Would you sell your soul?

It's been said time and time again that magic is what happens in the minds of the spectators who watch the performance, and not what you do as a magician. Cards, coins, boxes and tigers are just the tools we use to convey our messages or meanings.

Some magicians come right out and tell you from the start that they are just charlatans. They're there to deceive your senses and fool your logical mind, and some deliver on that premise.

Others, such as mentalists, present their art in the form of pseudo-science that is believable- plausible.

Then there are the bizarrists who swear on what ever unholy artifact they are currently demonstrating the power of that magic(k) is real... if only you were so unfortunate enough to stumble upon it.

Let's cut to the chase here. We are all using the same techniques, props and methods. We're all entertainers at the end of the day whether we chose to admit it to the public eye or not. The question is, would you be willing to submit yourself to a lifestyle of using your tricks to effectively lie to the public about your abilities if it ment you were able to inspire, positively change the lives of others, offer closure, etc?
 
Aug 5, 2011
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I say to the kids at the kindergarden when thay ask if it is real magic <if you belive it is magic it is>. So if thay think i cheat and just do thing quicker than the eye thats the right answer and if thay belive its magic, thats is the right answer.
Cheers.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
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"I would never deceive you. What you are about to see is real magic." Simply put, what the spectators see is real magic. A ball appears to penetrate through a solid cup. A woman appears to be sawed in half. Their card appears to be inserted into the middle of the deck and it rises to the top. Who are we to provide an explanation that contradicts what they see? What does that gain us... a feeling of superiority that we know how it is done? Or it is just a defense mechanism to head off what an expected reaction ("that's not real") from our spectators?
 
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formula

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Jan 8, 2010
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I say it's all sleight of hand and it still inspires people. It's insulting to the people you tell it's real magic, if in doubt don't answer and let them decide if its real magic of not.
 
To say something is simply "real magic" and to claim you possess some unholy power is just a spit in the face to your spectators. Sure, you'll have 1/100 idiots go around claiming you are the second coming of Christ, but even people who are utterly baffled by what you do at the best think you are a mad scientist who concocted some crazy chemicals that allow you to accomplish these things.

This is one of the reasons I have zero respect for people like Uri Geller. I don't care what he can make my eyes think they saw, when you lay claim to the fact that you are a sorcerer and possess magical powers that defy the laws of nature, you are a lying, cheating scumbag.

Still, I think it's fair to spin how you tell someone that it is "real magic" if you imply that it's more along the lines of "as if it was real magic" and not Dumbledore tutoring you after midnight.
 

RealityOne

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Nov 1, 2009
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New Jersey
The quote in my post was a paraphrase of Howard Thurston who began his shows by saying, "I wouldn't deceive you for the world."

My point is that there is no reason to cheapen your performance by pointing out to your audience that it is all slight of hand and gimmicks. THEY ALREADY KNOW THAT. That is like at the beginning of a movie, the characters appearing dressed in their normal clothes telling you that what you are about to see isn't real but is them acting.

Further, even mentioning anything related to a method just makes them focus on the method. Catch me if you can.

Now, take what I'm saying with a grain of salt, I'm not a mentalist or bizzarrist, so I'm not a great risk that someone will think my linking rings routine is the result of some "unholy power." If I sold my soul to the devil, I'd want to be able to do more than just link a bunch of steel rings.

My bottom line is that I think a performance is more entertaining without the disclaimers or the explanations. Let the audience think what they want, but present it as magic and not some sleight of hand trick you are showing off.
 

CaseyRudd

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Jun 5, 2009
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Something I like to say when people ask me if "what I did was real magic", I simply say to them "It depends on what magic is to YOU". This gets them thinking and they come up with a solution on their own without me having to answer for them. They know what is real and what isn't, so I shouldn't have to force them to believe something. It all happens in their mind, and that's what it should be (at least when I do magic). If they say after a routine that I am "very good", I simply say "thank you very much". I would never throw in a cheesy line.

I'm very polite when I do my magic effects, and I don't want to come across as a cocky-arrogant ass hole who wants to prove himself better than anyone else. Just like I admire a guitar player because I never learned how to play myself. Does that make a guitar player better than me? Absolutely not. He/She shares his/her talent and ability with other people who can't do it themselves.

I wouldn't sell my soul for anything. I don't need real magic power to make people happy. I can do just that with sleight of hand, a solid presentation - without doing magic, then just being myself ;)
 
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