Thought this could be an interesting topic,and haven't seen many threads on this topic.

Several niggley things rub me the wrong way regarding magic. What are yours ?

Mine -in no particular order: cutting to the natural break.

'Theres a trap door in this rubber band' (don't know why this bugs me but it the same old patter)

Reading the method in a book before knowing the effect.

Over use of the Hindu shuffle in a colour changing deck routine.

Over use of riffling the deck for absolutely no reason.

Would be fun to hear your thoughts.

Greig

I created a thread almost a year ago on this subject but I am perfectly happy to contribute here.

"You see this is a normal deck of cards." What an inane statement!

"Are you sure you don't want to change your mind? Ahh, you're happy with the one you have." Let it die, this "joke" was bad in vaudeville!

Magicians that don't make eye contact.

Magicians with "tells" such as turning a multiple like a bunch of paving bricks.

Dismissing the DL as a "beginner's" sleight

Privileging of method, i.e, pure sleight of hand trumps all other methodologies - that is pure BS.

Performing with animals. Sorry this will honk off stage magicians and illusionists, but, animals are NOT ours to use for entertainment. And illusionists, you DO know that white tigers are the result of artificial breeding and that many tiger cubs that aren't "perfect" are killed at birth? The white tiger descends from one gene pool; stand up against breeding and the slaughter of tiger cubs.

Top coat, tails, and a hat.

Illusionists with overdone gestures and ridiculous glitter outfits.

Actually illusionists in general as the assistants actually do the REAL work. (Exceptions include Lance Burton, David Copperfield, and Doug Henning (R.I.P.)

Mentalists who denigrate magic; sorry guys but at the end of the day we are all artists who depend upon deception.

Related to the above: mentalists who claim, like Geller, that what they do is real. BS!! Leave the shyster bit to the fortune tellers please?

People who are unwilling to to their homework and learn some things about the art. I am sick of questions that really are just pleas that stem from laziness and a desire to be spoon fed. Go read a book and/or watch a DVD!

"Best" type threads/discussions. These are absolutely pointless!

Café trolls

Trolls who target our V.I.P.s

And finally - and my biggest peeve of all ...

A certain transplanted Canadian magician who is a shame to this art

Slainte!
Vlad

I try not to let the trivial things in life annoy me too much, but I'm only human!, soooo
PATTER! Good presentation even if it's a little far fetched, is still good presentation, but that over rehearsed, jokey PATTER (you all know the stuff!) I just find too embarrassing!
It's like someone turns on a switch on the performers back, and suddenly he's off!
Also,random statements that if said out loud in public,while not performing, would have you carted off to the nuthouse! Imagine overhearing in the middle of the street...
'here I have a deck of cards that is also a compass!'
'these cards may look normal, but they're actually a time machine! (o.k magic boy! Climb aboard!)
'these two red kings are actually living in a parallel universe!'

But saying that, if anyone actually does have a half dollar that 'bends the very fabric of space and time' I'd love to have a look.
Maybe Tenyo have one for sale... If not, I'm sure uday could knock one up.
K
'

Those who overuse the Ramsay subtelty. This is mostly coin thing, of course, but it's annoying to see someone hold their pointer finger up in an "ah ha!" gesture fifty times in one routine, just because they feel concealing a coin that way is clever. It is meant to be a subtelty. I know many feel they are "thinking outside the box" but they are going about it in the wrong way. So there.

And--magicians who constantly state that they "think outside the box."

Being Canadian, I'm curious as to who this may be.

My biggest pet peeves (I'm a working pro):

1) Local magicians who show up at your paid performances and either perform for your patrons or steal your effects and presentations.
2) Magicians who feel that they are entitled to you sharing your secrets with them because "they're magicians too!"
3) Magicians applauding each other's awful performances at club meetings.
4) Lectures. Seems about 95% of the lectures I've ever attended were actually dealer shows designed to sell products.

I agree with a fair few already posted above:

Vlad:
Tells - these are something that at my just-out-of-beginner-stage I'm working to overcome: wouldn't dream of performing to all the moves look smooth.
DLs - absolutely! I have found this the hardest sleight to try and get smooth, natural and regular - I'm still a long way off.
Privileging a method - yup: self-workers (a misnomer) are strong, strong magic.
Animals: agree. I get upset when magi use goldfish let alone tigers.
Mentalists claiming to be the real thing: yeah, I'm not that much into fraud either.

Something not yet mentioned:
Poor, clumsy and exposing YouTube 'tutorials' - why?

Cheers for the input so far guys. I'll add a couple more.

Double ba**ers that are a slightly different shade than the deck you are using.
Giving cards an unwanted cri*p when you accidentally drop cards and try to catch them mid air.
Shown up by a jacka*s with a Svengali.
'Did you know a deck of cards can be used as a lie detector?'.
Putting a stranger card in a deck and it's so noticeable to you when looking at deck side on.
Reading the method to an effect you want to learn and relise you don't have the ga**s.
Gluing split cards.

Greig

One of mine is card flourishes- unless it is a flourish show or competition. If one is doing magic with cards, however, I think flourishes works against the concept of magic by disclosing that you are a card slick...

Magicians who say things like "I'm going too fast for you, I'll slow down," implying the spectator is stupid, or that he is just sooooo good.

Magicians who laugh wildly after each routine. "And now the aces have changed into kings, ah ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

Mine is bad technique in general. There are so many (even top pros) who have bad technique. "Basic" sleights like the double turnover and holding a break is being performed bad so many magicians.

I work with 9-14 year old kids. Now this is a TOUGH audience. They tell you the truth everytime they see something suspicious. Not like adults who are way to polite.

Would like to see Jamy Ian Swiss makes his pass fly by these kids

Look at 3.28 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQySKzULNOY I mean......

My pet peeve is bad card forces. I espeically hate the type where someone picks a number for example, and then to "randomize it more" we add the digits of the number, etc. etc.

any force where the person says "stop" in most cases sucks (though sometimes it's alright).

there are some very clever and fair forces out there... so there's not much excuse to use a hindu shuffle force for example IMO.

either classic force... or get them to "touch the back of a card" with a cull force. those are great forces... and by comparison, all the others don't really seem like a fair choice and I feel like the spectators recognize that they didn't really get a fair choice. whereas if you use a one way force deck and a deck switch... now you've really made it seem like they had a free choice.

it just ****es me off when the magician at the end says "you could have picked any card" when clearly that was not the case.

I don't really like card revelation tricks in general, but I espeically don't like it when the forcing method is poor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfWI9_RVCWs
an exception?(at 1:25 from the start)

Wow. I don't even know what to say after watching this. That has got to be the worst performance I have seen in a long time. Words cannot even begin to describe how painfully awful it is to watch. Terrible everything.

Jichah, yes, and exception, in that he does not ever speak to them in a condescending mannner.

But your earlier post suggested that the statement itself was condescending (“Implying the spectator is stupid, or that he is just sooooo good”). But it’s okay when it’s done by a magician that you happen to like?

My original post was about magicians who say such things in a condescending way. Tommy Wonder doesn't do that, that's why he's an exception.

Technically he's not an exception, since he doesn't do that in the first place.

Your original objection was to, “Magicians who say things like ‘I'm going too fast for you, I'll slow down,’ implying the spectator is stupid, or that he is just sooooo good.”

Anyone who can read English can see that you were objecting to a particular patter line because, according to you, the implications of the patter line are condescending.

Now you’re deciding that same patter line is not condescending when spoken by a magician you happen to like. Are you now pretending that it was tone of voice that you were originally objecting to? Do you have any tips for magicians who would like to use the patter line you originally objected to without incurring your wrath?

What wrath? I mentioned a pet peeve, youre the one getting your panties all in a twist about it.