A good magic trick isn't just a trick. It's a story wrapped around a trick. Magicians distract their audiences with professional smooth talk called patter, and it sounds eerily similar to what politicians deliver in debates and on the stump. Magicians Steven Cohen, Mark Levy and Harry Lorayne break down the power of patter.
A good magic trick isn't just a trick. It's a story wrapped around a trick. Magicians distract their audiences with professional smooth talk called patter, and it sounds eerily similar to what politicians deliver in debates and on the stump. Magicians Steven Cohen, Mark Levy and Harry Lorayne break down the power of patter.
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
A good magic trick isn't just a trick. It's a story wrapped around a trick. Magicians distract their audiences with professional smooth talk called patter, and it sounds eerily similar to what politicians deliver in debates and on the stump. Magicians Steven Cohen, Mark Levy and Harry Lorayne break down the power of patter.
Broadcast History
Studio 360, Oct., 2008
Transcript
INTRO
During a presidential debate before the election in 1980 Jimmy Carter wanted to demonstrate that his opponent Ronald Reagan wasn't as knowledgeable as a president should be. So president Carter rattled off all kinds of health care facts. And then the camera cut to Reagan.
Reagan [tape]: There you go again
The best politicians are masters of the art of rhetoric and delivery. So are magicians who have a name for that kind of talk - patter. And any magician will tell you that patter is all about getting the audience to the wrong thing.
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
INTRO
During a presidential debate before the election in 1980 Jimmy Carter wanted to demonstrate that his opponent Ronald Reagan wasn't as knowledgeable as a president should be. So president Carter rattled off all kinds of health care facts. And then the camera cut to Reagan
Reagan: there you go again
The best politicians are masters of the art of rhetoric and delivery. So are magicians who have a name for that kind of talk - patter. And any magician will tell you that patter is all about getting the audience to the wrong thing.
