"Hold out your hand...no, not that one, the clean one..."
"Hold out your left hand...no, your other left hand..."
"How did I do it?...very well thank you..."

I love a good stock oneliner and I use a few of them on a regular basis!

However, I have noticed that magicians who use them ALL the time as the basis for their patter end up alienating their audience because a) they insult their audience and b) one liners don't allow for meaningful interaction between the performer and the magician.

In close up, I prefer to have a chat with the audience and let them make any jokes they want and create a personal, friendly atompshere.

Good for you Nicholas. If you want to, you can also Hold a Nickle up and then have a spectator grab it and then ask them do they know who you are now.

Do they have Nickle's in OZ? If not, just have them remove your underpants and do the same joke......

I do use a couple of stock-lines, 2 in my show I think. Some of them are pretty weak it's weird how so many people use them.
I think anyone with a load of stock-lines should go through there patter and see if they can replace any of them with their own jokes. You'd be suprised the amount of times your own jokes can work a lot better.
I hate the "clean hand" gag.

George

I have to second that about the clean hand gag. That is so trite it makes me "gag!"

Me too. I hate it when they don't have clean hands.

How the hell you you get the banana thing ans smilies on here? Sorry totally off the subject, I just get peed off because everyone else can do it and I cannot. PM me on how please.

Now back to the subject. I like the oneliners but only if they are done in the right manner. They are like magic tricks thenselves. If a total moron uses these lines they just spoil the whole thing, But someone who knows how to present them can make them funny each and every time.

Regards
Wolflock

Hmmmm stock lines, the eternal dilemma, to use them or not to use them! (Shakespear is going to send over an attorney.)

Well, personally I don't use a lot of stock lines for most of my gags are pantomine gags and funny situtations I always seem to get myself into. Now for patter I use a couple of lines here and there, but I make sure that what I say doesn't affect or embarass the spectators. So usually no lines about names, body features, or very personal stuff, otherwise I joke around myself or the props I'm using, I'm even working on a mobile interaction thing (like I called to my wife because I can't seem to find a prop).

The best places to start are the Aldo Colombini books. (No sensible magician should be without them.) etc.

I use the stock lines. I also use my own humor. It has to be the right time and right audience for it though. I once used a stock line and the person asked me if all magicians are required to say that! He had heard it before from other magicians. I told him yes of course. We are under contractual obligation to say that for this particular trick. Sorry union rules. I then went on with my own patter which he enjoyed.
If the magicians are sticking only to stock lines it is like doing the trick and reading the lines off the instructions. You have to bring the audience into the trick. That is part of the magic. That they are apart of it.
I guess there is a time and place for everything. But if something works... use it.

- Brian Nadworny