On Michael Prescott's Blog a few years back it was brought up that often in the videos of him "Debunking" Paranormal Stuff, claiming to pull it off on unaware unassuming regular ordinary random people in the audience or on the street, often it's the same people that keep showing up (for instance even though he was in Europe in one and in the USA in another), suggesting he uses plants.
With some topics, it's strawman stuff (what they "debunk" doesn't match the actual phenomenon, or omits the more interesting aspects of the actual phenomenon from the "debunking", etc), or claiming to debunk remote viewing / mediumship courses or tests by fooling some of the more gullible uncritical woo-woo groups doing it to suggest they are *all* dumb like that (which is the "best of us, worst of them" type of logical fallacy, where you only show the idiots.) Or even suggestions that he uses clever TV editing on certain debunking shows to get the desired result out of people / the tests.
Also, the Police I believe exposed one of his programs he was claiming as real as a fraud.
Here's some links discussing all of that ...
Michael Prescott's Blog: I feel a cold (reading) coming on
Michael Prescott's Blog: Derren Brown part deux
bothererblog
BBC NEWS | Europe | Roulette gun stunt 'a hoax'
There were several other sources I read several years ago that had more information on this.
Also, the Derren Brown Fan people posting in the comments sections on that page obviously aren't interested in actual reasonable discussion or debate on these topics ...
"Nice to see the comments section filled with believers saying “sure, THIS is fake, obviously a scam, but the [insert random bunk phenomenon here] that I’ve experienced just has to be real.”
Gah. I despair sometimes.
And to the guy who is throwing around the statement that he’s been a paranormal investigator for 12 years… Time does not make your irrational beliefs true any more than chasing fairies at the bottom of the garden makes them real or you an expert in anything other than deluding yourself.
Ghost, ghoulies, long-leggity beasties, fairies, God, visiting aliens and their flying saucers, Big Foot, the Loch Ness monster, Father Christmas, the Tooth Fairy, homeopathy, acupuncture, the healing power of crystals… all irrational nonsense."
Which roughly translates to, "If some things in the Paranormal Field are BS, then *everything* is BS! When the debunker has sung, the thinking has been done. Case closed, end of story. Never dare to dream, never dare to wonder, never dare to question, we've already figured out everything to do with reality anyway you know, you're just too stupid to realize it, unlike me!"
Not exactly the sort of people to have a round table serious discussion with.
