His writing is always helpful, complete and thoughtful.
We subscribe to his electronic newsletter and are frequently delighted by the neat ideas and moves he offers.
Sure, sometimes the moves are tough to do and we may practice them for a while before returning to our well-practiced 45-minute version of the Twenty-One Card Trick (imagine Bill Malone’s classic Sam the Bellhop but without the flourishes, difficult sleights, interesting story, audience interaction; but twice as long without a big finale).
But like Miley Cyrus or someone looking to boost their immunities against sub-tropical illness, we need the exposure.
Today’s contribution from Mr. Asher is a great technique to force a spectator to select a card from a deck.
We do not wish to engage in the debate whether a magician should ever “force” a card on an unsuspecting audience member. We understand and appreciate both sides of the argument:
Pro: it is the very foundation of Card Magic.
Con: it violates the volunteer’s free-will.
And while we appreciate the spirit of the debate, we are against the current move here in
California to get Proposition 99 on the ballot. We just don’t believe the government should come between a magician and his or her audience.
The proposition — though well-intentioned — is misguided and would have unforeseen consequences.
The proposed law would require a performer or establishment where more than one performer appears to provide “adequate” notice that customers may be “manipulated” into make choices that otherwise appear to be fair.
The Magic Castle has not issued a statement on this proposition and while we realize this is really intended to go after other, more “adult” segments of the entertainment spectrum, it would take much of the fun out of performing and watching magic.
If you begin a show by explaining that you will be manipulating the audience into making choices, the audience is tipped to the bit.
That may work fine for those who can use such a warning in their act like Derren Brown or Max Maven but for those of us who lack talent and are excited to hit a Classic Force once or twice in a week of work, it makes things tougher.
One of the best things we have going for us is that the audience has no idea what we are doing.
Some nights, we share their mindset.
The proposal will likely not make the ballot and so this is not a problem for magicians or adult entertainers earn their income by lying to their customers about the freedom of their choices.
Political rant aside, Mr. Asher teaches a great, easy force today to subscribers of his magic newsletter.
It is based on the Charlie Miller, Classic Force (table version) which was thought to be published in one of his many Magicana columns in “Genii Magazine”. However, this is not true. Charlie Miller’s table pass appears in print, for the first time, in Harry Riser’s book Secrets Of An Escamoteur (2006).
The Brute Force force works well.
We just tried it out on a fellow passenger on the express bus. He had no idea how we did it. Now he is watching as we type this and so we cannot write the secret here.
We know he is still reading what we are typing and he should realize that is very rude and he should stop.
Really. Stop reading. When is your stop? You might have missed it because you are so intent on reading what we are typing.
Check out Mr. Asher’s great site and learn the secret to the Brute Force force today.
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Lee Asher is one smart cookie.