Baby Michael Turns One and I Hate Magicians
Several weeks ago, I received a phone call:"I am having a very elaborate birthday party for my one-year-old. Are you available to do balloons for the party to bring in the party mode?"
She had money to spare and flattered my artwork nicely so of course I was available.
It was indeed a very elaborate party: A stilt walker who juggled rings and blew a whistle (?), a strolling magician (more on that later), full catering (oyster bar, mini hamburgers and pizzas and plenty of not-so-friendly-for-a-one-year-old beer), a professional cameraman (asking people to leave their thoughts and messages on tape for Baby Michael) and me, the Balloon Lady.
Baby Michael was so excited for his first birthday party that he, well, slept through the entire thing.
Aside from the slight absurdity of the whole event, people were friendly and appreciative and praising of the fish hats, butterflies, monkeys on palm trees, baseball hats, superheroes, turtles and octopus I made.
I got stumped again though...I just couldn't figure out how to make a Saab convertible. I tried really hard though, as the kid who asked me for it was wheelchair-bound and had some other medical difficulties as well and he sat so patiently watching me and asking me questions while the world of able-bodied people strolled and schmoozed around him.
And now for why I HATE MAGICIANS.
Apparently, the Magician who was one of the other "featured" performers at Baby Michael's 1st birthday party is a "well-known" magician in this area. He seemed to be perturbed by me from the get-go. Maybe because more people were into my balloons than his lame-ass magic tricks. Maybe because he hadn't heard of me and saw that I was pretty damn good. Maybe because little Amy asked me to make a balloon tomato to throw at the magician because she thought he was stupid (Didn't make it for her, though.)
Whatever it was, I played it cool and was very friendly and nice to him, because there is no need for children's birthday party entertainers to be at war with one another. There's enough war already and you would think we would at least bond over being paid to perform at a drooling 1-year-old's elaborate party.
So the Magician comes up to me towards the end of my gig:
"So you should give me your card."
Ok, I say. And I pull out a card and hand it to him. This is nice, I think to myself. The Magician and I are going to become friends. You should give me your card too, I say.
"Oh, I...gave them all out."
Which was a total lie. There's no way he gave out all of his cards, because a) no one asked him for a card the whole time he was strolling; and b) he's a professional magician and they get all of their gigs by handing out cards and there's no way he wouldn't have brought enough cards with him. The Magician was lying like a dead white rabbit on the wide of the road.
I didn't get what he was trying to do at first (and maybe I still don't) so I asked him what his name was.
"Oh, I'll email you."
So basically the Magician would not tell me his full name so that I could look him up and be in contact with him. But he wanted my card so he could, what scope me out and stalk me and blacklist me in the children's entertainment community? I don't get it. What trick is he up to? And what a total prick to treat the Balloon Lady like that!
I hate magicians, I tell you. Always have.
posted by Balloon Lady at 10:42 AM
4 Comments:
RE: Magicians.
I hate some magicians, too. Not all of them are bad, though.
Nice blog. Thanks.
Best regards,
Magic Utopia
Sorry to hear about your bad experience with a magician.
Coincidentally, I am also a children's variety entertainer - a balloon artist, and a magician as well. Serious magic, and get this. I can't stand a majority of my own kind as well!
In fact, I dare say there is something seriously wrong with the magic world today, although many would not want to admit it. A lot of walking bloated egos with little to no regard for ethics, and their ignorance and idiocy is slowly killing the art. *sigh*
It is primarily because of the above that I have broke ranks with most of my peers and went my own way. I have never been happier. It's unnecessary nonsense I felt I did not need to deal with. But like Magic Utopia had said, not all of them are bad. There are a few whom I still keep in constant contact with. Very few, and they are outstanding people. :)
Again, I am sorry you had to go through what you did. No one needs to put up with that kind of crap. Just remember that what goes around comes around. Karma will catch up with the jerk soon enough. So hang in there! :)
charissa138@gmail.com
Hello, I think I spoke with you once before. My name's Kayy the Clown...well my entertainer name is Kayy the Clown anyway. I've had a few rough experiences with other entertainers too. Not just with magicians though... with balloon artists, face-painters, and singers...you name it I've run into it! But lots of people have been nice too, so I try to take the rude ones with as much grace as I can and I even tell myself "if they didn't see me as a small threat they wouldn't even bother with me so really it's a compliment:)" Hope you have a wonderful day Balloon Lady.
Hi there. I'm a magician and wanted to add my two cents worth. I don't think it's a good idea to generalize about any one group like that. A person is either ethical or not, whether or not he or she is a magician, clown, scientist, surgeon, or poet. To say that you don't like any one certain group of people is pretty lame.
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