I wrote this awhile back.. Thought you guys would like to read it.
Hecklers. The most troublesome of spectators. But I don't think that most people really think about what the "heckler" is. Let me try to explain a little about Hecklers.
A definition of a Heckler is, a Spectator that their main goal is to try to wreck your performance. Not by accident, but on purpose. Usually the Heckler is trying to do this because they either are jealous of the attention you are getting or they are just jerks that want to just ruin your performance for fun.
Usually what the magician either does or wants to do is tell the spectator off. But you know you shouldn't/can't. Why? Not only would this make you look bad because you are doing what he is doing, but it is also what the heckler wants. This is driving him to keep going. Not only that, but by taking your attention of the spectator, you are not doing your job, which is to perform magic to the audience.
I think that the best way to handle a spectator is to just ignore him. Don't even look at him, literally act as if he does not exist. The heckler should realize that they are not wanted there and will either leave or stop talking. If they keep going, the audience will most likely tell him to shut up or realize what he is doing is wrong and ignore him also.
If ignoring the heckler doesn't work, you can always pack up and leave. You can apologize to the rest of the audience and move on to the next table, spectators, etc. Even if it is a paid job, pack up and leave. It isn't worth the trouble to have the heckler keep saying things about your performance.
Now, lets go over the type of spectators that there are because I think that most people don’t realize what hecklers are and what they aren’t.
First off---
The Theorizing Heckler
The "theorizing" Heckler is the type of Heckler that wants to explain to the audience how your effects work. Basically, explaining/exposing how your effects work to the audience. This heckler usually does this because he/she wants to prove they are smarted than the rest of the spectators watching. It makes them feel "clever."
I've actually found that if you keep going on with the effect that you are doing, the effect usually disclaims the hecklers theory, even if he/she was right about how it was done. (Hopefully that makes sense?) Basically, you are letting the effect do the talking instead of you trying to disprove his handling that he explained.
I've realized that the "Theorizer" usually explains the effect after the effect is done to the audience. Here's an example,
I was doing I think was an ACR, and the closing of it was the card jumped to my wallet in my back pocket. After all that was done, this heckler was explaining how there was a duplicate of the card in my pocket and he made us choose that card. I didn't have to say a thing until someone else watching stated that the card was signed so there couldn't possibly be a duplicate of a signed card. The heckler immediately shut up.
Sometimes you don't have to say a thing for their theory to be disproved. Sometimes you can say that the card was signed so there couldn't be a duplicate. Usually when the heckler tries to explain it to the audience I ignore it and let the spectators handle it. I let them think what they want. If I try to explain that it was wrong, usually it would lead into an audience.
If it isn't directly obvious to the audience that the hecklers theory is wrong, than that shows something is wrong in your performance. Your job in a effect is to disprove/cover all logic possibilities of ways that something could be done.
If they address it to me. Say the Heckler said that the deck was stacked in some way. I would say that it was shuffled by a spectator (Only if it was) Say they said that I palmed a card off; I would say that I showed my hands to be empty, etc.
Second off---
The Challenging Heckler
The challenging Heckler is the heckler that says that "you are holding two cards", "Show us the top card", Or "The card you put into the middle of the deck wasn't really our card" When in reality, you really were holding one card or the top card was normal and the card you put into the middle really was their card.
Usually when this happens, the magician turns over the top card to show that it really is their card or show that the deck really is shuffled and is not in a stack, etc. When you do this, you have to stop your performance, disprove their challenge, and than go on. This is what the Heckler wants. This is why they challenged you. It chops up your performance and stops how smooth it was going. When you do what he/she wants, he/she will keep challenging you. He/She is controlling you when you do what he/she wants. (A lot of he/she’s huh?)
You think that showing the top card is their card/doing what they want should stop them? No, this encourages them to keep challenging you. Why? Because you have to stop to show them that their challenge is wrong.
What do you do than? Ignore their "challenge." Once again, act as if what they said was never really said. Act like they can't speak. If they keep going, than turn away from him/her. Give them the "Cold Shoulder" Type of thing... (Sounds kind of odd but you know what I mean.)
If you keep trying to disprove his challenge, stop in the middle of your performance, and show the top card, show your hands empty, they will most likely and sooner or later, there challenge will hit just right, and you won't be able to disprove their challenge because the top card really isn't their card, you really are palming a card. You are now stuck. And since you were disproving all of his other challenges, the whole audience will realize what is happening and know how the effect is done.
Third off---
The "Grabbing" Heckler
Man... Doesn't everyone hate these types of Hecklers? The ones that grab your props in the middle of the effect, the ones that lift up the card that you don't want lifted up for the closing of the effect. The one that fully ruins and stops the effect.
Usually, they do this because you put a prop down in their "area". You have your area they have theirs. If you place a prop in your area, they will most likely leave it alone. If you place it in their area, they will most likely pick it up, turn it over, play with it, etc.
The way I have found to keep from the "Grabbers" Is to put a prop down close to you. If they have to reach far to get it, or if it close to you, they know it is yours and not meant to touch.
If a Heckler is a "Grabber" And they grab one of your props, I immediately, grab the prop back politely (but firmly) and ask them to not touch your props. (Politely remember) You have to show that you are in control. Audience control. You have to realize what this is and keep it.
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Ok, Now, there are some magicians that they think spectators are hecklers, when they really aren’t. This is either realized that your performance was poor and the spectator wants to point out to you what they saw that they shouldn't or the spectator is just normally loud or just talks a lot.
Fourth off---
The Interrupting Spectator
This is the spectator that keeps talking when you are, keeps asking questions, and makes jokes in the middle of the performance. This is either cause because they are rude, drunk, or just very talkative/excited. These spectators’ aren’t hecklers. They don't mean to cause interruption.
I think that it is not good to ignore these type of spectators, because they aren’t meaning to cause trouble. Be polite to them. Answer their questions, answer their jokes in a funny way, and laugh with them.
But, you cannot just keep pausing your performance to answer their questions and jokes. That will cause trouble to the performance and once again, you wouldn't be doing your job as a magician to perform magic. Limit or ignore them from talking.
Fifth off---
The "Nailing" Spectators
Sounds a little bit odd huh? This type of spectator is the one that points out that you have flashed a bit; the one that points out that you accidentally spread your double lift. They aren’t hecklers. They are pointing out ways that you can help and change your routine and pointing out things you need to work on. They aren’t trying to figure out how it was done, they just saw how because you need to work on it a little bit more. Take use of that.
I think that covers about it... I've been researching on Hecklers a bit and a section from Strong Magic and a few other books made me want to point out all of this. So, if there is anything that sounds familiar, I'm sorry. I was fresh from reading the Strong Magic section on Hecklers and a few other books/articles on Hecklers before writing this.
I'd love to hear your guyses thoughts on this,
Thanks for reading,
Keenan
Hecklers. The most troublesome of spectators. But I don't think that most people really think about what the "heckler" is. Let me try to explain a little about Hecklers.
A definition of a Heckler is, a Spectator that their main goal is to try to wreck your performance. Not by accident, but on purpose. Usually the Heckler is trying to do this because they either are jealous of the attention you are getting or they are just jerks that want to just ruin your performance for fun.
Usually what the magician either does or wants to do is tell the spectator off. But you know you shouldn't/can't. Why? Not only would this make you look bad because you are doing what he is doing, but it is also what the heckler wants. This is driving him to keep going. Not only that, but by taking your attention of the spectator, you are not doing your job, which is to perform magic to the audience.
I think that the best way to handle a spectator is to just ignore him. Don't even look at him, literally act as if he does not exist. The heckler should realize that they are not wanted there and will either leave or stop talking. If they keep going, the audience will most likely tell him to shut up or realize what he is doing is wrong and ignore him also.
If ignoring the heckler doesn't work, you can always pack up and leave. You can apologize to the rest of the audience and move on to the next table, spectators, etc. Even if it is a paid job, pack up and leave. It isn't worth the trouble to have the heckler keep saying things about your performance.
Now, lets go over the type of spectators that there are because I think that most people don’t realize what hecklers are and what they aren’t.
First off---
The Theorizing Heckler
The "theorizing" Heckler is the type of Heckler that wants to explain to the audience how your effects work. Basically, explaining/exposing how your effects work to the audience. This heckler usually does this because he/she wants to prove they are smarted than the rest of the spectators watching. It makes them feel "clever."
I've actually found that if you keep going on with the effect that you are doing, the effect usually disclaims the hecklers theory, even if he/she was right about how it was done. (Hopefully that makes sense?) Basically, you are letting the effect do the talking instead of you trying to disprove his handling that he explained.
I've realized that the "Theorizer" usually explains the effect after the effect is done to the audience. Here's an example,
I was doing I think was an ACR, and the closing of it was the card jumped to my wallet in my back pocket. After all that was done, this heckler was explaining how there was a duplicate of the card in my pocket and he made us choose that card. I didn't have to say a thing until someone else watching stated that the card was signed so there couldn't possibly be a duplicate of a signed card. The heckler immediately shut up.
Sometimes you don't have to say a thing for their theory to be disproved. Sometimes you can say that the card was signed so there couldn't be a duplicate. Usually when the heckler tries to explain it to the audience I ignore it and let the spectators handle it. I let them think what they want. If I try to explain that it was wrong, usually it would lead into an audience.
If it isn't directly obvious to the audience that the hecklers theory is wrong, than that shows something is wrong in your performance. Your job in a effect is to disprove/cover all logic possibilities of ways that something could be done.
If they address it to me. Say the Heckler said that the deck was stacked in some way. I would say that it was shuffled by a spectator (Only if it was) Say they said that I palmed a card off; I would say that I showed my hands to be empty, etc.
Second off---
The Challenging Heckler
The challenging Heckler is the heckler that says that "you are holding two cards", "Show us the top card", Or "The card you put into the middle of the deck wasn't really our card" When in reality, you really were holding one card or the top card was normal and the card you put into the middle really was their card.
Usually when this happens, the magician turns over the top card to show that it really is their card or show that the deck really is shuffled and is not in a stack, etc. When you do this, you have to stop your performance, disprove their challenge, and than go on. This is what the Heckler wants. This is why they challenged you. It chops up your performance and stops how smooth it was going. When you do what he/she wants, he/she will keep challenging you. He/She is controlling you when you do what he/she wants. (A lot of he/she’s huh?)
You think that showing the top card is their card/doing what they want should stop them? No, this encourages them to keep challenging you. Why? Because you have to stop to show them that their challenge is wrong.
What do you do than? Ignore their "challenge." Once again, act as if what they said was never really said. Act like they can't speak. If they keep going, than turn away from him/her. Give them the "Cold Shoulder" Type of thing... (Sounds kind of odd but you know what I mean.)
If you keep trying to disprove his challenge, stop in the middle of your performance, and show the top card, show your hands empty, they will most likely and sooner or later, there challenge will hit just right, and you won't be able to disprove their challenge because the top card really isn't their card, you really are palming a card. You are now stuck. And since you were disproving all of his other challenges, the whole audience will realize what is happening and know how the effect is done.
Third off---
The "Grabbing" Heckler
Man... Doesn't everyone hate these types of Hecklers? The ones that grab your props in the middle of the effect, the ones that lift up the card that you don't want lifted up for the closing of the effect. The one that fully ruins and stops the effect.
Usually, they do this because you put a prop down in their "area". You have your area they have theirs. If you place a prop in your area, they will most likely leave it alone. If you place it in their area, they will most likely pick it up, turn it over, play with it, etc.
The way I have found to keep from the "Grabbers" Is to put a prop down close to you. If they have to reach far to get it, or if it close to you, they know it is yours and not meant to touch.
If a Heckler is a "Grabber" And they grab one of your props, I immediately, grab the prop back politely (but firmly) and ask them to not touch your props. (Politely remember) You have to show that you are in control. Audience control. You have to realize what this is and keep it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, Now, there are some magicians that they think spectators are hecklers, when they really aren’t. This is either realized that your performance was poor and the spectator wants to point out to you what they saw that they shouldn't or the spectator is just normally loud or just talks a lot.
Fourth off---
The Interrupting Spectator
This is the spectator that keeps talking when you are, keeps asking questions, and makes jokes in the middle of the performance. This is either cause because they are rude, drunk, or just very talkative/excited. These spectators’ aren’t hecklers. They don't mean to cause interruption.
I think that it is not good to ignore these type of spectators, because they aren’t meaning to cause trouble. Be polite to them. Answer their questions, answer their jokes in a funny way, and laugh with them.
But, you cannot just keep pausing your performance to answer their questions and jokes. That will cause trouble to the performance and once again, you wouldn't be doing your job as a magician to perform magic. Limit or ignore them from talking.
Fifth off---
The "Nailing" Spectators
Sounds a little bit odd huh? This type of spectator is the one that points out that you have flashed a bit; the one that points out that you accidentally spread your double lift. They aren’t hecklers. They are pointing out ways that you can help and change your routine and pointing out things you need to work on. They aren’t trying to figure out how it was done, they just saw how because you need to work on it a little bit more. Take use of that.
I think that covers about it... I've been researching on Hecklers a bit and a section from Strong Magic and a few other books made me want to point out all of this. So, if there is anything that sounds familiar, I'm sorry. I was fresh from reading the Strong Magic section on Hecklers and a few other books/articles on Hecklers before writing this.
I'd love to hear your guyses thoughts on this,
Thanks for reading,
Keenan
