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I guess everyone of you has already come across magicians whose behaviour or certain text lines they used just didn't match your sense of "how it's done properly". I realized that the more I see magic performed, the more I also analyze the magician's style HOW he performs it... and at the same time I ask myself: am I doing the same mistakes?

I would like to know from you what kind of behaviour you absolutely don't like - maybe we can learn a bit from each other!

All right, to start with here are some points that I absolutely hate when I see them:

* Hackneyed routine: magician just babbles down his text lines like a fishmonger (because he has performed the same trick over and over again for hundreds of times) and he doesn't really pay attention to the person(s) he's performing for. He doesn't even look at them... just spools down his text.

* Impatience: magician hands over a deck of cards to a spectator to be shuffled, and while the spectator is still busy doing so, the magician already has his fingers and hand stretched out in waiting position, subtly but eagerly signalizing that he wants those damn cards back.

* Smart a** performance: magician performs tricks to his own satisfaction because he can do something that others can't. This phenomenon can be very often observed in street magic performances, easily recognisible by the stupid grin on the wannabe-illusionist's face.

What drives you crazy, fellow legerdemainists?

- Magnus

Stuttering irritartes me when someone performs-like a certain wedding event a few weeks ago I went to! I simply commented on a nice "chicago opener" and suddenly the floodgates opened-the poor man couldnt concentrate and started babbling through it! Probably still better than I am, but never mind, thats my pet hate!

Mentalists who have no idea about presentation and think that "finding the same chip" is powerful enough to carry itself.

The magician that reveals their tricks...*cough* Penn & Teller *cough* (Ok P & T isn't that bad at revealing).

The "Ummm Magician"

Also picking volunteers that don't volunteer or don't want to volunteer.

Folks who insult their audience or make them feel foolish or uncomfortable.

any form of cheesey humour in magic...sorry....

either be genuinely funny or amusing, or just be interesting...

otherwise shut it with the poor quality "humour"...

any form of audience/participant belittlement, and mentalists who constantly put their first two fingers up to their heads as they "concentrate"...

"Pick a card, any card"

Magicians undervaluing the effect of a routine upon non magicians.

'Showing someone how you did it' - this is not the same as teaching someone who is genuinely interested, or discussing something with a fellow magician.

Doing a trick, instead of performing.

I go with bmat, namely performers who make their audience or selected members look silly or belittle them I put Derren Brown in this category for many of his presentations so while I admire his skill and technique, I cannot personally abide watching him any more. A personal thing.

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I put Derren Brown in this category for many of his presentations so while I admire his skill and technique, I cannot personally abide watching him any more. A personal thing.

THis comment suprised me as from reading his books this seems to be the last thing he intends to do. Out of interest, which presentations do you think he maes people look silly or belittles them?

Magicians believing that rubber bands are magical….


My wife and I were at a charity event in Bristol and they had a strolling magician who came over and started with 2 grubby bands, neither my wife or I were impressed.. then the ID came out.. pure rubbish !!

Andyregs wrote: Quote:
I put Derren Brown in this category for many of his presentations so while I admire his skill and technique, I cannot personally abide watching him any more. A personal thing.


THis comment suprised me as from reading his books this seems to be the last thing he intends to do. Out of interest, which presentations do you think he maes people look silly or belittles them?

Making a professional London black cab driver not know where the Eye was, for instance.

I can hardly put the London Cab driver sequence in the same category as performers who insult or intentionally make the person feel foolish. I can see where the line can be drawn, but it wasn't an intention of the effect to make the driver feel foolish. Had Derren been in the back screaming "come on, moron! Find the place!" THEN - I would agree...

There's a distinction between the two, I believe. But, to each his own.

For me, I despise the term "magician fooler". For me, it comes across as nothing more than self aggrandizing schlock.