Online reviews PropDog and Wizard Product reviews

[Chris Randal2]

Over the last few years I have watched a few companies especially in England making product review websites and YouTube posts. I have noticed to get likes and views they have grown dramatically nastier and meaner even relying on personal attacks on the person not reviewing the product. I recently had a DVD of mine reviewed online and the video was put out over 12 years ago yet the review was put out this month...way to stay current. The review was very nasty and very mean even attacking me personally. The review was done by prop dog a magic shop in England. Legally is there anything I can do when I see these attacks online ? This has not happened often but it happened around 10 years ago with the wizard product review guys and now last month with prop dog. When is his personal attacks for putting out a DVD 10 years ago is the slander and is there anything legal I can do. I thought Magic was a brotherhood and a community with someone like myself who suffers from depression it does not help any to wake up to videos bashing me or my material from a decade ago. When my products were reviewed in Genii or Magic magazine I sent those products in for review as were here people are taking it upon themselves to get likes or hits by being rude nasty and mean if this is the way prop dog UK conducts himself to customers that should be known. The wizard product review gentleman should also be held accountable and responsible for slander mean and nasty comments for any reason other than hits likes and views.

[Richard Kaufman]

No, there is nothing you can do about it. Unless there are comments about you personally that can be proven to be malicious (that is, known to be false by the person making the statement), there is little to do. And doing anything is expensive and it's hard to win a libel case. Prop Dog is in the UK, where it's even more difficult to win a libel case than in the USA.
The best advice is to just continue with your life and do the best you can every day, and block the sh*t out.

[Chris Randal2]

Thanks Richard I have been living a much better life and to wake up to links being sent to me was very upsetting. I get if I warranted it but to just have it come out of the blue was depressing (something I struggle with) and shocking. If their goals was to put me into tears then it worked

[Chris Randal2]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=psWDmfF7Un8

The review in question is it mean and vicious or is this the “brotherhood” of magic ?

[Chris Randal2]

Also are we allowing bullying in magic ?

[Brad Jeffers]

HERE is the Wizard Product review of your DVD from ten years ago.

[CraigMitchell]

@Chris ... Threatening Prop Dog online is not going to assist matters:

"Chris Randall: Watch your Back"
"Chris Randall: I’m coming to England you to see you just wait"

Take Richard's feedback.

[Chris Randal2]

But as I learned in my past people need to be held accountable and responsible for their actions maybe the prop dog people will think twice before opening their mouth

[Chris Randal2]

MayBe online trash talkers will have repercussions
In person... maybe just enjoy the convention or keep your mouth shut. This isn’t a threat if conversation but then don’t be an online bully because you may have to deal with it in person.

[Chris Randal2]

How about we go back to the system of be nice to others and let’s get back to the brotherhood of magic like I grew up with and stop this online bullying

[Q. Kumber]

I've watched both reviews. They each said pretty much the same thing. The only personal remark I can recall is that your performing style is sleazy. Maybe it is different in the US, but approaching a table in the UK with the opening line to a female that you are going to show her an amazing penetration, is, unless it is a drunken hen party, likely to get you a slap in the face, raucous retorts at your expense, or complete indifference.

A better approach is to do what Richard said.

An even better approach would be to rewatch your DVD and see if there is room for improvement.

[Bob Farmer]

Propdog is also the company that ripped off my Little Hand trick. Not a company anyone should deal with.

[CraigMitchell]

https://www.propdog.co.uk/little-hand-gimmick

Not to derail the thread ... @Bob - the website says "Bob Farmer has very kindly granted permission to PropDog to produce our version and as our way of thanking Bob, we donate £1 from the sale of each little hand gimmick to a local charity; the Hounslow Toy Library: http://www.hounslowtoylibrary.co.uk"

?

[Q. Kumber]

Bob Ostin may have predated The Little Hand with his Hand of Destiny, page 20 in the Bob Ostin book by Stephen Tucker. Bob used the hand of a toy skeleton to point to where a spectator should replace a card on the deck. I bought some items from the estate sale and have his original.

[Dave Le Fevre]

I posted in this thread earlier today. I wonder why my post vanished?

Don't think I posted anything contentious. Merely expressed my distaste at the extremely unpleasant review from PropDog (though not by Dave Bonsall himself).

[Richard Kaufman]

Your post appeared blank to me (no text typed) so I deleted it.

[Dave Le Fevre]

Thanks Richard.

No idea what happened there. Something to do with the software update, perhaps.

[Joe Lyons]

Several previous posts have been rendered blank by the move today.

[Richard Kaufman]

Are they still blank?

[Joe Lyons]

Yes, look at 3MW

[PressureFan]

I think it has something to do with members that are on a foes list.

[Joe Lyons]

That doesn’t connect as not all of the same member’s posts are blank. And who would put Richard Kaufman on a foe’s list?

[MagicbyAlfred]

Only someone who wanted to end up on another kind of list.

[Q. Kumber]

Some are blank on my iPad but not on my computer

[Bob Farmer]

Propdog only made a deal after I donated money to a local charity and insisted they do the same to settle the matter. Bob Ostin's use of the little hand, as well as Paul Harris's (1978) is nothing like what I did with the prop, so there is no prior invention. Just because someone used a deck of cards for a card trick does not mean that person can claim prior invention for all card tricks with a deck of cards. I invented the trick (as made famous by Michael Ammar) and, frankly, I'm sick of people claiming I didn't.

“Beware you envious thieves of the work and invention of others, keep your thoughtless hands from these works of ours.”
—Albrecht Dürer, (21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528), German painter, printmaker, and theorist of the German Renaissance.

[Q. Kumber]

Back in the 60's and 70's, in the UK and I'm sure elsewhere, a popular item in toy and joke shops was the money box where, when a coin was put on a slot, a skeleton hand would come out, grab and drag it back into the box. It was one of these hands that Bob took and attached to a thimble. Holding the talon in his left hand and a spread of cards in his right, the skeleton hand would pop out from under the spread and tap the talon indicating where to return the already picked card. Bob used it as a quick gag.

Bob was one of the few close-up performers who used a lot of visual gags in his shows.

[Bob Farmer]

The Ostin trick is obviously not my trick.

[Alex Kirk]

Hi All,
This is Alex who made the review in question.
Chris and I have been in contact over the last few days and spoken frankly. We have resolved the situation and I would like to consider a Chris a friend. I certainly wish him all the best and I will support him in any way I can going forward.

Best wishes,
Alex

[Chris Randal2]

Alex has been a gentleman and we came to understand each other and I can even foresee a friendship in the future. We had a heated discussion and at the end of it came out better for the both of us. I look forward to a nice friendship with PropDog and Alex.