Shawn [03.26.06 08:49 AM]

Sorry, but anyone who knows juggling knows that it didn't take much juggling skill to do that.

Try watching the Jason Garfield video where he does a routine to the audio of that video, with five balls.

http://www.jasongarfield.com/pennradio.html

And read that page.

  Richard Cowin [03.26.06 09:29 AM]

Even better, check out 9 year old Ofek Shilton and his 16 year old brother Segev.

Here is an entertaining musical/juggling video from their site:

http://www.shiltons.com/videos/shiltons-movie/ejc2004/Segev&Ofek-orchestra.mpg

This is just plain entertaining.

  Shawn [03.26.06 09:55 AM]

No, but I don't juggle.

However, I know tech writers that can juggle better than Chris Bliss. It just annoys me when people get put up on much higher pedestals than they deserve, just because they have the marketing skill to get a video of themselves out like that. Comparing Chris Bliss to acrobats in Cirque seems to me like comparing Uri Geller to Lance Burton.

  Shawn [03.26.06 10:39 AM]

A quick P.S. before I go about my weekend rituals: not trying to harsh your Sunday morning juggling mellow, I just like to keep things in perspective.

  Michael Moncur [03.26.06 06:31 PM]

I was very impressed by the Chris Bliss video. I'm sick of the backlash criticizing his technical ability, too.

I'm no juggler, but I watched both this and the Jason Garfield video, and it's a stunning demonstration of how you can have a much greater technical skill and yet lack some kind of essential charisma or showmanship. Jason makes it look easy - too easy. Chris makes it look easy, but he's fully engaged as if he's doing something that took lots of practice. He also has much better synchronization to the music.

I'm sure there are acrobats with much better technical ability than Cirque de Soleil, but unless they can combine that with showmanship, image, good lighting, music, and all the rest, they won't make it in Vegas.

(I prefer the Blue Man Group myself, but that's another story)

  Luke Closs [03.26.06 11:58 PM]

For what it's worth, Jason's video was a parody, not a full performance like Chris Bliss'.

Like Michael, I dislike the harsh criticism of Chris Bliss. But the fact remains that Chris' preformance was very easy. Most people could easily learn everything he does in the video.

In spite of this, people love this video!

I hope both videos inspire more people to juggle.

  TC [03.27.06 03:11 AM]

To: Beau

Subject: Re: A zen master???? Dancer??? You decide.

Body: No, he's just a juggler!

  chris corwin [03.27.06 07:16 AM]

i, too, was disapointed when i saw this was the juggling guy video that made the rounds a couple weeks ago.

but then was more disapointed that people felt the need to post comments so criticially -- and all w/o mentioning that 90% of us read the same blogs and had already read how this guy's only a mediocre juggler, blah blah blah.

it seems we could be kinder than that.

  Shawn [03.27.06 08:51 AM]

chris - I have no problem with people liking the video. I have a problem with people thinking Chris Bliss has more skill than he actually does.

Correct me if I assume too much, but I think that looking at something critically has a place here.

  Alex D. [03.27.06 11:01 AM]

Hey Tim- Thanks for link and reminding us all that people are doing some pretty cool stuff outside of the technology world too.

Shawn- Thanks for reminding us there's people out there like you too.

  Scott Berkun [03.27.06 08:02 PM]

In the spirit of "what humans can learn to do" you should take a look at this:

http://www.bookofcool.com/html/Trailer.asp

A book/dvd set that claims to teach you all kinds of human tricks, including juggling, skateboarding, bar tricks, etc.

  Thomas Lord [03.28.06 12:08 PM]

Existential art?

No coincidence that this shows up on *your* blog.

In the 70s, my impression is, things like football were a big analogy for elites. "Maybe I am like a quarterback. I have to be smart, yet athletic. I have to call the plays. I stand alone yet am utterly dependent on a team." Coaching and encouragement via Howard Cosell.

In the 00s, there's a new class. Multitasking. Ultimately doing something "simple" -- keeping a small number of balls in the air (though more than is easy to do without practice). Yet... doing it with style and stretching the limits of what doing it is worth to others.

Not to coopt the performance itself to far. It is, just simply by itself, amazing minimalist art. (Minimalist does not mean effortless, involving less effort, involving less skill, or lacking depth -- that's what makes minimalism so cool, of course. Does the performance have a title? "Three Balls #7" would be a good one.)

-t

  Bruce Boyes [03.28.06 02:42 PM]

Yes I juggle, three balls and not all that well. What makes Chris' performance is the whole package of showmanship, charisma, timing, and music. It's not just a technical contest. I'd rather hear music by someone with less raw talent but full emotional commitment than someone technically perfect but lacking emotional impact. It's like storytelling or drama - passion wins out over technical precision every time, in my book.

  Thomas Lord [03.29.06 12:35 PM]

Just to share a joke, Bruce....

In the music appreciation/training circles I've passed through, a musician that is overloaded with technical talent but (other than just dazzling an audience into submission) has nothing to "say" in his performances is known as a "Juliard Asshole". (With apologies to Juliard from whom many musicians capable of excellent muscianship have emerged. Juliard gets the booby prize of the joke because, aside from what else they contribute, they do have a rep of being good at (at least) conveying technical skill better than many schools.)

-t

  Aurelien [03.29.06 01:02 PM]

Chris Bliss is a great entertainer not a great juggler as he believe on his home page (http://www.chrisbliss.com/home.html)

"In fact, I was once (arguably) the world's most famous juggler"

Come on. I love juggling and never heard of him before this video.

  sebastian closs [03.30.06 11:49 PM]

surprising !! what such a rythmn.. and yes, it seems really really easy for him...

just waow !!

  Tor Norretranders [04.03.06 02:43 PM]

This act is a truly wonderful and remarkable example of what human culture is all about: Doing something that is obviously difficult to do and to do it in a way that is striking to others. This guy plays around with his skills in a generous and spectacular way that makes us feel we recieve a gift. In my book "The generous man" (2005) I try to show that culture evolved from the intention to convince others of your abilities, by doing something difficult. Not only is this a beautiful example, but notice the lyrics: The end lines of that song "The End" from Beatles' Abbey Road-album is all about gift-economy: "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." The more you give, the more you get. This guy deserves what he gets.

  Qaos [04.06.06 01:27 PM]

I think there IS a difference in what Bliss did vs. Garfield and on many levels.

If you are talking about technical ability, then Garfield wins. Not just because he did 5 balls vs 3, but by the various other tricks and skills he showed (eg: blind behind back catch).

However, If you are talking about Performance, then I think Bliss did a great job.

Its like looking at olympic ice skating vs. professional skating. One shows a lot of technical skill, while the other is a performance, and perhaps shows less technical skill.

I say, enjoy the performance for what it is, a performance. Don't judge it as a Technical achievement. Isnt that what the WJF is for?

well i'll step down from my soap box.
thanks for the ear!

  Bryan [04.21.06 08:42 AM]

All these negative comments regarding this juggler Chris Bliss, are obviously due to their own jealousy for the attention he is getting. Good job Chris Bliss... Very entertaining!

  niko [04.28.06 06:20 AM]

It's the Beatles. Try doing the routine with Dead Can Dance, Manu Chao, Pink Martini or a Duke Ellington composition. Chris Bliss picks the right song for his routine. The song (those who like the video) an audiance has forgotten how good it was.

  Will [05.08.06 11:43 AM]

What amazes me is that Chris Bliss used something quite simple and got a great audience reaction (although his consistency with 3 balls would have still taken a hell of a lot of practice), and supposedly got paid for it. Jason Garfield was very impressive but would the extra practice for 5 balls have made him any better off. People who don't understand juggling (the audience) want something clever, they don't know (or care) how much more practice is needed for 5 balls. Usually they just want something to laugh at. Chris Bliss wins hands off for performance.

  Dot [05.30.06 12:26 AM]

Hey, I'm a juggler. I recently heard about this Chris Bliss guy, and I've seen both his video and Jason's parody. I quit juggling seriously at the age of 15, but I could do all of the tricks that Bliss does when I was 12 (I started juggling at age 10) - and I wasn't that great of a juggler! So yea, that settles the techical aspect.

Now onto performance. I wasn't just a technical juggler; I performed across the US as well as in a few foreign countries. To me, his choreography looks like shit. Honestly. He looks like a monkey up there on stage. He has really poor form in juggling. My partner and I choreographed our own routines to music since we were 12 and 13. And while teams juggling choreography is far different, I can tell you that it is not difficult to make juggling go with the music without looking like you have to twist your body up like Bliss does.

Garfield wouldn't perform that piece that was linked above. His point was to show that Bliss is not a skilled juggler technically. Garfield and many other jugglers have far more compelling performance pieces that ALSO integrate superb technical skill. So the Garfield parody and the BLiss video should not be compared in that sense.

Go watch the Championships or the Cascade of Stars at the International Jugglers' Association annual convention in Portland this July if you're close enough. There you'll see some stuff that will REALLY make you think about what kinds of crazy and beautiful things people can do.

  Dana [06.01.06 06:06 PM]

Chris Bliss is talented, no matter what a has-been or a never was says. People aren't aloud to critisize unless they can do something better, if they can't, then not only are they jealous, they have no lives.

  well-howdy-doo [08.08.06 06:57 PM]

i am just wondering if the bliss performance was for other jugglers to marvel at,or,was it for the average layman to embrace?i would have to say it is the latter.just as there are guitarists more technically advanced than eric clapton,no one can play guitar quite like him.jason butthead just had to go and turn something beautiful into something very ugly and thats disconcerting and bad for juggling,in general.anthony gatto is better,technically,than garfield,but he has class.jason is only the last 3 letters of the word:clASS!!

  andrew gardikis [10.09.06 06:31 PM]

Posted by: Dot at May 30, 2006 12:26 AM

Chris Bliss is talented, no matter what a has-been or a never was says. People aren't aloud to critisize unless they can do something better, if they can't, then not only are they jealous, they have no lives.

well obviously.

I can juggle 6 objects pretty well now. chris bliss' performance was a bit entertaining, but his movements were so odd... He does not have much skill as a juggler, fast and accurate, but the things he does are not really too difficutl at all.

  andrew gardikis [10.09.06 06:37 PM]

I have done something that some would consider to be more impressive than chriss bliss' performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmdhmp7GZrs

that video.

  Jacob Nachsin [01.07.07 12:42 AM]

I would like to point out that Jason Garfield was trying to make everything that Chris Bliss did look easy with two more balls. Jason could make it look energetic if he chose to. I can do all of Chris' tricks with 4 balls and I could make an easy routine look very difficult or energetic if I wanted to or I could show the audience some good juggling. I can also choreograph better than he can.

  Josh [02.27.07 08:02 PM]

Holy crap, whoever dot is, she is totally right. I am a juggler working on 6 and 7, Chris's juggling and choreography are just not very good at all, to put it nicely. I am getting sick of people asking me if I can do his routine. He probably spent as much time on the music, costume, and lighting as he spent practicing juggling. The hardest thing is does is 3 in one hand, come on. He actually gets paid for this. You want to see some great jugglers? It seems that nobody likes the Pres. of the World Juggling Federation, so go to these sites.

Galchenko.com (they re 18 and 16)
Anthonyatto.com (He holds the most juggling records in the world)
Jasongarfield.com (If you don't know anything about juggling, shut up, he's very, very good.

STOP RIPPING ON PEOPLE WHO KNOW THIS STUFF AND REALIZE THAT CHRIS BLISS IS NOT THE BEST JUGGLER IN THE WORLD!!!!

  Josh [02.27.07 08:04 PM]

sorry, that should be anthonygatto.com (not yatto)
and Dot is the person a few posts up)

  Jay [06.23.07 05:06 PM]

Jason Garfield. Who is he? I've heard of Chris Bliss, he's a funny comedian and not really a juggler at all. Who is this Jason Garfield fellow? Guess he's been juggling a while? I've never seen him at a juggling festival. He must be a juggling hermit. Who is he? Gee, I've heard of Chris Bliss, and he's not even a juggler. This Jason guy sure needs some better PR or something. He's a good juggler (from what I see) but not a very good publicist (outside of the juggling community). Gosh, I guess Chris Bliss does deserve some credit. I mean, he's not even a "real juggler". Jason is. That must mean something really profound. My take: people don't like real jugglers. That's ok. I hear real jugglers are mean. I'm a juggler but not a real one. I'm ok with that.

  Marcin [06.24.07 04:57 AM]

What I find interesting, that this is generally a site for people who believe that technical excellence is more important than marketing excellence (ie the old MS v Linux thing), yet we have quite a strong showing for the marketing crowd on this one.

Maybe the real lesson here is that this is what it feels like to be a real computer user - ie it looks good so it must be good.

  Fred Berfal [10.05.07 11:17 PM]

Chris Bliss is a velvet painting of Elvis. Lots of people have velvet paintings of Elvis. They like them as much as their Big Macs. Bliss has been doing the same shtick for decades, with no sign of growth, improvement, nothing. Yes, talent is subjective -- even skill is to some degree. But there simply is *nothing* special or original about what he does. Non-jugglers might not realize that juggling three balls to music can be done ad-lib, just as one can dance to music. To say that it doesn't matter that his skill is so lacking simply because it's better than *you* can do is insulting to every juggler who put in the time to hone her craft. And every musician, dancer and artist as well. He's a plate of pasta with tomato sauce. We can all cook it and we'll all eat it and ask for more. But we won't make fools of ourselves and tell everyone we meet it's haute cuisine. And yet people seem to have no problem asking some of the greatest juggling performers alive today if the've seen this "genius".

  minikperi [12.12.07 05:36 PM]

Jason Garfield. Who is he? I've heard of Chris Bliss, he's a funny comedian and not really a juggler at all. Who is this Jason Garfield fellow? Guess he's been juggling a while? I've never seen him at a juggling festival. He must be a juggling hermit. Who is he? Gee, I've heard of Chris Bliss, and he's not even a juggler. This Jason guy sure needs some better PR or something. He's a good juggler (from what I see) but not a very good publicist (outside of the juggling community). Gosh, I guess Chris Bliss does deserve some credit. I mean, he's not even a "real juggler". Jason is. That must mean something really profound. My take: people don't like real jugglers. That's ok. I hear real jugglers are mean. I'm a juggler but not a real one. I'm ok with that.

  sohbet kanallari [06.24.08 09:18 AM]

Now onto performance. I wasn't just a technical juggler; I performed across the US as well as in a few foreign countries. To me, his choreography looks like shit. Honestly. He looks like a monkey up there on stage. He has really poor form in juggling. My partner and I choreographed our own routines to music since we were 12 and 13. And while teams juggling choreography is far different, I can tell you that it is not difficult to make juggling go with the music without looking like you have to twist your body up like Bliss does.

  Dizi [12.21.08 07:40 PM]

Jason Garfield. Who is he? I've heard of Chris Bliss, he's a funny comedian and not really a juggler at all. Who is this Jason Garfield fellow? Guess he's been juggling a while? I've never seen him at a juggling festival. He must be a juggling hermit. Who is he? Gee, I've heard of Chris Bliss, and he's not even a juggler. This Jason guy sure needs some better PR or something. He's a good juggler (from what I see) but not a very good publicist (outside of the juggling community). Gosh, I guess Chris Bliss does deserve some credit. I mean, he's not even a "real juggler". Jason is. That must mean something really profound. My take: people don't like real jugglers. That's ok. I hear real jugglers are mean. I'm a juggler but not a real one. I'm ok with that.