The morning air was cool but not cold, clear but not stark, as we motored the mighty 1970-1/2 Ford Falcon (original Cobra Jet Ram-Air V8 429 cu. in.) from our estate at the Mystic Hollow Mobile Estates toward the Detroit down-river suburb of Taylor, Michigan.
We moving at a fair clip in a vehicle known for its magical ability to survive the most in-humane winters and neglected needs for fresh oil, clear coolant, and periodic conventional tune-ups.
Although the ride was smooth and powerful, we were not at ease.
Worry flooded our Diet-Coke stimulated consciousness like unleaded $2.79 -per-gallon unleaded rushing into our Holley single-barrel carburetor earlier that morning.
We don't even live in the same neighborhood as the best or even those who work for the best. We see the best from afar, either on television or the cheap seats in a Las Vegas theater.
We don't meet them in as intimately as John Luka's Motor City Close-Up provides. At many of the major or even state-level conventions, you can go the entire three days without running into one of the performers.
We like it that way.
Sure, we've been nominated for the Nobel Prize for the genius evidenced by our invention The Quinlan So-Sure Deck®. (A recent national reviewer paid tribute to our work saying, ". . . far as I know, it is the only marked, stripped one-way forcing deck currently on the market that has the name "Quinlan" in its title . . .") But that's different, inventors with our type of fame never need to leave the basement of their single-wide.
We knew Nate Kranzo and Paul Green would be lecturing today. Both men know their stuff, and stuff their lectures and DVDs with good stuff. We've raved of Mr. Kranzo in the past and when we hear the name Paul Green, we think "Classic Force."
We cleared the windshield with a one-handed swipe of our slightly-soiled McDonald's napkin. Through the clear arc of glass, we found our chance to end our debate. We tried to turn around on I-94 but the power-steering pump on the old Falcon has been leaking a bit and our turning radius depends entirely on our strength and ability to lean into the anticipated curve.
We apologized to our passengers — each one a hitch-hikers we met along the way — and drove on towards Taylor, Michigan.
The Ramada Inn is just a touch off the highway. In fact, it is very close to the north-south artery of a currently anemic auto industry. In fact, within seconds of starting our bald-tire slide down the entirely too steep and too slick exit ramp, past the…
The Daily News
did manage to catch Teller at a good time. He was willing to talk ? on
the phone ? about the duo’s latest TV special, “Penn & Teller: Off
the Deep End.” Airing Sunday night on NBC, the show features P&T
performing such illusions as making a submarine disappear ? and then
revealing how they did it.
You’ve been with Penn for over 30 years now. What’s the secret?
Division of labor. We each respect what the other does
well. And we also don’t spend any social time together. When artistic
partners start off as buddies, the first time they have an artistic
disagreement, their friendship goes to hell. We’ve always been business
partners, and so when we fight over artistic things, we don’t really
take it personally.
You’re not only going to make a submarine disappear on the show, but you’ll be revealing how it’s done, too?
Yes, we will. For some people, that’s going to be the most fun part.
I guess it’s that kind of irreverence toward magic that’s a big part of your success.
We really respect the intelligence of the audience. We don’t pretend
there’s real magic and we don’t do “booga-booga.” That entails a ?level
of frankness that I don’t think ?people are used to seeing in people
who do magic.
You guys pretty much only reveal tricks you’ve devised
yourselves. Is that so you don’t insult the rest of the so-called magic
community?
No, it’s because your conventional magic tricks are not
very interesting to learn about. How interesting is it to find out
there’s a trap door, or to find out that somebody had something hidden
in his hand? The biggest secret to all of magic is that the best magic
tricks are done by means that are so ugly, nobody wants to know about
them.
The article’s opening line is clever but belied by the actual story. “Copperfield is no Penn pal,” says The New York Post‘s Gossip Column.
We are guessing it has something to do with Penn & Teller’s upcoming NBC Special. Got to stir the stink — especially during Sweeps Month.
The columnists don’t let up, though. “David Copperfield and Penn Jillette’s greatest illusion may be their supposed friendship.”
The faux controversy surrounds to Penn Jillette’s reaction to Mr. Copperfield’s plans to impregnate a girl on stage. Mr. Copperfield added, “Naturally, it will be without sex.”
Mr. Jillette snapped back “The only way Copperfield can reproduce is with a cheesy magic act.”
Okey Dokey.
Before we go on we should note this controversy was less than a tempest in a teapot. There was only one paper covering it. Sure, the story was re-printed in The Las Vegas Review-Journal, but that’s about it.
We’re guessing Mr. Jillette made the comment to The New York Post Gossip Columnist or someone tight with the paper.
The Post contacted Mr. Copperfield in Paris, was read the quote and asked for a response.
We’re kind of proud the way the peripatetic Mr. Copperfield responded.
“Penn invokes my name whenever he needs publicity, which is often. We’re actually pals. Privately, he treats me like a king. In fact, his nose is blacker than his fingernails from being up my a– for 20 years. If his reputation were as big as his gut, he wouldn’t need to include me in his press release.”
Copperfield added that Penn is “not a bad guy,” but he prefers the silence of his partner, Teller, who “doesn’t talk out of both sides of his mouth.”
Mr. Jillette wanted to be sure to keep the “Bad Boy of Comedy” rep going. He told The Post he does his baby-making the old fashioned way, “censored.”
So where are we in the libretto?
Oh, yeah, we need to make sure the subtle dig wasn’t lost on The New York Post readers.
The columnist suggests Mr. Copperfield may be gay by pointing out he has denied the very allegation in the past.
Can we stop for a second?
We have no problem with anyone trying to create publicity. As we say in Montreal or Paris, “il n’ya pas de quoi,” t’aint nothing but a thing.
But is it necessary to take cheap-shots at someone’s sexual lifestyle?
But then again, as they say in Paris, “Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose” or “Same different clowns.”
Mr. Copperfield confronted such attacks in the past and apparently he’ll have to continue to do so. It is a shame Mr. Jillette, NBC, and The Post believe Mr. Copperfield’s lifestyle is anyone’s business or matters. But Penn Jillette, the NBC publicity machine, or The New York Post, are sure you’ll be salaciously intrigued and want to watch Penn’s special… Continue reading The Non-Controversy Controversy
Sometimes, late at night, when we are all alone, we become reflective.
We do not become shiny; although we do sweat sometimes but not so much as to make us shine. But that sweat is more of a cold sweat sufficient to soak our light blue, latex poncho and knee-high socks that we like to wear when we reflect. Perhaps you too have a favorite poncho for your reflective moments.
If so, please do not send us pictures – they are still monitoring our email.
We digress.
Tonight, as we reflect on all that is magic, one word comes to mind: The Professor’s Nightmare. This rope trick is, to quote an anonymous source from a big book, “cunning, baffling and powerful.”
It is inscrutable. We know, have tried many times to scruit it but have failed.
Do you remember your first time — with or without your special poncho?
If you are like us, you were probably standing on the customer-side of a glass case filled with tricks, covered with a light patina of dust.
(We mean to say the tricks were covered with dust not you or your poncho of reflection. “Light Patina” was, ironically, Lulu Hurst’s real name. She changed it when she entered show business as The Georgia Magnet ? the woman who could not be lifted. Her sister, Thin Patina could be picked up by anyone with a good story and a beer – or just a beer or just a good story about a beer.)
If you are like us, you watched with your good eye as the three unequal ropes became the same length and then returned to their original unequal lengths.
Sure, we know there was a story to it but the imagery alone was sufficient to sell the trick.
How upset were you when you learned the ropes were un-gimmicked and nothing was added or removed from the props?
We never read instructions. We like to look at the trick, view the gimmick(s), and figure it out.
We often regret tossing aside the instructions to The Professor’s Nightmare. In fact, we still don’t know how it is done but we are too proud to ask. (We are apparently not too proud to admit our other failings in public).
We figure the secret to The Professor’s Nightmare has something to do with the sweat of one’s hands causing the rope to elongate and then immediately shrink. We’re not sure, though.
Despite our sweating and tugging; we have been unable to do anything but soil the ropes and offend the other bus passengers with the furtive jostling beneath our light blue poncho and grunts of discouragement.
(Ironically, Grunts of Discouragement was the name of our very first traveling illusion show and the only one we performed while still a conjoined triplet. Many found it offensive we actually chose to be surgically conjoined with Mr. and Mrs. Toll. Critics said it was a publicity stunt and that we could have donated our spleen to the conjoined husband and wife (we think they were married) without actually becoming one body with them. Hindsight is 20-20 and when we were with Mr. and Mrs…. Continue reading Reflections on Our Point
Sterling
Heights, Michigan performer Mr. Linn awaits the Guinness officials’
confirmation but it sounds like he shattered the previous record by
sending a total of 114 cards pass the 12-foot line.
Mr. Linn performs at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio and his attempt was part of the park’s Halloween celebration.
We understand Guinness did not return a request for comment.
“It
is basically dealing cards at an incredibly high speed to a bunch of
people,” Mr. Linn said of card scaling. “I knew I could only attempt it
so many times because it is fatiguing on your arm.”
Mr. Linn, a
full-time magician, has performed his Chris Linn’s Magicomedy routine
at Cedar Point for four seasons. He also performs on cruise ships
and conventions.
When Linn realized he was good at scaling, he
decided to see if he could break a world record. The previous
record-holder was Jeff McBride who set the record in July 2004.
Your
quick reference of the current edition of the Guinness book will likely
match ours: there is no listing for the stunt but we’ve learned
Guinness does not include all records in the book.
Mr. Linn decided to attempt to break the record at Cedar Point because “Cedar Point is certainly known for record breaking.”
Under
the official rules for the activity, the cards had to be from a brand
new box, not opened. Mr. Linn was required to open the box on
video tape, use only those cards, and send the cards used to
Guinness.
Park spokesman Bryan Edwards said Linn’s record and Cedar Point are the perfect combination.
Cedar
Point announced Monday a $6 million giant swing called Skyhawk will
debut at the park May 6. The 103-foot ride will be the tallest ride of
its kind in the world.
“When you think of amusement parks and Guinness, Cedar Point comes to mind,” observed Mr. Edwards.
Congratulations
to Mr. Linn and thank you to Cedar Point for the follow-up
information. They clearly have their stuff together.
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