Project 365 (342/365): On Feuding Magicians

.:342/365: On Feuding Magicians:.

Apparently, magic isn’t spared from feuds, intrigues, and controversies, and there have been quite a number of them over the decades. While I’m sure revealing the details behind the not-so-blatant feud between Criss Angel and David Blaine is quite a thrill for some, overall, I can’t really think of how magician feuds benefit the industry, to begin with.

Admittedly, it’s hard to find circumstances where feuds elevate anything, but pro wrestlers do it all the time, even if their feuds tend to be kayfabe. At the same time, most feuds result in a kind of one-upmanship that enhances quality across the board for performers, yet more often than not, the most recent feuds among magicians I’ve been privy to has never resulted in any kind of one-upmanship. Instead, we are treated to mudslinging and sabotage, which doesn’t really help the magic industry in the long run now, does it?

As a performer who has tried his best to stay out of conflict with fellow magicians in the four years I’ve been a professional (or semi-professional), I’ve still had my share of people trying to stir something up with me. For whatever perceived slight or whatever mistaken notion they have about me, I never had any desire to pursue a feud at all, despite their harsh words and their not-so-flattering commentary. Chalk it up to whatever you want, really. I just figured that there was no reason to dignify the aggression, and by turning the other cheek, I’ve managed to keep my name relatively clean within the industry.

Outside of the industry, though, I do what I can to protect it, even if it means getting on the wrong side of segment producers in morning shows on television. I believe that because I treat the people who get me with nothing but respect, I am entitled to the same kind of respect that I accord those who get me for whatever purposes I agree to.

So I guess all I can really say is that there needs to be some kind of a call for sobriety when it comes to magicians going at each other’s throats. I can understand sometimes how Tito Bing feels that magicians seem to be always out to screw each other over, when these people allow their less than desirable features to come to the forefront. Thankfully, everyone is capable of stepping beyond that, because in the end, it’s necessary to assure that no matter who hates who, the industry remain protected both from within and from without. After all, when a few of us need the industry to thrive to feed our families, then maybe we should consider the ramifications of our actions on the industry as a whole first before we indulge in a feud.