2013-12 Dennis' Deliberations

I received this from Dean George Schindler from another magic organization to which I belong.  I guess it was in the making for a long time considering the impact of the Internet and sites like “Magic Leaks”.

In a strong resolution the National Council of the Society of American Magicians has condemned "Cyber Bullying". Since this is a public issue of ethics and morality, I believe that I am free to let you see it.

The National Council of the Society of American Magicians has determined that various chat rooms and social media have been improperly utilized as outlets for cyber bullying which targets magic, magicians and youngsters who are interested in magic.

Various magic forums serve a good purpose in sharing ideas and thoughts which help to improve the skills of the performer, some web sites either allow, tolerate or permit performers to be the victims of absurd, hateful and hurtful attacks against a fellow performer

The National Council of the Society of American Magicians hereby adopted the following resolution condemning Cyber Bullying:

The Society of American magicians opposes and condemns Cyber Bullying in any and all forms including but not limited to all forms of hate speech, the use of words which attack physical appearance, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation or nationality and opposes all kinds of needless and hateful cyber bullying resulting from the publishing of private information on magic related web sites.

The definition of “bullying” (of an adult- no juvenile should ever be bullied- that includes hateful remarks about Justin Bieber)  is probably determined the same way that Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to define pornography. “I know it when I see it”.  The phrase "I know it when I see it" is an expression by which a speaker attempts to categorize an observable fact or event, although the category is subjective or lacks clearly defined parameters. The phrase was famously used in this sense by United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart to describe his threshold test for obscenity in Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964).

I don’t believe that the SAM resolution wants to shut down any constructive criticism of magic acts, magicians, props  and magic arts. The long tradition of bluntness and honesty by those who truly love magic such as Senator Clark Crandall, Bev Bergeron and others is a valuable tool for progress in the art. I believe their comments were always done in a positive way because they love magic. A wall of silence has a downside in allowing incompetence to continue. Such professions as medicine, law, engineering and education often circle the wagons and protect their own incompetent members.  Oscar Wilde said, “Every profession is a conspiracy against laymen”.

In the magic profession, the major publications have an agenda. The first item is to make money. Criticism in almost any form generates enemies and a loss of advertising revenue. That is why you are unlikely to read a revue of an act or show that is not warm and fuzzy toward the act.  Next, magic is mostly a hobby and amateurs don’t want to hear anything other than sunshine and roses about their hobby. Finally, the entertainment value of an act is very subjective. Appreciation is in the eye of the beholder.

So, where does a critical review slip in cyber-bullying? My definition would be when the words have no rational value for improving the magic art and are just a personal attack. The words should clearly say they are the opinion of the author and they should never be done anonymously. If the attacker continuously badgers and attacks the other person, it is bullying.   I believe that it could be argued that Richard Himber bullied Joe Dunninger.

Being in show business requires a tough skin and good lawyers. In many cases, under the law, criticism of an act, ridicule and negative statements can be said  with impunity about a “public figure”.  It goes with the territory.

If any harassing, angry, sarcastic writing and speech, directed at our Washington politicians was considered “bullying” , there would be no political comments, no AM talk radio, and no critical news/talk cable channels.

It is sad that with the Internet and modern communications , libel, slander, harassment and  bullying is a sad reality of all public life and in the performing arts. It is a part of theZeitgeist of our present “Age of Discontent”.