Back in the 80s a guy name Hal Marquat (sp) made a deal with FOX Television to create a video in which he wore a mask and exposed how several grand illusions were done (yes, Hal was the ORIGINAL Masked Mage). His actions got the Castle membership's panties in bunch, he was disowned and drummed out of magic "Officially"... he was "Named & Shamed"
Same (similar) happened to Jim Sommers, James Biss, and several individuals involved with magic building and effect development and yet, in every single case these people managed to not just continue with their careers, they've come through the thick of it in a way that allowed them to still shine even without any kind of apology or recognition of wrong doing. Last I heard Hal has been doing quite well everywhere but the U.S. and Europe as is Val Valentino who is generating more money now days as the Masked Marvel than he ever made working shows in Vegas & Laughlin 7 days a week and playing nice with the political string pullers.
But there is one other face to this point... The Magic Castle Library had a section in which several valuable books were locked-up in a glass viewing cabinet and only accessible to a very limited number of members that had positive standing, etc. Yet, the lock was frequently picked, the doors left wide opened... the small photocopier in the room being ran empty time and again as sections of most every book in that room were being photocopied... even the anti-theft tags set into the books (think shop lifting prevention here) would get removed... and that's all prior to the graffiti found in books placed there by this and that member (a job I personally had the task of cleaning up at one point, it got so bad).
The Point Is the whole idea of Name & Shame might make those that feel that they got ripped off feel better... it might create a quasi-boycott to some degree, but
it rarely costs the "assumed" culprit a thing.
I've been "Named & Shamed" by a handful of individuals that have an axe to grind. One of them has gone so far as to feature a nice big note on his publishing web page warning people about me and offering them a "reward" should they hear of my asking about his material... I've even been told by these same people that I"m being bad-mouthed and viewed as "Untrustworthy" by several "Noted" individuals that I've done business with or had some kind of interactions with and yet, I've not found one single bit of proof to their claims nor have the various folks they insinuate heard of such ramblings, most of whom have informed me that they will point me in the right direction if and when they do... thus far there have only been the same three or so names cropping up... a close nit rumor mill it seems. [He'd be surprised as to how many and who has offered me copies of his material and what they had to say about it... and for the record,
I turned them all down and dare anyone to find a copy of his stuff anywhere in my home]
I do not point this out as a catalyst for starting another drama play between myself and my "accusers" only to point out that the Name & Shame game can go very wrong, especially when all the "i's" aren't dotted and the "t's" properly crossed.
On one front I owe my personal accusers a big thanks in that their assholiness helped me come to a dreaded conclusion... a decision that I've been wanting to not have to make; throwing in the towel so to speak. Not because of anything they've said holds validity or even as my admission of guilt (my only guilt being to try to do something nice that got blown up in my own face). It's just facing up to the facts that I can no longer deal with it all mentally or physically and by "it all" I mean trying to work just as much as juggling all the balls that get tossed into the air by this and that ladder climber seeking to use you as a wrung.... or, in my case, a broken-down old crate upon which to stand.
Ok... I've been a bit emotional on this post, not to plead my own case but to point out the very real facts that
a.) Most Magicians as Jerks and Would Still from Their Own Mothers if She Had a Method they Liked;
b.) No Matter How Much You Rant & Rave or How Loud Your "Name & Shame" Campaign is, It Will Not Change One Bloody Thing! The Magic World Will Still Be Filled With Thieves and Rapscallions.
Go look at your own acts and get gut wrenching honest about what you find and just how much you haven't "borrowed" from others? Hell, most of us parrot what we've seen on a video word for word no matter who's on the footage... we tell ourselves otherwise, but the majority of us are mimics, not the creative geniuses we embrace via the internet realms and in dreamland.
Less than two weeks after a dear friend of mine saw me do a particular Progressive Anagram routine in my show he and two of his magic chums had downloaded it from Underground Collective and were putting it into their acts... one of whom had the audacity to ask me to help him round out his presentation of it.
Tell me I wasn't pi**ed... but this is what the magician does and has done forever. Nothing you say or do will ever change it. This is the reality of it all.
by Allen Tipton » Apr 3rd, '10, 17:59 
