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About Posting: Only Registered users can post new topics and replies in this forum Username: Password: I forgot my password! Message: Click Here to review the topic. [quote] On 2007-04-09 15:13, Raymond Singson wrote: [quote] On 2007-04-07 11:15, silverking wrote: After waiting to see the rebuttals here (or anywhere) I'm a bit confused. Nobody has even attempted to contest the Swiss argument. Do those who call themselves 'street magicians' simply read an article like that, realize they're a fraud, and pack up to go home? Has Swiss shown that the Emperor's been naked all along? [/quote] In my opinion, Swiss hasn't shown [i]anything[/i] at all. As I already said, this argument is as old as the hills, and its fire really doesn't need much more reignition. A simple search on the Café will show a variety of other people's opinions in regards to the status of what is currently considered "street magic." ...And to be quite honest, I'd rather just not involve myself in immature namecalling with someone who's so set in his ways that it would simply be a waste of time trying to prove/disprove anything at all. ...But allow me to try anyway. Ha. I agree that the 'street magic' hype [i]is[/i] somewhat irritating and the business behind it is probably a passing one. Despite that, to call it non-existent is a bit of a stretch. Swiss argues that it's impossible to do what Blaine and Angel perform without a camera crew. That may be true for someone with as much persona and presentation as a rock (no offense, Jamy), but I've seen quite a few magicians do extremely well without the backup of a television station under their belt. What is modernly called street magic has always existed. People have performed in spontaneous settings since magic's origins. In fact, that's why so many magicians were surprised Blaine was so successful: they'd been doing the same thing for decades prior! Jamy also argues that "street magic" should be discredited because no one can make a living off of it. Last time I checked, there was more to magic than a paycheck. In any case, "street magic" can become a profitable occupation. In fact, I currently work in a variety of bars and nightclubs in Philadelphia due to a reputation doing magic on the streets. Granted, I didn't get paid or ask for tips at all, but it was a great way to do some guerilla advertising and hand out my business card to my desired clientele. Many magicians, such as Michael Ammar, Jay Sankey, and Gregory Wilson have devoted a lot of time and effort into producing teaching material that send home this very idea. Yes, "street magic" probably cannot acquire as much income as its traditional busking definition, but it can lead to a wealth of opportunities for more professional work. From my experiences, the typical newcomer is much more knowledgeable and eager to learn the intricacies of magic. Swiss seems to bemoan them altogther, lumping them in a generalization of magic hacks and internet losers. Magic hacks have always been a part of magic, even before the dawn of "street magic." I felt that Swiss undervalued the potential of today's amateur magicians-- and in some cases, he did so to simply toot his own horn. From what I hear, he's very accomplished in that instrument. Newer guys know there's more to magic than Ellusionist and Penguin. If they don't, there's no harm in setting things right and educating them without putting anyone else down. It's simple communication... With all that said, I do agree with a lot of Swiss' article, and I respect the man's experience very much. But I'm a firm believer in the idea that one has to take every rant and bashing with a grain of salt. That is, after all, all his supposed article was-- a mediocrely witten rant consisting of his own personal opinion. In my opinion, a lot of his statements were uncalled for and sadly show a lot of his true colors as an individual. I digress. Semper, Ray. [/quote] [HTML is Off] [BBcode is On] Options: Disable BBcode on this Post Disable Smilies on this Post

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