"People like to be entertained, but I don't think they like to be fooled.  They say lets go out tonight and have a good time.  They don't say lets go out and be fooled." - Aldo Columbini

Aldo made his comment during a lecture for magicians.  Some magicians do present their routines as proof that they can fool their audience.  They come across as being superior to their audience members who can't figure out their puzzles.  There is also a style of "comedy" magic where an audience member is manipulated into doing or saying something that is foolish.  Increasingly I have heard people say they are reluctant to assist a magician in a routine because they are afraid the magician will make a fool out of them.

Sometimes puzzles can be entertaining, but only if you let people figure out the answer.  For many years while doing strolling entertainment at Raging Waters I used a puzzle where I demonstrated how to tie a knot in a bandana without letting go of the corners.  (The puzzle is included in my new Introduction to Magic booklet.)  I always made sure at least one person in each group correctly solved the puzzle before I moved on to another group.  Most often I waited until everyone had figured it out.  That type of presentation allows audience members to feel good about themselves because they solved the puzzle instead of being fooled.

There is a purpose for fooling people with magic, and that is creating a sense of wonder.  If you don't fool them there is no wonder.  I think part of the key to creating that sense is for you to feel wonder yourself.  You aren't presenting something that you can do and the audience cannot.   You are sharing something that you think is beautiful and wonderful.

Of course, if the magic is part of a plot or story that is entertaining itself the method is unimportant so the audience doesn't notice that they have been fooled.

There is a tradition and philosophy that clown characters are tricksters.  An example is the straw flower routine.   A clown enters carrying a bouquet of flowers and offers one to somebody in the audience.  When the audience person takes the flower by the stem, the clown pulls up on the flower leaving the audience member holding a drinking straw.  (The stems of each flower in the bouquet were previously inserted into drinking straws.)  The clown then leaves having gotten a laugh from the rest of the crowd because they made one person look foolish.  That is a reason some people give for resenting clowns.

Other practical jokes tricks that laymen associate with clowns include squirt boutonnieres, squirt cameras, and hand buzzers.  At one time in Southern California people were reluctant to shake hands with me when I was in clown character.  I noticed that they would peer at my palm first.  I finally discovered that several clowns in the region were using hand buzzers when they did strolling entertainment.  People were wary of being fooled by that trick.

One way to entertain as a trickster is to be caught in your own practical joke.  I began using a hand buzzer, but I was too inept to use it properly.  I would offer to shake with my right hand, but the buzzer was on my left palm.  When nothing happened while I was shaking, I became puzzled.  I accidentally put my hands together, and jumped when the buzzer went off.  I let it run all the way down.  Then I would get the audience person to shake with their left hand, and nothing happened.  Sometimes a young person would tell me that I had to wind the buzzer up first.  I would wind it up, and then push the button to test that it was working.  I jumped again when it went off, and let it run all the way down.  Again nothing happened when we shook hands.  I would give them the buzzer to show me how to do it.  They would wind up the buzzer and put it on their hand.  When we shook hands and it went off, I jumped a third time.  Then I gave up and put the buzzer away.  I have not used that routine in years, but because of the context at that time it was very successful then.

If you perform magic, how can you do more than just fool the audience?  How can you make your effect entertaining?  If you are a trickster type character, how can you be caught in your own joke yourself?