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DrNorth Veteran user North Starr Entertainment, Harrisburg PA 364 Posts |
I posted this as a reply to a thread but seems no one is following it, so I'd like to present it as a new thread to get some honest responses. I will preface this post with the caveat that I am who I am, a bizarrist and tarot reader who doesn't wear black all the time and isn't always obsessed with the occult. That is my preference and this isn't a right or wrong opinion, I just want to hear other experiences and opinions. I am sure I am not the only one who has noticed a change in perceptions once they started doing bizare/mentalism or psychic magic.
I am under the impression that among we bizzarists, it is harder or not as recommended to turn it off. When I was a magician, I was allowed to still be me with my friends family and coworkers, I.E., those who Knew me as Ed, a guy who does magic. When I entered the realm of bizarre and psychic themed magick wasn't allowed to be Ed, I am Dr North, at the school, the mall, restaurants even at work. I have ceased in their eyes to be an entertainer who can do a few cool things and am now seen as an expert on the weird mysterious and occult. I don't mind it, it works for me, but people are surprised that I still am light hearted, silly and "normal," in fact they seem disappointed when they catch me in a Hawaiian shirt and flip flops listening to Jimmy Buffett in my little red Pontiac Sunfire instead of being dressed all in black and blasting Cradle of Filth in my hearse. The only sad part of this has been the few people I thought of as friends who stopped seeing me, thinking I was a blood letting Satanist. God at 45 with a wife and two kids, the whole occultist thing is getting harder to pull off LOL! I guess this is more a rant then an answer, but I guess I'd like to hear from other bizzarists as to how they turn it on and off or don't. I know it is possible, Tom Palmer, Eugene Burger and others do it, but do you guys find this resistance? "For it shows things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be. But which it that he sees, even the wisest cannot always tell" ~Galadriel "A heretic is a man who sees with his own eyes." |
Clifford the Red Inner circle LA, California 1941 Posts |
You haven't signed that contract yet, have you.
"The universe is full of magical things, waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Eden Philpotts
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DrNorth Veteran user North Starr Entertainment, Harrisburg PA 364 Posts |
The one by that dapper gent with the red ink and that burnt match smell? I am holding out for the m&m clause
"For it shows things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be. But which it that he sees, even the wisest cannot always tell" ~Galadriel "A heretic is a man who sees with his own eyes." |
handa Inner circle Pittsburgh, PA 1357 Posts |
Shortest answer that I can give to a very important question:
Being "on" 24/7 doesn't suit either my personality or what I do in the non-magical parts of my life. There is always a little bit of bizarrist in me every day, and a little bit of me in every character I portray. I've never felt obligated to do magic on demand or be "instant miracle boy" in the line at the local food mart. Many people know that I have some very ecclectic interests, and that is enough to generate some interesting discussions as well as be just a little different than the others in the room in most magic-related and non-magic interactions. In this way, I hope to remain a "character" without becoming a "caricature." I've been thinking about this one for a while. There is no right or wrong IMO, only one's personal level of comfort projected onto his/her performing persona. This is just my way of balancing lots of different things in my life and finding a common thread with which to weave things together. Chris http://www.spookymagic.com |
The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
I'm a Curator 24/7.
If I wear black, it's because I couldn't find the correct superhero costume and I don't like to wear my underwears over my pants ... I live in one of the most fabulous collection of strange artifacts ever, I doesn't have to fake it. Even if the Surnateum is more a private Cabinet of Curiosities than a classical museum, it's not a pipe dream but the real McCoy. Last year, the Surnateum started a carrier as a lender of object for important national exhibitions. The Museum lended two very rare books about the Devil. For that reason, I start meeting other curators of national museum and my situation is really funny. Being the Curator of a private (mostly secret) museum that can be accessed only by internet is a very strange position, especially when people ask themselves: "WHY do they collect those unusual artifacts ?" and "What do they with those things ?" This year, I lend 6 objects for an exhibition about Little Red Riding Hood. The exhibition shows important historical documents and contemporary art pieces, a perfect situation for me. The name of the Surnateum appears among the lenders (Pierpont-Morgan Library (New York), Bibliothèque Royale Albert 1er - section des estampes, des imprimés, de la réserve précieuse (Bruxelles), Bibliothèque du Film (Paris), Zentralbibliotheek (Zürich), Conservatoire Chanel (Paris) and more...) A nice way to leave traces of existence of this occult museum in the catalogs (Yes, I have a lot of fun with that). This exhibition is highly praised by the press. http://www.albertmarinus.org/ And in September 2007, the exhibition theme will be Time ... |
Khopri Loyal user Austin, TX 237 Posts |
There are those that argue if you are in a persona, its not the real you. Personally, I am fond of the dark side of things and while I have to be Mr Conservative while at work, there are subtle things that are 100% me even in the mundane world (an eye of Horus pinky ring, for example).
I have a dominatrix friend that can command as much respect while wearing pink fuzzy bunny slippers as she can when wearing full leather, corsets and thigh high boots. Its not about wearing black, but rather the color of your insides that count. If you love the dark side of things, then you don't have to worry about acting a persona. You just are who you are. As much as I love the dark arts, I'm not going to walk around looking like Anton LaVey 24 hours a day. Besides, I look more like a disgruntled biker anyway. |
The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
In the 1957 film "night of the Demon", by Jacques Tourneur, devil cult leader, Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis) doesn't look like Anton Szandor LaVey. He looks like an ordinary wealthy gentleman and even plays the part of Bobo, magician/clown. Even if Karswell may have some satanic powers derived from an ancient tome in an obscure language which he has been able to translate, he looks simply normal.
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Bill Ligon Inner circle A sure sign of a misspent youth: 6437 Posts |
A satanic cult leader who looks normal is ultimately more frightening than one who looks like Anton LaVey.
LaVey just looked like a kook*, especially in the early days when he jumped around wearing a devil costume. How hokey can you get? ___________________________________ *Which, of course, he was.
Author of THE HOLY ART: Bizarre Magick From Naljorpa's Cave. NOW IN HARDCOVER! VIEW: <BR>www.lulu.com/content/1399405 ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/naljorpa
<BR>A TASSEL ON THE LUNATIC FRINGE |
Tony Iacoviello Eternal Order 13151 Posts |
The only time I play a character is from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday - Friday. I have to play the part of a normal/average human for the day job. After that, I'm free to be me.
Tony |
Dr Spektor Eternal Order Carcanis 10781 Posts |
Night of the Demon ranks up there with the all time greats - especially how Karswell in a lot of ways is portrayed as the sympathetic one and the "hero" is an egomaniac skeptic whomost people are hoping will be turn apart by the demons....
Karswell had class - it qas quite a good masterstroke which later films would utilize to create more interesting and complex villains....
"They are lean and athirst!!!!"
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chmara Inner circle Tucson, AZ 1911 Posts |
The commercial aspects of this question have not been deeply explored. My experience is that booking people (and even agents who might know better) shy away from things that might suggest their client would like to step too far out of the mainstream unless it is comedy. (They might actually have to work to get a booking for anything too serious.)
Dressing the part of the Grim Reaper to meet a hotel catering manager to solicit bookings definitely can reduce fees and booking chances. Those artists who are committed to dressing and being the part (Max Maven, Jeff McBride) have built their careers by remaining committed and by being brilliant performers with business acumen. And, looking at Angel and Blaine their circle of friends understand the difference between the character -- and the driven personalities committed t work and celebrity. And it is just as much work (maybe more) to be celebrity as a character. Attention to detail in appearance, schedule, press relations, etc. Unhappily our society, in the last ten years, has become less tolerant of variation from the norm and suspicious of anything that smacks of "the dark side." I am holding my breath until the next witch hunt -- which is some small measure has driven some of our comperes out of smaller towns where there is a single religious bent in the majority of the "powers that be." In major cities with diversity (NY, LA, Chicago, SFS, Dallas to an extent) you have broader lattitude for acceptance by at lerast a portion of the population if you are a full time character-- but most often this means there are many commercial avenues that are cut off until you rerach "celebrity." Patience and dedication to the principles of celebrity are a price that must be paid if we wish to succeed in the long run. To move to celebrity, certain economic and business moves must be dealt with in a straightfoward manner without regard for character. After all -- could you see Gilbert Godfrey EVER get a booking if he were in character all the time? Or Amazing J, who, like Penn and Teller have paid the dues to be able to be themselves most all the time? The Biography of Bill Robin and even that of Carter may help with insites -- as will that of Roger and Milo who while employed -- never gained gigantic success and fame.
Gregg (C. H. Mara) Chmara
Commercial Operations, LLC Tucson, AZ C. H. Mara Illusion & Psychic Entertainments |
handa Inner circle Pittsburgh, PA 1357 Posts |
Still taking this from the being "on" nature of the question, talking about the characters we play vs. the people we are is VERY different. Just because I perform magic in greasepaint and a 19th-century inspired costume doesn't mean that I have to walk around all day dressed like that. Conversely, the black pants, boots, flame cocktail shirt, and fedora I wear for more typical performances is something I wear sans fedora when visiting clients at my other job.
Others will see the side of me that collects curiosities, loves to visit amusement parks, can hold its own in discussion and debate about the occult, and likes to watch Criss Angel is present whether I'm performing or having casual conversation. They know that I'm a magician, but when I'm "on" and in costume and telling stories with magic I'm more of a character. I turn that character "off" for the most part in typical interaction. That doesn't mean that I don't turn him "on" for other reasons, such as presentations, workshops or one-on-one performance opportunities. He appeared while doing customer service/crowd control at a costume ball and I was neither in costume nor performing! It does mean that I recognize that there is a very different aspect of me when I am performing. Chris http://www.spookymagic.com |
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