I hate hearing that!!! I like to say, "Yeah, I do magic....pay me!"

One of Michael Close's Big lies of magic is, "Be the life of the party". His feelings are, if you're a jerk.... and learn to do some card tricks, you're a jerk doing card tricks.


I mean no offense by this, but if you're a nerd, and you do magic, you're a nerd doing magic. Take a look at Harry Anderson's performing style, flow, patter, timing, he's this kind of cool cheat. Do you really think he's like that in real life? Not to pick on Harry Anderson, but he has a stage persona, almost as if he's someone else while performing (probably one of the reasons he has a stage name).

Mac King is another great example of this, he's personally described his own act as "A nerd doing magic tricks". Theres nothing wrong with it as long as you embrace it, and as you get older and out of school its no longer an issue really.

This is a vert interesting topic on magic being called some geek or nerd hobby.

What I think is the biggest thing to tell a nerd from an average person is the peronality in everyday life. For example, if you are quiet and kinda shy, you almost always are considered a nerd. That's just the way it is. The magic does not make you more or less nerd, you are still a nerd.

Also the way you perform your magic can give the person who sees yuo for the first time the impression of you being "normal" or "nerd". Why? Your personality shines through.

Magic is also seen as a nerd hobby because so much time is dedicated to the art. To become good you have to prioritize magic before most things. This may make your friends suffer (it does not have to). Or your social life. Social life is a big key when judgin if you are a geek or not. If you only have friends who are considered geeks, you also are a geek.

To conclede, you are just as much geek when doing magic as you were before. The magic won't cahnge you. What will cahnge you is oyur social life and personality!

//Christian

ah i hate this so much. this was a problem for me too. you just need a REALLY powerful effect, that is also streamlined. i'm talking about powerful mentalism perhaps the supersharpie, or a HUGELY visual effect that seems impromptu (spun?)

i guess spongeballs and stuff cuold prove your skill, but you will be called a nerd even more. i'd avoid this.

plus if you did not like the advice, i sugest just improving your performance and perception. be confident, make people think you are good. watch many performances of famous magicians who make you laugh. take gregory wilson for example.

Why do people perform at school anyway? When I began the school I go to now, we all went on a camp for a few days to get to know each other. There I performed a close-up routine consisting of 4 tricks. People loved it and I'm not recognized as a nerd, I'm the magician. Nothing else. I have only perofmred magic in school teice since then to keep the r eputition but still not be called a nerd. What I'm saying is school is not the right place to try new tricks. New tricks dhoukd be reharsed until theey are not new to you anymore, then include it in your standard show.

//Christian

One thing I'd like to add. Whatever you do, and however you do it, do it for yourself and not others.

This seems rather confusing so let me break it down a bit.

1. You are an individual. You are not part of a clone factory and don't have to be like everyone else.

2. Do not, I repeat do not perform your craft solely for popularity. That way lies failure. (I wont give reasons, just trust me, ok?)

3. I hate to sound like a parent here, but you must completely ignore any taunts of "geek", "freak" etc. Dwelling on that takes away from concentrating on the presentation, and may make you overachieve to prove them wrong.

P.S. I know the average age on these boards, but regardless....lets dispense with the name calling, even in jest. Okay guys?

well, actually im not that very popular at all at my highschool but when i do cards it turns me into one of accepted kids so i think your school just sucks! no offense

I never find accusations of geekishness (which do not relate to my magic and I don't find it a barrier) to be a problem. Really, what can they do?
You're such a geek!
Yes? Did you want something? Oh, you're just applying some abstract label to me. Ok, that's cool. :scratchhead:

Here's the thing. If you're a geek who stands alone in a corner doing XCM, that makes you a bigger geek. "Too much time alone in his room! Should get a girlfriend!"
If you can entertain a crowd, throwing out jokes, teasing people a little* , and also demonstrating something clearly totally off-the-wall impossible, you will be respected as someone with people skills, a good laugh. less geeky



*Never tease someone's intellect: TRUST ME! If you are performing in an environment where it's ok to poke fun at your audience, never suggest they are slow or stupid. This is what people hate about magicians, the inferiority complex they get when someone fools them because they know a secret. Specs can resent secrets. They won't resent skill in the same way.

OK, why would your specs call you a nerd? They watched the trick that you did, and are probably trying not to look bad in front of their "friends". They can't figure out how you did it, so instead of showing that they're impressed, they give you the "nerd" title. So what? These aren't the people that matter anyway. I know that they may seem to matter, but they don't. You're being an individual. If you stop being yourself, you're yielding to them. Keep doing what you do, and they will leave you alone. Being called a nerd hurts, but it's not the worst thing that you can be called. If they tease you, it means you're better than they are, and they're trying to bring you down to their level. Don't stoop down to their level, be yourself. Find some friends who like you for who you are and don't care what you do, and only listen to them.

I'm done being Dr. Phil, I swear.

Like I said.

Wow, somebody actually read my post! My good deed for the week is done.

judging people by their actions isn't exactly unusual...

As a magic hobbyist, you are dedicating a lot of time to an obscure and somewhat technically demanding hobby. That is geeky by some definitions. You can't really get out of that. What you can do is simply not be offended, and ensure people see more of you than your magic hobby.

the whole "nerd" thing is a stupid matter of opinion. "nerd" was made up by some moron who thought 'hey, if i lower everyone elses self esteem, mine will soar!' for one second put yourself in the place of the so-called "nerds" u make their live miserable so u can be "cool (also a matter of opinion)" if the whole (school) world could just exept who someone was, we'd have a lot more happy people in the world. but no, because losers who make fun of people have to make the world a worst place. i've seen people get very hurt (visicly and emotionally) because they ere labled as "nerd" just because they get their h.w. done on time, do good on tests or dont have the "right" clothes. i've seen kids go home crying because some "cool" kids torment them and make their lives misereble. the "cool" kids are usually the "losers".