Jan 24, 2008 6:08 pm US/Central
Spectator Sues Blue Man Group For 'Esophagus Cam'
Lawsuit: Cast Members Forced Camera Down James Srodon's Throat
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A California man is suing the Blue Man Group. CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports that he claims he went to a performance in Chicago looking for laughs and wound up needing a dentist.
The Blue Man Group warns audience members they might get splashed with paint or exposed to strobe lights, but a California man visiting Chicago said he never expected to be attacked.
In October 2006, Jim Srodon watched as a Blue Man came at him with a lighted device. He said he grew nervous and his 8-year old grandson sitting next to him became upset.
"One of the Blue Men grabbed me, yanked my head back and the other stuck this device into my mouth," Srodon said.
By telephone, Srodon described how he saw his mouth and throat projected onto a big screen, similar to the performance on a publicity video handout. The audience was laughing as Srodon gagged.
"At the time the 'esophagus cam' was inserted into plaintiff's mouth, it was covered in food, liquid and grime from the Briar Street Theatre floor, including the thick blue paint used to cover the actors' faces," the lawsuit claims.
Srodon's attorney, Antonio Romanucci, said, "he left with a serious injury and a force enough to knock out he fillings in his teeth."
Srodon sought medical help when he returned to California.
"It went far enough, past the uvula, causing a contusion to the esophagus," Romanucci said.
A spokesman for the Blue Man Group said the bit is performed at almost all of its shows in seven cities around the world. In Chicago, the Blue Man Group has been on stage more than 10 years without a complaint.
Srdon said the Blue Men gave him nightmares. "I couldn't eat, swallow, I could only have soft food. I had headaches, stomach aches, it was awful."
But the group claimed the stunt with the "esophagus video" is just an illusion.
In a statement Thursday night, the group said, "We are shocked and surprised to learn of the allegations made in reference to one of our comedic pieces, 'Esophagus Video.'"
"Our well-known audience participatory pieces, such as 'Esophagus Video,' have been performed for over 15 years, in over 50,000 performances, to the delight of over 12 million audience members around the world. We are disappointed that this false claim forces us to reveal the truth behind one of our most popular theatrical devices.
"'Esophagus Video' is simply an illusion. A camera is held in an actor's hands, the actor's hands are placed near an audience member's mouth (not on or in). The live-feed video screen then switches to a pre-recorded medical video, resulting in the hilarious and absurd illusion that the audience is peering down an individual's esophagus. Because the camera never enters the mouth, the execution of this illusion could not possibly put anyone at risk of injury."
cbs2chicago.com's Most Popular Pages
Slideshow:
Remembering Actor Heath Ledger
Slideshow: The Rise Of Barack Obama
Slideshow: 90s TV Stars Then And Now
Slideshow: World's Most Bizarre Deaths
Slideshow: In To Be Out: Gay Celebrities
Slideshow: Did You Know? Stars From Chicago!
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
