I've gone on record saying that Shoe Business by Puck & Scott Alexander is probably my fav new effect for 2011 thus far. However, today I was notified of a potential problem. It's the SECOND time in two performances that I received the same complaint, so I now KNOW it's not just one person.

First, a quick review - the effect is the magician calls a practical joke hotline and pours a drink into a borrowed shoe, as per the "hotline's" directions. Of course, the volunteer's shoe is unharmed. Along the way there are some great comedy lines.

I don't want to get into exposure, so I won't discuss the workings of the trick, but one of the comedy lines on the recording involves the "Press 1 for English" prompt that drives many of us CRAZY when we're calling a business and trying to get a human on the phone. Well, after a couple of lines, we hear a man's voice say "Rizzle, Shiffle My Nizzle," or something to that effect. Obviously this part of the recording is poking fun at those annoying voice prompts and maybe poking fun at the "izzle" slang that confuses people not of that generation...namely me.

Anyway, I loved the routine and put it in my night time family show. In the 6 times I've used it, it generates huge laughs and a gasp of amazement when the cup of liquid comes out of the shoe.

I performed it last night for a family show in Maryland, audience comprised of around 300 people, different backgrounds, mix of different ethnic groups, etc.

Well, today I received a phone call from the school principal saying that a mother of one of the kids called saying that "izzle my shizzle" part of the recording was offensive. Turns out it was in reference to Snoop Dog's slang and the "For Shizzle my Nizzle" can be (and is intended to be) translated by Snoop Dog to "For sure my N-----," with the "n" word for a racial slur. And to boot, the principal explaining all of this to me was a very kind, apologetic African American man.

I had no idea that this "izzle" stuff even translated. I knew vaguely of its orginis in rap (I think) and I've seen clips of Snoop Dog "izzling" this slang that I freely admit I don't "get." I figured it was nonsensical silly stuff. I don't care for Snoop Dog so therefore I never investigated it further.

I explained to this principal (who loved my shows) that I had no idea what all that "izzle" stuff meant and apologized profusely. He took it in stride and waved it off.

Needless to say, I will be running the Shoe Business through my audio editor and removing the "izzle" stuff. I LOVE the routine, but my viewpoint as a professional performer is this: if one person speaks up to complain about something, how many more were unhappy yet didn't say anything?

Now, do I believe Puck & Scott Alexander intended on putting out a product some audiences would find offensive? Hell no. Both are accomplished performers who regularly perform in front of international crowds on cruise ships - one of the toughest markets in the world.

The reality is that some people will be offended at things that other people will not find objectionable. I believed Puck & Alexander were simply, with this routine, poking fun at those annoying voice prompts as well as the confusing-to-an-older-generation "izzle" urban slang.

My knee-jerk reaction is to just lump the complaint of this woman in with the other silly complaints I've heard over the years regarding a number of performers. I had one lady complain, 6 years ago, that Rocky Raccoon was "scary" to special needs kids....there were 5 special needs kids wayyyy in the back of the auditorium. The audience was 500 strong. That irritated me. Another complained years ago about my coloring book - despite the fact that the kids LOVED the trick, She hated it simply because she had seen other magicians do it. The point is, people do complain and much of it is warranted.

The difference, in this case, is that the person offended was referencing some slang that translates from a very charged word, emotionally. Being a white male in the U.S., I obviously have no idea what power that word negatively has on people. I can only, for the sake of business, take cautious steps in this case.

It pains me to write this, but again, if one person in my audience complains, there may be others who don't. I just wanted to warn others of my experience. Take what you will from this. Maybe Puck can record the CD again without that passage? We'll see.

Know that I LOVE the routine, but simply wanted people to be aware of the negative possibilities.

Cris

Sorry, I think it's ridiculous. The U.S. is going backward instead of forward in it's PC ways. Everybody wants to be offended. It seems they like to be noticed.

As you said, there will always be someone who is offended at something.

Also, "izzle my shizzle" is NOT "For Shizzle my Nizzle", which are just made up words anyway.
Maybe I should make up a word and if someone rhymes it with something, I should make a scene.

We do not have the right to not be offended in the U.S.

Ok, maybe I have gone off the deep end here, but I get so tired of people being easily offended by this or that. Be offended, I don't care, I am just not gonna change to accommodate them.

Alec,

I understand your point of view...but as a full-time pro working in schools, I have to be politically correct, even if I too think this whole thing is ridiculous. Fortunately, the PTO mom who hired me also think its silly, but again, I have to play by their rules if I want to work as a full time pro.

I can't afford to be controversial like Penn & Teller.

Cris

As the old saying goes,

When in doubt, take it out!

=Frank=

Yup.

- Cris

I agree that when playing something like schools you need to be as PC as you can.. it's just not worth the drama. However, that is one of the dumbest things I have heard. I cannot understand how anyone could be offended by that other than just craving either attention, drama, or both.

Personally, I agree that the "izzle" part is really nothing.

However Professionally speaking, If I had this pointed out to me the FIRST TIME it would have been OUT of my show!

I perform at Co. Fairs for 6 months out of each year, and ALL of the material that I use MUST be squeaky clean and TOTALLY UN-OFFENSIVE!!

A fellow Magician friend of mine was once fired from a Fair for using the word, "BOOGER" to a kid!

Again, this was an EXTREME case, but in the Family-Entertainment Market, you just have to be careful!

=Frank=

I agree. I love the routine, and when I heard that, I thought it was going to be a great laughline. However, I was nervous about it and hadn't yet put it in my show. I'm glad to hear someone's take on it. I will end up taking it out as well. Thanks for sharing...

If you use Audacity audio program http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ to change the English section of the audio file, you could customize it for your show.

Find out some inner office chatter before hand and put that in, for kids use the latest cartoons chatter. This could be much funnier than the izzle line.

He says "Rizzle dizzle for shizzle my nizzle, izzle
In the video, after the "izzle" part Scott does say "Oh, thanks Snoop."

Anyway, Audacity is free and easy to use, customize!!
James

Just for the record, Puck is black.

Doesn't Snoop Dog say this in a Coke or Pepsi commercial. I guess we could call Snoop Dog to find out what it means.

Who will be offended by stinky shoes? Then what? LOL

I'm Black?

I didn't know that.

Richard

So, does that make a difference?

I don't understand why you posted that, Scott?

The problem with "izzle my shizzle" is less that it's potentially offensive and more that -- in 2011 -- it's terribly dated.

Frank... it was a "bit o' business..."

(see: joke explanation below)
As representative from the African American community, and co-creator of the trick, Puck must be fine with the shizzle joke, and not find it offensive.

Ah! Thanks for explaining, Scott.

I was hoping you weren't saying that because he is Black it's o.k. for him to use certain words,
kind of like when people say that it's ok for Black people to use the "N" word.

I don't think we're supposed to be talking about this.
(Seinfeld reference)

( got it Scott.

richard

Why capitilise black?

Dave.