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I think I like Hecklers!

morpheis91

morpheis91

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2007
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Philadelphia
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Since I started performing magic 5 years ago I have always despised "Hecklers." Last night I came to the realization that I LOVE hecklers. I was performing for a group of people and there was a heckler amongst the crowd. The heckler of course was trying to bust me and was demanding the most impossible conditions (I don't mind this because I just switch to effects that I know are 100% full-proof). It was amusing to me because I noticed that it didn't quite affect the other audience members. It actually engaged them more and kept them interested in my magic. It was amazing to see how the heckler actually made the audience relate on a more personal level to my magic. He was of course making himself look like an @$$ to the other audience members and in doing so he provided another element of entertainment for them. In the end entertaining the audience is what matters, if a magician practices i believe he/she has the ability to utilize a heckler to their advantage creating a much more entertaining show!

These are just my opinions. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I am not on here to justify my thoughts or argue with anyone because I know that some people will just prefer to not deal with hecklers.

Just curious as to the thoughts of other people on this subject!
 
I would say that the sometimes the addition of a heckler in the crowd does add to the experience. When you blow his mind and he is standing there speechless....the magic just hit that much harder for everyone else as well. There might have been other skeptics in the audience but they were just to shy to say something.

A lot of times I try to win the heckler over in the first or second effect and get him involved in an effect that is cool and makes it look like he performed some of the magic. This gives him his / her ego boost and normally they enjoy the rest of the show. This has worked for me 99% of the time.
 
reverhart said:
I would say that the sometimes the addition of a heckler in the crowd does add to the experience. When you blow his mind and he is standing there speechless....the magic just hit that much harder for everyone else as well. .
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The same thing happened to me once and I agree it does make it more entertaining. I wouldn't say I "like" hecklers though. But the one thing thats been kind of bugging me is what if they say "Do that again." How do you get out of that? Do you do the same effect with a different method or what?

Thanks

- Jenai :)
 
I think it depends of the kind of heckler you encounter...

if is the ones that challenge me in a friendly way, the kind you encountered it does add to the performance...since I have also many foolproof tricks and sometimes I end by performing coin under watch on them...that usually hits very hard...however, the other kind of heckler, the ones that are aggresive or try to ridicule you are the ones who are more difficult to handle...and this ones must be taken down (in a friendly and polite way) to avoid them to hurt your performance...
 
I learned very quickly when I was a beginner that "doing it again" meant probably getting caught or called out on a sleight / flash.

I stopped doing this because there were too many times it back fired and burnt me.

Now I just roll right into the next effect and act like I never heard the heckler say, "Do it again."

As for unfriendly hecklers....I must admit that I have yet to run into one of these in my 10 years of performing. I'm not saying that they aren't out there but I think the way I carry myself and routine my performance...it is tough not to like me and enjoy the show. I know that sound conceited but it has been reality thus far.
 
I had an unfriendly heckler one time when I was busking in Hawaii. In the middle of a pretty large crowd (talking 20-30 people), I was about to do a trick that used a dupe. I forced the card to the guy, I handed it to him and he rips it in half, hands the two pieces back to me, and says to put it back together. Time froze for a moment and I thought to myself "Wow is this bastard serious?". So I nonchalantly ripped it into quarters and did a version of the torn and restored that David Blaine did in his Street Magic special (where he let the two ladies keep the deck) to a different spectator. I got quite the applause, the guy left, and left with about 80 bucks in my hat when that set was done. Magician - 1, Heckler - 0.

That was the only time I've ever encountered an unfriendly heckler.
 
What did the "heckler" do?

I know there are a lot of people saying that they have been performing for a "heckler" but most of the time i think they have just meet a skeptic audience member and not a real heckler.

Trust me guys, a real heckler is not funny in anyway and can be hard to handle to even the most experienced magicians.
 
reverhart said:
I learned very quickly when I was a beginner that "doing it again" meant probably getting caught or called out on a sleight / flash.

I stopped doing this because there were too many times it back fired and burnt me.

Now I just roll right into the next effect and act like I never heard the heckler say, "Do it again."

As for unfriendly hecklers....I must admit that I have yet to run into one of these in my 10 years of performing. I'm not saying that they aren't out there but I think the way I carry myself and routine my performance...it is tough not to like me and enjoy the show. I know that sound conceited but it has been reality thus far.
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Me too...I only have found one of those agressive hecklers...and the crowd take care of him for me...I am glad the audience was on my side...that`s the way is supposed to be...
 
Wallmott said:
What did the "heckler" do?

I know there are a lot of people saying that they have been performing for a "heckler" but most of the time i think they have just meet a skeptic audience member and not a real heckler.

Trust me guys, a real heckler is not funny in anyway and can be hard to handle to even the most experienced magicians.
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No...I really have found the real-deal heckler...I found a Heck-Lord!!!

this guy try to take away my cards, he was checking my pockets, calling me names and try to make fun of me...as I said before...the audience took care of him by hanging him in a tree...well not really, they just told him to stop bothering me and go away...
 
i think you have found a great way to look at this. and i for one am impressed.
i ussually dont run into many hecklers because i can almost allways spot them and i get to know my audiences better and befriend them. but there is always the occasional person and i like to start with a trick (lets say a card transpo) that is completly fool proof. (s)he will allmost allways say 'do that again' and i do another card transpo under completly different conditions and with a different method a completly different effect that puts a card where its not supposed to be
 
Jenai said:
The same thing happened to me once and I agree it does make it more entertaining. I wouldn't say I "like" hecklers though. But the one thing thats been kind of bugging me is what if they say "Do that again." How do you get out of that? Do you do the same effect with a different method or what?

Thanks

- Jenai :)
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if they say do it again, then you didnt do it right the first time.

what them saying do it again means is that you (inadvertently) challenged them to catch you. and it became a contest between magician and spectator. and spectators hate losing.
 
Sean.Cinco said:
I had an unfriendly heckler one time when I was busking in Hawaii. In the middle of a pretty large crowd (talking 20-30 people), I was about to do a trick that used a dupe. I forced the card to the guy, I handed it to him and he rips it in half, hands the two pieces back to me, and says to put it back together. Time froze for a moment and I thought to myself "Wow is this bastard serious?". So I nonchalantly ripped it into quarters and did a version of the torn and restored that David Blaine did in his Street Magic special (where he let the two ladies keep the deck) to a different spectator. I got quite the applause, the guy left, and left with about 80 bucks in my hat when that set was done. Magician - 1, Heckler - 0.

That was the only time I've ever encountered an unfriendly heckler.
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Wow thats an awsome story :)
 
Jenai said:
The same thing happened to me once and I agree it does make it more entertaining. I wouldn't say I "like" hecklers though. But the one thing thats been kind of bugging me is what if they say "Do that again." How do you get out of that? Do you do the same effect with a different method or what?

Thanks

- Jenai :)
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LoL i get that a lot but whenever someones asks me to do a trick again, i just say, "It only works one time". I've been using this quote for years ... :D
 
AlfieWhattamMagic said:
Wow thats an awsome story :)
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Sean Cinco: That is an amazing story. Way to capitalize on that miraculous moment. Your ability to adjust yourself to react to your surroundings is inspiring. Your handling of that challenge is the stuff that Houdini was made of back in the day with all those escape challenges. Invincible.

Bravo.
 
Hey guys I forgot about this thread. Its great to hear all of you thoughts on the matter.

The heckler that I encountered was really an @$$ who kept on trying to think of explanations to the effects I was performing. I took it as a challenge and did my ambitious card then ended it with folded card to wallet.

Each phase he was checking the cards and even repeatedly asked (well demanding) to see the card go in the middle and come to the top. The first phases he said "I saw that!" then after a few phases he continually said "do it again!" as if he was trying to analyze all of my moves. Then he started shaking his head and stayed quiet when I did the classic card to mouth and for a kicker I had the signed card end up folded in the zipper case of my wallet. After I did that he actually turned very red. It was awesome. I normally don't like doing things like this but it was clearly entertaining the other audience members.

He also tried to be very smug while I was performing. He'd say things like "Its just a trick" or "Big Deal" but after my ACR he settled down and moved away from my act haha.
 
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