|
|
Go to page 1~2 [Next] | ||||||||||
ViolinKing Veteran user a loyal user has no more than 307 Posts |
I give ghost tours at Shaker's haunted cigar bar in Milwaukee. I have had a lot of people ask me questions about my particular experiences, and I feel that the questions are inappropriate. As much as I can, I fill my tours with anecdotes as close to my personal experience as possible. But when people ask me point blank "Have you seen anything" it always rustles my jimmies. Essentially, they're asking me questions they should be asking their priest.
When I explained this to someone, she said that I should lie. Point blank. She then compared magic to lying. They are definitely different. Magicians are paid to pretend to be something someone wants to believe in. But lying to people about ghosts is having them pay me to tell them to believe in something. Its a little sickening. Whether or not magic is sickening, it is certainly not sickening to be paid to pretend to be a magician. Their money never influences their own beliefs. They *already* believe. |
|||||||||
stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
What a strange thing for you to think the questions are inappropriate! What did you expect would happen when you decided to give ghost tours? It would be like taking a job as Santa Claus and finding it inappropriate when the children ask, "are you the REAL Santa?" Of COURSE they think that their tour guide might have seen something. What else could you reasonably expect? It comes with the gig.
Look, take the cash, and if you really feel uncomfortable just act mysterious and say, "I'd rather not discuss my personal experiences." But try not to have such an insulting attitude toward your customers. You'll be a better performer, a better tour guid, and maybe even a better human being if you don't take their beliefs to fall into the category of your own personal responsibility. Or get another gig. I don't care. |
|||||||||
Mr. Mystoffelees Inner circle I haven't changed anyone's opinion in 3623 Posts |
Were I a guide for a "haunted" tour, I would feel a responsibility to make it as fun and mysterious as I could. I would never lie about actual personal experiences, nor would I directly answer personal questions (which as Stone mentioned I would expect), but my indirect answers would drip with mystery. I do a halloween magic show and can make people shiver simply with a good rendition of "Legend of Sleepy Hallow".
If you ever get a chance, swing over to Gettysburg, especially early July. They are expert at raising the hair on the back of your neck with ghost stories. People do not need to believe in ghosts and haunts to enjoy being titillated with "what-ifs" and scary stories told as if true...
Also known, when doing rope magic, as "Cordini"
|
|||||||||
critter Inner circle Spokane, WA 2653 Posts |
I think "For entertainment purposes only" should suffice. That's just my opinion though.
"The fool is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
~Will Rogers |
|||||||||
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-03-05 02:29, ViolinKing wrote: I would find it totally unbelievable that folks would not ask you if you believed in or have seen a ghost in your situation. Not with all these hilarious ghost hunting shows on. Truly some of the funniest television ever broadcast. But, so what if they ask. IF you don't believe in ghosts or have never seen a ghost say so. Folks won't hate you. They haven't either. Tell them you are agnostic about it. You don't believe you don't not believe, you just have no evidence, etc. Say it without being either supercilious or smarmy and you won't come off as a jerk and in this particular situation folks will appreciate the honesty. I wouldn't sweat it. Have fun. Best,
Brad Burt
|
|||||||||
Lundonia Veteran user refuses to read more than 321 Posts |
In the interest of spreading healthy skepticism I would just answer them "No, I haven't", and then in the interest of keeping my job not elaborate further.
"Only two things are infinite; the universe and human stupidity - and i'm not sure about the former" - Albert Einstein
www.jensmagi.se |
|||||||||
ViolinKing Veteran user a loyal user has no more than 307 Posts |
Brad:
Its something that gets to you over time. You realize there is no return on being so personal. People want to sit and discuss ghosts, that's fine, but its my job, not my life, to discuss ghosts. I've taken the approach of simply locking out my personal life on the tour. In essence, what I'm saying is that my personal opinions go beyond what is expected on the tour, and therefore I don't like to share it. They think that because they are paying money they can ask a question that they wouldn't ask most of the time. Consider: Would they ask that question to most people? Stone: If you heard the neediness in their voices, you would know that it is strange to expect it to happen. It is typically people who are looking for something more, but expect to be able to get that from someone by paying. |
|||||||||
Michael Kamen Inner circle Oakland, CA 1315 Posts |
See, you are doing this gig as yourself and probably need to be doing it in a fictitious character. If you approach this opportunity as an actor, you can use it to tell tall stories. I do not know the clientele but, I daresay, you can probably tell them with a wink.
Michael Kamen
|
|||||||||
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
With MK on this. They are just looking for reassurance and not your personal opinion.
As long as they don't ask you on the street a few months later or start calling you at home...
...to all the coins I've dropped here
|
|||||||||
Seamus Airgead New user 9 Posts |
There is a ton of wiggle room here. "No I haven't, but I'm open-minded about it" sounds about right... You ARE open-minded, and not a narrow-minded SCICOP type, aren't you?
If not, you're probably the wrong performer for this gig. PS- what's so inherently wrong with lying to people about ghosts in the context of a haunted house? |
|||||||||
tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
It's a tricky question and I am not sure what I would say, its a magic dilemma.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
|||||||||
Johnny Butterfield Veteran user 378 Posts |
Take a hint from Scooby Doo - "I did see a ghost here with my friends and our dog - we caught it and it turned out to be Mr. Wilkins, the librarian in disguise."
The current economic crisis is due to all the coins I've vanished.
The poster formerly known as Fman111. |
|||||||||
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-03-05 17:50, ViolinKing wrote: I can't imagine a certain number of people not asking the question. In fact I would be blown away if they didn't, especially in the context. IF...the tour is done totally tongue-in-cheek and with tons of humor...maybe/maybe not. But, if the tour is presented in any way seriously, then yes, they will ask. A tour guide for good or ill is generally considered and in most contexts is presented as a 'kind' of expert on the subject at hand. I have taken dozens of tours and in most cases you are told to ask questions, etc. WHAT kind of questions are not delineated, etc. In your case you are talking about a subject that many people take very seriously. YOU are the 'expert' on the spot whether you really are or not. Thus, the least sufficient answer to me would be a claim of agnosticism. Done with serious mien it would I think cancel that line of questioning most of the time. I've been asked many times if I believe in 'real' magic. In context I assume they mean can I ACTUALLY pull REAL money from the air. I simple say, "If I could do that do you think I would be doing this? Said with a kind of wry, wink, wink humor it's never ****ed anyone off and almost always gets a laugh, even from the person that is obviously serious. Most folks KNOW that no matter how good the magician...it's not REAL magic produced by some supernatural means. But, ghosts are a totally different area. The same folks that will not believe REAL POWER of some extra natural kind caused a deck of cards mixed face up and face down to right itself instantly, will at the same time 'wonder' whether or not ghosts exist. Bizzarist magic deliberately conflates the two and thus we get one of the more outre sub-genres of magic. Where you find discomfort in the process, any number of other performers would leap upon it like ravening rabbits and ask if they could do some 'spooky' stuff as part of the tour. To each his own, but even I, who does not really like the Bizzare genre would consider having some fun...... ;-} Best regards,
Brad Burt
|
|||||||||
ViolinKing Veteran user a loyal user has no more than 307 Posts |
Do you believe in real magic?
|
|||||||||
tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
I do not believe in real magic I know it to exist but not what you might call magic. The mytery schools were not called mytery schools for nothing, they taught the understanding of things know exist but can not be understood by normal science. Things such love and how is created and such is real magic to me. See the works of Schwaller de Lubicz.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
|||||||||
Count Lustig Elite user 456 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-03-05 17:50, ViolinKing wrote: But no one is asking about your personal opinions. This is the baffling part to me. Someone asks you about your experiences and you think that they’re asking for an opinion or spiritual guidance. They’re simply asking whether you’ve ever seen a ghost. To answer your last question, I would certainly feel free to ask that of anyone--even a stranger--if it were relevant to a conversation that we were having. And I’d be astonished if they were offended by my asking. Like Jake Gittes says in Chinatown, “It’s an innocent question.” |
|||||||||
funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9981 Posts |
From a "business consultant" standpoint. Every job has an ethical component that should be considered before taking on the job. The problem here is that you did not know to do when confronted with the question. You should have known and been prepared for such a question.
Every magician (conjuror,mentalist,priest,fincancial analyst, etc) should address such ethical comsiderations "before the fact." This is part of "being accountable" for one's actions/decisions in life, and an obligation for anyone offering a sevice or product for a fee. You question here implies that you are still "undecided" even after the encounter. Please do not go to work tomorrow until you have decided. There have been some good suggestions offered here as to how to make you "personal statement" non-offensive, but the decision as to what to say is yours alone, and hopefully congruent with other decsions in your life.
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
|||||||||
Michael Kamen Inner circle Oakland, CA 1315 Posts |
They are there for a spooky experience (if I am not mistaken). YOu can play it as their spooky host, their downright skeptical host (who has nonetheless been haunted by inexplicable happenings), or their basically disinterested host, or anything in between.
Michael Kamen
|
|||||||||
ViolinKing Veteran user a loyal user has no more than 307 Posts |
Funny, Brad didn't answer my question.
|
|||||||||
Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-03-06 01:26, ViolinKing wrote: If you mean the Harry Potter stuff or even Voodou, Hoodoo, etc. The answer is no.
Brad Burt
|
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Food for thought » » Thoughts on Supernatural belief (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page 1~2 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |