Magic in BoingBoing

Discussions of new films, books, television shows, and media indirectly related to magic and magicians. For example, there may be a book on mnemonics or theatrical technique we should know or at least know about.
performer
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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » December 9th, 2015, 6:26 am

Alfred, I have heard this twaddle for years about laymen recognising it as a trick deck. It is a complete load of tosh. I hate the bloody svengali deck as you can imagine and try to avoid performing it as much as possible unless I have to. But I often have to. I never do it impromptu but I often do it when I am getting paid to perform close up magic somewhere. The reaction is utterly terrific! I use it at every trade show I perform at. I have already shown the video in question proving what I say.

I have been working all summer at an outdoor event doing close up magic for people. What trick was I forced to do? The bloody svengali deck of course. I get incredible reaction from people using regular cards as anyone who has seen me work live will attest but when I work professionally it is the svengali deck the laymen want to see. The reaction is incredibly strong. I found this out years ago when I was working in a London night club doing my cabaret act. There were a bunch of gangsters that used to come in every night and they kept asking me to come to their table and perform for them. I used regular cards and other close up stuff. I do have a remarkably large repertoire but even so I ran out of material to show them after several months of this. They had already seen everything.

I was at my wit's end one night and I couldn't think of anything to show them but I suddenly realised I had a svengali deck with me in my overcoat pocket in the cloakroom. I had been to see a department store buyer that day so that is the reason I had the deck. I went to the cloakroom retrieved the deck and showed them my routine. I defy anyone using a regular deck to get the reaction I got with the svengali deck. They were shouting and gasping with astonishment and the owner of the club told me afterwards that they told him that this was the greatest trick I had ever shown them.

Ron MacMillan once said to me that the svengali deck was the best card trick you could do for laymen and was just as good as any other card trick. I found this to be more or less correct.

However there are two caveats, One is that you have to use MY routine. No other svengali routine will get the incredible reaction just mentioned. The second caveat is that you have to find a way to solve the problem of them thinking you have a trick deck. If you use my routine the odds are that the question won't even come up. It doesn't come up when performers use the Mental Photography deck does it? Don Alan used it regularly. So why should it come up with the svengali deck?

Sure a lot of people have seen the deck but a lot of people haven't. How the hell do you think I am still able to sell them?

So how do you solve the problem of them thinking you have a trick deck? Easy. Buy my book where I explain several methods where you can leave the deck on the table, let them grab and examine them and find there is nothing whatsoever wrong with them. There are ways you know..............

One is the Al Baker method but I won't go into that right now. I learned it in that awful book by Bruce Elliot that started me off in magic and I couldn't do a single trick in the book since it required special props. It was called "Magic as a Hobby" and Orson Welles wrote the foreword disapproving about the exposure in the book and thundering about dreadful people like Widdle who like that kind of thing.

But I don't really use the methods I espouse in my book except one. It saves a lot of trouble switching cards and suchlike. It is a method of my own invention. Before I begin performing the routine I say 14 words before I start. I have been pondering whether or not to give away the fourteen words but for once I have decided against it as I give away far too much information on this group as it is without it being appreciated. And besides I earn a living with these 14 words as it enables me to perform this trick professionally. Once I say them the problem of them thinking it is a trick deck disappears within seconds.

Mind you, most of the time you don't need the 14 words anyway providing you use MY routine. No other svengali routine is of any use whatsoever.

And like a true grafter it is time for me "to come to the bat". And I am not talking about cricket. You can purchase the routine here. Use your own bloody svengali deck.

http://www.marklewisentertainment.com/h ... short.html

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » December 9th, 2015, 6:37 am

Jack Shalom wrote:
Jonathan Townsend wrote:just encourages this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCVJRA8No_s

Who knew that there existed home movies of performer as a wee one!


Don't be silly. You know perfectly well that was awful. When I was a kid doing magic I became one of the greatest card magicians in the world where getting reaction from laymen were concerned within 6 months of starting my studies with the Royal Road to Card Magic. Of course I had never met a single magician during that time. When I did eventually come across other magicians I started to go downhill a trifle until I realised that most of them were useless and had no idea what they were doing. And still don't well over 50 years later.

I do remember finding the svengali deck in a park. I fooled myself with it flicking it back and forth just like the kid in the video. I just couldn't figure out how it kept changing back and forth.

I believe I have figured it out now though.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby P.T.Widdle » December 9th, 2015, 8:50 am

Brad's Advice for Magic Beginners

• Do not buy any magic tricks, magic sets, or magic cards. Unless there is a wise magician to guide you along your journey of learning the craft, don't bother. You will only end up confused, frustrated, disappointed, and maybe even crying.

Are you listening, Tenyo?

Jonathan Townsend wrote:just encourages this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCVJRA8No_s


What's the matter with this video?

A boy has filmed himself practicing with a deck of TV Magic Cards. He posted it to YouTube, so he'll be able to watch himself later and get better from it. He's excited about the prop, so he's sharing it with his YouTube friends. They can also offer criticism (which I noticed one did in the comments). He doesn't have a wise old master to offer advice so he's reaching out using the tool of his day - the internet. At some point he'll probably show the trick to people who aren't following his YouTube channel (family, teachers, other kids at school).

So tell me, Jonathan, who's hurt here?

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 9th, 2015, 9:53 am

P.T.Widdle wrote:...
So tell me, Jonathan, who's hurt here?


How many non-magicians were astonished and deceived?

Remember if it does not deceive it's not magic. It's about like learning the distinction between clever and intelligent.

Then again if the only person you need to fool is yourself... (oh please do tell us all how you understand the distinction between fool and deceive) ... just enjoy what you imagine as you covet the shiny shrink wrapped secrets for only (not so very much, eh?)

Got it? The kid is fine. How are you? How much better more magical is your day today? How much more wonder is there in the day for others?

I guess you could call a bruise a magical ouchie that changes color. I hope you don't expect others to all be willing to buy the ebook for magical color changing ouchies.

Again, the kid is fine. There are so very many videos that would have made the point by painful example. Maybe someday we'll get a version of that video where the kid is just changes the cards and they don't change back.
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » December 9th, 2015, 10:34 am

At least the kid did not expose the secret. He is a tad more ethical than Boing Boing I must say.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 9th, 2015, 11:27 am

On a related note, is there someone to ask about complete packs that match the TV Magic cards pack? And extra boxes and artwork? Authentic nostalgia and the mundane model thereof.

Someone's thinking "Blizzard"
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby MagicbyAlfred » December 9th, 2015, 11:35 am

Performer wrote: "I have been pondering whether or not to give away the fourteen words but for once I have decided against it as I give away far too much information on this group as it is without it being appreciated."
In case you do not already realize it, Performer, I am not among the unappreciative. You share your wealth of knowledge and experience generously, and are an entertaining and engaging writer.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » December 9th, 2015, 11:45 am

In that case I will send it to you by private message when I get time.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 9th, 2015, 11:48 am

performer wrote:...
So how do you solve the problem of them thinking you have a trick deck? Easy. Buy my book where I explain several methods...
But I don't really use the methods I espouse in my book except one. ...
And like a true grafter it is time for me "to come to the bat". And I am not talking about cricket. You can purchase the routine here. Use your own bloody svengali deck.

http://www.marklewisentertainment.com/h ... short.html


the bloodstained pack... thinking...

Different kind of thought -:- thinking about giving a pack and routine to someone who asked about learning a trick. Mark - what say you? Would your work, a subset of your routine, be of direct use to beginner learning to do a trick or two for folks on occasion?
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Brad Henderson
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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » December 9th, 2015, 12:08 pm

P.T.Widdle wrote:Brad's Advice for Magic Beginners

• Do not buy any magic tricks, magic sets, or magic cards. Unless there is a wise magician to guide you along your journey of learning the craft, don't bother. You will only end up confused, frustrated, disappointed, and maybe even crying.

Are you listening, Tenyo?


Widdle, you truly are incapable of actually comprehending what another human writes, or you are so pathetically dishonest that you merely refuse to represent what they write accurately?

For someone who emailed me whining that your posts were deleted by the moderators, I would think you would have more integrity than to censor by misrepresenting someone's message.

But rather waste time with what you think I might write, allow me to give you what I would write

but we are talking to two different people so I will address both.

"Hey there person reading this blog. I hope you enjoyed the article. I see they have shown you how to do a trick and have even given you a link so you can buy more.

"Part of me is sorry they did that. I wish you could have actually seen the trick in action and experienced how it made you feel. As you have no doubt discovered, the 'big secret' isn't very exciting at all. my guess is when you read the secret you dismissed the trick. You may even have started to dismiss magic. Don't blame yourself. Everybody does this.

"For some reason people think the secrets are what's important. They think if they tell you the secret you will be interested. And there are some tricks that magicians design for other magicians that have really clever secrets. In fact, the secrets are sometimes more interesting than the tricks they accomplish!

"If you decide you want to try this trick out on your friends, may I suggest you spend most of your time thinking about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. Sure, you need to hide the secret well, but if you want people to like magic, it is best to put less emphasis on the fooling and more emphasis on the feeling. Don't let that be an excuse to do magic poorly, so that they figure it out, but if you give them a feeling they truly value, truly prize, they WONT look for the method. The will even fight to protect what they value the most.

"to that end, I'm sorry someone didn't give YOU that option. You never got to feel the magic, or if you did you had the feeling wrested immediately from you.

"Please try not to let the disappointment sour your feelings about magic. It can be a beautiful and profound art. But if you focus on only the secrets, it will only be puzzles.

"Good luck and I hope you find lots of magic to fill your life."


NOW if it actually IS someone interested in magic I would say:

"Hey, so glad to hear you want to learn about magic. I wish I could be there to answer your questions and guide you to great sources from which to learn. But since I'm not can I give you a little advice?

"one of magic's dirty little secrets is that there are lots of people who make money inventing and selling tricks to other magicians. A lot of these tricks are created (or if we are more accurate - copied) by people who have never really had experience performing in real world situations for real people. They use clever video editing to make their tricks seem impressive. Be careful with what you buy

"also, as a rule, people who actually know what they are doing AREN'T going to be teaching lessons for free on the internet. I mean, if someone is giving up their work for free on the Internet and not using it to perform for real people in the real world, that should say something, right? There are magicians who have spent their lives studying and perfecting Their craft. These guys and gals use these skills to make magic, not youtube tutorials. Sadly a lot of people see their work being taken by those who don't understand it who then try to teach it. These people are seeking attention. These people will never be great magicians because they care more about how magic makes them feel than how magic makes their audiences feel."

"It's tough when you get started to know what's a good source and what isn't. You can always email me and I will do my best to help you. Or you can find an older experienced magician whose work you admire, and while paying for lessons is one thing, always be suspicious of anyone who promises to make you great magician or say that you will "master" magic if only you buy their product.

"there is a lot of bad magic out there, and there is a lot of great magic being taught by bad magicians. Ok, bad isn't a good word because that makes it a matter of taste. How about - a lot of magic is being taught by unskilled and inexperienced "magicians." That's why its important to always seek out the best sources you can find, and don't get discouraged with magic if you get stuck with instructions that don't make sense, a trick that will never fool anyone, or worse, one that no one seems to care about.

"we have all been there.

"I truly wish you the best with your magic. It will not always be easy. Heck, nothing worth doing is. But if you give it your attention, your time, and even your love, you will be surprised with the doors it will open, the joy you will create, and how your life will be enhanced - not because you know how tricks are done, but because you can create and share real moments of magic with the world.

Stick with it, and best of luck"
Last edited by Brad Henderson on December 9th, 2015, 12:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby MagicbyAlfred » December 9th, 2015, 12:18 pm

Performer, thank you, I will be eagerly looking forward to that...

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby mr_goat » December 9th, 2015, 12:37 pm

Jonathan Townsend wrote:
Remember if it does not deceive it's not magic.


As my delicious friend Kent Gunn says, if you don't fool them, you're a just ****ing clown.
Yes, it is mrgoat, I just can't log in with old account.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Leo Garet » December 9th, 2015, 1:00 pm

mr_goat wrote:
Jonathan Townsend wrote:
Remember if it does not deceive it's not magic.


As my delicious friend Kent Gunn says, if you don't fool them, you're a just ****ing clown.

This is probably why the “I don’t fool ’em, I entertain ’em” brigade makes me wince.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Bill Mullins » December 9th, 2015, 1:39 pm

To the second half of Brad's post, I might add that despite the warnings to be skeptical of people selling magic instead of making magic, many of the very best magicians have written books that contain secrets worth knowing -- how to practice, how to present, how to discover your "character" and how to find the magic that best lets you share yourself. These aren't "It's fun to be fooled but it's more fun to know!" secrets (and in fact, they aren't really all that secret), but they are important to "putting emphasis on the feeling."

The next time you want to buy a trick or a download, ask an experienced magician for a book recommendation.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » December 9th, 2015, 1:55 pm

I hope my advice didn't imply that one should never buy instructional materials or tricks, only that one need be careful to make beneficial choices.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby P.T.Widdle » December 9th, 2015, 3:06 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:The next time you want to buy a trick or a download, ask an experienced magician for a book recommendation.


I'm sure every reader of BoingBoing knows an experienced magician. And if they don't, might you recommend where they could find one?

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » December 9th, 2015, 3:27 pm

I am delighted to see Brad and Widdle getting along so swimmingly as usual.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » December 9th, 2015, 3:34 pm

[/quote]===
This is probably why the “I don’t fool ’em, I entertain ’em” brigade makes me wince.[/quote]
.................................................................

It is the ones who don't entertain OR fool them that make ME wince.

But if you have to choose one or the other (and you don't) then the entertain them option is FAR more important. Entertainment should ALWAYS come first. Mystification, though important is secondary. Besides I don't like that expression "fool them". It is so demeaning and arrogant and I do not approve.

Amuse and baffle them with a smile would be a far better way of putting things. Not that they will get much in the way of smiles from me of course.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Bill Mullins » December 9th, 2015, 3:40 pm

P.T.Widdle wrote:
Bill Mullins wrote:The next time you want to buy a trick or a download, ask an experienced magician for a book recommendation.


I'm sure every reader of BoingBoing knows an experienced magician. And if they don't, might you recommend where they could find one?



Well, since this would be added to Brad's statement, they would be hearing this suggestion from Brad. I hope I'm not being too presumptuous by suggesting that he would offer some very good advice to anyone who is starting out in magic, and is trying to decide whether to buy a book or a Ellusionist download. He is certainly experienced, not only as a magician but also as a magic teacher.

And if he's busy, he can give them my email address.

But if this were general advice, I'd suggest using the same methods to find an experienced magician as I'd use to find an experienced person in any field. What are the professional/fraternal organizations, and can they recommend someone (i.e., call the IBM or SAM office, and ask for help). Who are the big book dealers? (i.e., call Marshall Peterson at H&R magic books, or Andy Greget, or Dan Bradbury, or Byron Walker, or John Cannon) Who are the prominent authors to lay people? (i.e., contact Joshua Jay at Vanishing Inc.) What are the major journals? (i.e., email the offices of Genii, Magic, Linking Ring, MUM). I'm sure doing any of these things would give a useful answer to a beginner who is looking for a good introductory text. Even googling "local magicians" and asking whoever is a working pro in his area will probably give good results.

I've been in magic for almost 19 years. I've been lucky enough to meet many of its best practitioners, writers, and thinkers. It never ceases to amaze me how willing nearly all of them are to help out a beginner who is serious.
Last edited by Bill Mullins on December 9th, 2015, 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » December 9th, 2015, 3:42 pm

Jonathan Townsend wrote:
performer wrote:...
So how do you solve the problem of them thinking you have a trick deck? Easy. Buy my book where I explain several methods...
But I don't really use the methods I espouse in my book except one. ...
And like a true grafter it is time for me "to come to the bat". And I am not talking about cricket. You can purchase the routine here. Use your own bloody svengali deck.

http://www.marklewisentertainment.com/h ... short.html


the bloodstained pack... thinking...

Different kind of thought -:- thinking about giving a pack and routine to someone who asked about learning a trick. Mark - what say you? Would your work, a subset of your routine, be of direct use to beginner learning to do a trick or two for folks on occasion?


I am sorry, Jonathon. I have no idea what you are trying to say. Or ask. If you could put it in plainer language I will be happy to respond.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Jonathan Townsend » December 9th, 2015, 4:01 pm

A layman asked me about something they could learn and show at parties. The svengali pack and a good routine perhaps? What do you think?
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby P.T.Widdle » December 9th, 2015, 4:25 pm

Bill and Brad, might I suggest you post your sage advice for beginners to the comments section of the Penguin package post on BB. That way, anyone who might be considering purchasing the package (so that they can show some cool tricks during the holiday season), might instead be enlightened to find their local IBM chapter and be steered to a magic book recommendation that will lead them on the correct path to mastering the art.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » December 9th, 2015, 4:35 pm

Jonathan Townsend wrote:A layman asked me about something they could learn and show at parties. The svengali pack and a good routine perhaps? What do you think?


The svengali deck would be great but it is going to be too difficult for laymen to learn my routine and in fact I don't want them to do it. However, they can have great fun with the regular instructions that come with the deck. Or the little book that Al Stephenson put out years ago. A British svengali grafter I know who shall go unnamed simply copied the book verbatim and put his name on the cover as the author. I did get great amusement out of it as this is the sort of thing we do on a regular basis. Ethics are not a high priority for us.

The amusing part of it is that one guy new to the svengali deck pitch business went to spy on him and purchased the deck which came with the book and copied it himself and put HIS name on it. ! When I heard about this I knew he was going to make it in the svengali business since he had the correct mindset.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » December 9th, 2015, 4:52 pm

PT,

can you not read?

What did I say about people who give advice for nothing
on the Internet?

Have you learned nothing?

ps next time you tell me what to do, may I tell YOU what to do??

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Bill Mullins » December 9th, 2015, 5:35 pm

P.T.Widdle wrote:Bill and Brad, might I suggest you post your sage advice for beginners to the comments section of the Penguin package post on BB.


Yes, you might.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby MagicbyAlfred » December 9th, 2015, 7:05 pm

Performer, I received your PM. Thank you! i would not in a million years have dreamed that those were the 14 words. As you have emphasized time and again, presentation and entertainment are paramount, and the reactions of the laymen are always the one true barometer of the performer's success (no pun intended). Brilliant!

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby P.T.Widdle » December 19th, 2015, 10:32 am

Star Wars magic tricks:

http://boingboing.net/2015/12/18/incred ... th-st.html

I love the Antigravity Yoda!

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » December 19th, 2015, 11:47 am

this was interesting and likely to get people interested in magic. Now imagine each demo had been followed by an explanation. All interest would have been killed.

this is the kind of thing that is good for magic.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Bill Mullins » December 19th, 2015, 12:03 pm

What was the magic effect in the Han Solo Carbonite sequence? And where do you get the Bicycle Jokers with ET in the basket?

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » December 19th, 2015, 12:06 pm

I don't know that the Han Solo was a trick per se

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby P.T.Widdle » December 19th, 2015, 3:54 pm

Brad Henderson wrote: Now imagine each demo had been followed by an explanation.


Why imagine it? I saw you do it on your website (before you were called out on it, and took it down).

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » December 19th, 2015, 4:12 pm

P.T.Widdle wrote:
Brad Henderson wrote: Now imagine each demo had been followed by an explanation.


Why imagine it? I saw you do it on your website (before you were called out on it, and took it down).


WTF are you talking about, Widdle?

I never took anything down.

And The video, along with the manner In which it is advertised (that is to say, to people whom I have given business cards) is designed to over come all the obstacles we have discussed regarding indiscriminate exposure. You can, of course, make the case that I failed. I will, of course, remind you that at least I gave it some thought and cared enough to try - which is a damned sight more than you've ever been willing to go.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby P.T.Widdle » December 19th, 2015, 4:44 pm

Sorry, I couldn't find it. Care to provide a link to the video?
I'm sure you were aware when you made your business card video that people would see it who were not handed out the card, thereby bypassing the "demo" altogether, or is there a password?

By the way, no one has ever proposed showing a "demo followed by an explanation." Are you suggesting BB has done that? Show me the post, or show me where I have advocated for that.

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 19th, 2015, 5:54 pm

My finger is moving toward the ban button again PR.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

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Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » December 20th, 2015, 11:22 am

if explaining the secret after the demo takes away from the experience, then explaining the secret Without ever giving them a magic experience is merely a deeper hole one has dug for their audience. both cases are bad for magic, and the one you DO advocate for is equally bad if not worse.

The video is easy to find if you have my card. The fact you haven't found it establishes my point. I have already considered your concerns and made choices which I felt managed the issues.

I have no desire to discuss those decisions with you because you are unwilling to admit that there is an issue worth addressing. I will save those strategies to share with people who care about the well being of magic over their own onanistic pleasures.

nice try though, kid.

Now try to stay on topic. RK doesn't need the grief.

P.T.Widdle
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Joined: April 30th, 2008, 1:51 pm
Location: New York City

Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby P.T.Widdle » January 8th, 2016, 8:01 am

Richard Kaufman exposes the Boomerang illusion.

http://boingboing.net/2016/01/07/that-a ... its-m.html

The horror.

performer
Posts: 3508
Joined: August 7th, 2015, 10:35 pm

Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby performer » January 8th, 2016, 8:56 am

P.T.Widdle wrote:Richard Kaufman exposes the Boomerang illusion.

http://boingboing.net/2016/01/07/that-a ... its-m.html

The horror.


That sort of thing is fine and I don't mind a bit. You need a few simple tricks out there that kids can learn and possibly become interested in magic. It is when professional secrets that are supposed to be kept hidden are put out on the internet is when I get agitated.

I always expose the simple magnetic wand trick in my kid show. It is normally done with a pencil or a knife. You hold your left wrist with your right hand and the item is magnetised to your left hand. Of course you are simply holding it with your finger. The expose gets a good laugh and I follow it up with another magnetic finger expose which is explained in children's books.

I stole the idea of exposing it in my act by watching David Berglas do the same thing with (I think) an appearing cane. I only steal from the best people, after all. I also stole his cigarette routine. However, the LAST thing I would want to steal is that vastly over rated trick "Card at any Number"! No. I shall stick to the magnetic wand.

Brad Henderson
Posts: 4546
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: austin, tx

Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » January 8th, 2016, 11:09 am

How does one 'expose' a principle of psychology taught in every psych 101 textbook?

once again, Widdle proves he is only here to poke people with a stick. I hope he doesn't present his magic the same way. We don't need more people who use magic as a stick with which to poke people. (but it would explain his obsession with 'secrets.)

P.T.Widdle
Posts: 694
Joined: April 30th, 2008, 1:51 pm
Location: New York City

Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby P.T.Widdle » January 8th, 2016, 11:28 am

The majority of people are likely to experience this illusion as a magic trick performed for them, not from a psych 101 textbook.
So, yes, it is an exposure, albeit, as performer states, a minor one. I, of course, have no problem with it. But I find it hypocritical that you, Brad, would pivot away from this one, given all that you have written about the dangers of exposure on BB. Is it because RK wrote the post, I wonder?

Brad Henderson
Posts: 4546
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: austin, tx

Re: Magic in BoingBoing

Postby Brad Henderson » January 8th, 2016, 11:57 am

so, your claim (once again backed by no evidence) is that people are more likely to see the jastrow illusion presented in a magic show than in a book on psychology or optical illusions?

Widdle, you are an idiot. I'm sorry, I can't think of any other words to describe it.

I have taught the boomerang illusion for years. I have taught it to literally THOUSANDS of people. (And I chose it for very specific reasons related to my concerns over exposure, but again as you don't see any concerns to have there is no point in sharing that reasoning with you,) In that entire time NO ONE - EVER - has ever related a story of seeing this trick performed by a magician in a magic show. Ever. No One. In fact, I can't think of anytime I have ever seen the trick presented in a magic show.

Now There are people who have seen it before, and it was always in a class (or in a book on optical illusions).

The boomerang illusion is a great illusion to teach because it isn't a magic trick, the dynamics of deception are different. Now, one can add elements of the deception of magic and that can make the illusion more interesting, but im not willing to share those details here.

Until you learn the difference between an optical illusion and a magic trick, Widdle, you might be better served leaving the discussion to those with a bit more background and experience. Try to follow along and some day you might be in a position to comment intelligently - - - some day.

And after all I have written on this forum, and the bans I have received, do you really believe I would have ANY reservation criticizing RK for something he did?!?

See, that just plays to my thesis. You have seen me do that yourself. The proof is here right in front of you. But yet, you make a ridiculous claim based on absolutely nothing.

you really are a hoot, Widdle.


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