When David Blaine Stuck Steel Nails up His Nose for Jon Stewart

Image by YouTube/MagicMike

By Dan Friedman November 28, 2016

It’s not clear why our friends at Digg just re-surfaced this appearance by David Blaine on Jon Stewart’s eponymous MTV show from 1993. Perhaps it’s because this election year has felt like we’ve all been stuffing six inch steel nails up our noses.

But on a show (October 27, 1993) filled only with Jewish guests — featuring William Shatner, David Blaine and Gilbert Gottfried — David Blaine does exactly that. Looking like he’s just come from his bar mitzvah, Blaine chats to floppy-haired, long-shirted Stewart about his act with cards and nails.

And, for the faint of heart, you should know there’s only a modicum of bleeding.

Dan Friedman is the former executive editor and whisky correspondent of the Forward, and is the author of a book about Tears for Fears, the ’80s emo rock band.

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