These ones were actually quite recent, but ...

spec "DO THAT AGAIN!!!"
you "Do what again, I wasnt watching"

spec "HOW DID YOU DO THAT???"
you "with great precision and accuracy"

spec "I KNOW HOW ITS DONE!!!"
you "thats good" ::punch spectator in the face::
or
you "okay, now do it" ::give them wrong setup::

spec "YOU DO IT LIKE THIS, __________"
(this one is a toughy to get out of so i only have this one solution)



you "Okay, watch this one" :: take out any fire trick or even DLites and shove them in spectators eye::

if anyone else has a solution for the last one, that could help me a lot...


Feel free to add, funny or serious

If someone starts to explain a theory, I just stare at them as though what they are saying makes no sense whatsoever. They feel a little foolish and realise that it doesn't quite add up... even when it does. If I know an alternative method which can be proven to be different, such as classic pass in ACR, I will.

I don't like to use put-downs, but confusing them is sometimes best. E.g. "you're doing something really quick with your hands..." in 3-card monte.
"What, I'm doing something you can't see? You mean like magic?"

Please note this is not paid or anything, this is just to salvage some credibility against the sceptical, remind them they don't actually have it all sussed out. Because 95% of the time, they don't.

I agree with Manic_B on his "Just stare at them as if they are making no sense" idea.
That one works for me.
You could even try and do the method they are suggesting and make it appear completely absurd.

Doing the effect again with another method might work in certain situations but not all. If they catch on to the second method they have still caught you amd since they already know the effect, they are only looking for the secret.

Do not spend too much time on these kinds of people unless it is going to add to the show. Sometimes it can be pretty funny but you do not want it to end up in a competition where the people are trying to figure it out constantly.

Quite. However if you do an ACR where at one point you use a DL and make it clear that a pass or sidesteal is impossible (obviously they don't know the mechanics, but you make it clear there is no way you could sneak the card back out of the deck and put it back on top), then execute it with a pass showing a top change or DL is impossible (no funny switches, the card went in the middle) then what do you have? The card was cleanly put in the middle of the deck and with no funny moves was plucked off the top.

I appreciate with these strategies it is important to bear in mind that confusion is to be avoided, but it is a good way of fobbing off a heckler quickly.

Once again i agree. An ambitious card effect would perhaps handle multiple demonstrations since that is the very nature of the piece. Hopefully the card worker is using more than one method to control the card so it does not alter the effect too much.

Another consideration to be wary of is that to respond and comply to the demands of a heckler is encouragement for every effect that follows after it.
"Do it again" is not always possible and other audience members may jump on the hecklers band wagon.
Darwin Ortiz has some good ideas for controlling the audience in his book "Strong Magic".

When they explain a trick and are correct, agree, then repeat it as they said to, but of course sarcastically.

Like if they said you are just pretending to put it in the hand (retention vanish), do one, but make it so obvious that everyone would think your joking, so they think it would be something else. Also, laugh when trying to recreate what they said, as if you were trying to do it, but its so stupid that you need to laugh about it.

do EXACTLY what they say. lets say your doing an ACR. they say you pik up 2 cards. DO NOT do a DL. pick up 2 cards. you put one in the middle. out one of them in the middle. then you show its still on top. you say, no, its in the middle. you told me to put it there. things like that always work.[/b]

Yrs, that is what I was saying, make their explanaton completely goofy.

Well my favourite for the persistent heckler who 'knows' how every trick is done is to do my lighter and bank note routine for them.

You ask them to produce a large denomination note (larger the better) like a 20 or 50. You then ask to borrow a lighter or give them your own. Get the heckler to note down the serial number of the note and then ask them to set light to the note with the lighter, wink at them while doing this. Because you have already preformed some (amazing) feats of magic, people are lulled into a very false sense of security and will go along with things and do things that they would not normally do. So if all goes well the heckler will set fire to his own bank note. (it helps a lot if they are drunk, which they usually are). Then say to the heckler, "now restore the note by taking the ashes in your hands and squeezing tight. Now open your hands" of course the note is still burnt as there is no way of restoring it. look at them in a puzzled way and say "I thought you knew how to perform magic?" Look disappointed in them and then depending on how the crowd is reacting get ready to move on, finish or RUN.

If the heckler is still persistent then I go into my "borrowed lighter and hecklers hair" routine, that always gets a few laughs.


MajikBoris aka Mark the Magician
A power that must only be used on 230V a/c.

them: how did you do that?

you: Smoke and mirrors!

MajikBoris, Are you serious ?

That sounds like the best way to become hated and beaten up. If it was a dollar bill or something then MAYBE that would be clever but a 20 or 50 ?
No heckler deserves to be the target of a $50 loss to satisfy your annoyance at his interruption. Clearly they are expecting you to help and do something magical because i doubt they actually think they can restore it using their own 'magic powers'.

What if they need that money ?

If you want to take a persons money and make them look like an idiot that just lost $50 and you don't care if they are upset or annoyed or hate your guts (which they probably will and might even punch you in the head to show it) , make their note disappear and then give it to charity. Don't let people burn their own money which they might have worked really hard to earn simply because they are annoying you.

er no I was not serious but humor can be hard to put across in such a medium especially sarcasm.

MajikBoris aka Mark the Magician
A power that must only be frivilously

Hahahaha, thank GOD for that !!!!

Thanks for clearing that up. It is sad that i actually believed it could be true, either i am too pessimistic or there really are people that stupid out there.
Go Boris

Very good point, do it with their credit card instead!

...Hey, at least it can be replaced.

How'd you do that?

I accelerated the DeLorean to 88 miles per hour and bumped him.