So I want to end my show making balloon animals for the kids. As a final effect I want to swallow a balloon. I was wondering if this may be ok IF I tell them "When you get your animal, do NOT try to do this..." Then make them take an oath that they won't.
This is a very visual final effect, has a warning, and leads into making them.
Do you think it's ok if it's done with and as a warning?

Little boys are stupid, they will try to swallow the balloons. I love the balloon swallowing, did it twice, both times those dumb kids tried it after being told not only not to but that it was a trick.

I do a scissor swallowing effect then tell the kids not to run with balloons.

I wonder how many people here actually work with children? I have read a lot of posts that leave me with my jaw open. I thought this section was for people who do kids shows. Admittedly I am not a full time magician, but I have done a lot of birthday party shows. Are most people here not kid's magicians?

Another post was talking about sawing in half at kids shows. And another about strapping a kid down on the chair suspension.

Amazing!

When I saw Ed Alonzo do his balloon swallowing routine, I found that one of the funniest things I've seen...he did have children in the audience, but I can't bring myself to do it in my children's show...I just think you're asking for a law suit and if a child gets hurt or dies, that would be hard to live with.

It's hard enough to keep them from putting the tail of a balloon dog in their mouth, I know they will try balloon swallowing no matter what you tell them.

Welcome Amand Rao. Sometimes folks can't tell that I am joking even when I am face to face with them.

I planted a birthday card on a friends car as I met him at the walking park this morning. He noticed the envelope on his car. I told him it was probably about his parking. After the walk we both had a laugh...

This nearly normal guy has given up fire and other things with kids and older kids..(adults). I hopefully won't give up on my sense of humor.

We opened with Smoke on the Mountain last night. One spot in the play, I lose my temper and start to say..(SH..) and get hit by the "Spinster lady's purse)

It will be interesting seeing how our different audiences react in different spots...(but I digress once again).
Different entertainers have different views of life and what does and doesn't belong at a certain venue. The "Spinster Ladies" in our play are not set to see singing in a church...

I agree on the balloon thing....
Some may even agree the road kill gag with balloons is over the top....

Thanks for the food (I'm on a latex free diet...), speaking of which some schools are places of peanut butter and latex free zones...

Harris

Anand,

I am amazed that when you get in the "hot seat" (for a good reason) you start pointing fingers to get attention away from you instead of standing your ground or admiting that at best it was a very bad joke. I was the one who light heartedly mentioned putting them in a seat belt - not "strapping them down". Anyway, how is that SO "dangerous"?? I imagine you could not pull it off, thankfully, I am not you.

I think you need to get more experience -just because you cannot pull something off does not mean others cannot. Remember, you are not a full time magician - but many of us are.
Sawing someone in half is NOT something a 3 y/o does on a whim. Generally they don't find power saws laying around, but you would be handing out balloons, and they have a natural tendency to put them in their mouth. Balloons are toys kids come in contact with all the time. There is a big difference. Also, sawing in half is usually done with older kids, while balloons can be done with any age group.

swingjunkie
If you read my posts, you will know I do things that some Café members would not do with kids for fear of mimicry. A lot has to do with presentation, age of the audience, and local custom. What flies for big city kids, and country kids are not the same. What can work well in America can flop in England - and visa versa.

As for eating a balloon, I think it would be fine IF THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH to know not to eat balloons, and you presented it NOT as a challenge. I would say at least 8 years old, maybe even older (ALL of them!). An oath is a good idea, but is FAR, FAR from foolproof. Think back at what you were like as a kid.

Another problem you will find is the routine can easily be seen as very sexual, and that may be a reason to keep it for adults. Some parents may give you bad press for this - and I am not sure that it is wrong. I don't think we need to have anything sexual of any nature in our shows.

So the major point here is Kids try what they see. Which is totally true.
I did a silk to egg routine with real egg ending, which means I expose the fake egg. A guy told me his kids went home grabbed an egg each and all tried to cut a big hole in the back so that they would have one too

Daniel,
You are "eggs"actly right..sorry, can't resist!
I'm not going to join any arguments here...just to the point. Even if you do this for bigger kids, if these bigger kids go home and show their siblings you might have something really bad happening....common sense.

As for balloon swallowing, I say do it. Its a gag at the end of the day and, in my experience, kids DON'T copy everything they see!

Mark

When my daughter was in the 6th grade she had an 11-year-old friend that died while trying to duplicate a stunt he saw on tv. He saw it on some kind of Ripley's Belive It Or Not show that aired on TBS I believe. Anyway, he had called his friends and talked to people at school about it. He seemed to be intrigued by the stunt. He suffocated himself to death attempting to do it.

The little guy loved magic. I don't know the times he would come up to me at school and ask me to show him a trick. He liked magic better than any kid in that small school. He even learned a trick himself and was so proud when he showed it to me.

After he died some school officials contacted me and asked about a series of magic shows based on safety. They wanted me to come up with a show and present it to every school in the county. I had never done safety shows prior to this, but I had some time to get it all together. This happened in November and I just had to do it before the end of the school year, so I accepted. The shows went over very well and I felt honored to do the shows in his memory.

Needless to say, this event changed my thinking when it comes to doing tricks that kids might try to copy which could potentially be dangerous. My research for the show also opened my eyes to child safety issues.

Regan

A friends little boy saw bungie jumping on TV and went to the patio, strung up some bungies, and he succeeded in killing himself at age eight.

Magicmarkdaniel,

Just one question for you, and that would settle the entire argument for you. How many children do YOU have?

Steve

I think the answer to that rather personal question would probably settle the entire argument for you Steve,not Mark.

While I completely disagree with magicmarkdaniel about the balloon swallowing I don't think wether or not someone is a parent is relevant.

I don't have any kids. I have a cat, I try not to kick it too much, does that help?

George

I do this in my family/cabaret show. Not in my kids show tho. I tell them don't try it at home. And usually at a family show no balloons are given out so they can't try it.

Personal taste I guess. I had no problems yet. But I would never do it in my all kids show.

M:C

George, it would settle it, since his quote of "..in my experience, kid's don't copy everything they see". If he had children, he would know that they indeed DO. And, your cat is probably smarter than you, and smart enough to stay outta the way of your feet.

Steve

Kids (Of all ages) will copy, kids will do dumb thought less things

My own Kid (then age 16) was planning on trying stunts he saw on a video called Jack-???, I had to kick is ??? to put a stop to it.

A collage kid here in town was caught road “Surfing” on the roof of a car on a major highway. He Saw it on TV

A “Kid Over 20” at the bar in at a wedding reception badly burned burned his hand after seeing me do a thumb tip vanish of a lit cigarette

So don’t think because they are over 8 years old they will not try to copy what they see you do.

If it looks like they can do it, If it looks like fun, Kids will try it. I would never to a balloon swallow with Kids

Posted: Jul 22, 2007 6:29am
It can be very hard to tell, joking, sarcasm in an online text environment

I would recommend that you tag your post with a Smilie or something to let everyone know when you are pulling our legs.

Yes, a rather personal question, but since you ask, I have one. I've been professional for 8 years, but have been performing for 12, and have never yet had anybody come to me and say "my child copied that". Maybe its a British thing, I don't know. My original post was that children DON'T copy EVERYTHING. Are we gonna stop cooking in front of the kids in case they turn the cooker on? Are we gonna stop plugging things in in case the kids try and electrocute themselves? Are we gonna stop driving in case the kids get the keys and take off down the road in the car? The instances of kids copying things we do are in very rare circumstances. If you've said "don't try this at home", that's your disclaimer. I'm not talking about walking into kids parties with a butchers knife and slamming it in your arm ala Penn and Teller! Each to their own. Aren't we there to entertain? We're not there for a lesson in "now go home and try this"!

I'm off to hide the car keys... just in case.

Mark

I need the balloon swallowing secret!!!

I understand no one here will give it, but could someone please point me towards a book or website where I can find the effect?

I saw a London street performer do this and he brought me back time and time again trying to figure it out. I know and could perform the rest of his act step by step, but this one has lost me completely. I know it's so simple, it has to be, but I just keep popping balloons!

Posted: Aug 13, 2007 8:48am
Just to reitterate, when I say I could perform his act step by step, I mean to show how closely I've watched, not that I am trying to mirror his act. After re-reading my own post it sounded like my ethics were lacking.

No. Don't do this. Bad idea. No. Sounds Iffy. I wouldn't. This way lies trouble. Pick a different ending. Gonna be trouble. No.