Everybody Likes Magic

Wanna See a Magic Trick?

We’ve all done it. You walk up to a table or someone in the “streets” or your friends/family and asked the . . . ahem . . . magic question, “Do you wanna see a magic trick?” Somewhere along the way, it’s changed from us asking to others asking. You’ve heard it: “You’re a magician; show me a trick.” Eventually, many of us have become annoyed by such a question. What happened? What changed? Why did we stop asking the question? Why do we hate being asked the question?

If you’re like most people – and most people are – you, very likely have been rejected with your humble question. It goes something like this:

Magician: Do you wanna see a magic trick?

Spectator: No. I don’t like magic.

Or maybe, “I hate magic”, “magic annoys me”, “magic frustrates me”, “it makes me feel stupid.”

They may not say these things out loud, but they think them, and their face, demeanor and response speak them loud and clear. Maybe their last encounter with a magician was crap. Maybe they got insulted by the magician who thinks of himself of clever and witty, when in reality he’s just an insulting idiot with a deck of cards.

Root:

Let’s Remember Our Roots. The Root: Everybody loves magic. It’s usually the magician they hate, or the trick, but not magic. A trick is a means to an end. The “end” is magic . . . a feeling. It’s a feeling that everyone loves. The problem is that most people don’t allow themselves to get there. They never make it to the moment. The reason they don’t make it to the moment is because of decades of bad magicians, stock patter lines, and insults.

I say the root is “Everybody loves magic,” but I should say, “Respect your audience.” We’ll save that for the branch, here in a moment. Believe me, when people are caught off guard and feel that moment, they really feel it, and they love it. Magic feels good. A beach sunset feels good. Love at first sight feels good. Being a parent feels good. These things are all magical things. Granted, they’re not the same level of magic, but they’re all magic nonetheless. The only one we really have control over is the “trick” that we do.

The only way that “trick” matters is if we give it meaning.

Branch:

Let’s Build Our Branches. Your Challenge: Respect your audience. Respect them enough to have practiced your material before you show it. Respect them enough to not insult them. Respect them enough to put effort into your presentation. More magic is lost (i.e., the feeling of magic is lost) due to mediocre magicians, poorly performed presentations and stock patter lines than all the Masked Magicians in the world.

Take the time to really focus on every effect in your repertoire. Does it have context, meaning, feeling, purpose, etc.? Or is it just you mumbling your way through the mechanics of a “trick” like a trained monkey? Yes, folks, these are harsh words, but they apply to all of us, including me. Take the time to examine your magic and give it some meaning. When you do, you will have shown your audience that you truly respect them and care about them, and you will allow them to feel a feeling that they’ve not let themselves feel in a long time: magic. Everybody loves magic.

Now go study the classics and go discover your true magical self.

Footnote:

Here’s a list of recommended reading to get you thinking about your magic:

respect-your-audience