Prove It

[TylerScottIllusionist]

One of the things that has always intrigued me about laymen's relationships with magicians is that the moment they meet a magician and find out their occupation the next line of dialogue is usually "Prove it." or "Oh really? Do something right now?"

Being in this situation several times I created Impossibill exactly for this purporse to give a fully involved seven minute routine that should satisfy them in terms verifying myself as a magician. I also really on some easy "hypnosis" tricks that are pretty reliable. If I'm at a party and asked to prove myself I will rely on my impromptu handling of No Pressure or if I have Kolossal Killer on me I will perform that.

My question is: Why is that as far as I know, only magicians are asked to prove themselves? When someone tells me they are an actor I never ask them to act for me on the spot. If someone is a musician/singer, I never ask them to sing for me right on the spot like that. When someone tells me they are a math teacher I don't ask them to prove it by solving math problems.

My best guess is that laymen are so foreign to magic that they just have to see it right there in that moment. Probably a lot of them have never seen a magic show before and just want to see something they have never encountered before....

But that leads me to my next problem. I was watching the incredible film "Inside Llewyn Davis" and it raised the issue of performing for friends for free. When you are a struggling artist the number one thing on your mind is where is your next payment coming from. So it can often be a little insulting to those that have made a career out of magic to be asked to perform on the spot pro bono.

I'm curious to hear all of your thoughts on this.

 

[William Draven]

Magicians are gods incarnate if you think about it. We possess skills and abilities that make us appear to be non-human. Over the years this has built up quite a bit of intrigue so if one makes claims to be a magi it's only natural for the layman to demand proof of this power.

Also magic is a pretty interesting subject for discussion. So the lowest common denominator would be establishment of credit prior to any other discourse.

Performing for free, or performing for less than the going rate thus undercutting others is a hot subject. The reality is: You've got to start somewhere. Doing some free shows just to cut your teeth and gain some experience isn't a bad thing. Just know when to wean yourself off this. I would say only perform for free when you stand to benefit from it. Whether that be a comped meal, free drink, free advertisement, or just because you're making a friend smile. So long as you're getting something from it.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I can't remember ever being challenged in such a fashion. When I tell people what I do, they usually express an interest in the concept and want to chat about how I do things. Of course, I almost never just say, "I'm a magician." I say, truthfully, "I'm a hypnotist, bizarre magician, and seance artist."

I honestly think this comes from general people's mentality towards magic, as it has been built over the past few years. The idea has been put forward by a variety of performers and shows that the point of magic is to fool someone. Therefore, the magician is trying to fool someone and the audience is trying to spot the method.

So when you tell someone you're a magician, if you have not already circumvented that basic mentality, then what you're saying to them is, "I can fool you." In this context the response of "Prove it" makes total sense.

If you said to someone, "I can do a slam dunk" while you were at a basketball court, they'd toss you the ball and say, "prove it".

Personally, when requested to perform I do what Draven said. I evaluate whether doing anything will benefit me and my career at all, and decide from there. While I sometimes perform for free, I very rarely perform for nothing. I don't keep anything "in reserve" for those moments, as they are so few and far between it's not worth it.

This does remind me of a story I heard from Vlad (The Gothic Magician). He was asked to perform for the premier of Clive Barker's Lords of Illusion (I believe). He was doing a stage/parlor show. They also hired a guy to do walk around stuff before the main show. While Vlad was going over stuff with the organizers, one of the staff says, "The other guy did some tricks for us yesterday ... Will you do something? I'd love to see your stuff." And before Vlad could even answer, the organizer looks at the other employee and says, "Oh, no, Vlad's a professional. He's not going to do that now for free." To which Vlad simply half shrugged, half raised an eyebrow, and went back to finalizing the contract.

When you are perceived as a professional (regardless to how much you earn through performance) you are rarely asked to provide your services for free in any polite company.

 

[David Brooke]

This gives me an idea...

Me: Hi there. What do you do for a living?
Stranger: Oh hi. I'm an accountant.
Me: Prove it. Do my taxes.

 

[ProAma]

Magicians are seen as extraordinary. Thats why lol. You shouldn't tell people you are a magician anyways. Thats the first problem many magicians do.