|
|
Go to page [Previous] 1~2 | ||||||||||
Terry Owens Inner circle Ft. Wayne, Indiana 1707 Posts |
I think you have to earn the right to be "brutally honest" when it comes to talking about someone's performance.
I have someone that I work with that I can get that brutally honest opinion and I pay good money for that, but that's because I care about being the best I can be, but they have my respect, someone I don't know...or someone I'm not working for doesn't have that right, and for all I know, they may be worse than me. |
|||||||||
Futureal Inner circle 1695 Posts |
Sounds like he's out there ruining magic for people.
- He should be told. |
|||||||||
TrickyRicky Inner circle TrickyRicky 1653 Posts |
Crystal,you must have died a thousand deaths watching this performance.
I can just imagine what went through your mind. Some years ago a mother called and asked If I could watch her 19 year old son who was performing at a library. She said he would like some pointers after the performance. To make a long story short---he was horrible. The first trick was the brassiere trick with one of the kid mother. Everything went down hill after that. I told him that I could help him a quite a lot on restructure his routines to make them more entertaining. I gave him my card and left. He never called, and that's 7 years ago. I herd he's out of magic. Thank goodness for that. Tricky Ricky |
|||||||||
chris mcbrien Inner circle Chicago 1235 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-01-17 18:20, Terry Owens wrote: This is very, very true.... The thing is, is now she's been stewing on this...it's the energy from what she SHOULD have done and knows she should have done...gone up and told him it was horrible...in A NICE WAY. I would try and find out his contact info, call and ask if he sends feedback forms, try and get one or ask if you can send some comments, seperate your anger from your good intention and use the good intention to HELP HIM/aka send him something that he could use. After that energy is gone, I'm betting it will feel right again. It sounds like this guy needs to hear it. Best, Chris |
|||||||||
lou2 New user 46 Posts |
Quote:
I refrained from doing so as I felt I would blast him. What would you guys have done in my situation? Chrystal Hi, I would have done nothing, He was booked not me if his performance was rubbish that's not my problem. if his show was as bad as you say he will soon lose bookings and drop out of the system. I personaly not a believer in the idea that if some one bookes a bad magicain they will never book another magicain . lou |
|||||||||
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Another idea, is to vent what you have to say by writing it in a letter, and then destroy the letter (instead of sending it). Then it is out of your system, and you are no longer stewing on it.
You let the universe deal with him in the way it sees fit. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
|
|||||||||
Habu Veteran user Texas / Alabama 393 Posts |
Great advice Donald! I am working on my master's degree in education. A big part of my schooling is in learning teams. Most of this is done by a school forum. There are many times I will wonder what a team member is thinking when they submit inferior material, or no material at all, and cause the others to have to scramble to make up for them.
We have a set of rules from which to pull to handle most situations, but there is always that urge to fire off a letter or email blasting them for letting everyone down. I usually write everything down in Word, then spell check it, and then check it for grammar, content and style. By that time I've spent my energy and follow the protocol for handling team member disputes. I believe in this case I would reassure the principal that this fella is not indicative of most performers. He is shooting himself in the foot and will likely stop doing shows before long anyway.
www.magicbyhabu.com
Real name: Rick Jackson Habu: Taken from SR-71 spy plane I worked on. It's name came from a poisonous snake on Okinawa. Hope my magic isn't poisonous! |
|||||||||
John Bowlin Special user Maryland 827 Posts |
Chrystal, what was the feedback on this guy from the kids and other adults you spoke with and just judging their reactions. It does so pain me to see these types of performances you described. Some are just starting out,some are just hacks and some are just burnt out on performing and should be put out to magic pasture. It's usually only the first category that it is worth saying anything to. I'm more the Magic Santa style guy when it comes to handling these types.
|
|||||||||
Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
Hi,
To answer the last question by John, at one point in the performance a new teacher to our school who is not aware that I do magic myself, leaned over and said "Yikes, he's not very good is he?". Many students lost interest and became extremely rude during his show and a constant stream of teachers handed out pink tickets to them for bad behavior. Pink tickets means a phone call home to parents. They were such an abundance of pink tickets handed out that day that they totaled more in one day that the entire school year. The smallest students really enjoyed him based on comments I heard when the children were emerging from the Gym. The school has aprox 600 students. To those of you that wondered if it was the sucker effect of Tear and Restore..no it wasn't. Thanks again for some very insightful answers and in retrospect I'm glad I didn't speak to him that day as know I've had time to mull it over and am much calmer. I'm afraid I have to disagree with you Lou. You're right, I didn't hire him so why should I care? Let me explain. I care because every performer after him will be effected by his exposure, so while it may be nothing for this magician to be concerned about..it affects all those that perform for those children in the future. Those same kids might be in my audience some day and I may be performing some of the same illusions which is unintenionally exposed and the one he intentionally exposed. Secondly he broke a cardinal rule is the way I see it. Thanks again to those that posted responses, I was interested in your thoughts and insights. Much appreciated! Chrystal |
|||||||||
lou2 New user 46 Posts |
Quote:
I'm afraid I have to disagree with you Lou. You're right, I didn't hire him so why should I care? Let me explain. I care because every performer after him will be effected by his exposure, so while it may be nothing for this magician to be concerned about..it affects all those that perform for those children in the future. Those same kids might be in my audience some day and I may be performing some of the same illusions which is unintenionally exposed and the one he intentionally exposed. Secondly he broke a cardinal rule is the way I see it. Hi, We will have to agree to dissagree , I very much doubt his exposures will hurt others , people make loads of fuss about exposure but it rearly does any real harm lou |
|||||||||
Kent Wong Inner circle Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2458 Posts |
It may rarely do any harm, but it NEVER does any good. Unless this person was hired as an exposer of magic, he defrauded the school and his audience. The students and the teachers expected to be entertained by magic and he either negligently or intentionally did not deliver.
Have you ever gone to a movie that was so bad, you knew you had just wasted 2 hours of your life? That's what this guy did. 500 people in the gym watching a painfully poor one-hour "magic" show. That guy stole 500 hours of life from the people at that school. Now imagine if you were a fellow magician who also happened to be listed in the book. If he is supposedly representative of the quality of magicians in the book, schools are going to be very hesitant to hire others. Kent
"Believing is Seeing"
<BR>______________________ <BR> <BR>www.kentwongmagic.com |
|||||||||
NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
I would want to know if I stunk. But I know that I would only take on the advice if it was given in a constructive way otherwise I'd just get defensive and angry.
|
|||||||||
Hoppini, the Mediocre New user Canada 41 Posts |
As far as the tear and restore...I'd let it go. Doug Henning showed every kid in America how to do it on the Captain Kangaroo show. In fact, nearly every magician I ever remember seeing on TV as a kid usually did a spot, usually near the end of the program, that went something like this: "magicians are never supposed to really reveal the secrets of their tricks...but I'll show you a little trick you can do for your friends."
I know it sucks for the performers who do the trick in question, so I'm not sure myself if I agree with exposing it...but I do believe the guy came by it honestly. Even if it is wrong, I can't be too mad about it. I'd be madder about the half hour late and the shoddy show. I think if it was me, and I was in your shoes, I'd approach him, as previously suggested, and ask if he had an off day...he may just break down and tell you his wife just got told she'd been diagnosed with cancer...or some such awful situation. An extreme example, but you never really know. Life happens. However, if the guy just blows you off or (worse yet) acts like everything is normal, then I'd go to the School Board. Tell them exactly what you saw, why it was bad, and suggest a better magician. |
|||||||||
Mikael Eriksson Inner circle None of your business 1064 Posts |
Chrystal, exposing seems to be the "next" big thing in magic, you better get used to it.
I was treated very badly by some people here awhile ago when I objected to some magicians who did some exposing. |
|||||||||
Hoppini, the Mediocre New user Canada 41 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-02-01 15:38, Mikael Eriksson wrote: I should point out that the Doug Henning example I gave, as well as the TV magicians I referred to all happened in the mid to late 70s. |
|||||||||
Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
Thanks again everyone for the comments. Some points to ponder definately.
Doug Henning! We Canadians loved Doug Henning! We've been petitioning the government to have him honored on Canada's Hall of Fame. For those of you that wondered what I did ...nothing. After I vented on here I felt better. So thanks for listening everyone! I didn't contact the school district to voice a complaint as although he probably deserved it - I couldn't get past bad mouthing another entertainer no matter how lousy he was. I would probably have spoken to the entertainer personally if given the chance again. Does that make me just as quilty as him then? |
|||||||||
Hoppini, the Mediocre New user Canada 41 Posts |
I don't think it makes you guilty at all. It took me a long time as a clown to realize that I didn't carry the weight of all clowns on my shoulders. I think its the same for magicians. (but, you have to admit that it IS frustrating when one bad apple reflects on he rest of us)
Just be the best that you yourself can possibly be, and try not to worry about everyone else. Its really all you can do. To thine own self be true...and all that. |
|||||||||
SpellbinderEntertainment Inner circle West Coast 3519 Posts |
First they came for the Socialists,
and I did not speak out - because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me. -Martin Niemoeller's Holocaust Poem- |
|||||||||
Hoppini, the Mediocre New user Canada 41 Posts |
That's a pretty wonky parallel. Bad magician = nazis?
|
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The little darlings » » What Was He Thinking??? (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page [Previous] 1~2 |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 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 < |