From card tricks to escaping dangerous traps the art of illusionism or magic has been a form of entertainment for centuries. Deemed as parlor tricks, the practice of ‘magic’ has, at times, been referred to as a scam since it usually requires some form of deception. However, whilst this is true, it’s not fair to call it a scam.
Magicians, or illusionists as they were referred to sometimes, would practice ‘magic’ not by deception but by distraction. Their tricks usually required directing the public’s attention one way, whilst performing the act the other way, which is why many people complained that it was a scam. To be a good magician you needed three things: be quick with your hands, know how to deviate your audience and be a great showman.
Now we can all agree that if a magician's tricks are easy to figure out, their act is less impressive. In fact, trying to decipher their acts is what makes the show entertaining. Magicians like Houdini or David Copperfield weren’t famous because people believed they were capable of magic, but because no matter how hard they tried to decipher their acts, no one knew how they were able to do what they did. People enjoy being surprised and trying to outsmart the illusionist, so it’s not fair to call it a scam when it’s simply entertainment.
Many of these famous illusionists became such popular figures that people have created fictional stories with them, just to try to understand their illusions. If you want to read some of them, go check out our online library www.vujar.com.
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