talkmagic.co.uk

Speaking as someone who has very little performance experience, I've always had the thought in the back of my mind that sponge ball/bunny routines are really naff and the sort of thing that only amuses 5 year olds HOWEVER whenever I've see someone do a sponge ball routine, I've always been blown away by it and so has everyone else.

I think a lot of people have it in their minds that sponge balls are cheesy and reserved for kids entertainers but if you see someone who really knows what they're doing, those thoughts disappear and it's genuinly entertaining. Greedo did some amazing things with his sponge balls at the last meet up and even after he'd shown me how it was done, I was still caught up in it when he performed it for other people.

The important thing is not whether or not the trick is naff or cheesy or cliched, the only thing that matters is if your audience are enteratined by it. If they're left with a big grin on their faces, then the routine is a good one. If they look bored or have even walked away before you're finished, then you've failed as an entertainer.

Sponges and sponge bunnies are just good clean fun (there's no hanky panky in my bunny routine by the way) and people love that. It's a great way to get the table laughing, you can involve them all and they get comfortable with you. It's the perfect opener.

People sometimes take magic too seriously, have some fun with it once in a while. It's not going to suit everyone but go on, the Lady of Mystery challenge of the week is to get out and perform a sponge bunnie rountine on just one person and then come back and tell me that you didn't enjoy doing it.

Oooh I love a challenge....

Lady of Mystery wrote:I think the main thing is to be yourself and do what you feel comfortable doing.

Does much else need to be said on the subject!!!!! That sums it up perfectly as I have seen and used various successful methods...your attititude/confindence comes out with your personal comfort.

A J Irving wrote: Greedo did some amazing things with his sponge balls at the last meet up and even after he'd shown me how it was done, I was still caught up in it when he performed it for other people.

To my defence I was incredibly drunk and I can't help but get my balls out and shove them in a strangers hand. Iain will back me up on that although his penchant when under the influence is to swing his pendulum whilst telling people personal secrets

damianjennings wrote:What is popular is very rarely what is good. Look at the top music sold, the top movies, the top TV shows.

ITV gets more viewers than channel 4. It is more popular. I prefer to think of my act as channel 4 rather than Ant And Dec's Saturday Night Laff Fest.

Bad examples there. ITV's role is to "please everybody and make money from advertising", it always has been, for better or for worse. Channel 4's role is to question things and try new things. Big Brother still get very respectable ratings but it's been dropped because it's no longer new and fresh

As for the top films, I actually quite like some big budget films. Sometimes because they are big budget. You can't help but enjoy a bit of James Bond

My sponge routine happens in about 2 minutes. The magic happens VERY quickly, and ends in their hands. And has no nob gags. This, TO ME, is perfect.

Try something for me: do the same routine — exactly the same routine — but with sponge bunnies instead of sponge balls (assuming it doesn't mean you're chopping a bunny into two or something weird like that). See how the audience reacts. Bunnies are cute and personable, and that's why people like it. Not because of any kind of sex joke you might be able to make

kolm wrote:

damianjennings wrote:What is popular is very rarely what is good. Look at the top music sold, the top movies, the top TV shows.

ITV gets more viewers than channel 4. It is more popular. I prefer to think of my act as channel 4 rather than Ant And Dec's Saturday Night Laff Fest.

Bad examples there. ITV's role is to "please everybody and make money from advertising", it always has been, for better or for worse. Channel 4's role is to question things and try new things. Big Brother still get very respectable ratings but it's been dropped because it's no longer new and fresh

As for the top films, I actually quite like some big budget films. Sometimes because they are big budget. You can't help but enjoy a bit of James Bond

My sponge routine happens in about 2 minutes. The magic happens VERY quickly, and ends in their hands. And has no nob gags. This, TO ME, is perfect.

Try something for me: do the same routine — exactly the same routine — but with sponge bunnies instead of sponge balls (assuming it doesn't mean you're chopping a bunny into two or something weird like that). See how the audience reacts. Bunnies are cute and personable, and that's why people like it. Not because of any kind of sex joke you might be able to make

C4 makes money from advertising.
ITV makes money from advertising.

ITV appeals to lowest common demoninator
C4 appeals to people with half a brain (it does, despite the failed BB experiment)

I'd just prefer to do a C4 act than a ITV act.

I may be utterly stupid because I would make more money doing a ITV act.

But, the actors at the RSC and National would make more money doing panto.

I would try your challenge if I owned a set. But I dislike it so much it is never something I've bought.

I take your point TOTALLY. Lay people will enjoy a trick with a sponge bunny. It's just not for me.

I think a lot of people have it in their minds that sponge balls are cheesy and reserved for kids entertainers

which is why i think it is a bad opener... maybe in the middle or something... but not as the first trick.

and in regards to the general branch of 'chessy cliched' magic - i wouldn't defend people's right to perform stuff like that... it cheapens the art...
every magician who says 'stand over that trapdoor there' is just bringing down the public opinion of magic.

maybe sponge balls / rabbits can be magical - but the fact that people use them to entertain children, or adults (with risque humour) - is the reason why I DONT want to perform them.

until the public opinion of magic changes, it will always be an uphill struggle...
oh and it won't change until magicians stop with all the
playing card ties
rabbits out of hats
and world championships in blackpool - here's your trophy and a free donkey ride down the beach, oooh kiss me quick!!
anyway... that's a never then.

but i can try in my own way at least to not be a part of that side of magic!

Getting back on topic a bit, I tend to dress in a similar manner to the waiting staff, have a large napkin over my arm in a posh butler way. As I walk up to a table I go to collect a glass knocking off the bottom (several places you can find the routine, mine from Ettienne Pradier), feigning distress at being potentially sacked, ask the people across the table if they have a lighter, fix the glass, with a relieved sigh, I reveal who I really am. My other method in less upper class places is to open with one of Thom Petersons routines, where I ask if they are ready for food, when they reply yes I remove a cherry tomato fom my pocket and set it down and walk away, come back 10 mins (guarantee it will still be there), and pretend to squash it, I believe you can find it on Amazing Guy DVD.

Otherwise a gun to the head of the child at the table and demand attention works very well, plus you get lots of exposure on news programs.

Chris Tennant

Chris Tennant wrote:Getting back on topic a bit, I tend to dress in a similar manner to the waiting staff, have a large napkin over my arm in a posh butler way. As I walk up to a table I go to collect a glass knocking off the bottom (several places you can find the routine, mine from Ettienne Pradier), feigning distress at being potentially sacked, ask the people across the table if they have a lighter, fix the glass, with a relieved sigh, I reveal who I really am.

I'm not a fan of doing magic before asking, but that's a very clever opener!
Would be even better if you didn't have to do a certain amount of time with them, then you could just put it back together again and walk off

My other method in less upper class places is to open with one of Thom Petersons routines, where I ask if they are ready for food, when they reply yes I remove a cherry tomato fom my pocket and set it down and walk away, come back 10 mins (guarantee it will still be there), and pretend to squash it, I believe you can find it on Amazing Guy DVD.

Going off on a street magic tangent, I was at a lecture by Chris Capehard earlier this week and he mentioned how he would leave a rabbit there and wait for the crowd to gather around it. Perhaps not something you want to do in a restaurant setting, though

Just be yourself or light yourself on fire. I don't know what you want to do. But honestly be yourself. I don't want to be liable with what I ever you come up with. I just don't want to be held liable for anything that you do on your own time. I would just suggest be yourself that all you have to do too sell yourself.

Lady of Mystery wrote:People sometimes take magic too seriously, have some fun with it once in a while. It's not going to suit everyone but go on, the Lady of Mystery challenge of the week is to get out and perform a sponge bunnie rountine on just one person and then come back and tell me that you didn't enjoy doing it.

And you'll probably get better reactions from the bunnies than any card trick...

Though maybe I'm just c*** (not the best) with cards...

kartoffelngeist wrote:

Lady of Mystery wrote:People sometimes take magic too seriously, have some fun with it once in a while. It's not going to suit everyone but go on, the Lady of Mystery challenge of the week is to get out and perform a sponge bunnie rountine on just one person and then come back and tell me that you didn't enjoy doing it.

And you'll probably get better reactions from the bunnies than any card trick...

Though maybe I'm just c*** (not the best) with cards...

unless the bunnies popped out of the cards. Now that would be hilarious all by it self.

C4 appeals to people with half a brain (it does, despite the failed BB experiment)

How Clean Is Your House?
Wife Swap?
Rude Tube?

Only people with half a brain would want to watch those shows on C4.



I do take your point Damian and we're going way off track here but it's bad analogy.... any commercial enterprise (and that includes jobbing magicians) need to appeal to the widest possible audience in their chosen field (weddings, stand-up, etc...).

Klangster1971 wrote:any commercial enterprise (and that includes jobbing magicians) need to appeal to the widest possible audience in their chosen field (weddings, stand-up, etc...).

Absolute, total and utter rubbish.

Apple
Mont Blanc
Kobe beef
Steve Cohen

But you be Ant and Dec in Mcdonalds if you want.