Fooling a beginner ?

Dec 25, 2008
201
0
32
Malaysia
I would just say " give a round applause to David because of his excellent explanation along the trick, when the focus turns to him, hand him the deck. the next thing the audiences will tell him what to do. "
 
Aug 3, 2009
94
0
Tell the audience and your heckler that you want to show them a trick called Mind Control. Go into this long spill about your amazing power to control people. MAKE SURE THAT YOU SELL IT and convince them that this is a real trick. Once you get them warmed up, back the crowd away and situate him in the middle, and then put vulcan mind meld on him or whatever you want to do. Tell him to focus really hard and make sure that you have him pointed in a direction with a lot of room in front of him. Tell him to block out everything and just focus, so that you can "get through". Tell him to pick a point in front of him about 50 yards and just stare at it and focus on that point. Explain that you will have him walk a few steps and actually stop him in his tracks. Once he begins to walk, talk to him for the first 10 yards or so and tell him not to lose focus on that point and then turn back to your audience and tell them you are now ready to perform magic now that the peanut gallery is gone. Most likely he will be so intent on disproving you he will walk about 20-25 yards before he turns around and when he does he will see that you have left him behind, and hopefully be too embarassed to come back. If he returns just continue on and if he starts giving you a hard time again explain to him that he is ruining the entertainment and if he doesn't leave he at least needs to hush (politely as possible). If that doesn't do it then i leave your next move up too you. If it was me I would pull him to the side and tell him that if he doesn't shut up i would tear into him like a hobo does a bologna sandwich, but i like fighting almost as much as like card magic so this may not be everyones prefered method. Whatever you do, make sure that you get rid of him or make him be quite if you are going to keep on doing tricks because if you aren't having fun then the audience won't either.
 
Aug 3, 2009
94
0
Walk away?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Are you kidding me? If you do that then how are you going to respond when this happens ON STAGE? You can't walk off the stage. I don't know if this is a paying gig or if you plan on it ever being a paying gig, but I am assuming that it is or you are. If that is not the case then ignore everything that I have said because it doesn't really apply to a for fun deal. If you plan on being a professional entertainer then you have to learn to deal with these things. The audience doesn't like hecklers anymore than you do and they will get enjoyment from you handling them if it is done so in an entertaining way. Give the heckler a chance to add to the show by doing something comical. I will say that handing the deck of cards to him and letting him show how bad he is and the showing him up is a bad idea, but don't ignore him and let him continue because it detracts from your performance and the crowds enjoyment. Don't let him beat you. If you keep on taking it or walk away then the audience will know that he is right. Make him your special guest by letting him be the subject of all your tricks and keep him so preoccupied that he doesn't have time to think about or call you out on what you do. Bottom line is if you want to do this as a profession then you need to come up with an entertaining way to handle it. With that said if you are on stage then sometimes its better to just let them be obnoxious becuase while you might be able to hear them most of the audience might not. Again just be tactful in how you handle the situtation, but do take care of it because the audience while like you that much more for it.
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
Thats the first problem, why do you want to make it a fight? 'ME VERSUS HIM", it doesnt have to be that way, the heckler wants attention? there are a ton of ways to give them attention and to give them a little spot to shine for a bit witouth insulting them or making them look "bad".

If you we do what you suggested, it creates a bad experience to him, that will either end in him tlking bad about you or just heckling you worse.

O yeah, way to go tiger.Really smart.
 
Aug 3, 2009
94
0
He is going to talk bad about you anyway. Why do you think he is heckling you in the first place? It's certainly not because he is enjoying the show. Why would you care if you ruin the show for someone who is ruining the show? At the point that he starts heckling you, you are not in his favor.

Make him your special guest by letting him be the subject of all your tricks and keep him so preoccupied that he doesn't have time to think about or call you out on what you do.

^This isn't me versus him, this just makes use of his desire to be heard and in the spotlight.
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
He is going to talk bad about you anyway. Why do you think he is heckling you in the first place? It's certainly not because he is enjoying the show. Why would you care if you ruin the show for someone who is ruining the show? At the point that he starts heckling you, you are not in his favor.

Okay, just look at your overall heckler profile:

*They are people who love attention

*They are semi funny guys

*They are accompanied by a girlfriend and they want to impress her

* they hate you before the show even started.

If they are heckling, it's because you ALLOWED it from the first place, and if you ever get heckled it is actually pretty easy to turn it around,as I said before there are ton of other ways to tranquilise a heckler if one ever comes around.
 
Aug 3, 2009
94
0
You could do EVERYTHING RIGHT and still get heckled, it's definitely not because you "ALLOWED" it (most of the time). It doesn't matter what they look like or who they are with. They will heckle you if they want to. Not all hecklers are funny either they just think they are and a lot of times its because they have had way to much to drink. You are pretty much saying what i did. "Find an entertaining way to dispose of the heckler."
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
You are pretty much saying what i did. "Find an entertaining way to dispose of the heckler."

thats the problem "dispose"

One thing is to "handle" the heckler and other to "dispose" of him.

Sorry if I sound arrogant or whatever, I learned this lesson like 1 and half year ago and believe me, it's RARE that I ever get heckled. The only time that I remember being heckled was because the heckler was a magician.
 
Aug 3, 2009
94
0
When i say dispose i don't mean completely get rid of him i just mean make him be quite, but if that means getting rid of him then sometimes that is what has to happen. I am speaking as an entertainer and not as a magician because my only entertainment experience was as a musician, and believe me i know about heckling becuase i was in a hard rock band playing bars in south Georgia with a bunch of drunk country music fans. I have had to deal with the worst of the worst. One such incident actually involved the owner of the bar we were playing at that had way to much to drink and was not a rock 'n' roll fan. His son ran the place and liked our music along with the other people in attendance, but he didn't so he simply walked over to the side of the stage and unplugged every bit of our equipment. That was tough to handle being that our heckler was allowing us to make money in his place of business.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
When i say dispose i don't mean completely get rid of him i just mean make him be quite, but if that means getting rid of him then sometimes that is what has to happen. I am speaking as an entertainer and not as a magician because my only entertainment experience was as a musician, and believe me i know about heckling becuase i was in a hard rock band playing bars in south Georgia with a bunch of drunk country music fans. I have had to deal with the worst of the worst. One such incident actually involved the owner of the bar we were playing at that had way to much to drink and was not a rock 'n' roll fan. His son ran the place and liked our music along with the other people in attendance, but he didn't so he simply walked over to the side of the stage and unplugged every bit of our equipment. That was tough to handle being that our heckler was allowing us to make money in his place of business.

Enterteinment wise, Yeah I totally agree with you, I also play in a band and I know what that feels like.

But in this case, we are talking about magic, hecklers respond diferently and the situation is different so that calls a diferent approach.
 
Aug 3, 2009
94
0
I don't think its all that different relatively speaking. But i guess i will handle them my way and you will handle them your way. It doesn't look like something we will come to terms on. I guess it will cater to your style of presentation.
 
Jul 1, 2009
648
1
29
Austin,TX
That's still offensive to him.

Just smile. Grab your deck and go. If you did your work right people will either follow you or ask the guy to remain silent.

This actually works. There are some hecklers in partries all the time(RDChopper I don't go thier to social, but to perform) and one time I was look man I just performing if you know how to do it then. He stay quiet after that and also people told him to shut up. I left and the audicence follows me and the hecklers stays their alone.... what a loser.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Feb 27, 2008
2,342
1
33
Grand prairie TX
Jesus guys. The most effective and professional(and backed up by stand up comedians,professional magicians,etc) is you say somerthing along the lines of "ok, fine ill stop." and gaving an dissapointed,almost ticked look on your face start putting up. Audience will ask why. You say " Some people here just dont want to see magic. They'd rather be rude and speak when Im speaking.".
The audience turns against them. Not you. Theyll tell him to pipe down, and if you wish continue with the show. Thats for hecklers in general.

After the show, take the kid under your wing and ask him why he did what he did. Nicely and calmly. Tell him what if you were doing the same to him and embarass him in front of his own crowd. Talk to him.
Violence(in any form) only begets more violence.
 
May 3, 2008
1,146
4
Hong Kong
I dont understand how walking away or "okay ill stop" makes you look professional.
imagine this:
You are the employer. You hire this magician guy for a party. Heard some good stuff about him. Should be good. He starts performing. Goddamn hes good. People are watching, people are laughing, and theres also my friend over there whos being a small dick... but I dont see a big deal in it... WAIT! whats he doing? hes stopping? wtf? I F***ING PAID YOU AND YOURE WALKING OFF CAUSE SOMEONE TRIED TO MESS YOU UP??? what a little girl...
Like... Honestly. If youre performing for street, it might work well. But if its a party where everyone knows everyone, it probably wont. Would the employer take the side of a good friend or a stranger magician who he hired and hasta give money to???
And plus walking off does not do jack squat to someone. If youre hired to do something, then you probably would walk to another group to perform. Since he succeeded in getting to you the first time, what stops him from following you and doing it again? If you give your employer the reason of that heckler, then you just seem like a guy who cant handle the problems of his own career. Youre basically telling on someone and hoping someone else will take care of him... thats more like on the playground if you ask me.
And how is it backupped by Comedians? Comedians are the best at handling hecklers!!! what are you talking about. Go to any youtube and search up any famous comedian: George Carlin, Jamie Kennedy, Martin Lawrence, etc. They are bound to have some sort of Heckler dealing video which is exactly what we are telling people to stay away from. But it was effective as hell.
Once again musicians... I recently saw a video of Nickelback quitting a show or something. Looked so bad for them. Some guy was throwing rocks or something and the main guy I forgot his name was like "YOU CAME HERE FOR A SHOW OR YOU CAN STAY AT HOME" or something along those lines... He then took off his guitar and stomped off. Now what I was thinking was "what a pussy..."
If theres a problem, take care of it. Make sure he doesn't strike again and knows that he cant win. You were hired to make a living, while hes just trying to have fun. Whos cause is more important?
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results