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harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Been doing a lot of Nursing and Assisted living centers lately.
One joke that I use started out as an adlib years ago. Unlike most, I have a fox spring puppet.(rather than traditional rocky) I start out stating when I first saw it, I thought it was an elephant. I point it backward, making the two leather feet look like eyes, while the tail becomes "the trunk". I tell my audiences that the owner of the store said, "It's not an elephant, its a fox"...Pause...look at the puppet...turn it around...I told him..."So's my wife". Another light blue is an old joke I use when someone sneezes. I talk about asking my grandfather (Papa) if he had a cure for my summer hayfever. He told me to drink 8 glasses of prune juice every day. I asked him, Papa, will that cure my hayfever...pause...No he told me, but it will make you afraid to sneeze. Both the above have gone well for over 10 years. Another bit was actually done by a singer I was backing up with my harmonica. The gig was a country and gospel music program. (drums,guitar, bass, madolin,piano..and of course harmonica/me) From Crazy to Amazing Grace to Hank Williams stuff. I was wondering how the audience(mostly over 65) would take the song I don't look good naked anymore. Lines like dancing "cheek to cheek". From what I could tell the audience loved it. After I talked with my wife about the Blue thread and this song. She called it more cute than "raunchy". In reading Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, the author make the point that two contrasting ideas in the Bible were typical of Old and New testament. Thoughts? Be safe, well and creative. love brother Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts |
As long as you're comfortable with the lines and their delivery and they are character appropriate then keep them in. They obviously work for you. By today's standards they are pretty innocuous and only the most overly pious or uber sensitive individual would take issue with them
While you shouldn't go out of your way to offend people with your material If you end up going overboard by trying not to upset anyone in your audience in any way your act could suffer from it. when I do my Sword Through Neck routine. Something I only perform in my Mediaeval act these days. I have a bit where the sword is supposedly stuck in their neck. I always use a woman in her twenties or thirties for this trick. Never a guy, never a child. As I'm trying to get the sword out I say "You're a little tense. your throats tightened up, it has a death grip on the blade. thou hath to relaxth. Take several deep breaths. In. . . out. . . .in . . .out" I then look over towards their boyfriend or husband and say "It doesn't help, I just like to watch" Ninety percent of the time this evoke a laugh from the woman stuck in the sticks which supposedly allows me to pull the sword out. A touch risqué. But it is the middle ages after all and it was a much more bawdy time than the present. I've done this routine thousands of time and in all these presentations I've only had two people come up to me to voice their concerns over my verbal "abuse" of my volunteer. Both of them at the same event. A Mediaeval themed festival held at a Catholic church. Oddly they had no complaint about me apparently driving a sword through a young woman's neck. But felt the mildly suggestive patter was inappropriate. A view obviously not shared by the organizers as I was invited back ever year the held the festival.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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Ray Bertrand Inner circle Ottawa, Ontario 1452 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-05-18 08:13, Harris wrote: There is a definite difference between 'light blue' a 'tad raunchy' and 'double innuendos' as opposed to being downright filthy, vulgar and/or using God's name in vain. You have my vote Harris. Ray
Mentalism in Ontario.
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Ed_Millis Inner circle Yuma, AZ 2292 Posts |
For me, I move the other direction. I am not just concerned about offending someone - I am more concerned that someone might think that I overlap with the world at that point.
With every contact, every decision, every word, I represent Jesus. That is the standard weight in my balance scale to which I measure everything. If I have to wonder about something I've said or done, it's usually because I've gotten close enough to "the line" that it could look like I'm comfortable "over there". More than "is the audience comfortable?" - more than "am I comfortable?" - is the Spirit comfortable? That's a personal conversation between you and Him. Ed |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Yes....In all like David...check with the Lord.
The way is narrow....and wide is the other easier path.... Wrestling with the world, self and or God, is brought up often in our Bible.("The original Big Book...as I believe Bible means "book".) For some, the Song of Solomon would not be a comfortable read. I love sharing my love of the Lord throught education, questions,(Hey, I'm Jewish..and brought up with questions/and talking with my hands.. and am most often convicted (not while performing) but sitting in Church. I used to want to just get that feel good stuff on Sunday. Over the years I have found much much more. Sometimes I share my testimony using the Bible, sometimes it is wailing on the harmonica(the Shofar is hard to keep in tune) down in the Jazz of Kansas City. Yesterday I did another Assisted living program and after blowing the blues, I talked about the healing of my asthma, allowing me to pursue use of a wind instrument. But as "Mr. Bongo" used to say....I digress.. Be safe, well and creative. love brother Harris A.D.H.D with attention deficit husband disorder
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Ray Bertrand Inner circle Ottawa, Ontario 1452 Posts |
A.D.H.D. - Attention Deficit Husband Disorder - YOu crack me up Harris. I'm going to petition to have that label inserted into the DSM IV - TR.
Mentalism in Ontario.
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harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Ray and others...full disclosure, it was my creative wife, who came up with that one. Her undergraduate degree is in speech and theatre. With a MS in history, she turns to the history articles in my magic magazines and books, rather than the learn a new trick section.
Be safe, well and creative. Harris When I was younger I used to hate it when people laughed at me..(like when I dropped the baseball in right field)...these days I hate it when people don't laugh at me...er with me... and still 2 old toooooooooo know it all
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Kif Anderson FCM forum Staff 1961 - 2012 386 Posts |
I try to live by the rule when it comes to thing being considered inappropriate or not..."If you have to ask...don't do it."
That has always served me well.
We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing. - Billy Graham
<BR> <BR>Sharing the gospel with Comedy & Illusion www.ozandwilde.com |
Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
LOL! It's a good rule. And still there have been times when I wish I had asked. Life can create enough embarrassing moments.
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
I second Ed and Kif's replies. And Bob, you're right about those embarrassing moments- most of my embarrassing moments are caused by what slips out of my own mouth without even thinking.
God bless you!
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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Ray Bertrand Inner circle Ottawa, Ontario 1452 Posts |
I agree with Preston, Ed and Kif. Someone once said; "Make sure brain is in gear before putting mouth in motion".
Ray
Mentalism in Ontario.
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Levi Bennett Inner circle 1778 Posts |
That's a good one Ray
Performing magic unprofessionally since 2008!
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wwhokie1 Special user 512 Posts |
I wouldn't find your humor offensive, but there is often someone in any crowd that will find something offensive. It is not possible to avoid offending everyone. Some people will simply find magic offensive. My suggestion is to figure out what you would consider inappropriate, and be true to yourself. Then do the best you can to understand your audience, and remove anything they might find offensive, if you have any concerns run the comment by the person who invited you to see if they find it inappropriate. Never knowingly offend your audience, but its impossible to never offend anyone; and if you could then someone would find that offensive.
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DavidKenney Inner circle 2178 Posts |
I'm performing the Comedy Egg Can at a local yacht club and my blue joke is "It's called the vanishing egg trick because my wife wouldn't let me call it menopause."
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Neale Bacon Inner circle Burnaby BC Canada 1775 Posts |
I learned the hard way that a line I thought was harmless got me blacklisted from a particular church, so now my guideline is if there's a doubt, leave it out. I don't want to offend anyone in my ministry or secular shows.
Neale Bacon and his Crazy Critters
Burnaby BC Canada's Favourite Family Ventriloquist www.baconandfriends.com |
Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
Yep, same thing happened to me, Neale. Blacklisted. When in doubt leave it out. Good one.
Hey...this is deja vu here. Plus...are we missing a topic here? Something got deleted... Doug |
Mike Maturen Inner circle Michigan's Beautiful Sunrise Side 2726 Posts |
Yup, Doug, it did.
Ahem....anyways..... Regarding "blue" material. The only thing I have said that comes even remotely close was during the "Amazing Mind-Reading Orange" trick, where I say that the orange and his girlfriend won't be having kids when they get married...he's seedless." That NOT my line...it was one that came with the routine. I hesitated to do the joke because I was performing at a Catholic event, and thought this might rub them the wrong way, since fertility is an important part of the theology. However, they laughed their heads off! Bottom line...joke stays in.
Mike Maturen
World of Wonder Entertainment The Magic and Mayhem of Mike Maturen 989-335-1661 mikematuren@gmail.com AUTHOR OF "A NEW DAWN--Weekly Wisdom From Everyday Life" member: International Magician's Society |
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