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Here's a little something that I was talking to Queen of Clubs about yesterday. It might not work for everyone but it does seem to for me.

We got chatting about my sponge bunny rountine and wondering why it gets such good reactions. It's exactly the same routine that I used to do with balls but they never got as good a reaction as the bunnies do. I'd never really thought about why that is before in any depth.

But the same is very true with my ACR, I never really performed it all that often but I would everyt now and then. But then I decided to pinch David Regal's idea of the puppy dog. Instead of having a card signed, I have them draw a puppy dog on it and because he's such a good little puppy dog, he always comes to the top of the deck when he hears his owner call. Suddenly the reactions were so much better, same routine just a different presentation.

But why were bunnies getting better reactions than a sponge ball or a puppuy dog card better that a 5 of diamonds? I'm wondering if it's by instead of using a soulless object like a ball, using something that people can relate to almost brings it to life and gives the trick a kind of personality that people can really get into and enjoy.

I don't know but it's certainly how it seems to me. I wonder if anyone else has ever noticed a similar thing or if anyones got any thoughts on this?

I think the puppy dog and bunny idea fit into you well being female, and wouldnt neccessarily suit all performers.

However, psychologically-this has the same power as a mental performance: from what your getting at people are emotionally drawn in when having mentalism performed on them (as im sure more experienced memebers than me can verify).

This same way is true for the animal routines. Plus its also something a bit different; as everyone signs cards, but a nice drawing makes people sit up and pay attention a bit more.

A bit like a Unique Selling Point...Just my thoughts!

I don't think this is necessarily tied to gender. It reminds me of something Kenton Knepper talks about in 'Wonder Words'. We associate certain behaviour with certain things.

Fire is red, so if you wanted to produce a puff of flame from a silk, a red one makes more sense than a green hanky.

Bunnies multiply.

Dogs come when you call them (I can foresee an Innuendo Bingo quote there).

One possible reason for why you get better reactions is that the routine now makes sense to people. Balls bounce (blimey, another IB posting coming up), sponge squishes. There's nothing to suggest they should multiply, other than the fact that the magician makes them.

A playing card is just a bit of cardboard with some printing on it. One way to get spectators involved is to have them sign the card (it also shows you don't use a duplicate), but I am not sure this really makes the ACR effect any more logical or meaningful.

On another level, yes the tricks now stand out a bit more and are cuter, but there's something that tells me it's the logic/meaning that gets you better reactions.

(That something has the initials KK.)

Lady of Mystery wrote:I wonder if anyone else has ever noticed a similar thing or if anyones got any thoughts on this?

It's called anthropomorphism and it's as hard to shake as it is powerful.

That's very very good point there Part-Timer, I hadn't thought about it from that angle before. Giving your magic a purpose and making it logical is also something that henning nelms talks about in his book.

It's the reasoning which keeps Andrex selling loo rolls by showing vids of cute little yellow labrador puppies. Othe maufacturers have tried using cats, babies and even rabbits at one time but nothing works as well as ickle wickle doggies.

You've definately got to give your magic personality, as otherwise you are (In laymans eyes) simply another magician with a 'deck of cards'

You've got to inject personality or make the spec believe in something other than simply the 2 of diamods, it must be personal to them, make them want to be part of the magic.

The spec might have seen the same trick performed by someone else before, but by personalising for the spec or making it some thing other than 'oh a magic trick', the spectator will love it and will gurantee go off and tell everybody about it. 9 times out of ten it will be completely different to what occurred mind you, but thats a different thread all together!

I've had people ask can they keep their card even when I've pulled it out of my shoe, and then place it in their purse so very carefully as if its going to break! This is because the spec believes something very special has just happened and this is the proof, and not just a boring old paste board!

I totally agree with Lommy (and the rest). I always perfer to use the picture cards in effects, too, because they have more of a suggested personality - talking about the King and Queen of Hearts you could comfortably refer to them as "he and she" where as if you did that with the Two of Diamonds people would look at you strangely.

There are several layers to this all the above is correct. whenever you can connect on a personal level to your audience your reactions are going to be stronger. A dog is more personal then a card so much easier to associate with and it makes sense. It actually seems to tell the audience something about yourself. Second you have given the trick more meaning for yourself. You have changed it into something a lot more tangable to you and that will show in the performance.

It will grab greater attention. 'Watch your card will rise to the top" or whatever your patter may be. It sounds like a magic effect that you have learned practiced and that is all there is. Calling a dog shows character, your character it is bound to make your audience smile. That is a positive. Again refer to Kenton Knepper the more you make a person say 'yes' the more positive your effect, reading or whatever is going to be. A smile is exactly the same. I don't think gender has a lot to do with it, your personality does.

Jiffy coin trick, that silly 3.00 effect where a signed coin ends up in a tiny bag that is closed with elastics then a metal tin sealed around the bag and all is inside a larger tin. Both tins have oodles of elastics wrapped around them. I've sold hundreds of this little effect. But it only had a huge impact when some guy walked into the store and he was wearing a Star Trek pin. On the spot I did the effect as I alway did only this time the coin was Capitan Kirk, my fist was the Enterprise and the tins were the planet. Customer signs the coin which goes into the ship. Mr. Scott then beams the captain into the planets surface, (as the top of the planet is too hot and they live in caves). The reaction was amazing. I've done it that way ever since. It is no longer just a coin going to an impossible location. Now the audience can be nostaligic. I've given everything a reason. I'm telling a story that they can identify with.

In your dog Ambitious card you can try, just to see what happens to weave the story around your lost dog, or your dog that keeps running off. He ends up on the bottom of the deck the top of the deck, reversed in the deck, sometimes ends up back in his dog house, (card case) sometimes ends up at the neighbours house, (card under glass). Most people can connect with lost or disobedient dogs.

You've raised a good point. However, I think that the better audience reaction is probably in reflection of your own change in character due to the introduction of the puppy, rather than the puppy itself being the focus of attention (or affection in this case).

I believe that props are only dressing for effects - the fact that they are balls or bunnies is irrelevant. The bunnies don't really look look like bunnies do they, but what does seem real is the performer's change in mood and behaviour towards the sponge. The performer's reaction to the props makes them seem real to the spectators, it's not the props themselves.

It is true that cards are uninspiring. The values of cards mean very little to spectators. They know there are 52 of them and they are mixed up and that is all that matters in terms of cards. It's not untill you relate an object to the spectator that they become interested. You tell them it's a cute dog, get them to sign a card or whatever - either way it's connecting with them on a personal level. Relating a regular object to their ideas about cute dogs or putting a signature on a card gives the feeling of ownership and familiarity over the object.

I think this is what makes most good prop tricks powerful.


I think it's really about familiarity. You know when comedians do that think when they make a medioker joke but later they recal that joke and the laugh is huge. It was as if the audience was made familiar with something, then the comedian seems to connect with them on a very personal level with that thing. It seems funnier because they feel attached to the idea initially proposed. They are familiar with it so it's funny.

Sorry I rambled but I think it could probably make sense

Has no-one else experienced how hard it actually is to draw a puppy dog?!! Ive had a good few attempts just now and 2 look like cars and one looks like somehting out of Monsters Inc.! Oh dear!