[scop]

I loved his shows when I was a kid. I was pretty into magic (e.g. going to the local shop and buying tricks) and this show was the most exciting thing I had ever seen. I get that it broke many rules, but I think it was well timed. If it had been earlier I think it would have been a true rule-breaking, “we’re exposing secrets cuz we just don’t care” type of thing. But in the 90s/00s it was a moment in which a new generation of TV kids. Whenever I would watch magic on TV I thought it was pretty lame because, after all, how do you know it was just special effects BS? This guy revealed that even though it was on TV it was still an execution of skill/engineering/performance. Super fascinating. Thanks Val!

[lurkshark]

This was exactly my experience as well. It’s kind of funny now with the internet having endless information on illusions to think folks were so miffed by his show. But also — and this might just be my personal bias as someone who always loved the showmanship and execution — it baffles me that anyone would skip seeing a magic show because they saw an explanation (not even nearly THE explanation) of how it’s done. Like I assume most people besides the Falun Gong don’t think David Copperfield is a legitimate wizard.

[scop]

Exactly. It is just like professional wrestling. It’s not a matter of thinking it’s real, magic is all about being so damn entertained that you don’t care whether it’s real.

[whstl]

I have zero patience for watching the tricks by themselves.

Watching the explanations on the other hand is fun.

To me it's like watching a trailer vs watching the full film.