talkmagic.co.uk

Although Im just new to magic, I have my own opinions on these kind of TV Shows. Some people say that those "failed magicians" are just ruining the art of magic. However, I sometimes disagree with them. These magicians are also great performers and they might just want to introduce magic to more people. As a 14 year old, that's how i got introduced to magic!

What do u guys think?

There's been a fair amount of talk about this before.

My view is (although it has never happened to me) it would be really annoying if you were performing a trick and someone that took a lot of hard work and a spectator said oh i saw that on TV all he does is turn 2 cards over as one (a good DL takes practice) and the effect is ruined.

People learn how the tricjk is done but not how to do it - thats what annoys me.

I got interested in magic because I saw tricks i couldn't work out.

Unless he is giving away something that I personally do it doesnt matter as when he is giving away those major stage stunts sionce I never do any I do not care.

Its not like they are giving away 'DL' secrets and card tricks are they? So thats probably a bad comparison pitto. Correct me if im wrong thoe

Actually, they are giving away the DL.

I was reffering to exposure shows in general.

If I can't stand anything about those masked magician show it's that stupid voice over guy making stupid comments all the way through. It makes me cringe everytime he says something about the "beautiful" assistants. He sounds like a letcherous old man.

Plus I think it it is very corrosive for magic in general to give too much away. I have endured one of those shows with a layman and all the way through as secrets are revealed all I could hear was him saying " Is that it!?".
I truly think that unless you wish to learn and perform a trick it is best not to know. What would happen if everyone found out how most tricks were done? the entertainment / mysterious quality of this unique art will be lost and that would be a great pity not just for us people who spend time practicing and performing but for the general public too.

I will now remove myself from my soapbox

I completely agree with greedoniz, The method may seem simple but the amount of practice needed is often huge. To perform an effect well is difficult however simple the method seems to be. The layperson does not appreciate this fact when they see an effect just exposed - In short I think these shows are bad for magic.

PS someone said that they don't care if stage illusions are exposed - I think that is an extremely selfish attitude! What if close up tricks were exposed you'd be annoyed if the stage magicians didn't care. Magic though it has different areas is one art form and we should all support each other.

Pitto wrote:...Magic though it has different areas is one art form and we should all support each other...

I think you're right!

I must admit that when this tv-programme was broadcasted here in Holland I watched it. On one hand I wanted to know how those things were done but on the other hand I felt like those explanations should be kept secret.
Anyway, after watching it I felt a bit guilty

greedoniz wrote:...What would happen if everyone found out how most tricks were done? the entertainment / mysterious quality of this unique art will be lost and that would be a great pity not just for us people who spend time practicing and performing but for the general public too...

Yup, all practice and effort to achieve a cool effect is just gone within a couple of minutes.

I guess that masked dude is taking the 'magic' out of magic...

That's absolutely true. Even my friends, when I do some card tricks that Blaine always does, rather than surprised, they sometimes tell me how it was done.

Those shows just tell people who it was done. People just want to know how its done but not really want to perform it. Un less they can guarantee that people who see the show will learn and perfrom the trick, theres no point of messing up the art of magic

I agree with all posted but whats the differance between The masked magicians who reveal all that stuff and people like brad christian who reveal alot too, only differance is its for $$$. Not that im complaining its great you can buy magic online, im all for it, and im not saying people like brad are on the same level as these 'masked magicians' but they are both giving away secrets, with or without permission its still giving them away.

Well, people watch the masked magician for entertainment, for free. However, people who go on ellusionist .com really wants to perform. They buy tricks to perform, not to know the secret. People watching tv shows have nothing to do but watch TV.

A good example of what harm this type of programme does is in the "cigarette ash on hand" effect.
This is perhaps on of the first tricks I ever learnt and for years I got great reactions when I rubbed ash into my hand only for it to be transfered on to the palm of a volunteer.
It was one of those effects where people would ask me to do it again everytime i met them but not anymore. A year or two ago this effect was revealed on the masked magician show and since then there was many an occasion when I started doing this effect only to hear people comment on how they'd seen how it was done on tv.
What used to be one of my favourite tricks to do down the pub has now been consigned to history due completely to the Tv exposure it recieved.

He's just a jerk, let's just not discuss him. He's just not worth it.

takeiteezzy.terry wrote:Well, people watch the masked magician for entertainment, for free. However, people who go on ellusionist .com really wants to perform. They buy tricks to perform, not to know the secret. People watching tv shows have nothing to do but watch TV.

Yeah valid point there mate, either way thoe both are still breaking the code of silence in my opinion. But id be one unhappy chappy if the likes of penguin and ellusionist were not around