I am not sure if this is because times have changed. Or people have changed. Maybe both.
I have been lecturing for almost 40 years now. My beginnings as a lecturer in 1984 were modest. I gave my first talk and explained (in detail) exactly three tricks/routines. That was it.
Over the years I improved and added more to the lecture. Because I saw what the other instructors were doing, the ones from across the pond, they showed and explained their routines and then they SOLD stuff!
Something new in those days; the people attending the lectures willingly paid for the new ‘stuff’.
Nowadays, a lecture has mutated into a sales event. The only reason to hold a conference seems to be to sell the goods prepared for it.
The ‘fee’ paid for a talk has been reduced to almost nothing. The organisers insist that the lecturer has the ‘chance’ to make her money by selling. And that she should be grateful to the club/organisation for allowing her to do so.
Meanwhile, the audience for talks has changed. What used to be a gathering of magicians (people interested in the art of magic) now consists of ‘laymen’ who have only a marginal interest in magic. People who have discovered magic as a new hobby, a leisure activity and a chance to show that they are special.
See the audiences gathered at hundreds of live lectures and at-the-table events. See the DVD series of some of the major production companies in our industry. See how magic is made ‘commercial’ in these productions. Do you see the change?
Now it seems to be more about socialising at live lecture events, the ego boost of showing up and all the gossip. Buying the latest stuff is part of the routine.
Where does all this lead?
It forces creators to ‘create new stuff’ to survive in this shark pool. Some create magic and gimmicks that are not needed. Just for the ‘market’, just for the customers (who buy the crap).
The appreciation for classic, solid creations that have stood the test of time (and are still better than most of the new stuff) has diminished.
These people talk about progress in magic and evolution of technique. But they are only interested in something ‘new’. Something that tickles their fancy and satisfies their curiosity.
Because they are not real magicians, they are not into the art, they are just casual visitors. How could they know what makes good magic, something that others have spent a lifetime discovering and practising?
The industry helps. Tricks, ideas, concepts and routines are being ruthlessly ripped off by unscrupulous magic companies. They have no respect for creators and their intellectual property.
I love the expression: 90% of everything is crap. When I take a close look at our industry, I have to come to the conclusion that 90% of the magic industry is crap.
Sad. But true.
