Ms. Madison is nothing more than a gold digger looking for her next sugardaddy.

For Criss to imply to Larry King by way of hand gesture that his wife is going after him for all his money all while he is sitting aside with the world's most well-known golddigger is just laughable at best.

One day Holly Madison will need to learn what its like to work a real 9-5 job. The way I see it Holly's only job was and still is the oldest profession of us women. Holly Madison has made her
her claim to fame by performing sex acts for an elderly man who is King of Playboy empire and without him she'd still be working at Hooters.

Criss humiliated his wife but talks so highly of his high class call girl girfriend amongst several milliion viewers is a complete joke at best, hysterical. I laughed so hard I almost died.

Very well said, Richard. I totally agree with everything you said. And I am happy to note that you stick to the truth, dissect all this double talk and report the stuff as it really is. It's too bad that people around the U.S. (and the world) see the Criss Angel as he portrays himself on the Larry King Show...when it's not the case at all.

I caught snippets of transcripts from that Larry King Show. There were parts in it that made me want to puke. I thought it was interesting to note that, not only were Criss Angel's comments interpreted how he wanted them interpreted with half truths and blatant lies, and Larry King appeared to be very, very fair in his interview, but there were about three or four times when he confronted Criss Angel about supposed problems with his screwy show in Las Vegas, but he let Criss Angel blather some stupid excuse, and then he backed off and didn't question him anymore by going into particulars. Larry King appeared to be more interested in being friends with Criss Angel and exploit him for the sake of the ratings of his show than to find out the truth. But oh well... That's show business. Larry King has to do more shows and he chooses to remain friends with Criss Angel...because he probably wants him back on the show again sometime in the future. Larry King could care less if Las Vegas entertainment suffers and tourists get ripped off from false advertising.

It has ALWAYS been my contention that the critics, be they from the news or from a paying audience, should be paid attention to. And they have all chimed in and overwhelmingly stated this show lacks and is soooooooo bad. People need to make sure they DON'T listen to shills who are paid by the show, to Criss Angel himself, to his dumb blonde Playboy girlfiend who enjoys luxuriating in her pampered expensive lifestyle (she has to protect her sugar daddy, you know....) nor to blind unquestioning follower Loyals. You listen to these people and go to this show without checking unbiased, impartial reviews, you WILL be ripped off.

Criss Angel can lash out at news journalists and theater critics all he wants. I just hope he don't go off the deep end and threaten another reporter. Like he did to Norm Clarke back in April 2008. In his greedy thinking, everyone is at fault except for him, especially when it effects his huge ego and ability to make mucho deneiro. And that way of thinking on his part will not end. Eventually, it will all work itself out.

What will happen is Richard will still be here in Las Vegas reporting on things. And hopefully reporting on shows that are good and prove to be entertaining and enjoyable to report on. On the other hand, Criss Angel will be gone. And that will be WAY before a ten year run of BeLIEve. Then and only then will Criss Angel understand that he was only fooling himself.

i've never bin much of a criss angel fan, and i had a chance to see the show at the luxor recently, and i thought it was very good, my friends enjoyed it as well. what i'm finding is that too many people care about the mans personal life, i don't know why, and for those that don't like him, don't like the show either. why cant u people live and let live, over all most people like the show and criss angel very much

Sorry Richard, but your entire article is based on your interpretation of that statement and making it personal. I did not take it as wannabes meaning to be Criss Angel but rather critics that haven't achieved their own personal success, in whatever field that may be. For example, just a guess, but I bet that writing about Vegas shows and CA is NOT your true dream of ultimate success. Believe is something Criss deems for his own life a big dream come true. How many of us can say the same has happened to us?

Your words " And the truth is that having to tell people when a show turns out as disastrously as "Criss Angel Believe" is one of the harder parts of my job." made me laugh. You take great pleasure in reporting, wait that is not the right word, bashing anything Criss has ever done. Believe just happens to be what is on the table at the moment.

I thought the whole Larry King interview was really great. I still can't figure out the card trick and I especially admired Criss' goal of raising millions this year for kids in need thru his foundation. Criss' explanation of the creation of Believe and what he is trying to accomplish was dead on.

Jessie just pointed out what it's all about. There are a lot of entertainers out there that give no one a glimpse of their private life. It is because that is just what it is....private. This is understandable. Basically, it's no ones business. They have their right to privacy. Just like everyone else does. Just the way it is.

BUT....

Jessie also astutely pointed out that with Criss Angel, it's different. He has a new girlfriend who he WANTS, DESIRES and NEEDS to have all these press releases thrown out there in front of everyones' face. He has done this in the past (look at the Tia Tequila debacle when she was in Las Vegas...they spent the night ignoring each other and then BAM! Magically the next day, she's in his lap, hugging him, smiling and acting all lovey dovey...purely staged). I have always noticed (along with others) that not all celebrity couples prefer to have pictures taken of them kissing in public in front of the cameras all the time. I have seen more often than not that those couples that do want to do this for the public are usually doing it for their own gains. And this is what is so transparent of this Criss Angel/Holly Madison thing. ALL of the pictures of them are of them kissing and hugging in public. And it's not one here or one there. It's basically a pure commercial inundation of it!

Okay. I know. All you stupid Loyals are going to point fingers and say that I am jealous and envious of him and his love interest. Not true. Not the case at all. It's just that I see it for what it is and what he is trying to do, not for what is portrayed before the camera. It's a deflection. It's not a thing that just happens and it was caught on camera. It's staged. It's not extemporaneous, like what Criss Angel wants portrayed. That entertainer clearly wants it thrown out there. He WANTS you to see this. He WANTS you to make inferences about it. He WANTS and DESIRES to be in the limelight. Here I am. Look at me. I'm great. You probably should throw more money at me because I did this. It's all crap. Pure crap. And people see this.

A couple of "users"...Criss Angel uses it to flaunt that he is going out with a Playboy centerfold who is many years younger than he is to make sure his inflated ego is fed more, also clearly trying to imply everything is fine with his show (when it's not because the show is incredibly bad) and throw attention away from it, while at the same time trying to suck people into going to it. On the other hand, Holly Madison uses it to flaunt that she latched onto a new "sugar daddy," as if to say she don't have to rely upon Hugh Hefner's Playboy empire anymore, after being booted out of the Playboy Mansion in LA, but no, people, that's not the case because according to her Criss Angel is the love of her life and she just enjoys his money and her continued pampered luxurious lifestyle. It's all transparent to anyone that these two are mutual users, sucking the life out of each other to further their own ends. And it is rather stupid. I know that most people look at this stuff of Holly and Criss in the press and immediately roll their eyes and go, "Oh. There they go again. That stupid Las Vegas pseudo lap of luxury stuff...."

And on top of that, you have reporters who tell people what is going on and then they get replies like you're just "bashing anything Criss has ever done." Not the case at all. Most good journalists just report what is happening.

I guess it's all a matter of interpretation. And most reasonable people can figure it out. Thank God we have Richard here who can look at this thing, immediately recognize it as a pile of crap, smell it to verify that it does indeed emit a foul odor resembling that, inspect it just a bit more closely to determine it's shape, size and texture and look at it to verify that it does have steam rising off of it to instantly recognize it for what it is and spell it to the public that it does INDEED give any and all characteristics of a steaming pile of fecal matter and stay away from it.

If that's called bashing, then I (as well as many other tourists who come to Las Vegas) need Richard to bash some more.

His grammar gaffe says it all: he "could care less about what critics think."

In other words, he DOES care what critics think.

(So, can we have King Tut's tomb back? Anything to start the re-themeing of what is now such a cookie-cutter property.)

I think the best thing any critic can do for the public when it comes to Criss Angel is to ignore him completely and let him dissolve back into the puddle of smarm and grease he came from. He's not talented, hot [and this coming from a gay man], or interesting. He's a guy who never got past the age of 15 in his own mind and he obviously proved that on King. Really? That's the explanantion for all these people hating the show? That they're jealous and haters? Who even uses that as an excuse past the 9th grade? I'm 25 and I can't watch more than 2 minutes of his television show because it's so clearly marketed for emo kids. He dresses like a goth teenager, he acts like a sex obsessed frat boy, and he panders to the young crowd so what made anyone think he could pull off a show on the strip? His core audience isn't even old enough to vote... since when do they have the opportunity and money to fly to Vegas and see an expensive show?

I feel like it's an insult to Elton John and Penn and Teller to even be sharing the strip with him. He should be hanging out at the mall and singing with his Motley Crue cover band on the weekends.

Unfortunately it seems things are changing by Criss' commands, I was a Loyal and I would love to remain one if Criss stops acting like a spoiled child. This is not the Criss most of loyals fell in love with and this is not the Criss that inspired us all.

This Criss is superficial and is insulting all Loyals by picking a Playboy on call prostitute as his girlfriend and taking her to interview with Larry.
Looks like Larry was part of the game as well , he ruined the fame of his show by broadcasting a pre-recorded interview and pre-rehearsed questions.
It's so Shameful !

I feel bad for his poor pld mother!

I want to ask evey loyal to stop your support and force Criss to return to our beloved magician once again before it's too late for him.

I agree with Sara's observation.

The Larry King Live tapping appears to have been more about showcasing his new hot romance with the well-famous Playboy Bunny and actress rather than taking that opportunity to clear up any negative feedback his show BeLIEve has received.

It appears to me that perhaps all this global gossip talk about their hot romance and their desperate attempt to showcase it at every opportunity is deliberate to clean up his past manwhore reputation he mastered during the past few years. This well-famous Playboy Bunny was known to most of the media being 100% dedicated to her ex-boyfriend and Playboy founder for over seven years. For Criss Angel to demonstrate being in a committed and dedicated relationship will shift the focus away from his once lifestyle, encourage more mass media interest and to encourage them to come down to see his disastrous show located at the Luxor hotel.

With all this talk, people forget what a phony he is. His Mindfreak magic was video edits and digital compositing, which is NOT magic, just special effects. Also the implosion disaster, where he used a PRE-RECORDED tape to do what was advertised as a "LIVE" domonstration. Then the embarrassment of having FOX13 expose his phony trick minutes after it aired. In order to appreciate Criss Angel, you have to overlook the fake that he is. It's no surprise his show is a bomb, he has'nt the ability to do live magic, so he covers it up with rabbits running around. Where will he go when beLIEve is cancelled? It's only a matter of time, and certainly not 10 years. Hal

I just went to a site created by google called google trends. Google.com/trends and searched Criss Angel, David Blaine. It seems Blaine is known for his work and Angel is visible for the girls he has dated...interesting, media blitz

The interview with Criss Angel was really terrible. It was very clear that this guy is more interested in being a celebrity than a magician or performer. Bringing on his girlfriend, who was formerly one of Hugh Hefners 4 girlfriends, to avoid talking about his show, which got terrible reviews was very obvious. I think he is a David Blaine rip off, who is not even good in anyway shape or form.

I could not agree with mobgal more. When I first saw him, in his first season of the show, I thought he was such an amazing, sweet, humble person, and he was so gorgous too. It was nice to see someone with those traits. But now...he's completely different..i don't see how is family even puts up with his crap, considering what great people they are. I bet if is his poor dad were still alive, he'd be just as embaressed at what his son has become.