Wannabe Magician on the Loose

Jul 2, 2011
115
0
Californiaaa
Good morning, Theory11 community.
I spent ten minutes trying to think of an appropriate title. Perhaps "wannabe" isn't a very good term to use.
So there's this one kid at my high school, an impressionable fellow. Let's call him "Mitchell" (which totally isn't his actual name). Last year, I took up pen spinning as a hobby, and while Mitchell sat next to me in class, I was unconsciously spinning a pen. He apparently decides that it's cool, and he comes to school the next week attempting to do what I did (failing miserably due to a lack of practice).

Well, this year, my classmates and I were playing a simple game of poker, and in the middle of the game, I performed the shapeshifter change, which drew the attention of a lot of people in the room, including Mitchell. I performed some other effects, and Mitchell once again decides that this be cool, and over the next week, he goes on the internet to learn some magic.
(He went to Ellusionist, not that it really matters)

However, I am concerned that he may be a threat to the magic community. He isn't actually interested in magic, and he's revealing things left and right. One of his first purchases was a gaff deck, but instead of using it for effects, he walked around and actually showed the entire gaff deck to most of his friends (and people who happened to be passing by), to have a good laugh about the (as he puts it) "really weird cards."
I suppose they are weird cards, but isn't that the whole point of a gaff deck?

And the next week, he purchases a gimmicked effect from Ellusionist. He did a few good performances, but later in the week, he decided it would be a good idea to show all his friends (most of whom can't keep secrets) how the gimmick works. Exposure!

In a slightly unrelated matter, one of his friends stole part of the gimmick, so rather than trying to get it back, Mitchell contacted Ellusionist support and told them that they failed to supply that part of the gimmick. So Ellusionist sent Mitchell a new gimmick, and a free deck of Shadow Masters. That's the kind of person he is.

Also, he has attempted a few card tricks, but most of them are done so poorly that they might as well be considered exposure. Not that there's a problem with poorly performing (well, there is), but it's the fact that he doesn't put in effort that disturbs me.

So my question is: should I be doing something to stop this?
 
Jan 11, 2011
150
0
Yes you should!

However, do not verbally strike back at him, because this shows that you have no knowledge and not understanding (quoting from bible lol :D ).

Seriously, one method you should do is you can teach him! Teach him magic the hard way. (I mean books). One way you can make him do books is show him a simple trick from a book that is cool!

Guide him along his path not shun him off.

Good luck!
 
Apr 20, 2010
286
1
There is clearly only one way to solve this problem, by killing him.

Try not to joke about that.

It sounds like he wants to do the things you do, so do them together. He can learn from you and eventually you can learn from him. Teach him about the tricks, perform together, practice together, and remind him about exposure along the way.
 
Jul 14, 2010
206
0
Croatia
I don't think showing him some magic books would help since he's not genuinely interested in magic, like you said. I guess you could try talking to him, explaining what magic means to you and that his actions are hurting the art, although there is a good chance he'll just make fun of you since he sounds like an ignorant person, to say the least.
You can take some comfort in the fact that he alone won't do much damage to magic. High school isn't the best place to perform, but if you can't make the time to go out on the streets and practice, don't stop. Just ignore him since there's not much you can legally do.
 

formula

Elite Member
Jan 8, 2010
968
5
Try not to joke about that.
Yeah, I probably went a bit too far this time. People like this rarely change though so it genuinely is the only real answer to the problem.

A friend that lives near London has a friend a bit similar to this. My friend is a good magician but his friend isn't. My friend has taught him things, he doesn't practice enough so the magic isn't really there plus he takes credit for coming up with the trick(s). It's just in some peoples nature to act like this, some grow out of it, some don't. I would suggest ignoring him rather then encouraging him to learn more to expose.
 

James Wise Magic

Elite Member
Dec 28, 2007
1,021
13
Funny thing is when I first started magic I too was that kind of person! I barely practiced enough so my performances were crap. And then if I actually did manage to fool people I would tell them how it was done because I thought the method was so cool and clever I just HAD to tell someone! And truthfully I only wanted to do magic to look cool and get girls! hahaha. (At the time I was going through my awkward phase in high school)

If you want to do something expose him to some real hardcore magic. Don't feed him books right now, it seems he's not really interested in magic. Show him some cool magic dvds from theory11 or something, teach him a few easy tricks and teach him about discipline- To not reveal the secrets, ect.

When I get exposed to more of the hardcore stuff in magic I get a huge amount of respect for it and took it more seriously. Instead of just trying to look "cool", over the years I actually wanted to make a career out of this.
So just try to help him!
Best of luck to you man! =)
 
My opinion is that you should treat this person as a heckler. Get the audience on your side by educating them in the importance of the magical fraternity's rules and guidelines about exposure. Many magicians make their livelihoods selling pieces of wonder. If the wonder is taken away from the spectator or participant, the goal of the magician is lost. If they respect what you are doing, they will disregard the wannabe. They may even rebuke him for his ignorant and childish behavior.
 
Apr 27, 2010
229
0
baller08.blogspot.com
If this guy isn't stopped, I fear that he will destroy all of magic as we know it. We're all going to need to donate money to David Copperfield because he will not be able to make a living anymore. Tell him you're going to show him how to perform David Blaine's frozen in a block of ice trick and put him in one and walk way.

OR.....you could just ignore the punk and let his natural inability to focus on any one thing for too long take its course and when he goes and mimics someone else he'll forget all about magic.

I say go with the former suggestion.
 
Nov 24, 2011
20
0
The Moon
killing him is the only option, but since that isn't legal you could always threaten him and also say that you will make him "disappear" into a box underground!!!, i despise people like this as i have known quite a few in my life. he is obviously just a spiteful little boy
 
Nov 2, 2011
8
0
...or try turning him into a true student of the arts. The more good students of magic, the better, in my opinion. It's always great to have someone close by to session with that has similar interests as something I do.
 
Jul 2, 2011
115
0
Californiaaa
You're all giving great advice, but there are some issues that I find in the solutions I've been given...
First of all, if I murder him, I don't have anywhere to put the body. I've thought about placing him in my basement, but there's no ventilation down there and it'll produce a foul odor within a week or two.
Second of all, it doesn't seem to me that he's so interested in the arts of magic and card manipulation; he's more interested in the attention that it gets. Although I suppose I could try to open his eyes to how wonderful magic actually is, but that sounds like more trouble than it's worth.
 
Feb 27, 2008
2,342
1
33
Grand prairie TX
So my question is: should I be doing something to stop this?

You know way too much about this guy, you stalking him?
The only thing you can TRY to do is talk him into actually performing, morals against exposure and yada yada yada.
Other than that I hardly consider it a threat to magic. your in high school bro, high school.
I think you should keep to yourself, you do you and let him do what he wants. He should not hinder your performances. Performing at school is no where to be taken seriously anyway.
Talking to him is the only thing you might be able to do,thats it.
 

Mike.Hankins

creator / <a href="http://www.theory11.com/tricks/
Nov 21, 2009
435
0
Sacramento, Cali
And the next week, he purchases a gimmicked effect from Ellusionist. He did a few good performances, but later in the week, he decided it would be a good idea to show all his friends (most of whom can't keep secrets) how the gimmick works. Exposure!


Also, he has attempted a few card tricks, but most of them are done so poorly that they might as well be considered exposure. Not that there's a problem with poorly performing (well, there is), but it's the fact that he doesn't put in effort that disturbs me.

So my question is: should I be doing something to stop this?

Let us all sit down, grab some hot chocolate and chat...

It seems to me that he might actually like performing. He does a few good performances and then decides later on to show his buddies how it is done. I remember in high school, performing the Hot Rod and then exposing how it was done. I was young and didn't know any better. I think that I was so excited that I was actually able to FOOL someone, that I just had to show them how it worked. At this time, I didn't know what I wanted to do with magic. It was just a good way to entertain people in class. Months later, I performed for my creative writing class an effect called Stranger's Gallery, (which utilizes quite a few gaffed cards). Well, after class, I go into my to look for the effect to show someone, and realized that someone stole my gimmicked cards! It was at this point that I realized that it does make a difference if someone you just fooled knows how you fooled them. Maybe he doesn't understand the importance of keeping the whole magic thing a secret. But it seems as if you do talk to him. Invite him in...show him Royal Road. (Providing you have that book). See how he likes it. He may just need to be guided. If he doesn't and just wanted to buy gimmicked trick after gimmicked trick, then you have the advantage over him. Because while he can expose gimmicked cards and gimmicked effects, you have the upper hand knowing card and coin sleights. He won't be able to expose something he knows nothing of. So no worries...talk to him, find out what his real intentions are, and then take it from there!
 
Jul 16, 2011
152
1
Show him this thread. It will give him a sense of the significance of his actions.
Also, if he has made you mad, he has won. Ignore him, and he will likely grow out of this phase.
 
Sep 26, 2007
591
5
Tokyo, Japan
Leave it be and move on? Don't lose sleep over it. Focus your attention on something that is important and actually has a chance to change or shape the world. Like. Occupy LA or something... (lol yeah... right).
 
Good morning, Theory11 community.
I spent ten minutes trying to think of an appropriate title. Perhaps "wannabe" isn't a very good term to use.
So there's this one kid at my high school, an impressionable fellow. Let's call him "Mitchell" (which totally isn't his actual name). Last year, I took up pen spinning as a hobby, and while Mitchell sat next to me in class, I was unconsciously spinning a pen. He apparently decides that it's cool, and he comes to school the next week attempting to do what I did (failing miserably due to a lack of practice).

Well, this year, my classmates and I were playing a simple game of poker, and in the middle of the game, I performed the shapeshifter change, which drew the attention of a lot of people in the room, including Mitchell. I performed some other effects, and Mitchell once again decides that this be cool, and over the next week, he goes on the internet to learn some magic.
(He went to Ellusionist, not that it really matters)

However, I am concerned that he may be a threat to the magic community. He isn't actually interested in magic, and he's revealing things left and right. One of his first purchases was a gaff deck, but instead of using it for effects, he walked around and actually showed the entire gaff deck to most of his friends (and people who happened to be passing by), to have a good laugh about the (as he puts it) "really weird cards."
I suppose they are weird cards, but isn't that the whole point of a gaff deck?

And the next week, he purchases a gimmicked effect from Ellusionist. He did a few good performances, but later in the week, he decided it would be a good idea to show all his friends (most of whom can't keep secrets) how the gimmick works. Exposure!

In a slightly unrelated matter, one of his friends stole part of the gimmick, so rather than trying to get it back, Mitchell contacted Ellusionist support and told them that they failed to supply that part of the gimmick. So Ellusionist sent Mitchell a new gimmick, and a free deck of Shadow Masters. That's the kind of person he is.

Also, he has attempted a few card tricks, but most of them are done so poorly that they might as well be considered exposure. Not that there's a problem with poorly performing (well, there is), but it's the fact that he doesn't put in effort that disturbs me.

So my question is: should I be doing something to stop this?




Let me fill you in: guys like him won't last long! Magicians. I'll say this again. MAGICIANS, are the ones that will last long. The only way he'll ever garner enough attention if he was to put in time and investment in and still reveal. You as well as I know that it cost to be a magician. At times, we all have our preservations about buying effects if they cost too much.

So logically speaking, there is no way this guy is going to continue to buy magic just to later reveal. It means he has no encores in his back pocket. It also means he has to spend too much money to buy a new trick just to reveal it. I guarantee he'll either stop buying magic effects or stop revealing.


This can only hurt him. What happens if he actually gets serious. Chances are no one will take him serious. He has no mystery about him. The guy is a flash in a pan.
 
Feb 7, 2011
362
1
Worst thing you can do to him is bring him in and teach him magic. If he gets hooked and addicted like the rest of us he'll hate a small part of himself for the rest of his life.

Give him a break, he just has some growing up to do. And if you're coming online to rant about him, then so do you. Be realistic, this isn't a magic problem, this is a schoolyard problem. And reading this im feeling like the teacher in the classroom at the end of lunch. Stop performing in school, If people want to see you say you stopped because of him, if no one asks to see magic then maybe it was you that needed to practice more.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
Why are the suggestions for ignoring him to death in the minority? Stop making like televangelists and trying to convert the little bastard. Just stop giving him what he wants and he'll move on to another gimmick in his bid for attention. Sheesh.
 
Feb 17, 2011
185
0
Quebec, Canada
Why are the suggestions for ignoring him to death in the minority? Stop making like televangelists and trying to convert the little bastard. Just stop giving him what he wants and he'll move on to another gimmick in his bid for attention. Sheesh.

Simple, ignoring the problem wont solve it. The OP want to learn how to handle the situation and ask for advice, I think it's show some maturity. You don't know how old he/she is, so do I, but I don't think ignoring the problem will solve it.
 
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