I have been thinking this since last night…... what is MAGIC and what is NOT MAGIC?

I believe that by just using the simplest sleight, one could also bring overwhelming respond depending on how it is presented. It is not necessary to be a complicated routine to obtain the same respond.

Even with no sleight at all, one could also perform MAGIC by using gimmicks, stooge, maths, logic, etc…

So….my question is - when someone is performing a trick using simple sleight, will you mock at him if he does not do well and also simply because you know the sleight and you can perform better than him? Is it right to condemn his is NOT MAGIC? Or should we just tell him in a nicer way that he needs more practice. Give a thought.

Anyway, here is a long joke and I think it is really funny –

David was having a class gathering with his friends when he was asked to perform some magic. David claimed that one of his friends was his ‘money tree’ and he started plucking coins from his friend’s ear, nose, shoulder, etc. This made all his friends laughed and asked ‘You must have hid the coin somewhere in your hand, but how you do that?’ :wub: . David smiled :)

‘This is NOT MAGIC!’ someone shouted :angry: David and his friend looked at the stranger. ‘Let me show you WHAT IS MAGIC’ said the stranger. He showed his right forefinger and demanded a tissue paper from David’s friend. He cleaned it and said ‘You see that my forefinger is clean, nothing on it, and I want you to concentrate on this finger as I am going to vanish and reappear it.’

As he finished his words, half of his forefinger was gone/missing in front of all eyes. Just a blink of eye, it reappeared. Amazingly, at the tip of it, there was something sticking there. The stranger smiled ‘This is MAGIC’ -_-

David and his friends were speechless……. :blink:

Until the waitress complaining from behind ‘Aiya…. What’s so big deal? He did not show us if his nostril is clean or not in the first place, he just show his finger?’ <_<

Stranger stared at her ‘Can you don’t EXPOSE!’ :ph43r:


Happy reading :g: and hope you catch the joke :rolleyes:

Sleights constitute to a routine. A good routine is what entertains your audience. If you can entertain them, it's magic.

Simple sleights are not simple. The mechanics maybe easy but to execute the move without even thinking, almost like 2nd nature, takes lots of honing.

Once again, sleights do not entertain. Neither do gimmicks. A good routine is essentially important but it takes a good magician to make the routine magical. With a proper routine, there is a buildup leading to the climax. Along the way, it may require the employment of various methods but it is how you entertain your auidence that matters most.


Magically yours,
Zhan Rui

Ehhh. dun mind ar.. joke abit lame leh.. :ph43r:

It is different if you friend says, "That magician all of a sudden started pulling coins out of thin air, and all over my friend's body!"

VERSUS

"That magician hid some coins in his hand and started revealing them like pulling them out from thin air. I could not find out where he hid the coins though."

There is no more magic in an act when the audience finds out what you're actually doing, although they themselves cant do it. In this case, they found out that you actually hid coins in your hand..

You can have either sleights or gimmicks or whatever thing you need, but that thing alone is not magical, until it is put into a routine, and something happens (such as a vanish/transpo/change etc), then its magic..

Emsley count is not magic, DL is not magic. But when DL put into an Ambitious Card Routine, or when you turn 1 card face up and then magically turn it faced down again (referring to emsley count), that's magic..

Magic is magic, but does that magic have quality? Is it nice to watch, or boring like my school's principal? Thats another topic, where all the stuffs like presentation and patter etc comes in..

Hmm.. maybe we should just stop dwelling on the subject. As long as we can perform an effect to amaze them, that's magic. I think we shouldn't hinge on technical terms. Just Do It!!

Lawl, donovan, wanna trade principals? =)

But anyway, i feel that magic is something that is impossible to happen, but it did. Different people will have differing view of the word "magic".

To answer your question, it is not right to condemn someone's performance. Perhaps you can pull him aside and advise him. But to interrupt someone's performance is considered rude, if not unethical.

I looked up the dictionary, and it defined magic as "the art of showing tricks that seem impossible to entertain people". So it might be possible say that something is not magical if it does not entertain someone. Hence if you manage to mystify that person, you create a magical atmosphere. Thus it is called "Magic".

Just my 2 cents worth. =P

Aaron

Thanks Aaron..... for putting effort to look up the definition :rolleyes:

Donovan, Muscleaxl and Exohodon, your points are taken note. Thanks again.

Between.... is the joke really that lame..... :wacko: I just can't stop laughing when I imagine half of the finger in the nose :D

Cheers!