[HN Gopher] A Blacklisted American Magician Became a Hero in Brazil
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A Blacklisted American Magician Became a Hero in Brazil
Author : bookofjoe
Score : 80 points
Date : 2025-06-10 17:10 UTC (5 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.wsj.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.wsj.com)
| bookofjoe wrote:
| https://archive.ph/66ffV
| slater wrote:
| Doesn't work.
| bookofjoe wrote:
| Try this: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/magician-
| brazil-nation...
| pvg wrote:
| Link seems not to include the story
| DocTomoe wrote:
| Considering for some years now, Penn & Teller's whole act is
| basically exactly what this guy did, I'd chalk his shunning down
| to him trying to protect his identity (yes, in the last episode,
| he _dud_ reveal himself, I know... but I suspect that was not
| entirely voluntary.)
| ninininino wrote:
| I wonder if the difference is the magician themselves revealing
| their trick vs others guessing as to how it's done?
| metalliqaz wrote:
| I've seen P&T's show in Vegas a few times, and I've seen many
| of their TV appearances. They _do_ explain how illusions work,
| but they _don 't_ spoil other magicians tricks. They will do an
| old classic, show it from the "other side", and then while you
| aren't paying attention they pull off something new, giving no
| explanation for that one.
| jackthetab wrote:
| I just saw an interview with Penn wherein he stated that they
| have been thrown out of The Magic Castle, et. al for
| revealing tricks.
|
| Given their popularity, I'm sure they've been allowed back
| in. :-)
| busterarm wrote:
| The Magic Castle is for Magic Circle members. Magic Circle
| rules very strictly prohibit their membership. They could
| always attend the Castle as guests of a member though.
|
| The Magic Circle still asks them to donate items to their
| museum, despite refusing their membership.
| bigbuppo wrote:
| You're confusing the magic castle with the magic
| circle...
| busterarm wrote:
| It's the Circle that has strict rules about not revealing
| tricks. If they're Academy of Magical Arts members their
| access to the Castle is guaranteed.
| empath75 wrote:
| You should pretty much never trust magicians who "explain"
| how their illusions work. Sometimes they genuinely do explain
| it, but often, it's still another trick. Derren Brown does
| this a lot.
| Tangurena2 wrote:
| My absolute favorite "magician" was a card manipulator who
| demonstrated how several of the standard card tricks
| worked. Even showing the trick from the side and also from
| behind (his back to the audience so you see how he's doing
| it) the technical skill was amazing. It motivated me to
| learn prestidigitation. It turns out that my fingers are
| too short to do card tricks with standard playing cards
| (also too short for the fretboard of a classical guitar - I
| have to stick to acoustics & electrics).
| tcauduro wrote:
| For small fingers, bridge sized card decks are an option!
| bigbuppo wrote:
| P&T's whole deal is revealing the low-hanging fruit in
| frutherance of the greater trick. There are some circles that
| shun them for revealing things, but they're still respected by
| those same groups, and are well-liked all around. Why? Penn and
| Teller respect the artform. Valentino just went around being a
| dick about it, with complete contempt for the craft. That's the
| difference.
|
| Seriously... his deal is magicians lie? You mean it's all an
| act? What a revelation. At no time in the last few thousand
| years has anybody in the history of the world ever figured that
| out. Nope, none at all.
| belril wrote:
| To take this a step further, P&T's reveals often highlight
| and celebrate the complexity of pulling off a given trick.
| Sure, you understand how the cups and balls can be done after
| watching them do it, but good luck trying to replicate the
| smoothness of their performance. They actually make a point
| of celebrating the complexity of the method, even if it's
| revealed.
| coliveira wrote:
| I always thought the line that they being "blacklisted" by
| other magicians was some piece of advertising for the show. I
| don't think that makes much difference in the modern world.
| atum47 wrote:
| We still, to this day, say: "explain that, Mr. M" when something
| is not right.
|
| "I lend you 10 bucks yesterday for you to buy lunch, today I see
| you are wearing a new shirt. Explain that Mr. M"
| atum47 wrote:
| Explain that Mr. M was the catch phrase the host would say
| after Mr. M perform the trick (illusion Michael) and before he
| showed how it was done.
| giancarlostoro wrote:
| They're called illusions Michael... A trick is...
| oceansky wrote:
| Arrested Development seasons 1 and 2 are pure comedy gold.
| scop wrote:
| 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 wrote:
| 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.
| pearlsontheroad wrote:
| "Firms hire elderly office boys to wait in line at banks and
| notaries, exploiting federal rules giving priority to anyone over
| 60."
|
| Retirement Plan Z (if everything else fails): Work as a messenger
| in Brazil. They're hiring.
| gtirloni wrote:
| Banks are pretty much empty these days. Everything is computer.
| CobrastanJorji wrote:
| Pick notary.
| elros wrote:
| It's been decades and instantly in my head I could hear Cid
| Moreira's voice. I'm sure I'm not the only one :-) Watching that
| on Sundays, with my father, as a child. Good memories.
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hed40Muo50
| dkga wrote:
| Same!
| felipellrocha wrote:
| How did I know this was going to be about Mr M?
| tumsfestival wrote:
| Come on, how many pariah international magicians are there who
| are famous around these parts?
| silisili wrote:
| I remember watching his show in my younger years. I always
| assumed/thought that 'all magicians hate him' was just to sell
| the show more, like surely we all know magic isn't real anyways?
| Apparently that's not the case, it seems.
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(page generated 2025-06-10 23:00 UTC)