|
|
Devin Knight V.I.P. 2493 Posts |
I first wrote this back in 2003 and it has been lost in past postings of the Caf�. Here is my list with some updated comments. Enjoy.
As a boy growing up I read many "Magic Myths" in the catalogs. In most cases these are myths. They are seldom true. Unfortunately, many magicians STILL believe these myths. I think it's time I debunk a lot of them. Feel free to add your own with comments. That's the purpose. I realize some of you may be offended by these comments...but the truth hurts. I've discussed this with other magicians and most of them agree that these are myths. You're more than welcome to disagree but don't just say, "I disagree." Give me some reasons why you might feel these aren't magic myths. ALL OF THESE LINES HAVE APPEARED IN MAGIC CATALOGS to help sell magic to beginners: 1-MYTH: EVERYBODY LOVES MAGIC Fact: Everyone doesn't love magic. IN fact there are some people who hate it! Don't believe it? Just try going up to everyone in a restaurant and offering to show a trick. You will see just how many people really love magic. Many adults consider magic childish and something only for kid parties (despite Copperfield). Many people consider magic to be nothing more than puzzles and something to be solved. Millions of people HATE PUZZLES. I found this out the hard way when working a restaurant for seven years. 2-MYTH: IT'S FUN TO BE FOOLED Fact: It's not fun to be fooled. PEOPLE HATE BEING fooled. People like to be entertained but NOT fooled. If you're married and tell a girl you're single, you've fooled her. If you cheat a man out of money, you fooled him. Do you think either of these people would say, "Boy, it was great being fooled!" The correct statement should be: "It's fun to be entertained." 3-MYTH: MAGIC WILL MAKE YOU POPULAR FACT:Maybe in a few rare cases and if you are careful. In real life many magicians LOSE friends. Everyone doesn't want to see your 20,000 versions of Marlo's Twisting the Aces. This has been posted before in the forums. Overdo your magic, or do BAD magic and people will RUN THE OTHER WAY when they see you bring out your cards. I'm not saying not to show some magic to your friends. If they really like magic, you might show them a trick or two maybe once or twice a week. A GOOD RULE TO FOLLOW is let them ask you first. I think Vernon said let them ask you twice. Don't assume they want to see a trick. If they know you're a magician and you do good Close-up then they MAY ask you to show them a trick. If they ask you twice you know they are serious. ON THE OTHER hand if NOBODY ever asked you to do a trick maybe you should take a hard look at your presentations. As amazing as it may seem, I almost never show my family or friends tricks. I only perform when paid. To perform for free can cheapen your magic. Do you see professional singers stop a friend on the street and start singing a song? How about a professional actor, who in the middle of a party stands up and starts quoting a scene. I know a lot of you will disagree with me and you can, but overdo your magic and you cheapen it. There is a time and place for magic and a time NOT to perform. Keep your performances for friends and family very selective and you will be more popular. 4-MYTH: MAGIC IS ALWAYS ENTERTAINING (From the Vic Lawston Catalog) Fact: A lot of card tricks can be downright boring. I've seen magicians so boring that the many members of the audience got up and left.It takes lots of work to make magic entertaining. Just doing a puzzle and calling it magic isn't entertaining. 5-MYTH: MAGIC IS FUN FACT:Under certain conditions it can be fun for an audience, provided it is well presented and entertaining. If done badly then the magic is anything but fun. Let's say you are performing badly and the audience doesn't like what you are doing. Is this fun to you? I love magic when it's done well and that can be fun to watch. However the long hours I put in to master a move can be anything but fun. Dropping balls, cards, etc in practice can be very frustrating and lead to minor cursing. It's a price I have to pay to master a move...this learning process to me is anything but fun! Speaking of practice that leads me to the next myth. 6:MYTH: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT FACT: Perfect practice makes perfect. Practice a move wrong for hours and all you will have is a poorly performed move. Practice a juggling move wrong and you'll have to spend hours UNLEARNING what you did with all the FLAWED PRACTICE. Practice will only make you perfect if you practice the correct technique. Practice the wrong technique and you're worse off than before. 7-MYTH: MAGIC IS A GREAT WAY TO MEET WOMEN FACT:You need more than magic to meet women. Good looks help, but most important is a good personality. Show a woman a trick and you got her attention for 5 minutes (maybe). If you got nothing else to follow with, she walks away. The fact is many women are AFRAID of you. Just look at the reactions DAVID BLAINE gets. People screaming and running away (some because they are really scared). I've had more than my share of this. In college I did my Retro Gravity for a girl. She starting screaming and ran away saying STAY AWAY FROM ME! THIS is NOT the way to meet women. Fact: Mindreading may impress a girl. Truth is you won't win her. If the girl REALLY thinks you can read her mind...SHE WILL NOT DATE YOU. Would you want to date a guy who could really read your mind? I don't think so. ONCE again I am talking from Experience! In the past I have scared away more than my share of women who were afraid of my so called psychic abilities. FACT: Many women consider guys doing magic to be childish or showoffs. I know that hurts guys but you'd be amazed how many woman accuse a guy doing magic on a date NOTHING BUT A SHOWOFF. 8-MYTH: BE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY! (Found in a lot early magic catalogs.The biggest lie of all!) FACT: Be known as the JERK/BORE of the PARTY! Remember the previous rule LET THEM ASK YOU FIRST. Obviously if you have been hired to do a show at the party THEY DID ASK YOU FIRST. But to go to a party and start inflicting card tricks on anyone who will watch can make you the BORE OF THE PARTY. When the conversation has changed to the latest issue of playboy and you are still doing card tricks, you will be termed a bore very quickly. REMEMBER TO LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE. 9-MAGIC WILL GET YOU IN WITH THE BOSS Fact: Don't believe it! I was fired from several jobs when I was younger for showing magic to employees when we were suppose to be working. The real truth is most likely MAGIC WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE WITH THE BOSS, if you do it at work. Don't believe for one moment the fact you are a magician will get you special favors with the boss (there may be a few rare exceptions, but they aren't the rule). I was fired from a job when I was in high school because my magic scared some people. They thought I was in with the devil. Sad but true. 10-MYTH: ANYONE CAN DO MAGIC OR MAGIC IS EASY TO LEARN FACT: If you REALLY believe that you are a hopeless magician who has long left the world of reality. In fact if you buy into myth ten it is safe to assume: The ten myths of magic are actually the TEN COMMANDMENTS of Magic! Remember most any one can do a simple trick poorly, very few can make it entertaining magic! MAGIC LIES and Lines to deceive YOU.--I've seen these in magic catalogs: THIS TRICK WILL MAKE YOU A PROFESSIONAL MAGICIAN (Yeah right) EVEN HOUDINI WOULD HAVE LIKE THIS! (I doubt it) NO SKILL, NO PRACTICE---(Who are they kidding?) USED BY ALL THE LEADING PROFESSIONALS (Ain't no such animal, except maybe a TT) DO IT 5 Minutes AFTER Getting it! (No wonder people hate magic!) YOU TOO CAN BECOME A SUCCESSFUL MAGICIAN (With no skill,no practice and within 5 minutes of getting the tricks, if we believe what the ads say!)This was a favorite line used by Vic Lawston in his catalogs. I'M IN BUSINESS JUST FOR FUN! (So why do I have to pay for the tricks you sell?) WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T BECOME A PROFESSIONAL MAGICIAN? (Just ask the 10,000 Copperfield wannabes who can't even book a birthday party) ORDER TRICKS TODAY, DO MAGIC TOMORROW! (Just think in one day I can be a professional magician and be rich and famous overnight. Forget college, where else can I learn a new profession in just ONE DAY!) Can you imagine someone selling a book on dance. Saying buy this book.. tomorrow you'll be a dancer! GIVE ME A BREAK... Feel free to disagree, but I hope you have a good reason. I think most experienced magicians will agree with these myths. |
Failed Magician Inner circle Still working on the DL even after made 2100 Posts |
Very good insight, thanks for sharing it with us!
Magic comes through perception. -HS
|
Ade2010 Regular user 157 Posts |
You mean that I can't get off with my female boss, using no skill, no practice, in just 5 minutes?
Dang, that's my bubble popped! Seriously though, good post, and a timely reminder. |
Douglas Lippert Inner circle E Pluribus Unum 2343 Posts |
You say performing for friends is performing "for free". So then, where do you perform your new material?
Douglas Lippert
Former I.B.M. Ring #8 Secretary |
Miraclemakers Special user INA 685 Posts |
Interesting list.....likes this article...
|
Devin Knight V.I.P. 2493 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-04-29 00:36, Douglas Lippert wrote: I mentioned that your performances for friends should be limited. In my case this where I test new material. I have a few close friends and family that I test new material on. Outside of testing new material this is the only time I perform for them outside of RARE times when I want to blow them away with someone's trick that I think if really outstanding and then I stop with that one trick. I never do a second trick after that. Leave them wanting more is the best motto and the one I have found that really works. |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The April 2010 entrée: Devin Knight » » 10 Magic Myths DEBUNKED » » TOPIC IS LOCKED (1 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.05 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 < |