Exposure in magic refers to the practice of revealing the methods of magic tricks. The practice is generally frowned upon amongst magicians, who believe that it ruins the experience of magical performances for audiences. Exposure is uniquely impactful to magicians, as magic relies heavily on the elusive nature of secrets and methods in order to create mystery.

Background

Magic effects have been exposed by both

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...

and amateur magicians. Some magic effects have been exposed in stage shows, and in other public media including

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

,Peter Lamont, Richard Wiseman (2005) ''Magic in Theory: An Introduction to the Theoretical and Psychological Elements of Conjuring''
pp xiv. Univ of Hertfordshire Press Accessed 2010, May 20 the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

, certain video sharing interfaces, discussion forums, and blogs. One notable case of exposure on network television involved

Val Valentino Val Valentino (born Leonard Montano, June 14, 1956)Brownfield, Paul (October 31, 1998)"Fox Isn't Disillusioned as Masked Magician Series Ends". ''Los Angeles Times''. is an American magician. Valentino starred in a series of four television sp ...

, performing as the "Masked Magician" in the Fox series '' Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed'', which ran between 1997 and 1998. Valentino was ostracized by the magic community and received much criticism from magicians for contravening the joint

International Brotherhood of Magicians International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) is an organization for both professional and amateur close-up and stage magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. The headquarters is in St. Charles, Missouri. There are over 300 ...

and

Society of American Magicians The Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) is the oldest fraternal magic organization in the world. Its purpose is "to advance, elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art, to promote harmonious fellowship throughout the world of magic, and ...

ethics statement.

Penn & Teller Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette and Teller, are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific skeptics who have performed together since the late 1970s. They are noted for their ongoing act that combines elements of comedy with magic. The duo h ...

have often exposed their own tricks for the purposes of entertainment.

Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. The duo has been featured ...

has stated that while the duo show the audience how a trick is done, it is often done so quickly or with different mechanics that the audience is unable to follow. This highlights the need to distinguish ''apparent'' exposures performed by magicians during an act, which often turn out to be illusions in their own right.

Background

Arguments

Supporting exposure

Opposing exposure

See also

References