|
|
pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
OK, at tonight's restaurant gig, I was requested at a table where there were 3 kids, aged 9-13 and a mother. I really hate doing magic for kids. I love kids, but I just don't like performing for them. (I know, I sound like a jerk.) They immediately mentioned Blaine. One of the kids tells me that his brother "Buys David Blaine's tricks on the internet." (Exact quote.) I tell them I didn't know you could buy tricks on the internet. I learn mine from books. I do a standard set for them. Ambitious card, oil and water, coins across and multiple selection. During my Oil and Water routine, I use a line that there are 3 tricks every good magician must do. One kid interrupts me and says "Oh, like a DL". I say, what's that? He proceeds to describe a DL in great detail. I pretend I've never heard of it. His brother tells him, "No, this guy's good, he doesn't do lame stuff like that." Now, note that previous to this, I did an ambitious card routine full of doubles, triples and they were fooled badly. And after he mentioned that, I used several DLs in the multiple selection routine.
The moral of the story, kids and laymen are stupid. No, not quite. The moral of the story is that you shouldn't be deterred when laymen "know" methods. With properly motivated sleights and thinking on your feet, you'll be fine. I received a huge tip from this table and was asked if I would drive 3 hours for a company performance. I said of course, but only if I could buy some of David Blaine's tricks on the internet first. |
mxray Loyal user 276 Posts |
I deal cards for a casino party company and do a few routines and flourishes for extra tips.
One time I started an ACR at a blackjack table and after the opening TL, a guy at the table yells, " That's easy. That was ______, not _______!" Though he thought it was a DL not a TL, I instantly thought "Oops! I must have blown my TL!" A girl at the table replied something like, "No it couldn't have been, because I was watching his hands closely!" (I felt a little better) The guy then replied that his Uncle had shown him the ACR when he was a kid. Someone else asked if he could do it and he said no he'd never been able to do it convincingly. ( I guess just because HE can't do it, he wants to ruin it for everyone else!) I still had the 2nd half of the ACR ( and a DL ) to do and the chosen card was still face up on top of the deck. Since his numerics were off, I realized that since he had mistaken the TL for a DL, and I was still good to go. As I threw the girl the chosen card and asked her to icheck that it was just one card, I just made sure to conceal what was necessary. When she was done, I put the chosen on top, did the DL. and the insertion and then revealed it back on top. When the chosen card came back to the top, I immediately flicked it to her. She picked it up, stuck it in his face and sort of went "Ha Ha ! " at the guy. He looked pretty sheepish at that point. I guess his uncle never did the TL version, just a DL one and the guy was too dull to figure the possibility of a TL . I am normally opposed to making someone feel foolish with a card trick or taking an adverserial attitude toward spectators, but after that, maybe the guy thought twice before intentionally screwing up someone else's card trick, out of fear of embarassing himself again... ...Or maybe not. For what its worth. MXRay |
Deluzion Loyal user 217 Posts |
Well, I also had that kind of exp. I was performing in front of some men and I perform a DL - in my ACR - and on of them, after I ended my routine said, hey when you were doing that stuff you must have done a DL. and he smiled as if he won over me. I just didn't know what to say. but after he said that, a moment later, I approach him and do ACR again but different handling ( with a TL ) and after all, he was blown off..
Deluzion
|
Erdnase27 Inner circle 2505 Posts |
I use other controls then. When you do a riffle pass face up, for example it will shut them up 4-ever .
|
NeoMagic Inner circle I have... 2017 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-04-14 22:45, pepka wrote: Exactly! As Derek Dingle said: "I don't think any exposure over the years has had a detrimental effect on magic. If you expose something, magicians think of something else to replace it. For instance, there's a Svengali Deck on the market that's on TV a lot called 'TV Magic Cards'. People have probably been buying that deck in hundreds of thousands all over the world for the last 50 years. I guarantee you that any magician can fool an audience with that deck. Just knowing a secret is not the big thing about magic; presentation, the way you do it, is the important thing." (Genii magazine, May 2004, p.47)
See and download my latest free card-suits-themed desktop wallpaper | HERE
|
weapon Inner circle I am Emran. I have, 1328 Posts |
Never happened to me..but if you the a ACR and they say.."hey he probaly isn't really putting the card in the center" just let them put it in face up or down then pass..pass pass..no matter who you are its always good to I have a good pass in your arsenal!..its sounds crazy.. but sotimes for fun..well for my own little personal amusment and practice I do a 5 phase ACR using 5 diffrent passes.. no DL's
Eternity by Emran Riaz (Gimmicks + Download) An IMPOSSIBLE prediction of ANY number, ANY word, literally ENGRAVED in a medallion they've been holding THE ENTIRE TIME.
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/12181 |
Art-Fantasy Regular user Australia 169 Posts |
The funniest moment....2 years ago I was doing my impromptu wild card to some random person onthe street. I was merely doing elsmley count and couple of colro changes. After the effect, he said "You're good but I saw the string". I was like, "Of course you did" I smiled slyly and left him wondering why I was smiling.
|
scorch Inner circle 1480 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-04-14 22:45, pepka wrote: That's a pretty sad thing to say about your audiences, and/or your attitude towards them. And in fact it's not true. You are merely using their intelligence and their focus of attention against them. The smartest people are often the easiest to fool. For me, the moral of your story is that exposure is more of a commercial concern for the inventors and retailers of magic than it is a concern for performing magicians. Laymen audiences may be curious about how you did something, but they're simply not going to go searching for hours online, or go buy a book just to satisfy their curiosity. Exposure has never been a big problem for magicians, given some common sense precautions. The only magicians who ever have anything to fear about exposure are the ones who have limited themselves to doing David Blaine's stuff and using the Svengali deck. |
Ron Giesecke Special user Redding, Ca. 947 Posts |
Scorch,
I think the comment about the kids and laymen was supposed to be interpreted as sarcasm . . . at least I think that's how it was intended, since the next sentence appears to dismiss the statement itself. At least, that's how it looks to me, anyway. Ron |
pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
I'm sorry, what I meant to say is, People who don't get sarcasm are REALLY stupid.
|
Patrick Differ Inner circle 1540 Posts |
Lol
Sounds to me like you had an interesting night. You also described a working way to deal with this type of situation, which I'm sure will happen again. Thanks for sharing.
Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly,
Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy; The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I've a many curious things to show when you are there. Oh no, no, said the little Fly, to ask me is in vain, For who goes up your winding stair -can ne'er come down again. |
pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
Glad you liked the story Patrick. I love talking about war stories like that and helping each other out. Hopefully someone will read this and know how to react to a situation that could be really difficult.
Scorch, if anyone figures out a method, feel free to punch the kid, throw a drink in mom's face and spit in their food. Don't forget to wish them a pleasant evening. (That's sarcasm.) |
JoeFreedom Regular user 164 Posts |
Pepka,
Excellent way to handle a potentially rough situation. Feigning ignorance in a convincing manner can often disarm even a harsh critic. You kept composure under fire and obviously won over the intelligent people at the table without being a condescending jerk! Kudos. Joe
JoeFreedom
Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right. |
Vaderbreath New user 85 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-04-15 06:05, weapon wrote: I do the exact same thing. I mainly perform for middle and high schoolers, and I swear they are my toughest audience. If there's anything fishy, they call you on it. A couple of times I've had a kid, towards the end of my regular ACR, say, "Hey, I know how that's done..you just turn over two cards!" So I'll throw in a pass or two and they're completely caught off guard. I don't like them to feel stupid, so I'll tell them that it's just magic. They may be a tough audience, but their reactions are incredible. -Corey |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The workers » » Spectator comments (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.03 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 < |