talkmagic.co.uk

Fooling someone isn't what this is about, unless you're performing schoolyard pranks.

Magic is entertainment. That's what people want.

And nobody likes being entertained at their own expense.

That's the difference.

As an aside I think there's a little bit of minor misinterpretation in this thread over what Acrylic Ace means by 'fooled'

Correct me if I'm wrong but he didn't mean fooled as in 'made a fool of', which is how a general person would interpret the word, more a case of 'had no idea at all as to the method'. Magician's (well honest magicians) often say "I was completely fooled" when they see a trick that baffles them, it's kind of a magician's slang and doesn't mean they've been made to feel silly.

Anyway, other than that the point's been well covered above that no, people don't like being made to feel stupid, but yes, they do like to witness an event for which there is no rational explanation when it's presented in a way that entertains them. Art of Astonishment and all that.

I've got friends who often say "I don't even want to know how it's done, it's more fun not to know" which I think is the result you should be aiming for.

My maxim has always been ' Mystery With Entertainment AND Entertainment With Mystery.'
Wally Reid in his 1979 book, 'Magic On Stage' put it all in a nutshell.

'WHEN YOU FOOL THEM & THEY HAVE A GOOD TIME WHILE YOU DO IT,
THEN THE MAGICIAN IS DOING HIS JOB.'

Go Thou and do likewise.

Allen Tipton