If you attended the FFFF closeup convention (which is by invitation only) and perform three times in three different years, you earn a "doctorate". The first time is a Bachelors and the second a Masters. What can I say Obie O'Brien is an old math professor.

I had a friend who got fed up with all the doctors of education and this and that and just called himself "Dr. J., Master of ESP". Like he said no one really cared or was going to check.

Look at Dr. Laura , she was a doctor of physilogy not of psychology as she lead people to believe.

Having spent the requisite amount of time in an obfuscatorium (sometimes called "graduate school") I have been blessed with three degrees. Alas, none of them is in magic.

Does this mean I must send off a few thousand dollars to some degree mill operator and buy a diploma before I can call myself a "master of prestidigitation" or a "doctor of deceit?" Methinks, the public is intelligent enough to recognize and permit a certain amount of exaggeration and hyperbole as being within the definition of a showman's license.

We don't expect or require that a movie be halted every so often so that, for example, Liz Taylor can tell us, "Now remember folks I'm not really Cleopatra. I'm actually Elizabeth Schmeckabier from Hoboken who at any early age realized I could live the American dream of wealth and fame by taking my clothes off in public. And don't forget the popcorn stand is open."

Why should we place a greater demand on magicians? Is anyone worried that if some second grade dropout calls himself, say, "Dr. Dante, the Impossibilist," that he will soon have a waiting room full of the incredulous wanting a cut rate price on their appendectomy?

Ed Hutchison

Ed,

Thank you from another professor!

The fact that my kids have trust funds to live on is much more impressive to show others that I learned something about marketing than the wallpaper I had to gather to teach. (The unsophisticated just don't care. And the sophisticated, have their own.)

When we start majoring in the minors, we quickly start minoring in the majors. Magicians should recognize misdirection for what it is. (There are usually plenty of smart people around to recognize it for what it isn't!)

I prefer earned doctorates. The three letters I like best are "W O W"!

Bob
Magic By Sander

Does that stand for Wizard Of Wonders Bob.

Martin

Martin,

I like that!

Bob
Magic By Sander

There was discussion on this thread concerning use of the letters CPM and the misunderstandings it could create. It would seem that it is not unusual to see cross industry use of the same letters to designate titles. Whenever you see the letters CPA I know exactly what comes to mind and that is an Accountant. You might be surprised to know it also means Cruise Program Administrator. The title for those people who orchestrate the activities on Cruise Ships. I think too much is made of cross use of three letter title designations.

Martin

Ummm..just making a wild guess here...make sure the cheque doesn't bounce, or that the Credit Card is good?