Magic Stories

Today’s Inside Magic News – Don’t Be a Sucker.

 

Father of the Pride

Father of the Pride Becoming Cult Fave?  Heather Havrilesky, the outstanding television critic for the online magazine, Salon, said she assumed she would dislike the new computer-generated animated show based on the Hollywood buzz.  She thought the pilot would be a “laugh-free” episode. 

 

Contrary to the opinion of the “cool guys,” she found the show entertaining and funny. “I found it alarmingly good and delightfully weird, particularly the scenes involving Siegfried and Roy running off to 7-Eleven for a Big Gulp. (No, I’m really not kidding.)”  

 

Ms. Havrilesky wouldn’t be much of a television critic without offering some criticism.  She relates her objections with her typical, charming self-deprecating manner:

 

“My only complaint is that the voices of Larry and his wife (played by John Goodman and Cheryl Hines) are so familiar, it’s downright distracting. Plus, am I the only person on the planet who finds each of their voices annoying in its own way? Maybe it’s just because I feel like I’m watching ‘Roseanne’ or ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ every two seconds, or maybe it’s the fact that I didn’t like Goodman’s character on “Roseanne” and really dislike Hines’ character on ‘Curb.’ Or maybe I’m just a big jerk.”

 

You can read Ms. Havrilesky‘s full column by clicking here.

 

 

Finding the Perfect Career

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Father of the Pride

Father of the Pride Becoming Cult Fave?  Heather Havrilesky, the outstanding television critic for the online magazine, Salon, said she assumed she would dislike the new computer-generated animated show based on the Hollywood buzz.  She thought the pilot would be a “laugh-free” episode. 

 

Contrary to the opinion of the “cool guys,” she found the show entertaining and funny. “I found it alarmingly good and delightfully weird, particularly the scenes involving Siegfried and Roy running off to 7-Eleven for a Big Gulp. (No, I’m really not kidding.)”  

 

Ms. Havrilesky wouldn’t be much of a television critic without offering some criticism.  She relates her objections with her typical, charming self-deprecating manner:

 

“My only complaint is that the voices of Larry and his wife (played by John Goodman and Cheryl Hines) are so familiar, it’s downright distracting. Plus, am I the only person on the planet who finds each of their voices annoying in its own way? Maybe it’s just because I feel like I’m watching ‘Roseanne’ or ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ every two seconds, or maybe it’s the fact that I didn’t like Goodman’s character on “Roseanne” and really dislike Hines’ character on ‘Curb.’ Or maybe I’m just a big jerk.”

 

You can read Ms. Havrilesky‘s full column by clicking here.

 

 

Finding the Perfect Career

Career Choice: Butcher, Baker, Magician? There is a great article in the Cape Times today touting “Magician” as a career path.  The benefits of being a full-time professional magician: “a wide range of work opportunities for magicians, but to make a good living you must be flexible, and continually hone your skills and work on new tricks and techniques.” 

 

Is there work out there for the budding magician? “There are plenty of jobs on cruise liners for magicians who are prepared to travel. However, you shouldn’t confuse working on a liner with going on a cruise. It’s hard work, but definitely worthwhile.” 

Training and study are essential elements of the preparation to be a professional magician.   “A diploma issued by the College of Magic is an advantage, but not essential. You can learn from books, DVDs/videos and from other magicians.”  The article points out that Siegfried & Roy were among the students of the College of Magic.

But let’s get to the bottom line.  What does it pay?  “Income varies enormously, depending on the number of clients you have and their requirements. Other variables include the types of performance you are capable of, the number of people in the audience, and whether or not you are prepared to travel.”

If you are considering a career as a magician and would like to learn more about this exciting field, check out the full article here. 

 

Anyone Can Be Duped ? Even Magicians. There is a very interesting article in the July, 2004 “Skeptical Inquirer” discussing the methods and reasons behind being duped.  Robert Carroll, a professor in Sacramento, California and author of Don’t Get Hoaxed! considers some of the great hoaxes to develop his theory that there is “a hoax-prone personality: the person who is trusting and honest; attracted to attractive people; believes the believable and the unbelievable; and lacks a good understanding of confirmation bias and cold-reading techniques.”

Mr. Carroll references the seminal book on its subject, The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading by Ian Rowland, to help identify the hoax-prone personality.  Mr. Rowland participated in a cold reading experiment, convinced his “clients” that he could provide authentic readings and then explained that he had duped them.  The “clients” reactions help define the personality likely to be taken in.

But wait, magicians, with all of our knowledge, were taken in by the classic trick that never was. It was only human gullibility that allowed the myth of the Indian Rope Trick to flourish ? even though we now know it was never performed. 

“According to Peter Lamont, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh and a former president of the Magic Circle in Edinburgh, the Indian Rope Trick was a hoax played by the Chicago Tribune in 1890. Lamont claims the newspaper was trying to increase circulation by publishing this ridiculous story as if there were eyewitnesses to the event. The Tribune admitted the hoax some four months later, expressing some astonishment that so many people believed it was a true story. After all, they reasoned, the byline was ‘Fred S. Ellmore.’ They hadn?t reckoned that their audience, many of whom believe in magicians with miraculous powers, wouldn?t find this story that hard to accept.”

This is a very interesting article and worth your perusal.  Click here to be whisked to Mr. Carroll‘s work.

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