I must say that this has got to be one of the most useless forums on the Café. Sorry for the rant, but seriously.......what is with all the chain letter type posts. I thought magicians were trying to break free from the dungeon dwelling, parents basement living, inflatable girlfriend having, clown quality stereotype.....lol.....no offence clowns.

Am I the only one who is discouraged from the Comedy section of this website, because of all the little games? If so, I'll take my leave and let you all go back to your circle jer......uh......chain letter games.

If I am not the only one, please chime in and join the rant. Maybe if enough of us complain, they will open an actual comedy forum.....or leave this one to comedy and let the kids play their silly games elsewhere.

Allaboutmagic; You are not alone in your views and some here have tried to get something done about it... but to no avail.

The people that run the Café wont listen, or rather wont act to move these threads so that this part of the Café can get back to being for what it as set up for; a discussion of and about comedy magic.

My last plea to the Café's moderators about this, posted in the 'I want to see the Manager' section, was simply deleted. Previous threads asking for action to be taken, and there have been several from different members, were met with PM's from the moderators saying, or instructing, that we should stop asking for these threads to be moved or put into another section on the Café.

As someone that's interested in comedy magic and who enjoys talking and discussing it's various facets I recently went as far as pushing all these game threads off the front page by bumping up a page full of previous threads that were actually about comedy magic. As a result there was a sudden and marked increase in traffic to this section of the Café with interesting and constructive posts from many Café members many of who hadn't posted here much before, if at all. For a short while the 'Now that's Funny', section was worth visiting and participating in.

But slowly, like a virus that couldn't be completely eliminated, the game threads came back until they got back to where they are now... once more occupying most of the front page. It really amounts to just a very small handful of people who, for reasons no one has yet been able to explain to me, enjoy endlessly posting mind numbingly, mundane unfunny posts in these never ending so called, game threads. As Allaboutmagic says it's as if there is a determination by a few to actively demonstrate that the stereotype of magicians, as being deservedly on the bottom rung of the comedy entertainment hierarchy ladder, is accurate.

Looking at the last page of each of these game threads (as they stand at the moment) I'd estimate that well over 90% of the posts that keep all these game threads alive are made by only 2 or 3 members. Strangely one of those people is Bob Sanders who when not posting on these game threads makes posts that are worth reading.

Unfortunately Allaboutmagic, regardless of the number of people who reply here, to your thread, I don't think anything will change as there have been many petitions made to the moderators about this and many threads like yours asking and hoping for some action to be taken.

The moderators seem positively uninterested in returning this section of the Café back to what it was set up for and as those few that continually post on the game threads obviously have a blind spot when it comes to the inane. So these threads will, I guess, unfortunately continue to limp along.

In the meantime it's a case of having to have any discussions on comedy magic here in-between this slurry of non comedic dirge.

Sometimes it's good to have a rant.

LOL.........Thanks Sealegs! I'm glad I'm not the only one,

I was one of the many who asked about having a "just comedy magic" thread when I got here a year ago. My request was summarily ignored and/or deleted without comment. I check the thread at least once a month to see if anything is worth replying too; maybe 2013 will be our lucky year to find something truly funny in "Now That's Funny."

Ha its so simple don't like don't come here.

I couldn't agree more. Seems to many magicians comedy is nothing more than reused stock lines, patter or silly gags. Comedy is an art in and of itself. It requires skills, timing and proficiency. However, if the time is taken and invested to learn, acquire and practice these skills, they can greatly enhance and transform any performance.

Also humor is different than comedy, which also seems blurred here. Because so many are kids performers, it is actually quite simple to get kids to laugh and simplistic and often unfunny gags, expressions, etc. I would really like to see this forum really delve into true comedy. Foundational, premise, components, and application. True comedy isn't about stock lines, gags or tricks that appeals to only defined targets, but rather universal content and presentation that transcends all of these other facades and gimmicks.

Well comedy may be subjective, it does have foundational principals and content that could really be the focus here.

I think part of the problem is many do not distinguish or understand these differences and what comedy truly is. Comedy is a serious business. I would love to see more actual, true, real comedy entertainers and writers to hold court here as others at the top of their field have done in other forums here.

Ahhhh......one of the basement dwellers. It's not simple. People come here to discuss COMEDY and magic. Since this place is cluttered with childish games where can one go to discuss COMEDY and Magic. It is false advertising. And I don't come here, I just decided to take a stand, and hopefully shed light on the frustrations of many others who would love to frequent this part of the Café but don't because of guys like you. At times I get to work for/with a very well known comedy magician. He even comments about this part of the forum. He refuses to become a member here because of it. It is sad because there could be a wealth of information shared here, but the actions of a few ruin it for many.

Theres a place at the top of the page.
it says post.anyone can discuss add to
come up with new ideas and so forth.
its not like were running out of paper
to put it on.therea a lot of forums I don't
go to.not my thing -doesn't intrest me or
don't know enough about it.enough said.

Enough may have been said, but without punctuation it sure makes it hard to read. You are contradicting yourself by the way. I choose to come here and post, it says I can at the top of the page. Some of the crap in here is not my thing, so I post about it. According to you.....I can do that. I am introducing different ideas.......an attempt at trying to make the funny section of the Café, actually funny. Why do you care? If you don't like what I write, don't read my posts. . Enough said.

Bowers, and anyone else who likes these game threads, I have no gripe with people wanting to post whatever they want on whatever subject they want or in whatever form they want. I would just like it if those posts, that don't fall under the categorisation of being part of a 'general discussion of comedy magic' which this part of the Café has supposedly been created to serve, weren't posted here.

Of course anyone can start a new post of their own but comedy, while being interesting to virtually anyone who performs or aspires to perform stand up magic, is a niche specialist branch of magic and a page swamped with game threads kept on the front page by 2 or 3 people obviously makes those looking in think that's what this part of the Café is about.

As I said above, when I bumped the game threads off from the front page suddenly there was an influx of new people asking questions and engaging in discussions of various aspects of comedy magic. They didn't necessarily start their own threads but they were apparently keen to participate when there was something to participate in that had some meaning and relevance to the forum.

Once the few people who seem to keep the game threads on the front page revived them it once again got clogged up and discussions about comedy magic all but dried up. Allaboutmagic's reaction is, I believe, probably typical of anyone looking in on this section of the Café. i.e.; They ask themselves, 'why on earth are these nonsensical multipage threads that aren't about comedy or magic here? and is this what this section of the Café is about??' Not being able to answer these valid questions I suspect that they decide there's nothing to interest them (or anyone as far as I can see) and they leave.

As I said, I don't understand the reason for adding to and continuing these threads. I don't see what's to be gained from them for either the people posting or the people who click on them to see what they are about. But clearly, although I can't see that, I can see there must be some attraction for those few that post, even if it is a mystery to me and many others.

But as I said I honestly have no wish to stop anyone from posting whatever they want. I just don't understand why these threads are here and continue on in this section of the forum. They clearly aren't in anyway connected to the the general topic that this section of the forum was set up for.

If anywhere they'd surely be more suited to the, 'not very magical, still..' section of the Café which deals with all things non magical. So my question to the few people that like these threads is; why post here and not there?

Wouldn't that make everyone happy (except possible some people from the 'not so magical... still' section) and be the obvious compromise?

Unfortunately, the message was and seems to be 'go elsewhere.'

Sealegs I understand your point on this.
maybe it should be somewhere else.i don't know.
I did not start these threads here.i only use them.
a lot of the threads in this section do nothing for me either.
not relly comical way to silly and corny.but I just don't post on them
or let them worry me.and as far as the game threads staying at the top.
I guess theres not enough activity in the others to keep them on the top
of the board.when I look for threads in a forum.i look father than the first page to
see if there is something I would like to read or commit on.bob sanders and I post
on a lot of foriums offering advice or help on some serious topics.but sometimes
I like to post on the game ones too.is that wrong?
todd

I am with AAM and Sealegs on this. While I primarily perform an illusion show these days, I also get booked quite a bit for my comedy magic act for smaller corporate parties. I rarely come to this area of the Café primarily because of the gag threads. To me it just screams "amature hour" so I usually just avoid it. There is wrong with gag threads, but I find them very annoying and I feel they don't belong in the section reserved for discussions about comedy an comedy magic. I would definitely contribute more to this section if I didn't have to wade throug them or have to look pages deep because of them. I know of other guys who avoid this section because of it as well. Its a shame because there could be a greater sharing of knowledge. Just my 2 cents.

I agree with AAM and Sealegs.

And for one last time, I'll have to go apologise for creating the first game thread (I'm not even going to mention it's name as it seems to have thankfully sunk off the page).

The reason I created it was I got tired of this section being all about ,as mindpro said, "reused stock lines, patter or silly gags" so I created a game thread in the hope that some folks would try to write some original material however after a while it just turned into people saying non-gags and self-referential twaddle that is of no use what-so-ever.

Quite often talking about comedy isn't funny in the slightest. I know when I start talking shop to some of my comedian chums to an outsider it's a very boring conversation indeed!

I think discussing comedy can also be quite hard as everyone has there own personal views on things and coming up with a comedy act is often a very personal journey.

Discussing theatre, comedy and acting is one of the benefits I have with my nearly normal wife and co-(re)righter.

Harris

Here's a joke that isn't very funny at all......"86% of people living in Florida look like magicians"

I wintered in Florida, the year after I retired, and Kel, I do believe you are right!

I think it was Jack Benny who once said that, "Comedy is like a soap bubble--when you try to get "inside" it, to analyze it, it's not there anymore!"

I have lots of laughs in my act, but I don't think that I qualify as a comedy magic act! (I wish that I did!)

If being a good comedy magician were easy, EVERYONE would be doing it!

Hello Dick,

The original post was referring more to the ridiculous gag/game threads that plague this forum, like the one Bob Sanders just brought back to the top of this section. The other day AAM made a bunch of posts to kick them off, but 3 have already returned. Before she did that nearly every post on the front page here was one of those. They are like Kryptonite for many magicians who avoid this section like the plague because of them. I really hope they don't return.

And we can thank DaveG for three more......sheesh.

Thanks for raising this topic, I have thought this ever since I started on the Café. This is unfortunately one of the most disaapointing forums. There seems the be enough consensus, my be some one more senior, could ask through the "I want speak to the manager" forum, of a separate forum, for the serious side of comedy;and point to his discussion.

2c

Tony.