I think some people are missing the point- this isn't about pick up artists and the principle of it. It's about someone selling other people's effects and magicians principles to the public. The target market just happens to be pick up artists.
I admittedly missed that point and thanks for clarifying it. Yes, there is a reason to be concerned in that we are looking at exposure
There are magicians who perform regularly in night clubs, don't you think something this could hurt what they do? Or if people catch on, will someone performing magic in a social environment be perceived as "the guitar guy"?
I believe this is much closer to my previous rant; the fact that the actions of our fellow magi DOES affect us all, it establishes a very ugly reputation and all it takes is one or two jerks in a given area to ruin it for everyone. For an example, how reticent do you think parents are these days when it comes to hiring a traditional white-faced clown for their kids birthday party because of John Wayne Gacy and the handful of other pedophiles both, in the distant past and more recent times, fit that same mold?
Understand that Magicians & Puppeteers also fit this niche group for similar reasons. Especially given the frequency certain icons of our world have been caught-up in such situations but managed to pay-off the families and skip town before any kind of major damage could be wrought (and there’s not a single person on this forum that don’t know of this individual and the fact that he’s not the only one). But let’s set this scenario outside of magic and consider how many people now distrust both, Catholic Priests and the Bishops of the church because of the transgressions of a very small percentage of the priesthood. . .
. . . it’s the same exact thing guys; we ARE judged by and because of the antics of our fellows whether you want to believe that or not.
The question isn't why do I care, the question I posed is should we care? Will this affect us, if so- how? And what can we do about it?
When it comes to the whole exposure side of this issue there is little to nothing we can do; the kitty has escaped from his satchel and there is no putting him back. We owe this to many “things” the biggest being the temperamental “brat” that seeks revenge against the magic community for whatever reason he/she has come up with in their mind; typically it’s feelings of suppression and not feeling a part of the community or, more specifically, someone “Important” and “respected” – an individual that “needs” to feel important and knowledgeable. Too, we have an individual that has little to no respect for magic and so, they are going to do whatever they like unless we, as a fellowship, revert back to how things were done prior to the post WWII years (the good ole days when such traders had peculiar accidents – you must understand, magic has always been a cut-throat world that was at times, vicious).
Yes, for reasons noted, it will certainly affect us; especially as more and more rank-amateurs flood the clubs using the bits this guy exposes in the A-Typical clumsy manner most will do. Understand they are new to magic and want to show off, they’ve yet to learn the principles and psychology tied to the craft.
Slow down on the judgements and think about what he's doing, and the problems we potentially face if it catches on. There's no denying the "pick up artist" community is a growing demographic, and I don't think they're going to be very concerned about keeping magic a secret, or spending hours building the correct presentation of an effect.
Needless to say, my sentiments here would but echo what’s already been stated and what should be obvious to one and all. Unfortunately, the previous few pages of rebuttal seem to defend the predatory antics of the PUA which seems to suggest that no one cares too terribly much about the Cause & Effect scenario here, so long as they can go out and snag some tail when the mood hits them, regardless the cost and the price that must be endured by those vested in magic that look upon it in a much “higher” sense of responsibility.
The website is already offering a "mentalism" effect using the PATEO force, and saying it was invented by the website creator's best friend Eric.
If there is the ability to post a comment to such things, expose the exposers by posting the actual lineage of this and the other items these clowns wish to call “their own”. ALWAYS include links (if possible) to legitimate magic sites that can verify the historical purview (even Wiki can work in some cases). Essentially, fight fire with fire. Too, share a clarified point of view on this topic on other forums, especially the larger forums like Magic Café, TalkMagic in the UK, etc. so word gets out and pressure on the
jerkasaurouses can intensify, such as the popular petitions found on sites to ban exposure videos on YouTube.
NOTE TO ALL -- I did not read through the entire thread until after I posted this reply, seems I wasn't the only one to "miss the point". Nonetheless, I still believe and support the gist of the comments made above, in response to our friend's previous post.