Is this dangerous ?

[Gary Kosnitzky]

How would you like to be brought onstage as a volunteer only to be tortured by an actually strong electric shock?
Well for $1390 you can have this crowd pleaser.

http://www.cobra-magic.com/product/1

[Jonathan Townsend]

Does it have other settings for private use?

[Richard Kaufman]

This isn't new. Someone else was selling it several years ago and I recall watching Criss Angel perform this when he was filming his second TV special, "Supernatural," years ago.

He was filming the segment by the swimming pool at the Universal resort in Orlando and there was some concern about all the water on the ground, and if the people were wet having just come out of the pool, and so on. Some people really jumped when touching his finger.

[erdnasephile]

Physically hurting spectators for entertainment purposes is stupid. (Remember Sue Anne Webster's plight at FISM?)

[Jonathan Townsend]

Physically hurting spectators for entertainment purposes is stupid. ...

? you're forgetting Rome, reality TV, American Idol?

[SteveP]

There's also Electric Touch, by Mesika which is a system you wear. http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/1366

[Dale Shrimpton]

To me, this is not only unethical, but It's very Lazy magic. If you can't be bothered to learn how to do the electric chairs properly, you dont really have any business dealing with spectators.

[Duncan William]

I agree with Dale this could be interpreted as a bit lazy. I know electric chairs are dear - but if they are out of your price range try something else!

[mrgoat]

I agree with Dale this could be interpreted as a bit lazy. I know electric chairs are dear - but if they are out of your price range try something else!

I think Dale's point was that the electric chair routine just uses ordinary chairs and instant stooging. Using electricity to accomplish what a competent magician accomplishes with skill is the lazy part.

[Simone M]

I wonder what would happen if you accidentally pick a spectator who has some medical electric device inside his body like a pacemaker or something

[TonyB]

I have a great routine where two volunteers wear vests and hold special guns. They draw on each other, like cowboys, and the loser gets a mild shock through the vest. I have predicted the result in advance.

However, I have never performed this routine, because I realised right away that I cannot just go around giving electric shocks to the volunteers, however funny it would be to a college crowd to have them dress as cowboys and shoot it out.

The electric chair routine can be done without electric shocks. If you feel you need the electric version, I feel you should investigate a new career. It is lazy, disrespectful of your audience, and can be accomplished in an ethical way.

[Jonathan Pendragon]

Maybe someone could invent an effect where the audience salivates on cue?

[Jonathan Townsend]

Maybe someone could invent an effect where the audience salivates on cue?

There are several such. Some get the audience to bark, froth at the mouth, dance... just not usually discussed on these threads.

Whole Cloth Sold Here Yesterday

[Jonathan Pendragon]

Where? At the Pavlov school of magic.

[Jonathan Townsend]

No, not in the magic shop... well sort of if you treat magicians as the audience.

Let's hear it for Pavlov's assistant who put that bell on the cart - unless they were also the one who did the work to make sure the dogs were not so noisy.

Behaviorism - it's the new irresponsibility.