talkmagic.co.uk

Has anyone seen the Times today? There is a four page pull out with Tricks to "Astound your friends". They are taken from Paul Zenon's Street Magic book and there are a few bits in there that people may wish to be aware of - recognising that they may no longer be the secrets they once were; especially those of you who do metal bending or use the C****e t**r.

I haven't read it in detail yet - my commute in the morning is used to fill in the sleep I don't get because I have to commute - but may write more later when I have more time.

Richard

The Times exposures can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/2tn9ug

Worrying.

Barry

Simple solution. Perform only for chavs. They don't read the Times.

I really don't think that these sorts of things are any worry at all. They might give away a few simple secrets but if you perform an effect that's full of techniques that they've read in the times, as long as your performance is good they're never going to link them to the trick they've read and most probabaly already forgotten about.

I've only read the first page (I've yet to buy the Times *shudder*), but am I right in thinking that there's a way of doing the three-cups routine that doesn't involve preparation? (I'm not asking for the secret here, but rather confirmation that there are better ways)

Lord Freddie wrote:Simple solution. Perform only for chavs. They don't read the Times.

I'm not so sure. The Times has gone pretty downmarket of late.

But generally I think the vast majority of non-magicians who read these things will forget what's been exposed soon enough anyway.

Oh and I was almost feeling guilty that I wasn't developing a C***** T**r and was opting instead for an Outlaw Wallet.. I'd be gutted if I spent loads of hours practicing this technique only for someone to go "oh i know this one!" upon my performance.

I've just got the Guardian. My word, that's a lot of information in there.

I agree with LoMster

I don't think that people will be that bothered to read it or even give it a go. As a metal bender, I didn;t even think that something like Liquid Metal would work when I first saw the method on the DVD so I don't think a lay person will be rushing to the cuttlery draw.

Reading a bit of the text from the Times link above, I did think that the way that it was written was a little condescending towards magicians with phrases such as

Have you seen that freak on TV who bends spoons?

My partner just asked me if it's any good. I said "well, it's all stuff from basic text, but at least I now know a) what tricks not to do any more, b) which tricks to differently and c) which tricks to do better".

As Craig has pointed out before, the CT has been exposed many times, even in a book aimed at Boy Scouts (no, I don't think book throwing is one of the badges they can get).

Done with a bit of variation, you can still do a CT and get away with it, but I think you're usually much better off with some other kind of peek.

Just read the guardian article... It includes basic techniques such as overhand shuffle control, DL, glimpsing, various card and coin palms, some basic flourishes and the very well known key card type stuff. Trick wise it covers things like coin through hand, do as I do etc.

All in all it includes a little more info than I would have liked, however nothing beyond beginner level stuff. That said, the inclusion of some simple but fundamental techniques does annoy me - especially as it's being given away free in such an indiscriminate manner.

Ah well, yesterdays news is tomorrow's fish & chips wrapper right? It just means I'll have to learn something mind blowing in order not to get caught out over the festive period.

They've given away the classic and finger coin palms, and Gadabout Coins... the trick I was working on

I'm a bit annoyed about the manner that the Guardian have given this stuff away.

I mean for example, revealling the secret of the cups and balls to the reader who has no interest in performing, but has seen cups and balls and liked it - it just spoils it. This information is (and should be) available to people hwo want it, but it shouldn't be forced on people in this kind of way.

AAArgh! Gadabout coins is one of my favourites. I understand why people might not be bothered by all of this- it encourages us to raise our game, so to speak, but there is an aspect of this level of exposure that really bugs me.
The effects/sleights given in the Guardian don't really make any mention of performance techniques, misdirection etc- it's more about the secrets. This means that while a layperson may not remember every phase of the c+b routine given, they will remember the fundamental secret- something else is is use.
Even if I devised some diabolical method that bypassed this requirement (or did a similar thing for the gadabout coins or ambitious card for example) all it takes is one person to say "yeah, but he's using..." or "yeah, but he's turning over more than..." to diminish any suspension of disbelief, focus the other spectators' attention on whether or not this is the case, and interupt the flow and pace of the routine.
Alternatives? Ditch any routines that the Guardian exposes- but if someone's got these ideas in their head, they might, in all probability, try to attach the methods they know of to any effect they see, leading again to the situation mentioned above.
Sure people may forget about all of this over time, but I believe that fundamental secrets like this are the kind of thing that will stick with people, especially given the sporadic nature of most people's experiences of seeing magic- This kind of 'out of the ordinary'-type experience seems like the ideal thing to jog someone's memory/re-open certain associations.

Or maybe I'm worrying too much, and it will all blow over.

Or maybe I should stop doing magic in the sort of places that attract liberal Guardian reading know-it-all, name-your-child-after-an-item-of-fruit losers.
Sorry, that was a bit much.