What if...

MickaelD

Elite Member
Dec 9, 2019
84
67
Magicians are always saying that using a stooge is a big no no... My question is... What if a stooge dosent even know he is a stooge. Is he still a stooge?

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to notice... Does it still make sound?

I know sone of you aren't capting what im trying to say and to explain this i have to reveal one of my tricks wich you guys can use if you want and let this become something of value to work on different effects.

Some time ago, i bought merchandise from Chris Ramsays clothing line and he was giving out a random signed card with it.

My idea hit me...

What if i could meet him one day and perform the chicago opener for him.. but in the second part of the trick i would have him sign a card... And then completely destroy it.. burn it. And then boom the card he first chose wich is on the table is revealed to be his signed card... Amazing right?

So with the idea i would probably never meet him.. i i started doing this with friends and family, have them sign a card in a routine , either with the omni deck or just out of nowhere, pretend i forgot how that trick goes and purposely mess up... To then weeks, months later perform the above mentioned effect. Only a few caught on but to the rest of the people around watching this happen it was still amazing. And i used a dual reality sort of where i told the person jist before revealing the card "in a moment im gonna turn this card over and im gonna ask you a single yes or no question...is this (turn card over) your signature?"

So again i think i want to continue stuff like this.. but at that point the question remains is this magically ethical?

Is an unknowing stooge still a stooge?
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
Couple thoughts.

I don't think using stooges is remotely unethical. It's frequently a weak solution but there's nothing morally or ethically wrong with it. A lot of major names have used stooges or continue to do so.

I also don't think what you are describing is a stooge at all. You're just describing .... thinking ahead. It's like all those stories about Max Malini, like when he had a card sewn into someone's suit jacket lining. So - congrats on thinking like a legend of magic, there.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
There are tricks which use an "instant stooge." The best is handing someone a watch with a note that says "Play along, set it to 2:35" and then guessing the time that they set a watch to.

Another example is an effect I do with two kids. Each of them gets half a deck and they each have an adult pick a card from their half of of the deck and reinsert it in the half held by the other kids. I then tell the kids to look through the deck to see if any card stands out to them and if they see one to take it out of the deck. Well, the half decks are either all red or all black, so a red card is selected from the first half and inserted into the all black second half -- and it does "stand out." Now, I ultimately reveal how it is done (because I know the kids can't keep a secret for more than a minute).

Then, there are tricks where there is a dual reality. For example, if you ask someone before the show to pick a card and tell them that they should remember that card and when you call them up during the show and ask them to think of a card, that they think of that card. From the audience's perspective, it doesn't look like they selected a card at all and that they are just thinking of a card. The reality for person assisting you is you figured out the card they picked and the reality for the audience is you figured out the card they thought of.

I don't think using stooges is remotely unethical. It's frequently a weak solution but there's nothing morally or ethically wrong with it. A lot of major names have used stooges or continue to do so.

Agree completely. Dual reality is different -- I'm good with that as long as the volunteer still gets to experience something magical.

You're just describing .... thinking ahead.

Great Vanni Bossi effect using the accumulation of signed cards. He does acknowledge you need to wait years, not just days.
 
Mar 3, 2018
151
106
Magicians are always saying that using a stooge is a big no no... My question is... What if a stooge dosent even know he is a stooge. Is he still a stooge?

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to notice... Does it still make sound?

I know sone of you aren't capting what im trying to say and to explain this i have to reveal one of my tricks wich you guys can use if you want and let this become something of value to work on different effects.

Some time ago, i bought merchandise from Chris Ramsays clothing line and he was giving out a random signed card with it.

My idea hit me...

What if i could meet him one day and perform the chicago opener for him.. but in the second part of the trick i would have him sign a card... And then completely destroy it.. burn it. And then boom the card he first chose wich is on the table is revealed to be his signed card... Amazing right?

So with the idea i would probably never meet him.. i i started doing this with friends and family, have them sign a card in a routine , either with the omni deck or just out of nowhere, pretend i forgot how that trick goes and purposely mess up... To then weeks, months later perform the above mentioned effect. Only a few caught on but to the rest of the people around watching this happen it was still amazing. And i used a dual reality sort of where i told the person jist before revealing the card "in a moment im gonna turn this card over and im gonna ask you a single yes or no question...is this (turn card over) your signature?"

So again i think i want to continue stuff like this.. but at that point the question remains is this magically ethical?

Is an unknowing stooge still a stooge?

This sounds like what Lionel Shrike did in Now You See Me.
 
Jun 18, 2019
540
293
20
West Bengal, India
I don't know if what you're referring to is really stooging. Then again, I don't have enough knowledge on the use or history of use of stooges.

Regardless, I think what you're saying is just a really clever bit of thinking on your part. I also never thought that stooging is wrong, per se, but I always thought that once you use stooges, you're stepping into the 'grey area' territory where if you love the art as much as you love your own progress, you should be careful how you use stooging.

My main problem with stooging and why I have never used it and might never use it, is that I can't even begin to imagine the lengths I might have to go to to make sure the stooge doesn't expose me!
 
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