Tags
best magic show, best magician, birthday party, entertainment, Filipino magician, illusion, IMC, Inner Magical Club, Leodini, parties, Pinoy, Pinoy magician
I’m tired of the importuning of TV networks.
Just last month, a highly rated TV program rang me up and asked me if I was interested to wear a mask and expose magic secrets (see A TV Program Wants Me to Wear a Mask and Expose Tricks).
When I declined, they reportedly went around the magic community offering sums of money to magicians willing to do a Judas act.
The show did not air, so probably no magician in the Philippines took the bait.
Today, my good friend and fellow magician Kent Estrada called me on the phone. He sounded distressed, and he said he was.
A TV network (not the same one that called me but a rival) called him, offering to feature him in an upcoming program. They wanted him to play the role of the Masked Magician and expose magic tricks.
Kent was not only distressed. He also felt insulted.
He was angry. He was dismayed.
These are all the correct emotional responses if you are a magician who loves his art and is asked to betray it.
Alas, not many magicians love the art that much. I dread the day when an out-of-work magician will take the offer. For a measly sum, he will agree to expose magic on national TV for people to jeer at and heap their disdain on.
Well, as I said earlier, I’m tired of these offers from TV networks. Why would they expose magic tricks? Is their a viewership for magic exposures? The concept of exposing magic secrets has been done already—to death, by the Masked Magician himself. The reruns still continue to this date. Not contented with the reruns, the producers even came out with sequels to the first exposures.
Aren’t these exposures enough?
Well, it doesn’t have to come to this. If the tricks rather than their presentations as magical effects have become important to the viewing public, then maybe we magicians are partly to blame for this sorry state of the art. We have whetted people’s curiosity. Instead of entertaining them, we challenge them with puzzles and impossibilities.
Our magic has become like luxury watches. People don’t look at their faces to know the time. They want to open them and see the gears inside to understand why the watches tick.
Well, if we present our magic as puzzles and challenges instead of entertainment, we can’t blame people (and TV networks) to want to peep behind the curtain and see what’s going on backstage.
Now they want to hire a Masked Magician to open the curtain for them…
If the exposure program eventually airs because some out-of-luck performer gets blinded by the money, just remember this: it is not the fault of the TV network that one of us betrays our art. The network has no sacred duty to protect magic secrets. That duty rests upon us—on our shoulder and in our heart, mind and conscience.
Having said that, I must stump my foot and declare enough already to the fixation on magic tricks. To the giant networks, I will agree to wear a mask and do the exposures you want on national television. Provided, however, you meet the following conditions:
One, the amount you will pay me is huge enough to give me a comfortable retirement. That way I can hie off to a beautiful island and loll on some white beaches all day without worrying where my next meal will come from. By asking me to be part of your exposure program, you are asking me to end my career. I will do that only if you take care of my retirement.
Two, give me security protection tighter than the one they are giving at the Witness Protection Program. Filipinos are an unpredictable lot. While many are amiable performers, they don’t look kindly at snitches. I surely can’t stand the dagger looks and profanity. Not to mention their saliva when they spit at me.
Three, the mask I will wear should look like him. This mask is not difficult to make, because I already resemble him closely.
Four, I must be given full creative control in my exposures. My exposure pose should look as nearly like this as possible.
There. Take it or leave it.
Stay magical,
Leodini
kent oliver estrada said:
well done MR. LEODINI i agree with you .thanks for posting this. i can’t stand what the t.v. networks wants. i hope the other magicians can understand the true meaning of the ART of Magic by not exposing it.. all of us knows that magic is only for entertainment. but i hope the t.v producer’s understand as well that this is the career of the magician’s . they have to respect our own right’s as well not to expose the art of magic for entertainment….
i really felt insulted for their offer.masyado nila binababa ang kalidad ng isang tunay na mahikero at heart not only in performance. hope all of us magician’s will protect the code of ethics.
stay magical..
LikeLike
Raul said:
That frustrates me that they would ask you to do that! I don’t want to know how the Magic is done…that is why it is so interesting to watch. They already screwed things up when they had the first Magic Secrets Revealed. It’s one of those things where you don’t want to watch, but you can’t help yourself. I hope nobody gives in to the TV networks! I have so much respect for magicians because magic is something that takes years to master. Right now you will see me disappear from this page…3…2…
http://www.wutevs.wordpress.com
LikeLike
The Great Mama Experiment said:
Well said.
LikeLike
onsundaymorning said:
This exact show appeared on American TV many, many years ago. Needless to say there was a huge uproar due to some every large and impressive tricks being revealed.
LikeLike
Jon said:
I think he’s going to get killed one of this days because of what he is doing
LikeLike
Noor said:
Stay Magical!
-Noor
http://noor724.wordpress.com/
🙂
LikeLike
TheIntentionalSage said:
Thank you for presenting this perspective on the exposure of magic tricks. When I was younger and the were airing these specials on TV, I was all over it! I loved a good mystery/challenge and that’s what it seemed like it was when they were presenting them on the TV.
However, I never considered the way it was affecting magicians. It was, for all intents and purposes, putting them out of work. Thanks again for this refreshing viewpoint.
With Love and Gratitude,
The Intentional Sage
LikeLike
Olivia said:
Very well put and rightly so..
Isn’t Magic too an intense form of art? How could someone talk of shortcut. Apparently the TV channels too know how correct they maybe.. Or else why put a mask to unveil..?
Secrets- what secrets? It’s not only one career. That would be like murdering the whole concept of magic, an art, tradition and everyone else’s work and creativity..
And, why not? If mask is what is must, then why not pose as a Cupid??
LikeLike
bmj2k said:
I don’t know. Penn and Teller do a great job exposing some of the pretension of the magic industry and are more entertaining than some guy on the street pretending to have mystical powers.
LikeLike
lawyergal said:
I bet as magicians, you know the all too familiar “how’d you do that?” reponse. Isn’t this part of human nature; that we are inherently curious creatures? It just means the more that is exposed, the more cutting edge you’ll have to become.
LikeLike
thejamminjabber said:
They should get that douche Chris Angel to do it! He was at my mom’s wedding!
http://thejamminjabber.com/2007/06/08/top-10-reasons-why-criss-angel-is-a-douche/
LikeLike
michaeleriksson said:
I have seen a fair amount of magic over the years and, if we go by my experiences, this is a case of too much “same old, same old”:
The first magic I saw as a child was, well, “magic” is the word I would have used had that not already been the topic… Since then, every repetition or variation of a trick reduced the enjoyment (and, when push comes to shove, the tricks most magicians use are variations on the same themes).
Meanwhile, magicians tried to do more and more spectacular variations and tried to compensate by other means (personality, performance, whatnot). (Notably, with televised magic, each individual magician had to compete not only with the other circus or the show across town, but with a regular stream of big names appearing in the living rooms.)
These methods, however, can only help so far, and after some point they are not enough—and yet other means to keep the interest of the (adult) audience have to be found: There is only so much room for funny magicians, charismatic magicians, whatnot; and new tricks and truly original takes on old tricks only give a temporary respit. Explaining the tricks is (was?) a novelty which brought a new aspect and, as such, opened a new way of reaching a more adult audience. (Indeed, when I have seen magic after my mid teens, the majority of the entertainment for me was merely trying to figure out how the trick was done—even before the revelations started to become public).
Now, I do understand that this is an unfortunate development from the magicians’ POV—an art risking destruction. However, the alternative might very well be pure children’s entertainment. The devil and the deep-blue sea.
(As an aside, seeing that the entertainment value has already been displaced from the magic, it self, to personality and flashiness, it may actually make no major difference to the average audience if the tricks are known or not.)
LikeLike
martinsoler said:
Funny, I just saw that TV program last night in France on a second rate channel. I was thinking, the only reason the guy is masked is because Magicians from around the world would be chasing him. On top of it plenty of the things they showed are just so technical and require such complex equipment it becomes boring.
LikeLike
mya521albea said:
i love learning new tricks well i actually never actually did a trick before but i think it would be fun if did!!!
LikeLike
Donnie said:
Great post, sir!
You know how capitalism is. More and more, we see the truth that the love of money is the root of all evil. No surprise you’d be asked to pull a Benedict Arnold on your profession.
There’s always viewership when secrets are being uncovered. It’s a part of human psychology. Secrets fascinate us (pardon the pun).
I think it’s related to the reason we love magic. There’s something hidden going on…
Thanks for sharing, and for your dedication to your craft.
LikeLike
sarahnsh said:
Magic is there to make people feel like kids again and believe in the impossible. I always try to figure out how the trick was done, made, how they tricked me, but I do really like it when I can’t figure it out and I’m just left with a sense of, “wow” with a really great magic trick. I’d rather not watch how each one is done, I’d try to figure it out on my own.
LikeLike
reen said:
Very understandable conditions, Mr. Leodini, but personally… I hope they are never met.
Magic just isn’t magic fromt the other side of the curtain.
Here’s hoping magic stays magical, forever.
LikeLike
Redge said:
It wouldn’t be magic without the mystery. Well stated!
LikeLike
jomz said:
The mystery of magic is part of the entertainment. Exposing them will take the fun out of it…
I also hope that no one takes those network’s offer. It’d be a shame.
LikeLike
Sarah said:
BRAAAvo Mr. Leodini! A well written and well worded post! I applaud your intent, sincerity and humor! Especiallythe humor part because after all, what are we without being able to laugh at ourselves (and others).
Sarah
moonmooring.wordpress.com
LikeLike
shenanitims said:
I’m agreeing with bmj2k, Penn and Teller have done a fine job in this area along with James Randi and William Poundstone. Competition breeds better art. Old tricks get exposed? Then it’s time to create some new tricks; instead of just variations on what we’ve seen before. If I have to watch one more “magician” on TV do the levitation trick one more time…
LikeLike
Neal Skorpen said:
Hooray! Why do people feel they have to know the secret explanations? What kind of cynical soulless jerk can’t enjoy a little mystery in life?
LikeLike
The Alchemist said:
Everyone knows Magic is not cheating; it is when the mind fails to perceive reason.
And some things are best left as they are, like for instance magic… there must be some “magic” left in life for life to be fascinating 🙂
Congrats on being freshly pressed!!!
http://myworldrevolvesaroundyou.wordpress.com/about/
LikeLike
annket said:
well done MR. LEODINI i agree with you .
LikeLike
Don Jacks said:
It’s nice to know that most magicians are still into keeping secrets…..ummmmm secret! And yes, magicians around the world would be chasing the guys giving the secets away, that’s the reason for the mask!!!
Keep up the great work!
LikeLike
NuttyMama said:
I refuse to watch magic tricks being exposed for their secrets. There is so little magic in life.
“What do you mean no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny.. you are the Tooth Fairy too?”
Real magic is all that is left from the childhood feeling of pure amazement and wonder.
When you take away the veil and expose the secrets to the trick.. it takes away so much more.
I will forever be happy to sit back and be amazed. Keep the secrets and there will always be a crowd to be amazed. Just ask my kids who are still stunned when my husband does the simple thumb trick.
LikeLike
Mike Clayton said:
You can’t blame the viewers for wanting to know how th tricks are donne, and you can’t blame the networks for wanting to put on the shows. But it is reprehensible that a magician has so little self respect that they are prepared to betray the people that taught her or him, and the time she or he put into learning the arts. You and your friend are right to reject the offers. If all magicians had that level of integrity, the networks would be forced to show unmasked magicians performing their magic as an entertainment – well, that would be something!
LikeLike
muhammadfauzan93 said:
oohh nice magic, i like it..hahaha
LikeLike
ashKool said:
“The Alchemist” above, stole my words.
It is really so sad to see people taking fun (and not to mention raking in loads of money) in exposing an art that has been passed down and improvised for generations. Why would someone even want to watch a show that spoils the magic tricks they have been mesmerized with. I mean, I have seen a trick or two The Masked Man show, but it’s not like I am gonna perform them myself on stage for someone. It is just that I will be less mesmerized to see that trick in a real magic show I see in future. Which is a waste of time for both me, and the magician. He performed his precious art to an ‘artard’ who takes pleasure in not being floored by the magic, but in spoiling the fun of those around him by telling how their minds failed to their eyes… 😦
Truly a deserving “Freshly Pressed” read.
Sorry about your plight, though.
LikeLike
Tony said:
This show has been on TV here in Tasmania lately. I refuse to watch it because magicians fascinate me with their amazingly incredible tricks. Knowing how it’s done just takes away the mystery & intrigue of not knowing how they do these incredible tricks, then it will be no longer enjoyable & entertaining
LikeLike