talkmagic.co.uk

Dude, that is a great question!!!

I think a passion and flair for magic (or should I say 'the performing art of magic') and dedication are essential parts of a magician.

Without these key ingredients your performances will never truly amaze people.

Spirit X writes: "So according to Noodlesoup , Ed Marlo wasn't a magician !"

Using that same criterion, neither was Vernon, Goshman, and many others.

It's a sad, little world NS lives in!

Eugene Burger a magician and philosopher of magic have introduced the term "generic" magician, which is the kind of stereotype magician the lay person (and many hobbyists) associate with being a magician. They are traditional, and think traditionally. They are concerned that there hands might be too small for palming or some technical slight rather than with the "meaning" of magic. In "Magic and meaning" by Eugene Burger and Robert Neale, the authors point out that many magicians (amateurs as well as professionals) perform magic with little or no understanding of the powerful emotional and symbolic elements that lie inherent but generally unused in their work. Employing a large range of disciplines, literature, anthropology, philosophy, religion, myth and film Eugine and his co-author explore some of the components which rest at the very soul of magic.

For me a magician is a performer who on one level (maybe by pure intuition)
can communicate and bound with the audience on these deeper levels.

Great responses guys

It's interesting to see the diversity of opinions here

I think that many (what we and themselves would call) 'magicians' generally all have their own criteria for the title; all of which I agree with

Personally, I'm more geared towards the 'entertaining an audience' idea, but I think as long as someone truly believes they're a magician then they are one.

As for what makes a 'good' and 'bad' (coloured for my amusement) magician I see as the audience's opinion.

i know that knowing the elmsley count does not make you a magician like so many people on youtube seem to think.

I think a magician is someone who practices magic, but also can perform it - however simple - as afterall half of the trick is the story behind it or the banter that goes with it. If you havent got anyone to perform it to then your not really doing the trick your just going through the motions. and to me that isnt magic: rather its the look on the audiences faces - and thats when the magician can experience the magic too.

On a slight tangent.
Most famous magish's seem to have their own version of Cups and Balls. Its like a right of passage I guess.

Alkhemist writes: "Most famous magish's seem to have their own version of Cups and Balls. Its like a right of passage I guess."

The cups and balls are just a trick, not a "rite of passage."

Houdini claimed that no one could call himself a magician unless he could do the cups and balls. BS In that case, HOUDINI WAS WRONG.

I worked on the cups for month, and eventually had a polished act; then it dawned on me: I didn't even LIKE the damned trick

Calm down.
It wasnt a very serious comment.
And I did say most, not all.