Grumpy Old Kreskin

The Amazing Kreskin, who brings his venerable act through the 905 this week, might’ve claimed the most accurate statistical prediction of the 2004 federal election results, even guessing the length of the minority Liberal parliament, but he’s been humbled into making a vaguer pronouncement for the next round: “The newly elected Harper and his Conservative Party now in office, will last, at least for two years.” The mentalist’s relationship to this country was forged through most of the 1970s, when The Amazing World of Kreskin was produced by CTV – it’s now due for a DVD box set, whose initial release will be packaged with a replica 1967 Milton Bradley board game. It’d appear George Kresge’s routine hasn’t changed much in 40 years, even if the internet has become a rival in any clairvoyant’s quest to establish long-term credibility; back in spring 2002, he was certain that the biggest UFO sighting of all-time was imminent. But this hasn’t discouraged him from publishing a whack of explicit expectations for 2006: Renewed enthusiasm for peanut butter, neckties and the legacy of Nipsey Russell; an uncovering of cruelty to animals in the Middle East, greater interest in forms of torture amongst kids and adult party revelers, and a fad involving shoeless and sockless feet; but also a backlash against voice mail, cellphones, loud music, bad manners, and every other societal trend your typical 71-year-old finds bothersome. Kreskin thinks more dentists will commit suicide, more psychatrists will go bonkers, and young people will be overcome by mass hysteria. Plus, he figures the poker industry will be exposed for corruption, while pendulums will be making a comeback. He also seems particularly fixated on the collapse of the media and entertainment industries, anticipating the point where movies become shorter, musicians are exposed for miming, and broadcast advertising is proven to be an ineffective sham. Maybe that explains why a plan to revive Kreskin’s television career, announced last summer, has failed to get off the ground. Kreskin will be going mental at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts on Thursday (March 2) and the Brampton Heritage Theatre on Friday (March 3).

Kreskin predicts you’ll read this story [Toronto Star]