Suspension of Disbelief

[Steerpike]

Ok, and that has to do with?
Are you trying to say that I don't have experience with performing

No. Something you want to get off your chest perhaps?

I was saying it was a lame argument because it's a strawman.

because I'm not like many guys here who post their performances on youtube, just so people like you who think they know what they're doing to critique it?
No, I perform my routines for pro magicians to get critiqued. People like you would be a waste of my time and tape.

So your response to thinking I might have said something less than flattering about you is to respond with a snotty, petulant dismissal of my opinions and statements?

Very mature. Especially considering the advice I'm giving was passed on to me by people like Paul Gertner, Rick Maue, and Docc Hilford. So by extension, you are also dismissing them.

God it is such a ****ing chore being smarter than other people.

Am I not?

I think you skim the posts and hit the reply button as soon as you think you've got the gist of it. I mean, you haven't really contributed anything other than propping up a ridiculous strawman argument in what sounds more like a half-assed attempt to justify your own performing style.

This is a forum, I can't hear anyone talk.
In other words, I was typing

Am I alone in thinking this is a tired cliche that needs to be put to sleep? That it's not witty and is in fact a cloying attempt to lambaste a turn of phrase?

 

[DannyT]

No. Something you want to get off your chest perhaps?

Yes, now that you mention it.
You are a sad little person who thinks he is smart because you use big words. Big deal.
You know you can just say something a lot easier(and would take less time to type) if you put it in laymen terms instead of trying to sound smart and using a bunch of big words to try to convince people you know what you're talking about.
You said it yourself.
"If you're trying to sound deep, you aren't."

So your response to thinking I might have said something less than flattering about you is to respond with a snotty, petulant dismissal of my opinions and statements?

Very mature. Especially considering the advice I'm giving was passed on to me by people like Paul Gertner, Rick Maue, and Docc Hilford. So by extension, you are also dismissing them.

God it is such a ****ing chore being smarter than other people.

Ignorance......

I mean, you haven't really contributed anything

You haven't contributed much either.
You constantly make threads, then burn people for responding in it.
The only thing you contribute is creating arguments.
Congratulations!

 

[Randy]

Yes, now that you mention it.
You are a sad little person who thinks he is smart because you use big words. Big deal.
You know you can just say something a lot easier(and would take less time to type) if you put it in laymen terms instead of trying to sound smart and using a bunch of big words to try to convince people you know what you're talking about.
You said it yourself.
"If you're trying to sound deep, you aren't."

Ignorance......

You haven't contributed much either.
You constantly make threads, then burn people for responding in it.
The only thing you contribute is creating arguments.
Congratulations!

I think you're the one who is shooting himself in the foot.

You're whole argument about Magicians or mentalist's saying they can read minds and ending up getting heckled or challenged is a bit bad.

I suggest you look up guys like Rick Maue or Mark Edwards (hell Mark Edwards does things of the supernatural type and his career is pretty booming.) I know Rick Maue does that too as well (with his Seances) and most likely his other things as well. Yet, I don't see them getting heckled or challenged.

Derren brown also does the Mind reading thing (even tho he says he doesn't have powers), Yet when he does it, he acts like what he is doing is putting a strain on him mentally. I don't see anybody in his audience heckling him.

You know the list of people could go on and on.

 

[dragon521]

Yes, now that you mention it.
You are a sad little person who thinks he is smart because you use big words. Big deal.
You know you can just say something a lot easier(and would take less time to type) if you put it in laymen terms instead of trying to sound smart and using a bunch of big words to try to convince people you know what you're talking about.
You said it yourself.
"If you're trying to sound deep, you aren't."

You're digressing, and you're immaturity is showing. At the very least be happy you can expand your vocabulary while taking a foot in the ass...

You constantly make threads, then burn people for responding in it.
The only thing you contribute is creating arguments.
Congratulations!

Yeah, why don't we have an orgy instead, that'll really take my magic to soaring new levels (a climax perhaps >.>)!

 

[Dima]

To clarify, I'm addressing the fact that some magicians are beginning to take the stance that the supernatural no longer belongs in the presentation of magic, that audiences can no longer buy it so they don't want to see it.

But that seems to fly in the face of the run-away success of the supernatural in the film and literary world. Harry Potter, The Dresden Files, The World of Darkness, pretty much everything Neil Gaiman writes, and even (disgusted shudder) Twilight. The supernatural is still very commercial. Why?

Laziness...simple as that. People don't want to put time and effort into presenting something considering it's much easier to just show them an open second deal and then "fry them with that blood on the wrist trick!"

 

[DannyT]

At the very least be happy you can expand your vocabulary while taking a foot in the ass...
Yeah, why don't we have an orgy instead, that'll really take my magic to soaring new levels (a climax perhaps >.>)!

You're digressing, and you're immaturity is showing.

Hypocrite.

 

[Steerpike]

Yes, now that you mention it.
You are a sad little person who thinks he is smart because you use big words. Big deal.
You know you can just say something a lot easier(and would take less time to type) if you put it in laymen terms instead of trying to sound smart and using a bunch of big words to try to convince people you know what you're talking about.
You said it yourself.
"If you're trying to sound deep, you aren't."

Ignorance......

Hmm. Didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would.

Pleasure doing business with you.

You haven't contributed much either.
You constantly make threads, then burn people for responding in it.
The only thing you contribute is creating arguments.
Congratulations!

So my cardinal sin is being a contrarian with a big vocabulary. I can live with that.

Now are you going to address the first post or not?

 

[Likenthrope]

 

[TheBlack&WhiteIllusionist]

Jesus Christ, can't you just smell the animosity around here lately? Seems like there's a fight in almost every thread lately.

I seem to recall a few other people also b***hing about Alex's vocabulary. I'm getting the feeling people are tired of searching on google to find out what he means.

 

[cedwards90]

Jesus Christ, can't you just smell the animosity around here lately? Seems like there's a fight in almost every thread lately.

I seem to recall a few other people also b***hing about Alex's vocabulary. I'm getting the feeling people are tired of searching on google to find out what he means.

I think a lot of people are trying to prove they are smarter than him, which hasnt worked yet. Also, dictionary.com is much better

 

[Randy]

I think a lot of people are trying to prove they are smarter than him, which hasnt worked yet. Also, dictionary.com is much better

Well you can't really prove you are a smarter than him or anybody. The best thing is simply sit back and let other do your work for you.

 

[dragon521]

Hypocrite.

Honesty and sarcasm do not have any correlation with maturity levels, keep trying though...

I laughed...

The reason Harry Potter succeeds is because there is reasoning behind the magic. In general he has to fight Valdemort and it's entertaining. There's also the emotional hook of him avenging his parents wrongful death. If you're going to present yourself as solely an entertainer, a deeper reason for performing always helps evoke a deeper emotional response. At the end of the day it really doesn't matter what your reasoning is, be it to expose religion or to express prior events in the shadowland, as long as there is some reason for me as a spectator to give a damn about why your trying to show me that coins come out of thin air and go into a bucket.

 

[DannyT]

Hmm. Didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would.
Pleasure doing business with you.
So my cardinal sin is being a contrarian with a big vocabulary. I can live with that.

No, your sin is corrupting the forum with your attitude and your subtle remarks.
I think it's funny how you ask a question in this thread, yet you're correcting what people give as a reply. If you know the answer, don't ask it.

You're too thick headed and I'm sick of your sh*t.
Come talk to me when when you stop talking like an ass and have a serious discussion.

Now are you going to address the first post or not?

From what I remember at least, I tried to answer in my first couple posts.

Honesty and sarcasm do not have any correlation with maturity levels, keep trying though...

Um, yeah they do.
Congratulations, you fail.

 

[phrozunsun]

No, your sin is corrupting the forum with your attitude and your subtle remarks.
I think it's funny how you ask a question in this thread, yet you're correcting what people give as a reply. If you know the answer, don't ask it.

in the immortal words of Ed the sock: "I'd rather be a smarta** than a dumb**" - I personally enjoy Steer's wry sense of humour, as it is not dissimilar to my own.

and I don't think he was "asking" as much as he was trying to start a discussion....

 

[TheBlack&WhiteIllusionist]

I think a lot of people are trying to prove they are smarter than him, which hasnt worked yet. Also, dictionary.com is much better

I think you're right. Instead of trying to learn something, it seems they feel the need to prove themselves to be the bigger dog in the yard, which has precisely sh*t to do with anything. Always seems to be about the ego when it should be about learning, even if it's just learning something about yourself. Steerpike, Morgician, Thrallmind, and a few people I can't remember, have forced me to think about things at one time or another that wouldn't have crossed my mind otherwise, which they have my respect for. I consider myself better for it.

 

[Randy]

I think you're right. Instead of trying to learn something, it seems they feel the need to prove themselves to be the bigger dog in the yard, which has precisely sh*t to do with anything. Always seems to be about the ego when it should be about learning, even if it's just learning something about yourself. Steerpike, Morgician, Thrallmind, and a few people I can't remember, have forced me to think about things at one time or another that wouldn't have crossed my mind otherwise, which they have my respect for. I consider myself better for it.

All give you Steerpike and maybe Thrallmin. But Morgician often suffered from Bitter old man syndrome and lacked the ability to develop an open mind and see things from a different perspective. Plus his whole "LOL. Not using red bikes = Instant fail" attitude really made lose points as well.

 

[TheBlack&WhiteIllusionist]

All give you Steerpike and maybe Thrallmin. But Morgician often suffered from Bitter old man syndrome and lacked the ability to develop an open mind and see things from a different perspective. Plus his whole "LOL. Not using red bikes = Instant fail" attitude really made lose points as well.

While I could care less about the card thing, I completely agree with you about the rest. He had his ways, and pretty much seemed like he wouldn't change them if you put a gun to his head, but if you could filter through the fecal matter brought on by "Bitter Old Man Syndrome", there was good stuff there. I had an argument with him about presention a while ago, even though we had our views (and I did get pissed off to a degree), I still managed to take away from it, eventually. Again, it made me think.

 

[Randy]

While I could care less about the card thing, I completely agree with you about the rest. He had his ways, and pretty much seemed like he wouldn't change them if you put a gun to his head, but if you could filter through the fecal matter brought on by "Bitter Old Man Syndrome", there was good stuff there. I had an argument with him about presention a while ago, even though we had our views (and I did get pissed off to a degree), I still managed to take away from it, eventually. Again, it made me think.

It wasn't just that it was his whole "If you're not spending 100's of dollars on props, then you're a not a real magician." He said that about coin gaffs and pretty much everything else. It was like, how the hell is spending 100's of dollars on props going to make you look better? I've always believed that if you were a "real" magician, you can just do magic with a crappy 20 year old deck of cards somebody gives you.

He had a FEW good points. I like when he mentioned to me once how Dai Vernon was a dick to people. I was sitting there like "Well yeah, that was what? like 1954? >_>.. Times have changed.."

 

[TheBlack&WhiteIllusionist]

It wasn't just that it was his whole "If you're not spending 100's of dollars on props, then you're a not a real magician." He said that about coin gaffs and pretty much everything else. It was like, how the hell is spending 100's of dollars on props going to make you look better? I've always believed that if you were a "real" magician, you can just do magic with a crappy 20 year old deck of cards somebody gives you.

While there are different views on what makes someone a real magician, that's a pretty stupid one. Anyone with a fat wallet can spend excessive amounts of money on props, but it doesn't make them a magician. That would be like me buying a box of latex gloves and giving out free physicals. It wouldn't make me a doctor, just some stranger who gave you a lolli pop after groping you. But again, that would fall under the fecal matter filter.

He had a FEW good points. I like when he mentioned to me once how Dai Vernon was a dick to people. I was sitting there like "Well yeah, that was what? like 1954? >_>.. Times have changed.."

That'd be a suprise to me if it was true.

 

[Steerpike]

No, your sin is corrupting the forum with your attitude and your subtle remarks.

People are being corrupted when I say, "Spectators are asking, 'What's in it for me?" Glad we got that cleared up.

I think it's funny how you ask a question in this thread, yet you're correcting what people give as a reply. If you know the answer, don't ask it.

I wasn't looking for an answer that I then did not know. I was inviting discussion. I thought your argument was bad and I said as much. Quit your crying.

From what I remember at least, I tried to answer in my first couple posts.

And you failed. Try again.

And if you don't want to try again, don't waste my time.