nintendo giving them permission to relaunch the Uri Geller Kadabra/Yungeller worldwide."
Geller said the letter was picked up by "two Nintendo representatives" but it's yet to be confirmed whether the character will return to the trading card game.
Geller then tweeted:
I am truly sorry for what I did 20 years ago. Kids and grownups I am releasing the ban. It’s now all up to [7]#Nintendo to bring my [8]#kadabra [9]#pokemon card back.
It will probably be one of the rarest cards now! Much energy and love to all! [10]https://t.co/Rv1aJFlIKS [11]pic.twitter.com/5zDMX5S8WA — Uri Geller (@TheUriGeller) [12]November 28, 2020
The magician made his millions by proclaiming himself a psychic capable of telepathy and bending cutlery with his mind alone – powers he says were bestowed upon him by an alien. However, Geller has been [13]caught cheating on several occasions that revealed him to be employing pretty stock misdirection techniques common to all of stage magic.
At one stage, the Spoon Council was keen on having him as honorary lifetime president, but Geller was less thrilled by suggestions he'd be nothing without the utensil and that he has an affinity for "simple, shallow, depressed objects". ®
[14]Youtube Video
Get our [15]Tech Resources
[1] https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Kadabra_(Pok%C3%A9mon)
[2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1003454.stm
[3] https://kotaku.com/uri-geller-says-nintendo-can-print-kadabra-on-pokemon-c-1845769417
[4] https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Abra_(Pok%C3%A9mon)#Name_origin
[5] https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Alakazam_(Pok%C3%A9mon)#Name_origin
[6] https://www.thegamer.com/uri-geller-nintendo-permission-kadabra-pokemon-cards/
[7] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nintendo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8] https://twitter.com/hashtag/kadabra?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9] https://twitter.com/hashtag/pokemon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10] https://t.co/Rv1aJFlIKS
[11] https://t.co/5zDMX5S8WA
[12] https://twitter.com/TheUriGeller/status/1332794451727691777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJceUt59zn0
[14] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPY-Eo2XMjs
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
He at least deserves a "Me and my Spoon" column in the Private Eye!
Geller is indeed a thing. He doesn't seem to have sued anybody in quite a long time, but he still occasionally pops up with schemes likes this one to grab attention.
I suspect that his various legal actions against Randi and others were just publicity stunts, however they probably got a bit too expensive. Maybe when he was flavour of the month he could make more than enough from the publicity to offset the legal costs, but I suspect these days his income from the publicity is somewhat smaller.
At least he doesn't seem to have jumped on three COVID-19 conspiracy gravy train (yet) like all the other attention junkies.
Hardly unexpected.
A celebrity whose star is on the wane will do anything to get their name on people's lips.
This seems a rather simple way to bolster good will, keep his existence known and (if Nintendo bite) have a reason to stay on the minds of millions of Pokemon players worldwide.
I hope Nintendo ignore this and carry on as if nothing changed.
Re: Hardly unexpected.
I hope Nintendo ignore this and carry on as if nothing changed.
Nintendo are very good at that, especially when it comes to online services.
Re: Hardly unexpected.
Credit to Uri for the spoon council video which was a nicely acted piece that he agreed to film as a send up of himself.
He might be a celebrity on the wane but being willing to be involved in making yourself look a fool isn't that common as a celebrity.
Re: being willing to be involved in making yourself look a fool
I'm sorry, I thought there were thousands of those on YouTube already.
Re: being willing to be involved in making yourself look a fool
Some are even kind of funny... [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13s9vzXMbks
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13s9vzXMbks
made his millions by proclaiming himself a psychic
A local pub used to have a big poster outside saying "Psychic Night Mon 9th Nov 7.30pm"
I mean, wouldn't they have known when and where it was anyway due to their magical foreseeing powers?
Re: made his millions by proclaiming himself a psychic
The Psychic Night next Wednesday is unfortunately cancelled.
But you knew that already, didn't you?
Re: made his millions by proclaiming himself a psychic
Cancelled now, but will be rescheduled on Monday for Thursday. See, I'm psy something something...
Re: made his millions by proclaiming himself a psychic
Clinton Baptiste by any chance?
Came off the recommended list.
Re: made his millions by proclaiming himself a psychic
I did once see a sign outside a pub saying "Psychic night cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances"
Re: made his millions by proclaiming himself a psychic
That sign was seen regularly on the door of ‘The Psychic Bookshop’ on Great Queen Street in the 80’s
Re: made his millions by proclaiming himself a psychic
Yes, but the poster was for the audience, not the psychic.
For me its had the opposite effect and highlights it was him why many people could have an incomplete collection from back then. He should have just done this silently... but now everybody knows.
Well done.
Who Cares.
This is probably a way of Geller getting attention away from all those videos of James Randi, unmasking Geller as a charlatan, doing the rounds since Randi died last month.
Re: Who Cares.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truth_About_Uri_Geller
"The court dismissed the case and Geller had to eventually settle the case at a cost of $120,000."
"Whether people talk about me for good or bad, it doesn't matter. The main thing is that they are talking about me!"
I didn't realise Geller was still a thing.
I can only assume he is lacking attention at the moment.