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Mac_Stone Inner circle Miami, FL 1424 Posts |
Mentalism is not supposed to be anything. There are no right answers, anybody that tells you otherwise doesn't understand the question.
You are a performer above all else regardless of whatever label you give yourself if any. As long as audiences enjoy what you do nothing else really matters. Don't concern yourself with anyone's opinion other than your audience's but do listen to them carefully. |
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Lior Inner circle 1962 Posts |
Quote:
On Oct 15, 2020, Mindpro wrote: Yes. I wrote it in the original post. I am looking through some magazines to see when they started doing more articles and more reviews about mentalism and when did it became more mainstream in Magic and Genii. Lior
The Lior Touch
https://1amagic.com/ PEA Dave Lederman Award 2009 PEA Dunninger Award 2001 Life Time Achivmeant IUPA 2016 |
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Martin Pulman Inner circle London 3399 Posts |
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On Oct 16, 2020, Lior wrote: I remember being ridiculously excited when Magic Magazine did a feature on Chan Canasta, which must have been late 90s. So it was certainly a rare occurrence to see mentalism given decent house room in those publications, pre-21st century. |
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Lior Inner circle 1962 Posts |
I was lucky to see a real show of Chan when he visited Israel.
I was 21 years old. 1983
The Lior Touch
https://1amagic.com/ PEA Dave Lederman Award 2009 PEA Dunninger Award 2001 Life Time Achivmeant IUPA 2016 |
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Martin Pulman Inner circle London 3399 Posts |
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On Oct 16, 2020, Lior wrote: I remember you saying that on the Café a few years ago. What I'd give to have seen Canasta live! |
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Lior Inner circle 1962 Posts |
It is a very strong memory.
He did only 3 effects but everything was beautifully done. He amazed the country twice on TV 2 weeks before. Lior
The Lior Touch
https://1amagic.com/ PEA Dave Lederman Award 2009 PEA Dunninger Award 2001 Life Time Achivmeant IUPA 2016 |
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Luke Jonas Regular user Yorkshire UK 191 Posts |
There does seem to be a lot of 'elitism' from many 'Mentalist' performers who have to make it absolutely clear to their audiences and peers that they are a 'Mentalist' and not a magician.
I do get this in terms of a performance where you are for example performing a psychological piece, you want to explain to your participants that what you are doing is not any form of trickery or magic however, it is a specific and indifferent skill set entirely. But to a lay audience we are just performers and 99% of audiences will associate mentalism with magic and see one as the same. People will call Derren Brown a magician, Max Maven and anyone else will be perceived to be a generic magician by audiences. as for the question, I do think that Derren Browns early TV specials especially in the UK were a changing point. Luke. |
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Socrates Regular user 197 Posts |
Mentalism is fairly mainstream now. It was funny to see how many youngsters emulated Derren Brown when he first appeared on our TV screens here in the UK. Suddenly there was an abundance of 'Psychological Illusionists' on display mentalism became hot property and a lot of money was to be made hawking tricks to magicians. The original question here is an interesting one "When did you become a mentalist?" Personally, I have never referred to myself as a mentalist... being one has never appealed to me, mind you I never liked being a magician either. Even when I was performing endless shows, all I wanted to do was get off the train. Charging people for magic never sat right with me, in fact for the most part I find it a curious thing to want to do as an adult anyhow, I guess that is why a lot of magicians began as children.
The underlying skills of magic are of great interest to me, but the tricks, well I'm perfectly happy to never perform another trick in my entire life - so the answer to the original question is I never became a mentalist. |
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Jerskin Inner circle 2496 Posts |
I started out in magic when I was seven. While I was in high school Kreskin had a weekly show on Canadian television that got me interested in mentalism.
GrEg oTtO
MUNDUS VULT DECIPI |
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The Hermit Veteran user 301 Posts |
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On Oct 16, 2020, Lior wrote: In the late 90's and early 2000s you had a resurgence of new age stuff. Millenials were discovering Astrology, psychic phenomena and so on as it became more mainstream. You had DB doing mentalism in the UK and getting a lot of magic and public press. Always in magic one person pioneers a new approach (Henning, Copperfield, Blaine) and everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. Hence, more articles in magic magazines. New directions in magic(mentalism) are a combo of current gestalt and a smart performer repackaging the old to capitalize on the new public trend. Henning with the hippie vibe, Copperfiied with the MTV approach (all effects were stories) and Blaine merging magic and hip hop. The magic press doesn't lead the change, they only report on it. |
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John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12968 Posts |
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On Oct 13, 2020, Mindpro wrote: Boy oh boy, you're lucky Iain isn’t still around. Haha |
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TomB Veteran user Michigan, USA 330 Posts |
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There does seem to be a lot of 'elitism' from many 'Mentalist' performers who have to make it absolutely clear to their audiences and peers that they are a 'Mentalist' and not a magician. I find this started in the 1970s with PEA members or PEA wannabes having the elitist attitude. These mentalist has passed on their attitude in their literature to reprogram future mentalist that they are not magicians. However, most mentalists realize they are magicians that perform a mental effect. Successful mentalists study magicians. Many mentalists that want to sell tickets understand they need to call themselves a magician. Once on stage, they make claims about being a mentalist but audience dismisses it and calls them magicians too. I have seen talented magicians perform mental effects with great reactions as there is no odd looking props. I believe the rise in mentalism is because it is considered adult magic, and props and silliness are children magic. Things go in waves. Card magic is really popular right now among new magicians. As far as the original post, I would never become a mentalist as that would limit what tricks you perform. |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10604 Posts |
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On Nov 21, 2020, TomB wrote: I think for the PEA to succeed they needed to separate themselves from magicians. I don't think they had an elitist attitude, but rather that came from magicians that felt excluded or didn't understand the differences. The mentalism boom (magic-mentalists) of the last decade - decade and a half muddied the waters even more. What is really ironic is that so many magicians are now part of the PEA. Times have changed. Today the PEA seems to have lost it's exclusivity and luster and needs an update. Even longtime big names in the PEA seem to just be sideline-sitters as this change has taken place. It seems it's events, inner-participation and such have all also diminished. As a consultant I know exactly what I would do or advise them to do to regain their former positioning, which I think is even more important today than ever. As far as you saying "Many mentalists that want to sell tickets understand they need to call themselves a magician", I can't agree with this at all. As a booker and promoter I haven't seem this at all. I've heard of a couple of "mentalists" that claim they have to list themselves as magicians (because they claim people don't know what a mentalist is) in advertising or gig-listing services to get interested prospects. I blatantly disagree with this on all levels. If you are doing this you are doing something wrong. If you are doing this you are being seen as a magician. Thinking they can talk or steer prospects to mentalism once they make contact with them tells me a lot about how they do business and about their (lack of) positioning. It is a business model I wouldn't want anything to do with. It doesn't make sense on many levels. |
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