THE WORLD NEEDS MORE PLANTS

Dear John and Marvin

 

Following on from my two original complaints regarding Richard Pinner’s exposure of magic secrets I would like the to raise some issues and a further separate complaint. 

 

I note that the two videos which received over ten thousand views on facebook and multiple shares, have now been removed from facebook…….

 

These videos were ‘Crafty Magic Balls’ and ‘Crafty Magic Coin’.

 

Richard Pinner’s Facebook Page www.facebook.com/pg/CraftyMagicTricks is listed as always open. The page has naturally received a lot of publicity and shares during the lockdown due to the high quality of production demonstrated in the exposure videos.

 

It is a natural progression, when enjoying the videos to visit the promoted website http://craftymagictricks.com

 

On this website you can find all of the videos from my previous complaint and a brand new video today featuring the exposure of an effect used by well known professional magicians. The subject of this new video was even used on the Fool Us TV Show in a routine that did fool Penn and Teller. The exposure videos are available for anyone to view, for free with no paywall or qualification as a student of magic. 

 

Richard has seemingly ignored the spirit of the committee’s concerns and simply moved them to a publicly available website instead. As mentioned, the website is promoted through a social media page that has had thousands of views. It is also unquantifiable and impossible to control how the website and content will be promoted in the future. 

 

The first and only time you visit the website you are asked to agree to the following statement: 

 

“To begin your journey as a magician you must first agree to The Magician’s Code. As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician. I promise never to never perform any illusion for any non-magician without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic.”

 

A concern here is at the the website is aimed at children and to ask a minor to agree to any form of contract is simply ludicrous and could never be upheld. As mentioned previously, once you have clicked on ‘Agree' you do not have to agree ever again, even as new content is added to the site like this morning’s exposure video.

 

Any video from the site can be shared publicly at any time!

 

The website does not constitute ‘Creating online content revealing methods, as long as there is a requirement to demonstrate magical knowledge before accessing it” as detailed in the exposure guidelines.

 

In today’s video, Crafty Wishing Papers Richard eposes the the methodology behind the buddha paper mystery. This is a link to Richard’s video today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73X-CRJtg1M&feature=emb_title

 

Whilst some people may think this is just a simple effect, as I pointed out within a discussion on The Circle’s facebook page “Nothing is ever really ‘old hat’ in magic imho as ‘artistes’ are constantly re-energising old plots and methods. One person’s opinion on an effect or routine should never be an excuse for exposure at any level.”

 

That point is clearly demonstrated here, as the subject of Richard Pinner’s latest video was featured in an act used to fool Penn and Teller performed by professional magician Adam Wilbur. Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErRsMTmdQb4&t=7s

 

Please take this correspondence as an official complaint against this new video of Richard Pinner’s and indeed any further videos that continue to expose secrets of magic and break the rules of the Magic Circle.

 

It is a shame that this ‘negotiation’ has taken so long with Richard Pinner and yet his videos are still publicly available. When you are are a member of The Magic Circle it shouldn’t be about finding the loopholes to allow your exposure videos to continue to be available to everyone. You should understand and abide by the rules. The main rule which should be boody obvious and be upheld! Anyone that feels entitled to find loopholes and continue to break the rules should, in my opinion, go before the disciplinary committee.

 

In conclusion, I’m going to include a quote from Madeleine Spencer taken from the discussion on Facebook:

 

“There is never an excuse for exposure. Most secrets of magic are not ours. They are passed on as a legacy for generations and in some cases over centuries. The sense of entitlement inherent in exposing is so indicative of the selfish and gormless time in which we live. No one will never convince me of their nobility or good intentions whilst downplaying exposure. It is a slap in the face to greater magicians, who preserved for us a gift.”

 

Now that is someone I am proud to call a fellow member of The Magic Circle. 

 

Regards

 

David Penn