How did he do that?
Sep. 8th, 2008 01:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkerJust a very short peek at a magician here on Japanese TV. He's an older gentleman, but does appear fairly often, and I've got to admit, I enjoy his appearances. I think most of the ones I've seen follow a similar pattern.
This time, he started with a square, very sheer cloth. White and red stripes, with the stripes up and down. Holding it at two corners, he showed us that it was just a cloth. And stuffed it into one fist.
Then triumphantly pulled it out and showed us that the stripes were now going side to side. On the front and back!
And frowned at the live audience. Didn't they want to applaud? A hesitant ripple of clapping.
Next, he got a sheet of plastic. Not transparent, but translucent. Had a bit of color on one side. Looked like perhaps a cheap cutting board for the kitchen? Having showed it to us, he rolled it into a tube. Showed us that there was nothing in the tube. Then pushed the red-and-white cloth into the tube.
And looked at us and explained that in 30 minutes, the stripes would turn blue. So we would just wait. And he poses on the stage, just holding the tube, apparently prepared to wait 30 minutes to finish his trick.
At which point the host of the show interrupted and said that we can't wait 30 minutes. And the magician said this happened all the time, but that he just happened to have an identical tube that he had put a cloth into 30 minutes ago! So his assistant ran out with another tube. The magician stuck the new tube that he had just made in his upper coat pocket, and took the old tube in both hands. Then he looked at the audience and said it really was identical. And if he pulls out a blue-and-white scarf, he hopes everyone will applaud.
And tugged out a blue-and-white scarf. Applause. Polite, but clearly not impressed.
Then the host said thanks, and it was a shame that we couldn't wait for the other tube. At which point the magician handed off the old tube and cloth to his assistant, shook hands, took the new tube out of his upper coat pocket, and tugged out a . . . blue-and-white cloth. Shook it out, folded it, and put it away in his pocket. Then unrolled the tube, flattening it.
And the magician bowed once more to the audience and strolled offstage, to a real roll of applause.
I should probably note that when he pushed the tube into his pocket, he was holding the top end, and when he took it out, he did the same. He's very good, I'm not sure when he switched things.
Somehow that "I'm a joke of a magician" followed by a reasonably good trick that he doesn't even notice tickles my funnybone.
This time, he started with a square, very sheer cloth. White and red stripes, with the stripes up and down. Holding it at two corners, he showed us that it was just a cloth. And stuffed it into one fist.
Then triumphantly pulled it out and showed us that the stripes were now going side to side. On the front and back!
And frowned at the live audience. Didn't they want to applaud? A hesitant ripple of clapping.
Next, he got a sheet of plastic. Not transparent, but translucent. Had a bit of color on one side. Looked like perhaps a cheap cutting board for the kitchen? Having showed it to us, he rolled it into a tube. Showed us that there was nothing in the tube. Then pushed the red-and-white cloth into the tube.
And looked at us and explained that in 30 minutes, the stripes would turn blue. So we would just wait. And he poses on the stage, just holding the tube, apparently prepared to wait 30 minutes to finish his trick.
At which point the host of the show interrupted and said that we can't wait 30 minutes. And the magician said this happened all the time, but that he just happened to have an identical tube that he had put a cloth into 30 minutes ago! So his assistant ran out with another tube. The magician stuck the new tube that he had just made in his upper coat pocket, and took the old tube in both hands. Then he looked at the audience and said it really was identical. And if he pulls out a blue-and-white scarf, he hopes everyone will applaud.
And tugged out a blue-and-white scarf. Applause. Polite, but clearly not impressed.
Then the host said thanks, and it was a shame that we couldn't wait for the other tube. At which point the magician handed off the old tube and cloth to his assistant, shook hands, took the new tube out of his upper coat pocket, and tugged out a . . . blue-and-white cloth. Shook it out, folded it, and put it away in his pocket. Then unrolled the tube, flattening it.
And the magician bowed once more to the audience and strolled offstage, to a real roll of applause.
I should probably note that when he pushed the tube into his pocket, he was holding the top end, and when he took it out, he did the same. He's very good, I'm not sure when he switched things.
Somehow that "I'm a joke of a magician" followed by a reasonably good trick that he doesn't even notice tickles my funnybone.
