!!!TIME TO RANT!!!

There is ONE PERSON who is responsible for Mat Franco's success on AGT...and that person is Mat Franco!

To those in the magic industry who are trying to "claim" success for Mat's victory...JUST STOP IT!

It was Mat's hard work, dedication to his craft, and personality that won over America and THAT is why he's the champion. Not because you helped him when he was 12 years old. If Mat wishes to credit you for his upbringing in magic, then that's a different story.

But when you attempt to steal part of his success, you come off as a HACK! by saying, "I'm the reason he won...hey, look at me, look at me!"

I find this behavior very sad indeed!

Rant over...
(zips up flame proof suit!)

I must have missed that - who is claiming responsibility for his success?

"Ditto"

I'm a bit confused. Who's claiming responsibility for Mat's success?

I'm very surprised that y'all haven't seen this as it's a big name in magic and it's being posted all over FB. Runs a very popular school that Mat attendand back when he was 12...so now this person is using Mat's recent celebrity as a way to promote said school. Shouldn't be much of a "mystery" who I'm speaking of.

I don't think that there is anything wrong with Jeff McBride mentioning Mat in his promos or fb posts - Mat apparently did attend. I never saw any posts stating that he taught him everything he knows or anything to that effect - it seemed to me more of a "YAY MAGIC" kind of statement, and if he was a student then why not capitalize on that? I think that all magicians should capitalize on Mat's success in any way they can - magic is big now, thanks in part to AGT and Mat.

Now I'm really confused. Didn't Mat himself say that Jeff McBride helped him both when he was twelve and also in 2010, when he was about to graduate from the University of Rhode Island?

http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns-blo......gas-star



What's the problem with this?

To me, he might as well just come out and say "Come to the Magic and Mystery School, home of AGT Winner Mat Franco!" To me it screams tacky. When he congratulated Mat as so many of us are doing, he said "congrats to Magic and Mystery School Student Mat Franco on his win." He used the name of his school first to help "promote it."

I have an issue with this. He's using Mat's name to promote his school.

I'm sure I'm in the minority on this, but I think it's low class and Jeff should know better...

Your mileage may vary...

There is nothing wrong with marketing and there is nothing wrong with the way McBride marketed his school by wishing one of his former students congratulations. What would be wrong would be if he was such a lousy businessman that he didn't promote it. Sorry, Christopher, you are completely wrong, IMHO.

I think it's great that Jeff congratulated Mat...but the way he did it was low class. He didn't have to market his school in his congratulations. I'm not wrong here...just b/c you don't agree doesn't mean I'm wrong!

Thank God I don't watch that joke of a show.

I don't either Danny.A friend emailed me some youtube of it.After watching the youtube I remembered why I don't watch it.

Hope all is well with you...
Don

"I'm not wrong here...just b/c you don't agree doesn't mean I'm wrong!"

Not necessarily. The question is, did McBride engage in bad marketing. There are a number of things that could point to bad marketing:

1. It was an incorrect or misleading statement. Was it? no.
2. In was in such poor taste that it alienated those who might be clients. My guess is that it didn't hurt McBrides reputation one bit, that those who were thinking of attending will now be MORE likely to attend and that many who were unaware of his school are now potential clients.

Was it a misrepresentation? No.
Was it a good promotion, in that he will probably get more business as a result. Yes, I am assuming.

The success of marketing is judged by the market. In this case, I think you have to be in the vast minority of people who were upset by it.

So, yes, I think I can say you were wrong, unless you can prove that McBride loses clients as a result.

Here is what Matt himself had to say: "“It’s not little at all,” Franco said by telephone from New York today. “Jeff McBride was the biggest magic influence in my life growing up,” he says of the Las Vegas-based veteran who stages the monthly event “Wonderground” in Henderson."

Here's Jeff's post on Facebook:

"A HUGE day in the history of the magical arts ! Jeff McBride's Magic & Mystery School Student Mat Franco wins AMERICA'S GOT TALENT! http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertain......rack=rss
Sleight of hand magic beats all other forms of entertainment!
Mat won 1 million dollars and his own show in Vegas!"

I'm not offended by this, but Chris Lyle found it to be classless. Everyone's got an opinion. After some further thought, here's what I think now: Mat Franco should be the one to say if this is offensive. So, let's ask Mat. I'm sure that he'll let you know what he thinks.

He already has Barry "“Jeff McBride was the biggest magic influence in my life growing up,”"

Here's the thing Hudson...

Mat saying it is one thing. I'm sure Jeff was a big influence on him during his younger years. No doubt!
But when Jeff says it, it comes across as tacky and in poor taste. You don't agree...fine! I don't agree with what Jeff did.

"But when you attempt to steal part of his success, you come off as a HACK!"

This is where we disagree. Anytime someone succeeds in something, people connected with that person post something similr: "Chicago's own...blah blah blah" " Harvard graduate Joe Schmo won the noble prize today" "My first grade music student just won a grammy".

it is a sign of congratulations. Everyone does it and it is really hard to imagine anyone finding fault. I realize that you are offended. but there is a difference between you being offended and them doing anything wrong. You are correct that you are offended but you are incorrect that McBride did anything at all wrong.

HudsonView - exactly. I don't think that there is anything wrong with it at all - it's like saying "My nephew Albert Einstein invented Ramen Noodles" - you are showing your rpide and connection to them, but not in a smugg kind of way, but more of an inclusive way of wording things.

Here's the rub to it all

It's wonderful Mat Franco won in AGT

but 3 different people from the McBride camp in at at least three different places on FB posted McBride school attendee Mat Franco won AGT putting their school ahead of Mat Franco using a congratulations to promote their school.
It was in poor taste to say the least