Stereotypes

[aznofspades]

What stereotypes do we face as magicians? (both positive and negative)

How do you rebel against them/ use them to your advantage?

ex: Most layman have a slight idea about misdirection, to the extent of, when you're talking to them, you're doing something secret.

So I give them the deck to shuffle and I'm like:

Now let me tell you something about magic. Usually when a magician is telling you a story, you think that he's just bsing you to distract you and do a secret move. But I don't do that. And even if I did, I couldn't do it now, cuz you have all of the cards in YOUR hand. So you can listen to my story. YEA! ...

 

[AceHoudin]

the only stereotype i encounter is this
Can you dissapear?!

 

[louis]

some people think i don't have a social life..
and that my cards are my only friends and that i'm dating the queen of hearts..

so i say:
thats all fake the queen of hearts is dating the kings of spade..

 

[MagicShadow9]

I get comments like:

"Hey can you many this levitate/disappear/ float across the room?"

"Dude he's the next David Blaine"

"Can you pull a rabbit out of my hat?"

 

[jok3r]

I get comments like:

"Hey can you many this levitate/disappear/ float across the room?"

"Dude he's the next David Blaine"

"Can you pull a rabbit out of my hat?"

thats pretty much what i get all the time.

The david blaine comment is like clock work, everyone always says something about DB

 

[CaseyC]

Negative: the whole rabbit/suit and tie/magic wand thing

Positive: They assume I can do amazing things

 

[Cardistry77]

they call me jesus, and david blaine.... but as for hecklors and laymen, they say things like--if your so goood... dissapear, or levitate... or something to that concept

 

[Italian Majik]

Everyone always wants me to levitate :[
And i get called criss angel and David Blaine on a daily basis

 

[Jv]

Hi- Negative:"Hey can you many this levitate/disappear/."
" If you can do real magic, do the trick again"

Positive:"This must be the work of the devil"
" This is more than magic, this must be real"

Most of these comments come from different people.

-KOS07

 

[lunatic core]

I ran into some issues with "Magic is for kids" type stuff recently. The comment that bugged me was "It's not like I am some little kid you are supposed to keep secrets from".

 

[aznofspades]

To these kinda smart @$$ one liners, I either have an equally sarcastic one liner or an actual honest moment where I kinda myth-bust the stereotype.

AceHoudin: How do you respond?

"Sorry I'm all out of smoke bombs."

Louis: fitting to snatch the queen? lol

MagicShadow9:
"Nah I'm scared of heights (look down at feet) Oh SH!T I'm far up"
or
"Nah that's David Blaine's thing, I'm trying to be different. I don't just wanna be a copy of a copy of a copy... (Fight Club referenc1!)

When he's busking Jimmy Talksalot says something like "This is my magic hat. You know how I know it's magic? I hold it out and ask for a tip and everyone disappears!"

jok3r: How do you respond? Do you see it as a compliment?

CardClip928:

How do you dress when you perform?
If you wear short sleeves draw attention to that.

Cardistry and Italian Majik:
How do you respond to these questions?

King of Spades:
"work of the devil" is a compliment to you? lol
I'm talking about misconceptions that spectator's have about magician's not just what they say.

Lunatic Core:

"It's not like I am some little kid who's dumb enough to be guilted into telling you the secret"

If they want to learn how it's done, I'd just tell them about a local magic shop or tell them to get Mark Wilson's Course.

Keep em coming?
Can you guys also post the how you respond part?

 

[The Tumbleweed]

so i say:
thats all fake the queen of hearts is dating the kings of spade..

Just as long as I get the queen of spades. Yea boi!!!

 

[praetoritevong]

As a sidenote, azn, I think it's an interesting example in the debate of "You should never talk about possible methods in your patter" - which I happen not to agree with, in the right circumstance.

But anyway. Stereotypes.. Umm.




"You should go work in a casino and be a blackjack dealer!"

-I just laugh at this one. Truth is I'd be much more comfortable on the other side of the felt.




"Can you make my wife disappear?" (I need to call David Stone about this one)

-I could, but then I'd have to kiss her. (I don't really say that by the way )




"Do you train your fingers to be very fast?"

-This is actually a genuine one that I believe can be used to your advantage. I once saw a magician who had a crowd raving during a gambling demonstration. The crowd was literally pulling complete strangers on the street, telling them how magically he was invisibly dealing seconds, bottoms, and centres. He entertained everyone with his superhuman agility, versatile dexterity and consummate skill.




He was performing a self-working effect.

 

[MagicShadow9]

MagicShadow9:
"Nah I'm scared of heights (look down at feet) Oh SH!T I'm far up"
or
"Nah that's David Blaine's thing, I'm trying to be different. I don't just wanna be a copy of a copy of a copy... (Fight Club referenc1!)

When he's busking Jimmy Talksalot says something like "This is my magic hat. You know how I know it's magic? I hold it out and ask for a tip and everyone disappears!"

Haha those are awesome. Hey, do you have one liners for things like:

"Can you do that again?"

"How did you do that?"

"It was up your sleeve!"

 

[aznofspades]

Tumbleweed:
NICE!
lol just got an idea
What if you said that after doing like a coin under watch trick?
What time is it? FLAVOR FLAV!! YEA BOI!

Praetoritevong:
misdirection is a concept that most people can intuit
I remember asking my mom about magic when I was a kid and getting the response:

When he's waving one hand, he's doing something with the other one.

How does this argument apply to obviously bs tongue in cheek methods?

By telling them about misdirection, and disregarding it, I think I'm setting them up to not suspect it. Something I sometimes say, when I'm joking around and it's not for misdirection:

"NO! WATCH MY HANDS OR YOU'RE GONNA SAY THAT I JUST DID SOMETHING WHEN YOU WERE LAUGHING AT MY DUMB JOKE!"

Blackjack dealer: I'd say something about counting cards or 21 or just use that to intro my 3 Card Monte routine.

I don't get the wife one that much. Lee Asher says he says something like "I need all the audience I can get" which sounds like a good one. Or joking hit on the wife. haha

Great story about self-workers. I love DO AS I DO/ Invisible Deck!!
All it takes is the balls to present it with confidence and maybe a false shuffle to throw off the one's that think it's just a set up.
That guy was smart, letting the other spectator's hype him up.

"Yea, I quit playing piano to do card tricks" (true story)

MagicShadow9

I do tricks that have a little bit of repetition, ACR, Chicago Opener, cuz due to my personality people sometimes think I just made them look away at the right (wrong?) moment.
So if I was planning to repeat I'd say: Sure, just because it's you.

Sankey has some good advice that you try to make each phase strong enough to end on. I follow this in all my tricks, except for where there's a gag phase. L

Cuz I'm a nin nin ja! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xeje_pp_NyA
Sorry I can't tell you, I like to feel special.
Yaah trick yaah?!

Sleeves:
I normally perform with short sleeves or with them rolled up and I draw attention to that by showing off my amazing muscles lol
"Look if you want me to perform naked just ask?"
Or take off your shirt and let them check and then I'd go into a trick where I use the shirt (King Solomon's Drink)

 

[Randy]

"Can you make my wife disappear?"

"That's what Divorce Lawyers are for."-me

 

[7uPyOuRs]

Common stereotypes:
It's in your sleeve
I know how you did that (even though the have no clue)
And the pull the rabbit out of hat is the look for magicians
And my friends say I should be a dealer at a casino

 

[voe]

My favorite ever is when people tell me they know how I did something. I ask them what it was and they either reply...

"sleight of hand"
or
"it was a trick"

 

[aznofspades]

Randy:

that's a good one haha

7upyours:

"I know how you did that!"
ME TOO HIGH 5!

IDK does anyone have a really clever response to the rabbit out the hat thing?

I was trying to learn to turf with a hat anyways.

The dealer thing: go into a gambling routine or say "But then I couldn't rip off people."

voe:

"sleight of hand"- HELL YEA! It was still awesome though wasn't it? HIGH 5 OF HAND!

"it was a trick" Yaah trick yaah.

Please keep submitting stuff.
With each oneliner, we chip away at the old stereotype and help form the NEW stereotype. But unlike the old one, the NEW one we are actively contributing too.

Plus it helps you think on your feet.