Book or not, David Blaine does not do street magic at all.
Street magic or busking is very different than what David Blaine does and what this forum covers.

David is a Guerrilla magician. He hides and strikes targets of opportunity.

Say it: Guerrilla Magic (it's new) and I coined the phrase. You heard it here first.

It's OK the world will not end. There is now a new kind of magic.

Guerilla Magic.

Yep! That sounds good.

And for "Gorilla Magic", you need a TV Network and camera crew, and video editors, and the ability to call it spontaneous and keep a straight smirk.

BroDavid

Should the Café open a new forum for Guerilla magic?

Bro David,

"Gorilla" magic is when you strong arm the specs with a camera crew and TV network people...oh ....i see.

Well now we need two new forums. One for Me
and one for David Blaine.

I find it hilarious that you people can even recognize this man, he wrote a book, with the exception of a few, i'm sure none of you have put the time and effort into writing one, it gets annoying the fact that all of you people cannot just tkae it for a book, i'm not worshiping the man, i recognize that he is a magician, and thats about it, if i had said the same thjing about Copperfield, people would have been all for it, but just because this man has better acting skills and showmanship thanh many of you does not give people the right to put down other magicians, i've been doing magic for about 13 years of my life, and you know, it seems to be the people who have insecurities about there own skills that are unable to say, well yes, that was interesting or whatever
so all i'm asking, think before about what people have accomplished before you go magician bashing....

I have to agree to an extent with you. We haven't accomplished anything like he has. Three network TV shows and a book read by not only magicians but lay fans. Oh what I'd do to have the same. The problem that most concerns me about his "persona" is that he missrepresents some aspects of the magic community. It's not that I don't like him or his magic, it's that I don't like my performances being compared to his. I'm not saying I'm better, just different. Good luck to him and to you as well!

Hey no bashing intended. Merely a harmless chuckle. I don't think much of Copperfeild or a lot of the other so called superstars.
I own quite a few garbage books from big name folks who coudln't deliver at the expense of my pocket book.

My intention was to create an awarness of a new type of magic. David does not perform on the street, all day long, and pass the hat to get by, or as a main form of income. He is not a street magician. If he becomes one, let me know, and I will go and watch.

David does Guerilla Magic.

I also do Guerilla Magic, (just not on TV)and there is no embarrasment in forcing magic on unsuspecting victims....I mean spectators. I was doing the Balducci a couple years before the specials.

Anyone who steps in front of the camera or writes a book, has put/sold themselves out for inspection. Me too, If I write one.

Whats wrong with Guerilla Magic?

I hardly think honest criticism and sincere passion should be confused with "magician bashing."

And, no, Blaine does NOT do street magic or busking; he does, as KingStardog say, "guerrilla magic."

BTW, King, I've heard the term "guerrilla magic" for years now; so, unless you're about my age, I doubt that you coined the phrase, although you may have come up with it independently.
And, anyway, it's spelled with TWO "r"s.

guerrilla magic... armed by the enemy for the benifit of an overthrow? Whom are we overthrowing?

Sorry.. the visual has hit me more than once.. a mess of top hat, tux wearing magicians armed with playing card and magic wands all yelling hocus pocus at each other..

Again sorry..

As a fulltime close-up magician, I have nothing but envy for David Blaine's financial success. I envy his fame & fortune. I will never reach the level that he has attained. However, that does not make him a good magician. He cannot perform in public. He depends on multiple performances to people that have never seen a good magician perform. We don't see all the bad footage that was taken. We only see the footage of a performance that went well. I have no respect for the man a magician. But I have the utmost respect for him as a promotor. It only goes to show how far you can go without any real talent or personality.

**sigh**

This is simply not true. I recently got in touch with an old friend. She is a 'B' list actress you may or may not have heard of. It really doesn't matter.

What does matter is several years ago she traveled in some pretty high profile circles and at several parties David Blaine was in attendance. This was long before his first TV special.

He was working, doing magic, for real people. She said he was great and really 'freaked people out'.

This being said, he was doing his job, he entertained, people were fooled, a good time was had by all, and he got paid. Hell, he dated Madonna before the TV special.

I'd say that makes him a good magician, in my book anyway. I know a lot of hacks who work pretty regular that people say, 'oh, he was okay. he helpped kill an hour or so.'

That is what I would call a not so good magician.

I give credit where credit is due. I stand on the street and bring a show to real people. I entertain with magic. They like what I do and give me money to show it. I do not do technically heavy handed stuff because real people do not care. They want to have fun and be mystified.

Sounds like David Blaine did the same. I've never spent any time with Mr. Blaine so it would be presumptious of me to cast verdict on his skills by what he presented on TV for real people to enjoy.

For all we know in private he could be doing stuff that would floor us all.

Also, those TV specials have done more good for my business in magic than anything else in the past 15 years. Young people think magic is hip again.

A highschool would not have booked me 10 years ago because the kids wanted it. They would have booked me because some adult thought it was good clean fun. Today the kids spend their car wash money to book me. That tickles me.

I don't have to work as hard to win kids over any more and I owe that to David Blaine.

So in my book, Blaine is at least a good magician.

What he does isn't 'real' street magic though

Best,

Dan-

before we talk about how he misrepresents the "magic community" let us remember he is a part of that community. How can he misrepresent himself? I think he's great! A very unique approch to magic. Isn't htat what we're all try'n to do?


~Spiff

I really dig his style..the man is smooooth

Independantly for sure Peter,

I had no idea this was a common term for the behavior.

However, being a faily old naming convention, shouldn't the Café have a forum for representation? Some people like hit and run magic.

Some good points in your post, but it should be clarified that David Blaine did not write the book, at least not on his own. Larry Sloman was the ghost writer. Basically, Blaine provided the material, and Sloman did the actual writing. It's still quite a bit of work for Blaine, but not nearly as onerous a task as actually doing the writing.

Actually, no. Greg Wilson uses the term on his On the Spot videos. I don't think it's original with him either. Sorry.

Jim

David Blaine may not be a "steet magician" but as some of you have said, he has his own style and that's what we strive for. If it was not for his show, I would have not pursued magic as aggresively as I have. Over the years the search for "magic answers" was not successful and sadly I thought magic was dying (Magic will never die, but I was quite young then), therefore my pursuit had diminished. With his show he sparked the flame again and brought upon a keener interest to a wider group of audience and for that he did an excellent job. So all in all, I say good job David.

David Blaine...

People don't like his style because he is up front and in your face.

I will keep this short. David Blaine does something that not many magicians do. He does not take away from the magic.

Jokes are fine, but are you a joke man or a magician?

I do not envy David Blaine. I enjoy his work and as you know people tend to point out, "What a bad double," or, "Ewww he did not do that right." Well look at your own work and stop criticizing his. Spend your time being envious or spend your time learning. I will take the latter

Michael Graves

I always remember this: "People don't mind you getting ahead, just as long as it is not ahead of them !"

This man has made Magic "fashionable" again and is the benefit to all. Here in the UK a Double Glazing (window) company was given bad press by a BBC Watchdog programme. The following year that company trebled its profits. The public had become more aware and had this on their minds. I am sure that every "street" magician has benefited from this renewed interest in magic.

Regards Nitram UK

I hate to burst your bubble, but the term has been around a LONG time. Lance Burton is preparing a TV special with that name. Perhaps he read your post, then went back in time?

It's not even new to this forum. steve_sequin used it back in March (look in "Sidewalk Shuffle Terminology"). You (KSD) posted in that very thread. Maybe you "coined it" after reading his post. Steve managed to spell it correctly, btw.

That was about the time *I* invented the Cups and Balls, I think...

And I had retracted above, now you are the guilty one.