On Aug 14, 2017, jay leslie wrote:
While performing a show for eight year olds I brought-out a What's Next which is a special model with a surprise hole as a conclusion. If you don't know the trick don't worry, just remember that it's a step beyond the normal What's Next.

So I brought-out my model, started the routine and one of the kids yells "That's What's Next with the spots that are magnetic". They reach in a bag, hold up theirs and say "We got these at magic camp".

I compressed the routine to two flips of the card, moving everything into place, while the kid was holding their card and sliding the spots around herself. "I know how that works she said... it's got these magnetic spots" - "Hold on" I said" and turned mine around showing the hole in the card which saved the routine.

One minute later I started the Linking Rings and guess what? That's correct, she pulled a set of 8 inch rings from another bag. Later I had a militated parasol and the same child called out "Look in the bag for more cloths".

Forget about how I handled her "There's 8 rings and three of them are together - and look for the one that has a slit”. Luckily, a good magician can outmaneuver an 8 year old with false counts and switching ring moves. That's not the point.

What magic camp is using such poor judgement to teach 8 year olds a working magicians bread and butter? Shouldn't 8 year olds be learning the Weisenheimer Coin Trick, Salt Shaker through table, or any other of a hundred simple tricks that teach principles of the art? Shouldn't they be learning Buddha Papers and Flying Eagles? Where did a magic camp become an excuse to upsell more expensive props as a way to maximize profits?

Why did this child tell me she knew about illusion bases and double blades on head choppers?

It was obvious the 8 year old couldn't even perform What's Next, all she could do was move spots around as a way to show me she knew the secret. She couldn't perform the routine at all. She didn't understand the routine and the reason it works. All she she knew was the basics of the mechanism as as such it was no longer magic it was just a metal board with movable parts.

Same thing with the linking rings. There was no appreciation for the years it takes to develop a complete routine. All she knew was the mechanical aspects which reduces the magic to nothing more then metal parts.

What is going on? Is there some magician out there who can't get shows that wants to ruin it for the rest of us? Are they just oblivious to the difference of magic being an art form as opposed to magic as a puzzle?

There's a huge difference between introducing someone to the art of magic and someone who exposes the workings because they never learned the basics themselves. I suspect that's what happened. Magic is not about buying a trick to make you famous. Having bigger and more professional props is a way to sell more shows. Larger props can be seen by larger audiences which allows you to sell more tickets.

It's not acceptable to say that exposure has been around as long as magic. It's irresponsible to say that exposure helps the art. How would you like it if you started your show and someone, who wasn't a magician told everyone else how the tricks worked, while your performing them? If you think exposure is acceptable please post your set list and where you're working the next 10 shows so I can send everyone the directions and let's see how you like it.

This isn't a hypothetical situation. If someone called-out your secrets then every trick would be cut short or stopped and you wouldn't have a show at all. The 3 shell game, 3 card Monty and Cups & Balls may be the exceptions because of all the vairations but that’s about it.

Let’s assume the magic camp was run by younger magicians who never learned from a mentor. Let’s assume the magic camp was run by someone who grew up on internet videos and really isn't a magician just a person doing tricks, a tricker.

There's a big difference between someone who does tricks and a magician. If you are teaching new people the art of magic please remember that magic is an art and not just the secrets that make the magician.

On Sep 15, 2017, jay leslie wrote:
Are you proposing that I put a gag on them?