To Fool or Expose: BioVlog 107 of 384
I’m sitting with the Professor. I want to ask him a question that is considered taboo within the magic fraternity. “Professor,” I ask cautiously, “rather than faking a second or center deal using some form of a magic trick, what do you think about performing a gambling act where all of the moves are legitimately executed and some are actually exposed?”
Vernon confides, “I once did a gambling routine that I performed on television. It basically explained what mechanics do. However, afterwards, the Society of American Magicians publicly scolded me for exposing secrets. I disagreed with their assessment. I don’t think that these kinds of generalizing exposures do any real harm. How many times have second deals, bottom deals and marked cards been exposed in books and on television shows? However,” Vernon adds, “Richard, whatever kind of show you do, it must have an emotional appeal. Here’s an example…one year a major cigarette company garnered national newspaper publicity by publishing a series titled, ‘It’s Fun to Be Fooled, But It’s More Fun to know!’ The emotional appeal was satisfying to the viewers’ curiosity in knowing how the trick was done. In that case, it is questionable, as tricks were actually exposed. But, when it comes to difficult moves, like a center or bottom deal, in the final analysis, the real skill, the details of the execution, does not expose anything.”