Does Darren Brown cheat ;-)

Inari

I find it weird that people are talking about trickery in terms of deceit...it's a fine line drawn in sand.

Stooges, gaffed/gimmicked objects etc...it's all means to an end for tricks. Yes, performing tricks with every day objects and not needing stooges or anything IS more impressive, it doesn't change the fact that all of it is trickery.

There are two people watching these shows - magicians and hobbyists, and regular joe soaps. The former judge and critique, the latter let it wash over them. The latter pay more.

pH

Inari wrote: »

I find it weird that people are talking about trickery in terms of deceit...it's a fine line drawn in sand.

Stooges, gaffed/gimmicked objects etc...it's all means to an end for tricks. Yes, performing tricks with every day objects and not needing stooges or anything IS more impressive, it doesn't change the fact that all of it is trickery.

There are two people watching these shows - magicians and hobbyists, and regular joe soaps. The former judge and critique, the latter let it wash over them. The latter pay more.

I'm not so sure it's a fine line. Let's take camera tricks and editing for example - if I can get in a box one one side of the stage, stop the camera, move to another box and reveal with the camera on again have I done anything worthy of a TV show?

You could argue that it's all trickery, as long as the audience are enthralled and don't care how it's done then all is fine - except you'll fine most actually do.

A good example is one of Simon Singh's original pieces on Derren.
http://simonsingh.net/media/articles/maths-and-science/spectacular-psychology-or-silly-psycho-babble/

This is the quote I'm interested in:

I surveyed sixteen people leaving Derren’s recent stage show. Eleven people believed that the entire show was based on psychology, as opposed to magic tricks. They had been deceived, because it was nearly all magic. When asked how they would feel if, say, the synchronising minds demonstration turned out to be a trivial trick rather than deep psychology, they all said that they would be annoyed.

So no, even the general paying public wants some honesty from them being fooled!

pfurey101

1. I never ever watch magic on telly (edits and angles). Its grand looking at the likes of The Royal Variety Show or live in front of a live audience (although maybe sometimes.....)
2. Its disturbing to note that some talk about trickery in terms of deceit.






.....psssssst! Magic is not real, so cop on! Sorry to be the one to break it to you. When done well 'tis the best of entertainment.

???

"how they would feel if, say, the synchronising minds demonstration turned out to be a trivial trick rather than deep psychology"

Is an absolutely horrific leading question. Change the word trivial with skillful or clever (the tricks tend not to be trivial at the very least!) and the word deep with pop or pseudo then I'd imagine you'd get a different answer entirely.

Sweded

I doubt about the cheating part, in my opinion, its all about indirect tricks, same old tricks that most of the magician does. Though he actually says that he does thing Psychologically, which I really doubt.

Personally, having never heard of forces and similar sleights until less than a year ago, I was taken in by Derren Brown's psychological explanations for some of his tricks, and I have to say that it made what he did seem twice as impressive to me.

The "explanations" are essentially a character that he's created to liven up his patter and get publicity. They seem to have been successful too.

heidifrazier

that's why they call it magic. online pokies