WMF That Cigarette in the Wrong Context

There are places for cigarette magic. Nowadays those places get more and more outlawed and socially unacceptable. What was okay 20 years ago could be totally not okay today. Case in point Lance Burton and part of his bird act. Does he still do it? If so, does he still drop the cigarette and crush it with his shoe? That is such a disgusting habit. Imagine someone does this in your living room. Right on the wooden floor. A dirty ash stain. This was never cool. Yet there seems to be no problem doing it on stage. Watch: 1:47, 2:44 and 3:25...



I do get why Lance wanted his smoke... it adds a mystery. And after all: Magicians are all about Smoke and Mirrors. Well how about magic solution to where the smoke comes from? Just saying!

Another example is Argentine magician Mirko Callaci. He is doing cigarette magic in a kids show:



Really? Really? I ranted about this before. His act is beautiful, aside from the smoking. I love how he produced a flower from the cigarette smoke and smells on it, pretending it smells like a flower. It doesn't work. It takes me out of the magic.

Again, it doesn't mean, that there is no place for cigarette magic. But you need the proper context. Barry and Stuart have a great little routine. Or even David Stone.

Cigarette magic is not dead, but in the wrong context it certainly is a failure. In the 80's everyone smoked. And that was okay. It's not okay anymore. I know there is the tendency of magicians not going with the time. But if you want a timeless act, take out the cigarettes.