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   From: femanrs@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (BRUCE MANNERS)
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   References: <346.1604.uupcb@synapse.org> <1gfmteINNbuu@agate.berkeley.edu>
   Date: 14 Dec 1992 09:17 EST  
   Lines: 34

   In article <1gfmteINNbuu@agate.berkeley.edu>, bh@anarres.CS.Berkeley.EDU (Brian Harvey) writes...
   >ken.laporte@synapse.org (Ken Laporte)  writes:
   >>One trend that does bother me.  Is the teenagers today who simply have
   >>no interest or use for magic.  This is the audience of the future.  It's
   >>funny because a number of their idols use magic and effects in their
   >>stage productions (Music) but couldn't care less if they were shown a
   >>really neat illusion by a magician.
   > 
   >Does everyone share this experience?  Are kids not into magic today?
   >If so, why, do you think?  Too sophisticated/cynical/street-wise too
   >young, like Calvin or Bart?  Or maybe if you're into heavy metal then
   >the fantasy in traditional magic isn't intense enough?  (I'm told,
   >although I haven't seen it myself, that some magicians these days
   >actually splatter blood around the stage when they do a dismemberment
   >illusion, for example.)  Or perhaps in this super-scientific era it's
   >harder for people to do the suspension of disbelief trick?

   In my experience, teenagers are just a poor audience for variety performers
     I am a juggler and use magic in my show.  My show generally very well 
   received by kids (under 13) and adults, but often not teens.  

   Remember folks, teens are caught between being an adult and a kid.  They 
   view magicians and jugglers as being children's entertainment, but they are 
   too young to recognize quality adult entertainment.  Take a teenager to the 
   orchestra and they will be bored as well.  Does that mean that we should be 
   worried about classical music too?  

   Just my opinion!

   **************************************************************************

   Bruce Manners                                          Juglito, ergo sum

   **************************************************************************



Well...being a teenager myself, I can agree.  This seems to be true as
a general case.  I'm not sure whether or not it's the fact that it is
either "adult" entertainment or "child" entertainment that makes them
not appreciate it though.  Most of my friends seem to enjoy some of
the magic I performe for them, but, much of it they find boring or
drab....  This is because, I believe, that they don't have the ability
to just enjoy a trick for what it is.  They want to see past it, or
they shrug off things they don't understand by saying "well, you
cheated".  This is sometimes very frustrating.  Granted, I've just
started working with magic during the last 6-7 months, but I've got
some fairly impressive tricks, or so I've been told by many children
and many adults.  

I'm not objecting to your generalization, because it is VERY TRUE,
but, I just want to let you know.....Not all of us are like that.  I
appreciate classical music, and have sung all my life.....  Don't
worry about the fate of magic or classical music or things seen as
"adult" things right now.  They will continue.  There are enough of us
who enjoy it.......

  Matthew





--
Matthew Appler - Unichussetts of Massaversity
mappler@titan.ucc.umass.edu

 -You can only be young once, but you can ALWAYS be immature....:)