Dustings #130

This trick seems to be, essentially, an AA battery that you can turn on and off by remote control. So, by extension, you can turn on or off anything that uses AA batteries by remote control.

Perhaps you can introduce your lover to your Psychic Vibrator. They pick a card, shuffle it back into the deck, and hold the psychic vibrator against their clitoris. As you deal through the cards and get to their selection, BZZZZZZZZZ.

That’s my Card!

This is what Darwin Ortiz described as Strong Magic.

Shove it up your ass and it’s an EDC.

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This is pretty funny: Murphy’s Magic had AI write the ad for John Carey’s new book, and it went ahead and invented a quote from Ben Earl. Murphy’s—showing not exactly the highest standards—just rubber-stamped it and sent it out the door.

Here’s Ben’s response…

Concerning Misattribution of a Fictitious Quote:

Dear colleagues, customers and community members,

I am writing to address a concerning matter.

In their promotional copy for a new book by John Carey, Murphy’s Magic attributed a quote to me that I did not provide. In fact, the quote in question was entirely fabricated!

This was the leading quote on their sales page for the book and therefore the leading quote on every sales page of every magic shop which stocked the book, and it was at the top of every mailshot email I've seen for the book too. It was everywhere and yet completely false.

I promptly contacted John Carey, who was equally unaware of the origin of this quote. Similarly, Murphy’s was initially unable to provide clarity on its source. Subsequently, Murphy’s disclosed that the promotional copy—including the fictitious quote—was not only generated by ChatGPT, but the copy hadn’t then been checked before release!

While I sincerely hope this was an unintentional error, this incident raises serious concerns about the practices employed. At best, it shows negligence; at worst, it suggests deliberate misrepresentation. Either scenario undermines the credibility of Murphy’s promotional efforts.

To give Murphy’s some credit, once contacted, they acted swiftly to remove the quote from their page before informing other shops to do the same. However, the cat was already out of the bag, many sales had been made and countless emails had already been sent to prospective customers.

In light of this, I feel obligated to caution both creators and consumers alike. Creators, I urge you to diligently verify that your names and statements are not being misused or misattributed in promotional materials. Likewise, consumers should exercise caution and critically evaluate the authenticity of testimonials and endorsements.

I trust that this matter will be received with the seriousness it warrants, and I encourage all parties to uphold the highest standards of integrity in their professional practices.

It truly saddens me to send this type of public message, but I have no other option.

Sincerely,

Ben Earl

The quote in question is this one, I believe (which is still on many ads for John Carey’s new book):

“The way Carey thinks about magic is exactly how we all should-clear, efficient, and deeply magical.”
– Ben Earl

Which, if you know anything about the Ben Earl’s material compared to John Carey’s, really doesn’t make a lot of sense.

My advice to companies that write magic ad-copy is to ease up on the AI.

Here’s the thing: writing magic ads is one of those rare niches where AI just doesn’t cut it. Why? Because magic isn’t something you can sell based solely on its measurable properties. It’s an emotional experience for both the performer and the spectator. We want to hear what makes this trick (or book) so good from one of those perspectives. Sure, AI can take a stab at guessing, but it doesn’t actually know. If you’re selling a car, AI can rattle off horsepower, safety ratings, and gas mileage all day — but magic doesn’t come with a spec sheet.

When I read an ad that feels mostly AI-generated, my reaction is, “Wait, wasn’t there anyone close to this product who wanted to tell us what makes it special? Did they really have to hand that job off to a bot?” As more and more people become accustomed to AI’s polished but bland “voice,” this will be the reaction of more and more consumers.

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Tragic, really, that Joshua Jay isn’t writing a regular column anymore. He should launch a blog or something, otherwise the magic world will be cruelly deprived of his endless brilliance. Insights that truly changed the art of magic.