I personally dislike the idea of being dependent on any one prop all the time.
Also I have a particular bur under my saddle for card specialists because most of them I've seen are boring as sin.
A question for every magician?
- Thread starter Cedric Taylor
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I personally dislike the idea of being dependent on any one prop all the time.
Also I have a particular bur under my saddle for card specialists because most of them I've seen are boring as sin.
And they probably see what you do as boring as sin.
But that's just your personal opinion and most opinions are like armpits.
No, their lack of performing ability can be quantified. Do you think I'm saying because I don't like cards? Don't make me laugh.
I say this because most card specialists are egomaniacs with fast fingers and very little comparative personality. When they perform, their demeanor is ripped off wholesale from either David Blaine, Criss Angel, Daniel Madison, or the Bucks. If they're not a rip-off, they're a Mary-Sue.
They're no different than the amateur guitarists who spend hours locked in their bedrooms trying to nail various Steve Vai tunes and end up with no personal sound or distinguishing style whatsoever, much less any artistic message. It's just a glorified way of screaming, "Look at me!"
Also, please do not attempt to use that tired logical fallacy that every opinion is on the same level. I'm certain you wouldn't say that my opinion that omnivorous diets are good is just as valid as the opinion that raw food diets are better because cooked food has too many negative vibes in it and that energy sabotages your health.
OK so you're talking about people who do XCM or the "current" gen of people who do card magic.
I figured you were talking about ALL guys/girls who specialize in cards. IE: even the guys who have been doing it before the Bucks or Criss Angel or David Blaine hit the scene.
In that case, yeah I do agree that many people do focus more on having lighting fast fingers and all. Personally I think the best way to actually do card stuff is to do it at walking speed like Mike Ammar usually does with his card magic and many of the other pro's as well.
I figured you were talking about ALL guys/girls who specialize in cards. IE: even the guys who have been doing it before the Bucks or Criss Angel or David Blaine hit the scene.
In that case, yeah I do agree that many people do focus more on having lighting fast fingers and all. Personally I think the best way to actually do card stuff is to do it at walking speed like Mike Ammar usually does with his card magic and many of the other pro's as well.
No, I'm referring to self-proclaimed "cardists" (god I hate that word) who mix magic and flourishing into one generic, uninteresting mess. The ones who can't do anything without their cards. The ones who are too flaming ordinary and uninteresting to hold a conversation without the cards in their hands.
This is about the umpteenth time you have misquoted me.
I said "its sad that most magicians are nothing without cards" Meaning they cant do anything else magic-wise.
Get it straight.
Not anytime soon.Havent really thought of that yet.I still want to field test it for a few months more since ive only performed it thrice and came up with it 2 months ago.
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Its not that simple. Opinions by themselves are actually really on the same level, which opinion may be more valid changes by the amount of scientific evidence with which you can underline it. That said, i think thats my turn now to question your analogy here because opinions about art (and i just assume we can call magic an art) are always about subjective perception (althou i know there are certain art teachers out there who think otherwise
) And talking about ordinary uninteresting people that cant hold a conversation without a deck of cards in the hand....where is the negative here?
Lets say someone may be shy by nature (which isnt a crime after all!) and a deck of cards helps him to overcome that, getting into conversations, getting to talk to people...than thats a very positive aspect of a deck of cards in my book.
But hm we are going quite astray here from the topic...
There is nothing to get over, sense I didn't misquote you. I quoted everybody who had that thought.
Ok, Sally.
Nobody had that thought kid.No one has said it.
Your being hypersensitive with this card business.Steerpike already repeated his exact words to you even though he didnt need to.
Look back on page five where I did say "its sad that most magicians are nothing without cards".
Your being hypersensitive with this card business.Steerpike already repeated his exact words to you even though he didnt need to.
Look back on page five where I did say "its sad that most magicians are nothing without cards".
And talking about ordinary uninteresting people that cant hold a conversation without a deck of cards in the hand....where is the negative here?
Lets say someone may be shy by nature (which isnt a crime after all!) and a deck of cards helps him to overcome that, getting into conversations, getting to talk to people...than thats a very positive aspect of a deck of cards in my book.
Which is all well and good if we're talking about a heartwarming story of a young child overcoming shyness through a branch of art, and learning to perform. But we're not. We're discussing competent performers in comparison with other competent performers.
The ability to have an interesting and engaging conversation without the aid of props is a vital to someone who plans to plant himself in front of a crowd and say, "Look at me!" You need to have something interesting besides rehearsed dexterity. Otherwise, people are amazed at what the cards can do instead of what you can do.
The negative is that if you put two magicians side by side, one who has nothing but a laundry list of recent card effects to perform and who has little to no charisma and no people skills, and one who has a variety of effects with engaging presentations and the ability to banter, improvise, and interact with the audience, one of those magicians is going to get a dramatically bigger audience than the other.
This is usually why I hear a lot of pro's say to read a lot of books. Doesn't matter what exactly they are on. But to just to read a bunch interesting books. It'll make you more cultured and most likely make it so you don't look like a guy who can just do magic tricks.
I agree with everything you say here. But that just means that we were talking about different things.
I already agreed that everyone should take a look beyond their deck of cards once in a while. And I am quite certain everybody who developes a deeper interest in magic will do that anyway sooner or later.
But here in this forum are not only professionals and experienced competent performers I guess. And from what I know of myself and what I`ve heard of others lots of people start out with cardmagic. Yeah some may just stick to it because its what they like the most. And I just think its pointless and also a bit out of line to say something like: Its sad to be dependent on a deck of cards.
Also I stick to my saying that you just should have a deck on you whenever possible. Even if you dont necessarily need it, just like condoms.
I mean a deck of cards doesnt make you less versatile if you have it right? It probably makes you more versatile, regardless of how many deckless tricks you know. And it really doesnt take up much space!!!
I'd undo my shoelaces and bite them into the neccessary pieces and launch into a Fibre Optice routine
I agree with everything you say here. But that just means that we were talking about different things.
I already agreed that everyone should take a look beyond their deck of cards once in a while. And I am quite certain everybody who developes a deeper interest in magic will do that anyway sooner or later.
But here in this forum are not only professionals and experienced competent performers I guess. And from what I know of myself and what I`ve heard of others lots of people start out with cardmagic. Yeah some may just stick to it because its what they like the most. And I just think its pointless and also a bit out of line to say something like: Its sad to be dependent on a deck of cards.
Also I stick to my saying that you just should have a deck on you whenever possible. Even if you dont necessarily need it, just like condoms.
I mean a deck of cards doesnt make you less versatile if you have it right? It probably makes you more versatile, regardless of how many deckless tricks you know. And it really doesnt take up much space!!!
It's not that cards are a cursed item, and that anyone using them is a bad performer. No one ever said that. But why do people enjoy magic? They want to see something mysterious, something exotic. They want to see impossible feats happen before their eyes. They want to welcome a suspension of disbelief in order to feel - and this may sound fey, but - enchanted in a way. Audiences want to bear witness to amazing spectacle.
Card trick after card trick after card trick isn't amazing spectacle. It's an endless line of card tricks. It harms suspension of disbelief, the same way an entire program of same-y coin tricks or bland mentalism with a thousand center tears would.
All these professional card-only guys can get out there and wow audiences, but I bet audiences would be wow-ed even more by a variety of effects from a different performer just as good a showman as they.
I'm confident that a couple of well thought-out and original card tricks amid a routine of magic can be quite strong and entertaining indeed. I'm just saying, step outside of your comfort zone. Do something else. Set yourself apart from all the faceless move monkeys doing the same thing over and over.
Kind of my point.
And talking about ordinary uninteresting people that cant hold a conversation without a deck of cards in the hand....where is the negative here?
Lets say someone may be shy by nature (which isnt a crime after all!) and a deck of cards helps him to overcome that, getting into conversations, getting to talk to people...than thats a very positive aspect of a deck of cards in my book.
Are you really that desperate to justify bad performances?
Get used to disappointment then.
What if I would actually like to keep useful things in my pockets?
What the hell are you on about?