|
|
Sealegs Inner circle The UK, Portsmouth 2596 Posts |
How many times can the; Bar Code gag, the 'Name Any Animal' gag and the 'NO' gag, the 52 cards on 1 gag and the Baby gag be repackaged and sold on to those who already own these items?
Apparently an incredibly large number of times. I have just managed, over the past few weeks, to avoid re buying, yet again, these repackaged gags in two completely different products. In both cases I was able, through some digging and investigation, to ascertain before parting with my cash that I would have effectively been buying for the umpteenth time something that I have unwittingly bought many times in the past. I have no problem with people selling these gags in any shape or form if they so choose. (I'll leave the ethics doing so to others who might be more interested in that as a topic than I am.) My concern is with the non disclosure that these gags are part of whatever is being sold and with the inadvertant possibility that I'd be parting with my money for something I've already bought many many times over. Let me make it clear that I have absolutely no problem with those who are up front about their take on, or incorporation of, one or all of these gags into a routine they are selling as long as they make it clear in the advertising material that this is what they are doing. In this way the purchaser buys 'knowing what they're getting'. Nick Lakin's Cereal Killer effect, or Mike Finney's inclusion of the NO gag on his dvd are both up front examples of this. The content is made clear in the advertising blurb of the products. I was happy to part with my money for these items as I was interested in what new elements had been bought to these gags and I knew ahead of time this is what I would be getting. The same would not have been the case for the the two products I mentioned at the start of this post that I fortunately managed to find out about before parting with my cash.
Neal Austin
"The golden rule is that there are no golden rules." G.B. Shaw |
DJG Inner circle The northern hemisphere of Earth 1295 Posts |
Are you buying gags, or are you buying methods, effects and routines? Gags can easily be replaced with your own. at least that's what I do.
Your choices in life can be compared to watching a magic trick: You can continue to believe the illusion in front of you, find the intrigue and desire to learn more, or quit paying attention the moment you feel deceived.
|
John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12945 Posts |
As long as the aforementioned (that's legal talk) "gags" aren't the sole item proper then what's the beef (or where is it?)
The addition of the gags is just an added bonus in most of this stuff. If I bought a product and it was ONLY the gags and no NEW packaging around it then shame on them. J |
Sealegs Inner circle The UK, Portsmouth 2596 Posts |
Event Entertainer: To answer your question; What you end up buying is yet another effect where the method, effect and routine are dependent on gag routines that have been repackaged and sold over and over and over again.
You effectively end up buying the same material. If, as you claim, these gags can easily be replaced with others there's even less excuse for the same ones being constantly resold to us. Why haven't these gags been 'easily replaced' with something else? The truth is these gags and are not as easy to replace as you suggest and it's easier to sell on the same stuff over and over again. I bought the Bar Code Gag as a routine years ago from the person who I believe came up with the original idea. ( I can't recall the guys name, Tony something. I remember him because he used to go out as a Saddam Hussain lookalike!) I have a routine for this item. I've paid for it. I don't want to be sold it again...and again... and again... I'm happy to spend my money on another version of it if I believe something new has been added to it provided I know up front that's what I'm risking my money on. Like I say I have no beef with someone repackaging this as long as they are up front with it. (hopefully with a twist or addition) John, what's my beef?... these gags have been sold over and over again. I, and I suspect many others, already have routines for most of these bits that have been worked on and crafted over many years. So if I make a purchase and it turns out I'm being resold the same gag (yet again) I'd have to dump the routine I've spent years putting together if I want to get any use out of what ever this new purchase is. This might be alright the first 5 times it happens but after a while it starts to get annoying and it feels like the proverbial wiz is being taken. Personally I think the least that those selling on, yet again, these chestnuts within the routine can do is to let the potential purchaser know that they form part of the routine. Strangely I find this even more annoying than buying a product and finding I'm in fact buying my own material from someone who's incorporated it into their routine. That happened to me twice last year!
Neal Austin
"The golden rule is that there are no golden rules." G.B. Shaw |
DJG Inner circle The northern hemisphere of Earth 1295 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-20 23:29, Sealegs wrote: I beg to differ, but that's just me. I'm not out to pick a fight, just wanted clarification...and that's what I got. Thanks.
Your choices in life can be compared to watching a magic trick: You can continue to believe the illusion in front of you, find the intrigue and desire to learn more, or quit paying attention the moment you feel deceived.
|
Sealegs Inner circle The UK, Portsmouth 2596 Posts |
No problem EventEntertainer. I'm not looking for a fight either I'm just having a rant, but I think a reasonable and justified one.
I think maybe I should have clarified a bit more and said that it's not that these gag routines can't be easily replaced with others, as you say, they can...off the top of my head: Name a make of car - show a pic of a spark plug apparently from that particular car...or show a pic of a car that's been crushed into one of those small metal cubes making it impossible to identified. Name a garden implement - show a pic of a garden shed and say it's just inside, hanging up behind the door. Name any direction or compass bearing... whatever answer you get turn the page to showing an arrow that you've orientated it so it's pointing in that direction. ... so why don't replacements, such as these I've just rattled off, feature as alternatives to the same old recycled gag routines? Why are we so often resold the old favouites? I would suggest because it's not as easy to come up with replacements that are as effective as the most popular ones. That is, after all, why they are the popular. This is the point I was trying to make, and which I don't think I expressed well, in my last post. The reason that these gag routines are constantly being recycled are precisely because they are strong versions of the same basic premise. Other versions of the same premise are indeed easy to come up with; but they might not necessarily have the same impact. So that's why, I believe, they keep getting resold on to us and it's something I find annoying when it's not made clear that this is what to expect within a routine. I stress again, it's not the principle of reselling on this material over and over again that I have an issue with .. it's the fact that this material is so prevalent in so many routines I feel that those doing so should be up front about it. It's just my take on this. Anyone feeling the same please feel free to use any of the alternative ideas I've suggested off the top of my head in this post.
Neal Austin
"The golden rule is that there are no golden rules." G.B. Shaw |
twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
I do understand your frustration with the old gags in the routine. However, I don't use these gags currently in any other routine. The gags are tried and true because most audiences haven't seen them. Do I personally like them? Not really. Do audiences? Yes. I think we get frustrated because we've seen these gags so many times at conventions and in other tricks.
|
John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12945 Posts |
I love these gags.
Sealegs I like your new gag ideas too. Perfect them. |
Sealegs Inner circle The UK, Portsmouth 2596 Posts |
Hi twisted ace:
It's really not a question of being frustrated about the type of gag routines I've mentioned. In fact, along with John, I too love these gags, appreciate their effectiveness and have, over the years, on the back of initially purchasing them, created what I consider are some very funny, well scripted routines, for these items, which I use in my act. I like most of these gags and enjoy performing the routines I've created that utilise them. I've even quite happily bought many variations on them to see if there's anything additional that I can add to my routines that use these gags. My frustration comes solely from having, on several occasions, bought or nearly bought routines that depend on their use without that being made clear up front.
Neal Austin
"The golden rule is that there are no golden rules." G.B. Shaw |
twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
I understand your complaint 100% Also, I understand why they chose not to disclose this information in their advertisement. If a potential buyer is familiar with the confabulation principle and read about the gags that were used, the potential buyer could potentially reverse engineer the routine. It did mention that it uses comedy gags. I assumed when purchasing the effect that at least one gag would be the "NO" gag.
|
Sealegs Inner circle The UK, Portsmouth 2596 Posts |
Twisted ace is obviously referring to a confabulation routine.
Just for the record I wasn't. I have avoided mentioning the actual routine that I nearly purchased that caused me to initiate this thread. I have done this deliberately. If someone has no problem with the issue that I find annoying then I have no reason to mention the routine in question as buying it would pose no issue for them. If someone has the same opinion as me about the topic of this thread then I assume they'll ask me what it is I'm referring to so they too can avoid it. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes' deductive powers to work out what confabulation routine Twisted ace is referring to and it's fair to say that it has many very happy and satisfied customers. For them I'm genuinely pleased. I'm starting to think that maybe I'm alone in my take on this matter. Even if I am I know I'm still going to be annoyed on the next occassion I end up unknowingly buying something that depends on these same gags again. But until that happens I'm keeping a smile on my face.
Neal Austin
"The golden rule is that there are no golden rules." G.B. Shaw |
John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12945 Posts |
Let's start newgags.com
NOW! |
Pete Legend Inner circle Ireland 1401 Posts |
Hey Neal,
Im with you,I think original piece which relies heavily on gags for misdirection,blocking,method etc should be original along with the method. I think that's fair enough to ask. I write my own script and enjoy using my own material but I think that's not the point,In my opinion it's ok to expect that everything(within reason) within the manuscript purchased should be unique to that author. Fair point! |
Dr. Eamon Inner circle ------------John Dream------------If you can Dream it, you can Do it! 1313 Posts |
I disagree on that, if a creator finds some really good and new use for these old gags (or whatever) that allows you to do something really great (like in the confab routine mentioned above) why not. I was not a great fan of these gags for the same reason as mentioned before… (we know them for so long already, but the audience does not!) and that routine is now GOLD! I wish it would sell for $1000,00
BTW It´s not only the few old gags and the way they have gotten a great function, but the total package… Best, John |
Rocketeer Special user Westchester, NY 965 Posts |
Remind me to show you a picture my Pride and Joy.
I'm selling my hardcover autographed limited edition copy of Jerome Finley's "Thought Veil"
PM me for info. |
John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12945 Posts |
Quote:
On 2010-05-22 21:37, Rocketeer wrote: ... and my kids! |
twistedace Inner circle philadelphia 3772 Posts |
And my baby picture!
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Penny for your thoughts » » Comedy mindreading repackaged (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 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 < |