Monday is the sixth, not the seventh.

"We’d also ask that magicians and fans of magic express their ire by boycotting the show’s sponsors and the network as a whole."

Why don't you put the link to the petition up?

If you are asking a boycott, why not have a list of people that will be boycotting?

Brad Burts advice:

Rats! He's or They're at it again. Just got an e-notice from Magic Magazine that there is a new "Magic Tell All" show coming to a station that frankly I can't get and have never heard of!!

Here's the basics:

Breaking the Magician's Code:
Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed
Thursday, October 2nd, 9/8c, MyNetwork TV

You can go to: http://www.mynetworktv.com/stations.php and find out the channel nearest you, etc.

What should be the response of the magic community? Easy. Really it is. In 37 years in the biz I have seen this time and time again. What 'they' want is for magicians to cause a fuss, make a scene, get out and picket. What we need to do is simple: SAY NOTHING, DO NOTHING. The more we cry the more publicity they will garner. Someone asks you if you know anything? Your answer: "Not really. Must not be a big deal." Shrug and move on.

After the show if folks ask you about it? DEFLECT!!!! "Hmmm, that's nice." or "Don't know that one myself. I don't think I would ever do it." DEFLECT! Tone it down. Make it the least that it can be. That's how you defeat these things. It's how you get even in effect. Yawn. What a bore.

Look pass the above on. Cut and Paste it into your own message if you like. You don't even have to give me credit. Get the word OUT: Don't talk! Don't demonstrate! ACT as if it's not even happening.

Thanks and take care,

Brad Burt
619-562-4877
bradburtmagic@yahoo.com

It will be on at 11 because of the debate.

I will be writing down a list of advertisers.

This special has been pretty bad so far it is aimed at Copperfield deathsaw, walking through a "Great Wall of Steel" I wonder why he seems to hate Copperfield. The string quartet was pretty silly seems to be aimed at 13 even though that is probably not how 13 is done.

Your watching it now?

How the? What the? HEY!

I'm stuck with the debate!

Yeah me too ...i didn't even know it was on...I'm really mad!

Well, Im just aginst expousre as the next guy. But expousure just makes me come up with new methods, that could be more deceptive. I don't think some of the really big, big names in magic say anything or do anything is simply because they have made their money, I could be wrong though.

Oh Im sorry I was away from the computer I am in Fairfield County CT we have new york my nine (with the debate) and Connecticut my nine from hartford (No debate)

Well, now that I have been quoted in this thread without my knowledge or consent, I'll make a statement that clarifies my position on this, which is based on a dozen years of actively fighting against exposure on television and in other media as well.

When the first MM special was broadcast, I learned that Valentino was the perpetrator. I got two verifications, and then put his picture up on my web site, along with other exposers.

I already knew what the results would ultimately be. So let me explain a few things about exposure.

1) It's wrong.
2) It's not illegal.
3) It's not illegal even if the illusion is patented. Why? It's exposed on the patent office web site for Pete's sake.
4) In some countries, such as Argentina, there have been successful lawsuits against the networks broadcasting the shows, but they haven't worked in the US. Why? Our laws are different from theirs.

In 1998, the World Alliance of Magicians, of which I was a charter member, and which had DC, S&R, and every other major illusionist in the country as members, sued Fox to get them not to broadcast the special that had the revelation of the Death Table. Andre Kole stated that he felt that they were violating his intellectual property.

WAM's attorney made a tactical blunder. He DEMANDED to see a preview of the show. The judge did not grant his petition. He stated, "If you are going to sue for damages, you have to prove the damages exist. You can't sue for damages you feel will result from the show. Let them run the show. Then when you have damages, you can sue." I think this is called Law 101.

So WAM ran out of money. The magic community did not support them. Nevertheless, I put information on my web site that did contribute to some solutions. However, we learned that the show will run whether or not they have sponsors. The last run was done with PSA's (public service announcements) and preview announcements of other Fox shows.

Fox doesn't give a cr@p about us. How many of us are there? 25,000 world-wide?

So, what punishment is available? The only punishment that we can levy against the guy in this country is to boot him out of the magic clubs.

So, here's the question. What's the punishment? Are they telling the MM that if he doesn't quit exposing magic, he won't be able to go to any boring magic club meetings?

The clubs are powerless.

Do you really want to do something about it that might have an impact? Send handwritten letters to the various sponsors and the local stations. DO NOT mention that you are a magician. If you do, they will call you. They may even record you and broadcast your opinion. But it won't do what you want it to do.

Why?

Because here's what the audience will hear:

ANNOUNCER: "One of our local magicians is threatening to sue Fox over the recent broadcast of the Masked Magician exposing an illusion he paid $10,000 for, and now, according to him, it's useless."

Magician:"Yeah, like I paid $10,000 for a DeKolta Chair, and like it's been exposed now, and like I can't use it."

ANNOUNCER: "You paid $10,000 for a chair? And you can't use it?"

Magician: "Everyone knows how it works."

Announcer: "I know how my chair works. I put my *** in it, sit back and drink coffee. Wait, are you talking about THIS chair? (holds up copy of Hopkins' Magic"

M: "Yeah."

A: "Well, the trick is over 100 years old. Don't you think you could use something newer?"

M: "And they exposed walking through a steel plate."

A: "Which worked like this one here called 'Vanity Fair.' Don't you guys learn any new stuff?"

You can't win. In fact, they will announce for DAYS that a real magician from wherever it is that you live is going to be on the news right before the next show is broadcast. And they will edit your comments to make you look foolish.

Get your friends to write letters. A petition is going to do just what some others have said -- it will give them some publicity material.

I fought this battle 12 years ago.

Now the ball's in your court.

Don't fumble it.

I was thinking of using the petition as a signature on a letter.

Well put Bill,


People forget, I remember when it first came out, and now that its been a few years when people bring it up, they honestly cant remember what 'exactly' he did to make her disappear or whatever it was, they just remember that it was something sneaky...


Its hype right now, but in a short time, things will die down and people will forget. Worst mistake ever would be to add fuel to the fire...


Oh, and by the way, Celine Dion flew and had other performers flying... using the SAME METHOD as David, but no one left there saying 'OH THEY USED S*****S!' No! Everyone just wants to be entertained, if I went to a magic show and watched the MM I would be disappointed cause he doesn't entertain. Laymen don't pay attention to the method like we do, its almost in one ear and out the other...

I, as a magician, STILL love watching classics like the EGG BAG, if you have ever seen Jeff Hobson do it, then you'll know what I mean. Even though I know how its done I could watch that a 100 times! Its all about entertaining right?!?!

Anyway, I'm getting long winded... ....

that's my 10 cents...


*A.maze*

I disagree. People will not forget. Many people I know videotape these stupid specials and, even worse, record them with cellphones to show others at school or work. Anyhow, apparently this is the masked magician's myspace link ...

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fus......05231791

As I said in another post, take a look at his friends list alphabetically.

You will see some familiar names from the magic community as well has here on the Café. It really is disgusting

People secretly record concerts and stage shows all the time now with our 'pocket cameras' but I know for a fact people only look at those clips a couple of times... I think there is a SMALL percentage of people that are trying to wiggle their way into the secrets of magic, I think if they are that interested in how it is done that they have a strong interest in the method or ideology of the subject, rather than to have that 'AHA!' moment the next time they are in a theater watching a magician, or rather show up to work the next day and go 'I KNOW HOW DAVID GETS CUT BY A BUZZ SAW'

People remember some things, but if its not pertinent in their everyday life or interest, the memories fade and blur... if you don't believe me, do you remember all that was said the first time you watched a defensive driving video when you took your drivers training course?

Probably not, I know I can't.

As YOU have already been told by people who know a hell of a lot more about this than you do, these people that are on his friends list on his MySpace page may all be something he cooked up.

Who gives a rat's patoot about a stupid MySpace page? Get a REAL web site.

And how will this be a positive move? It will just look like you got a bunch of friends to sign a letter.

Let me ask you this. If you got a petition with, say, 500 signatures, that would take up about 10 sheets of paper. If you got 500 individual letters, that would take 500 sheets of paper, 500 envelopes, and would probably involve a mail bag.

Which would be more impressive and memorable?

Think about it 10 ... 500 ... 10 ... 500.

You don't think that the people you send it to will think that a bunch of magicians are behind it? The pile of mail is much better, especially if you have signatures from mayors, police officers, store owners, churches.

Be imaginative.

Just so you won't think that I don't know the damage these shows can do, and how to do damage control, this is what happened after the first MM special. I was doing a holiday show for Roadrunner Trucking. I got to the venue early, and started to set up. One of the party goers sat down next to the riser and said, "I know how all of this stuff works -- I saw the masked magician."

I turned to him and smiled. Then I said, "Do you think anybody who was in the business would really do any of those things that way? Using a FORKLIFT for a levitation? That's funny!"

He was shocked. I said, "He didn't reveal any of the real secrets. He's a hack. Nobody will tell him the real work. He worked at Magic Island a couple of years ago. They never hired him back."

So, what was I doing? I was "letting the customer in on the 'truth'." But it wasn't the real truth. It was a construct. Val had worked at Magic Island. I met him there. By letting this truck driver think that he had been duped by a network conspiracy, I took the heat off the magic.

BTW, I did the linking rings on that show. Fooled the bejeezus out of him!

Two things:

1- I have spoken to some of the magicians on his friends list about stuff only the real them would know, such as what went down at a show I saw them do.

2- Yes I do have a real website. I don't use the myspace page for promotion, I use it for networking.


I would still like to know why you asked if I do paid shows.

Because you act like an amateur, you write like an amateur, and you seem to have this fixed idea that you are the ONLY one in the world who is right about this thing.

Matthew, you are wasting your time with this. Worse than that, when you tell people not to post to a thread if they don't agree with you, you are acting like a pi$$ed off teenager.

I've seen your other posts on other threads. You don't seem willing to invest the time and effort to purchase professional props. You don't even understand when an illegal act has occurred.

How do you know that the Masked MORON hasn't simply faked all of those entries? It's not like hacking a federal database.

I don't have any more time for you. I actually have a REAL life.

I've been down this road before, many times. I've gone up against some of the best. I finally decided if the rest of the community doesn't care enough to work against it, then it's not worth the bother.

Besides, in the long run, the public forgets all of this stuff.

They have other things on their mind that are much more important than how DC did the Death Saw.

Like where they are going to live now that their house has been blown away by a hurricane.

Like how they are going to pay off the loans they have, since they lost their jobs.

And you are angry because someone exposed a trick you will never do?