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Magic Addict? A Professional Weighs In

Harris and DucksWe received an amazing amount of email concerning the Magic Addict and two people from Florida trying to stop the addiction from grabbing a hold on our youth.  See, Can You Really Be Addicted to Magic? here.

We sent most of the comments, both pro and con, to the organization for comment but have not heard back. 

Until we have a formal response, we can think of no one better to address the issue of Magic Addiction than Harris Deutsch. 

Mr. Deutsch is more than a magician and the man behind Nigel his vent figure.  He has worked with those truly addicted to substances over the years.  He's worked in prisons, community centers, and even for small groups to ecourage and educate.

We're guessing Mr. Deutsch is familiar with the 12-Step Program we attend for our non-magic addictions.  We love the way he's modified the first four steps to match the particular need of Magic Addicts.

Please note, we are not trying to make light of the efforts to bring attention to Magic Addiction but at the same time we don't really think it can be the same type of addiction suffered by those involved with drugs or alcohol.  Mr. Deutsch's comments follow.

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As a Nearly Normal Substance Abuse Counselor, Prevention Specialist,
Laughologist and Magician, I couldn't resist.

Prior to going to the Dai Vernon Hospital for Magic Addicts I was a mess. I had to admit I had a problem……

With Tongue firmly in my cheek!

Step 1. I am powerless over my addiction (magic) and my wife is unmanageable.

Step 2. Came to believe a power greater then myself (Helms, Vernon,Buckley..) could restore me to sanity.

Step 3. Made a decision to turn my will and my life over to god (good orderly direction of a mentor) as I understood him.

Step 4. Made a fearless moral inventory (Ethics in magic …what a concept….)

….
…..
….

Now can we close this meeting and go get some more coffee.

How about some more close up at Applebees or T.G.I.F. Fridays. (That's where we go after Ring 129's meetings.

With some seriousness, when I got into magic in the mid 70's, I had to buy
everything.

It all looked so good.

Although I do still make some purchases at Magic Shops I also frequent $$ Stores, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Antique Shops, Estate Sales and even garage sales.

KEEP COMING BACK. Inside Magic is GREAT!

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

Harris Deutsch
2002 C.O.M.B.A.T. Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist of the Year
Laughologist and Nearly Normal Magician

 

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July 9th, 2006 | Category: Magic Stories | Leave a comment

CBS: Criss Angel is Huge Hit!

Criss AngelMagicians know about Criss Angel and have known of his powers for years but it's nice to see the rest of the world getting a clue.

The rather staid CBS morining installment, The Early Show, needs all the boosting it can get to compete with NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America. 

They knew they needed the big gun, the one celebrity who is a proven cross-demographics monster hit.  Women love to watch Criss Angel, and men like to watch him as well.  It rare to find one star with the special something to appeal to both men and women. 

Criss has it and CBS wants it.

On Friday's episode, Mr. Angel was brought into do his magic. The show called him "The New Houdini." 

How big a hit has MindFreak proven to be?  Its success is so astounding that it cause Mr. Angel to want to cause physical pain to his body. 

"I pinch myself. It's amazing," Angel said.

Well, with or without self-mortification, Mr. Angel has the number one show on cable television.  That's saying something pretty amazing.

A&E originally signed for just "a handful of episodes."  But now, it is in the words of CBS host Harry Smith a "juggernaut."

We looked up the word "juggernaut" and it's not a dirty word — it just means a huge machine  that cannot be stopped. 

Interestingly, the same dictionary identified the opposite of "juggernaut" as "like or pertaining to David Blaine."

"It's been amazing," Mr. Angel said. "We've done over 45 episodes. We're talking right now about doing a third season, maybe. (We've) been very fortunate, indeed." 

As we used to bark from out front of our 10-in-1 touring south Texas and Mexico, "Here is the Beauty Part." 

Mr. Smith wanted to know how Angel describes himself, since he's been called, among other labels, "a magician, an illusionist, whatever."

"I'm just an artist that uses many different paint brushes," Angel responded, "whether it's mentalism, hypnosis, escapes, illusion, magic, music, performance art, to try to blur the line between reality and illusion and create an experience that hopefully is engaging and connects to people."

Not one of those aspects of performance deny he is still based in the Magical Arts.  He isn't ready to deny his past or loyal fans by claiming to be something more sophisticated than a magician. 

To watch Angel's interview, click here.

To see Angel's performance, click here.

Criss Angel Magic Review Magic News

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July 9th, 2006 | Category: Magic News | Leave a comment