talkmagic.co.uk

Apologies in advance if anyone thinks I'm over-reacting, but here goes...
I have done close up magic shows at a bar called Mono in Glasgow a couple of times, and my third show is booked for this Friday.
The manager of Mono was quite excited to inform me that he had got the show mentioned in the popular Glasgow 'what's on' magazine The List. Even though the manager in question is, to be frank, a bit stupid, I was confident that this would be good publicity for the show.
This morning I checked the List's website and found, much to my mounting dismay, the following-
"Tabletop magic all night, with card-carrying member of the Magic Circle Dean Sexton. The lovely Debbie McGee had not confirmed her attendance at time of going to press."
I had nothing to do with this blurb, and am uncertain as to who is responsible, The List or Mono, but I am very unhappy, and a bit worried, that it looks as though I am trying to pretend that I'm in the Magic Circle.
Some might think I'm worrying over nothing, and I hope I am, but if I was a member, I would be a bit annoyed if I thought someone was lying about that sort of thing.
I've arranged to meet the afore mentioned manager tomorrow in order to get to the bottom of this, but in the meantime I felt that I had to post this (and open an account on Magicbunny to do the same thing) in case I incurr the (understandable) wrath of any real members, Glaswegian or otherwise.
If you think I'm worrying over nothing, please say so, and if you can think of anyone else I should inform, please let me know (i.e. should I email the Magic Circle?).
Otherwise, sorry for wasting your time, I'll stop moaning now.
Thanks.

i'd personally say not to worry...the guy is probably just either:

a) assuming that you are cos he liked what he saw
b) trying to hussle a bit of business for the night by building it up

at the end of the day, its none of your doing...just have a quiet word at the end of the night and say "hoy, I'm not in the circle, please dont say i am..."

or, play it cagey, and say you received an e-mail from the magic circle asking you to make sure it doesnt happen again, or they'll sue the vendor/manager...in a nice way!

good luck too...

Youre not wasting your time, and you are right to be worried.

The Magic Circle will send you a very nast letter if they find out threatening legal action. That is what they do. They are very protective over the Magic Circle Status.

I would advise you pre-empt that with a letter to the Magic Circle apologising (not that it was your fault) and explain the situation. Hopefully there will be a reasonable person there.

As there is little else that can be done about it now it is in print, hopefully the situation will be forgotten, but that is what I would do.

You could also say the the manager is a psychic and can see into the future as you're not a member of the Magic Circle.....yet !

I'd go for a quiet word with the manager and a letter to the Magic Circle explaining what's happened. That way it's obvious that you're not trying to make out that you're something that you're not.

I'd guess that it's just the manager putting 2 and 2 together and comming up with 11. It always amazes me how many people think I must be a member just because I can do a little bit more than the average card trick.

Dean Sexton wrote:The lovely Debbie McGee had not confirmed her attendance at time of going to press.

Ah yes, the old stereotypes die hard don't they?

Thankfully it doesn't happen too often, but sometimes when working I do get the "oh a magician! well the children over there would like to see something I'm sure" type response. I take great delight when this happens to see the smug satisfied condescending grin slide off their faces when after 30 seconds they realise that the last thing I'm going to do is produce a white rabbit out of a hat. Unless of course the white rabbit happens to be their old childhood pet, dead now for over 30 years, but back to haunt them, torment them and read their minds like an open book. Now that's what I call entertainment.

Have I gone too far? Apologies for going 100 miles off topic but the quoted statement is enough to drive me insane!

Thanks for the replies- where to start?
I've emailed the Magic Circle explaining the situation, hopefully they'll be ok about it or at least realise that someone apart from me is responsible.
Magicdiscoman-I'm happy to be a member of that group!!
Themagicwand- It drives me mad too! "Can you saw (insert object or person) in half?" is one I seem to be regularly faced with.
As for the quiet word with the manager- i was thinking a few slightly louder words may do the trick. I would post a transcript of my intended speech, but the rules about language use on the forum prevent me from doing so.
I'll post any interesting updates, and thanks again for the reassuring replies.