While I don't find it offensive, and don't think most people have a problem with a plunger/plumber's helper, I believe it's one of "those situations" in magic. If the person on whom you place this gadget (and I have and use one) is truly embarassed by it, the next time they're in the audience of a magic show, they'll be far less likely to volunteer if asked. Another "I don't wanna sit in the front at a magic show" moment. And you never know the personality of a child until the moment of embarassment happens. No way to judge that beforehand.

Steve

Mario,
What the heck is going on!!! Long time no see or hear from. Are you going to MAES next year? I am performing stage and close up. I think my girlfriend may join me this year. Interesting experience for her. She doesn't quite understand the nerdyness of conventions yet.
As for the original post. WOW. This thing went in a different direction than I thought it would. I think I originally just asked where I could get one. My back story if you are wondering, I had one 6 years ago. I used it all the time. I left my entire act in the back seat of my car while I ran into a class one morning here in Youngstown and had everything stolen from my car (yes it was lock, a window was cracked and someone pushed it down). So the only person that is embarrassed in this entire situation is not the child whose head I put it on, or the older gentleman whose head it was placed upon. Instead it's the homeless man who ran from my car to find a plunger under a wizards hat, along with a fake raccoon, a 65 dollar vanishing ketchup bottle (yes the original before they went to the cheap ones), books that will let you read minds, and a 200 dollar straight jacket. I think the moral of the story is, it's not a big deal. Silly Billy places a diaper on kids heads constantly. Yeah some of you might find that offensive, but he also works more shows in one week than most people do in a year. I guess it just depends on taste, so I will continue plunging young minds.

I just found this topic when I did a search for David Regal's Plumber's Helper.
So this might be able to be used in conjunction with David Regal's Plumber's helper.

And what about that wonderful effect "Merlin" by Oscar Munoz and Arthur Stead?
I saw Oscar perform it and it was wonderful I bought one for my best magic friend, Chet Lowe, who had a larengectomy and did mostly magic to music. He performed this in his final shows before he passed on. He was always a hit. He already had a wizard costume and hat. I remember we went to the grocery store and bought the plunger and flat elastic. We just unscrewed the plunger and wedged the elastic in it. This fit his character perfectly. I have the effect now but have not found a place in my show for it yet.

I also juggle, and I juggle 3 plungers sometimes in my show and everyone loves it. After I make a corny joke about juggling 8 balls, and juggle 3 "8" balls from a pool table, I say, now the show is headed down the drain, and I juggle the plungers. I could even add the one to my head just for fun. Actually I came up with some complicated juggling routines using one silicone ball and 2 plungers, catching it in the plunger and tossing it back into the pattern.

BY THE WAY...these plungers are SINK plungers, not toilet plungers. Toilet plungers have long handles.

Anyway. I read above about Silly Billy using a diaper. I like him because his potty humor is right out in the open. Unlike another kid show magician I will not mention that alludes to sexual innuendos in his Christian show for adults and thinks it is okay, he told me everyone likes it and he never had any complaints. But this guy in question said he does not do anything Silly Billy does.
Snot and boogers, farts, diapers, toilets are fun! And not sexual.
Between Silly Billy and Oscar, they do more Kid shows than any pro(expect possibly me, lol).

So this is a great prop if used correctly.

Now I am going to dust it off for my next series of shows. I will post as things progress.

ACE

If someone wants to be offended, they will look for any excuse to be offended. They are never offended by themselves and their own behavior, only by yours.

I have a rule of thumb that has served me well for many decades.
“If it belongs in a bathroom it does not belong on a stage.”

When a child or adult agrees to join us on stage to assist,
this is a gift they are giving to us.

Lay people can be very shy and nervous,
and should be treated with the utmost respect and care,
they have been generous to come up,
we should be generous to them.

They also represent the entire audience,
when someone on stage is treated badly, or made fun of,
the entire audience is also being demeaned.

This is the “old school” of magic,
the “I’m magic and you’re not” style that should have died with Vaudeville.

I know a bevy of magicians will cry out now,
“what about my bra-trick, what about the sponge ding-dongs?”

Let’s be frontrunners and bring style, class, and clean humor to our guests!

My two-cents,
Walt

In my mind, using a sink plunger on oneself is a lot different than making sexual innuendoes.

(A sink plunger is an innocent funny item that can be used in kid shows. Sexual innuendoes should never ever be used in front of kids to amuse the adults, even if one thinks the kids do not understand.)

Entertain the kids at a kid party, not the adults, and you will get lots of repeat business.


ACE

Love it!

Spellbinder and all, yes, I love it too, just in case...

I was not talking about you or anyone here in my comment but someone who is not here and I will not say their name.

I contradict myself, as I do say some things they adults laught at, but never anything like I mentioned in my last post above.

:bigsmile:

Its quite funny, I just ran into this post thinking whether or not I should use it.

I was considering using in an adult show vs on a child to do a linking ropes trick then play ring toss with the spectator then go into a cut and restored rope trick.

I agree it is the performer that makes the trick not the trick making the performer but in the end I personally feel it is distateful.

I bought mine many moons ago because after reading about it in the catalog at the time it seemed funny but I never used it and so it sits in storate a a collectors peice at best probably to never be used by me.