Let's stop being myopic. . .
Most within magic will pat one another on the back; this is one of the chief reasons there's so much really bad magic out there. To one another the mix stays rather amicable so long as we are within our "station"; Max Maven pointed out long ago that Hobbyists & Amateurs do not mix well with working pros. It's not so much an elitist thing as it is the way either group looks at the craft; same goes with age groups. Thirty years ago I and my peer group were the pain in the rump newbies (kids -- older teen/young adult) that were trying to make big changes in magic that the old guys (40+ year old types) moaned and *****ed over. . . today, we're the old curmudgeons and we don't agree with a lot that's happening in magic, which can does make many of you younger guys come off as pretentious and we as being belittling towards you. All of this is from within the community and all of it hosts a tangible sting to it.
For the most part the laity views most teen and a good percentage of young adults as being pretentious in that you are of that age when you are trying to define yourselves and claim territory as it were. You emulate that limited handful of icons that you think are "right" and "with it" not realizing (because of inexperience) that you're being a mockery, a clone, and a twit. Understand that most of this stems from inexperience and the lack of perspective but a big part of it likewise comes from psychological issues such as the lack of social comfort many of us suffer from, and how magic helps us bridge over our backwardness or feared inadequacies, you'll see this with comics, jugglers and puppeteer/ventriloquist types as well.
The "Pretentious" essence again, from the layman's perspective, happens as we jump out with a pack of cards and insist on someone picking a card or similar guerrilla tactics that have become a matter of current vogue though they are far from being socially appropriate (not to mention, psychologically threatening for most -- think about personal space and boundaries).
It is difficult for us to see our own "faults" or shortcomings and even harder for us to admit to them and choose to modify our behavior and perspective so as to avoid such a reputation or negative image. Look back over this thread and notice how much of the defense and negation about being Pretentious stems from peer to peer back-patting vs. the common person's point of view. Notice how we justify and defend (even deny) the act of being pretentious vs. looking at it and mulling over our role as one that may very well be guilty of perpetuating such an image.
As entertainers a tad of pretentiousness and ego is required, it's what separates us from the average person and too, it is what aids us when it comes to finding that character & style we're best suited to. But just as a pinch of salt helps enhance the flavor of the vanilla in a mix, two pinches can prove over-powering e.g. less is more! Learning to find the right balance between assertiveness and decorum is what really needs to be discussed in that this is closer to the actual issue.
Most within magic will pat one another on the back; this is one of the chief reasons there's so much really bad magic out there. To one another the mix stays rather amicable so long as we are within our "station"; Max Maven pointed out long ago that Hobbyists & Amateurs do not mix well with working pros. It's not so much an elitist thing as it is the way either group looks at the craft; same goes with age groups. Thirty years ago I and my peer group were the pain in the rump newbies (kids -- older teen/young adult) that were trying to make big changes in magic that the old guys (40+ year old types) moaned and *****ed over. . . today, we're the old curmudgeons and we don't agree with a lot that's happening in magic, which can does make many of you younger guys come off as pretentious and we as being belittling towards you. All of this is from within the community and all of it hosts a tangible sting to it.
For the most part the laity views most teen and a good percentage of young adults as being pretentious in that you are of that age when you are trying to define yourselves and claim territory as it were. You emulate that limited handful of icons that you think are "right" and "with it" not realizing (because of inexperience) that you're being a mockery, a clone, and a twit. Understand that most of this stems from inexperience and the lack of perspective but a big part of it likewise comes from psychological issues such as the lack of social comfort many of us suffer from, and how magic helps us bridge over our backwardness or feared inadequacies, you'll see this with comics, jugglers and puppeteer/ventriloquist types as well.
The "Pretentious" essence again, from the layman's perspective, happens as we jump out with a pack of cards and insist on someone picking a card or similar guerrilla tactics that have become a matter of current vogue though they are far from being socially appropriate (not to mention, psychologically threatening for most -- think about personal space and boundaries).
It is difficult for us to see our own "faults" or shortcomings and even harder for us to admit to them and choose to modify our behavior and perspective so as to avoid such a reputation or negative image. Look back over this thread and notice how much of the defense and negation about being Pretentious stems from peer to peer back-patting vs. the common person's point of view. Notice how we justify and defend (even deny) the act of being pretentious vs. looking at it and mulling over our role as one that may very well be guilty of perpetuating such an image.
As entertainers a tad of pretentiousness and ego is required, it's what separates us from the average person and too, it is what aids us when it comes to finding that character & style we're best suited to. But just as a pinch of salt helps enhance the flavor of the vanilla in a mix, two pinches can prove over-powering e.g. less is more! Learning to find the right balance between assertiveness and decorum is what really needs to be discussed in that this is closer to the actual issue.