Kids at School

[toyrobot]

if someone did that to me i would want to kick them in the face, that doesnt mean i would i might just kick them in their stomach. no one has tried to whack my cards out my hands, i just seem to know how to control hecklers.

really, use ur mind against them, i use my words to shut them up and go away. thats the best thing to do

Depends. I've never had to resort to physical violence. Partly because I'm a professional.

I'm not saying you should outright assault the guy. I'm saying, knocking something out of your hand goes beyond heckling, and borders on starting a fight. I truly do encourage clever use of audience control in order to retaliate against the responsible party, but also realize this isn't, "Well I'll just pick up the cards and wow him with a strong self-worker!" I've never run into such an instance, but I can imagine if someone got physical (snatching something from me, knocking things from my hand), then that would at the very least pause the performance to ask what the hell their problem is.

This is, of course, implying a casual venue, where you're on your own, like busking or at school or something. I'm aware there's better ways to deal with it if you've actually been hired for your performance, but I'm not talking about that.

 

[Randy]

You don't have to get everybody involved. Seriously what is with people thinking you have to entertain EVERYBODY?

Look, I've already stated why it's a bad idea to constantly perform at school. Most High School's or middle schools or whatevers, are usually just one big popularity contest. You go out and perform at school, you see those people every day. So now they have a chance to hound you and pretty much expose your tricks because they are jealous.

 

[MagicShadow9]

trust me, they will never want to be the center of attention , if they were, they would be doing magic.

That's not true at all. The main goal of hecklers is to make the magician look bad so they will be the center of attention. It's their way of getting noticed.

This may surprise you, but magic is not the best the most obvious way to get attention. Simply cuz magic takes practice and the attention wanting kids don't wanna practice. Instead they do something that is easy: act cool and be a jerk.

I even went up to a heckler once after my show and asked him why he wanted to ruin my tricks. Guess what he said? "Cuz it makes me look smart. It gets people to notice me, you know?"

I will agree that not all hecklers are attention hogs. Sometime they noticed a flash and will kindly point it out to you. In that case, they are not hecklers. They are just observant spectators. And you should be thanking those people for pointing out your mistakes.

But if they constantly try to ruin your tricks, then hey are hecklers, and they are attention hogs. If you try to include them into your trick, they see it as a challenge. Magic should never be a challenge. It can't be a win-lose situation, you have to make sure it's a win-win situation for you and the spectators.

I did a whole 10 page research paper on anger and jealousy last month, i think i know what i'm talking about.

 

[L33Z3R0]

Hmm...

Well I must admit this is one of the most annoying things I've come across is someone trying to expose a secret in the middle of performing a trick just to make them selves look wiser.

The only way I’ve been able to deal with this type of situation is by understanding where these types of personalities may appear and admitting to my self that they will relentlessly try to ruin your routine. You must build around there personality just as you do for the normal person. You know your effects better than the audience ever will. So you know where the weak spots will be. Develop patter and movement or maybe even a different sense of misdirection to evade these individuals that have planed to crash your party. This is the only way I have been able to lessen the damage and thwart those who wish to penetrate the magic for self attention.

 

[Randy]

Darwin Ortiz pretty much said the easiest way to get the best performances is to simply observe different people before you perform. IE: if somebody looks like they are noisy and wants to be the center of attention. Then don't pick them. If some one if quiet and looks like they are looking forward to the show or is reserved. Then they will USUALLY end up being a good assistant or spectator.

 

[Mental-State]

I'm not saying you should outright assault the guy. I'm saying, knocking something out of your hand goes beyond heckling, and borders on starting a fight. I truly do encourage clever use of audience control in order to retaliate against the responsible party, but also realize this isn't, "Well I'll just pick up the cards and wow him with a strong self-worker!" I've never run into such an instance, but I can imagine if someone got physical (snatching something from me, knocking things from my hand), then that would at the very least pause the performance to ask what the hell their problem is.

This is, of course, implying a casual venue, where you're on your own, like busking or at school or something. I'm aware there's better ways to deal with it if you've actually been hired for your performance, but I'm not talking about that.

i wasnt ethier, and i was talking about the guitar thing really, but i never start fights. i like to use words they have a bigger effext. just saying how i would feel

just involve them.....or you them as destractions to other specs...if he has a card...tell them to show their card...tell them do they remember their card...give a hand clap...play them stupid sometimes....or even ask rhetorical questions.....do an effect...and have them to follow after you and try...i love doing that...i usually get my cards back when they don't know what the hell they are doing...

yeah i do the thing u talked about, but i was talking about the people who try at every turn to prove u wrong and make u look bad. when one person is ruining a effect for someone else.

once i was in the middle of an effect and i asked for the specs name, one other person realised he was the guy who put h that is bro the prison so i told him to wait til im finished if he is gong to fight. that was a fun day =]

 

[dbmagic4]

2 words: Gator boots

Once a heckler was about to pick a card, and instead knocked all the cards out of my hands. So my next trick was Gator Boots (It wasn't my deck). You should have seen the look on his face as I dashed out of the room.

Gator Boots rock my socks lol

 

[.Molawin]

why are people suggesting to insult or harrass the spectator? isnt that the last thing you want to do? that just shows your just as low as the heckler. just do it in a polite matter rather than kicking them in the stomach or making them cry for their mommy.

-M.

 

[ZacEckstein]

Do this... Live by it....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fSnTVJxgxI

 

[ajp500]

How are you presting the trick?

I never ever go up and show tricks at school, I always wait until somone ask (its almost everyday) I deny though.

If you just go up and say "touch a card" they get the idea you are tricking them and trying to make feel stuiped, and the minds first action is to cover up embaressment.