Sunday, August 2, 2009

Sunday Post Follow Up



Wow, I mean, wow. I got 32 emails, each thanking me for what I wrote about Shawn Farquhar. I am overwhelmed. It is interesting how a few words of honest despise are so well received. The picture above was send to me by one of them, telling me, that it might be useful for this blog. Well yeah, why not.

But I do wanna end on a reconciling note. So here are a few tips for Shawn Farquhar to better himself.

1. Stop name dropping! Nobody cares who you met and where you have been. Name dropping is a practice for losers who have trouble with their own significance in their lives.
2. Do not brag with prizes, that you have won, that are older than two years! It is ok, to have won a prize. It shows that the committee which awarded the prize thinks you are the best. The truth might be different though. So it is ok, to brag a bit. But no longer than two years. That is the magic time frame that discerns a real winner from a showoff.
3. Face the fact, that your skill is not superior! It is just ok, and there is lot's of room for improvement.
4. Check your sources! Whenever you claim to have come up with something chances are good, you did not. And I am not talking about reinventing the wheel. Often we see something, and forget about it. Years later we come up with an idea, based off that old idea that is not ours to begin with. But it seems like it. So we claim to have come up with it.
5. Stop grinning! Not only does it make you look like the Grinch who Stole Christmas, no it makes you look arrogant.
6. Be modest!

So Shawn, enjoy your FISM-award. But only for two years. Max!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Great article. Finally somebody has the BALLS to say what the rest of the magic world is thinking. I'm getting peeved off at magicians sucking up to this guy on the internet. He hasn't created ANYTHING original and I feel badly for Russ Stevens. I've seen them both work live and Farquhar doesn't hold a candle to Russ.

Magic has way to many egos in it and Farquhar has one of the worst in the business. He actually has on his VBLOGS that the audience wasn't good on his little ships because they didn't give him a standing ovation. Perhaps it's because he doesn't actually deserve one.

Come on magic world - wake up and let's all get real.

Roland said...

Now that you mention his Vblogs. Yeah I looked at a few of those. But I could not get myself to watch all of them to find the worst. And I guess you will not go through them to find that particular one you are referring to. And I am with you.

Unknown said...

In one of his latest Vlogs he compared FISM to the Olympics. If this is the case Mr. Farquhar then your medal should be taken away from you!! In the Olympics, after a person has won gold and found cheating ( or in your case taking somebody elses idea and claiming it as your own) that award is taken away.

Come on FISM - step up to the plate. By letting somebody get away with this type of thing is not acceptable and sending the wrong message to the magic community.

HOW TO WIN FISM: take somebody elses idea and claim it as your own!!

Magic Unlimited said...

Hmmm... Where are all the comments of support? Two written by yourself and another from a guy saying he didn't like the vblogs.

This post, and the Ali Bongo one, just show that you're the one desperate for attention. This is the last you'll get from me.

And by the way, Shawn won a PRIZE not a PRICE.

Roland said...

Tim, to bad this is the last I hear of you. '

1. Yes I am desperate for attention, that is why I became a magician and not an accountant.
2. I receive emails. Usually one or two each day, nominating someone as WMF. But this time I got 32. That is a big deal to me. Obviously I hit a nerve.
3. English is not my first language and I really didn't know that there was a difference between price and prize, as they sound the same. Anyway I fixed it, thank you for pointing it out.
4. And your "screw you guys I'm going home"-argument to quote Eric Cartman is really weak attempt at an honest discussion, which I am willing to participate in.
5. I am willing to reconsider my opinion if you give me valid arguments, aside from "you're the one desperate for attention."
6. About the Ali Cooper thing: I do have a cruel and dark sense of humor. If you read this blog a bit, you will note, that my "funny" is a bit dry. But I assume some will like it. And just because someone is dead it doesn't mean you cannot make fun of him.

So, do I need comments of support? No. (I got emails)
Am I desperate for attention?
Absolutely (so do you, as your prizes show)
Is this the last we hear of you?
(I hope not, as I am not as mean spirited as I make myself out to be) You can actually talk to me. So far I answered every email and I am willing to put my biased opinion aside and just talk "magic".

mmG Roland