Thursday, July 2, 2009

Ranting And Raving


This is something that really annoys me in magic. The cheapest effect is done and still the magician raises his arms to get applause. 

One example. Cups and Balls. Usually the first phase. Three cups and three balls on top. Each ball is vanished and all three cups are lifted to reveal the balls underneath. Then the magician stops the show to get his applause.

For what? This is a small effect. It hardly deserves any applause. Maybe a chuckle. But most magicians treat it as if they made a dead person walk again. Are they so desperate for praise that they need the applause? Is their self esteem that low? Well in most cases... the answer is yes.

I hate that. Screw that. In a cups and balls routine only the final loads deserve applause as well as the routine as a whole. There are so many phases, imagine each tiny bit gets it's own round of applause. Annoying. Then again, do not imagine that.

If the audience claps enthusiastically by itself, so let them, but if you have to beg for it. Then you are not worth it.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope you don't mind my applauding your post. When I worked as a circus clown we used to follow an aerialist who would raise his arms for applause over 30 times in 3½ minutes. We made a game of counting them while we waited to go on.

Roland said...

Well thank you. It helps me to know that I am not alone with my opinion.

KiKeNiCo said...

And that happens because of a bad construction of the routine: all flat and we HAVE TO ask for feedback: add a little intensity curve with measured peeks, and all will come along...

Roland said...

hmm, interesting approach. The need for feedback.